Boost Your PBSA Success with Mystery Shopping 

For those managing or investing in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), adopting a Mystery Shopping Programme can improve your operation's performance and competitiveness.  

Standing out takes more than good locations or amenities. There have been ongoing rumblings in the PBSA market that the final place to compete is customer service but if your sales service is falling short, then you are missing the first hurdle. This is where a Mystery Shopping Programme becomes a game-changer, providing essential insights to boost your operation and edge out the competition. If you are monitoring your sales conversation rate it is only one half of the job if you are not actually monitoring what is happening in that process. 

From simplifying complex booking processes to pinpointing why some marketing efforts don’t turn into bookings, mystery shopping offers a clear view. It helps us see exactly what potential students go through, identifies where our operations might be falling short, and explains why some enquiries don't lead to sales. Crucially, it gives us a student’s-eye view on our customer service, highlighting where we can make real improvements. 

Consistency across different locations is also key. With feedback from mystery shopping, maintaining a high standard everywhere becomes much easier. This blog post will explore how PBSA providers can use mystery shopping to not just meet but exceed student expectations, ensuring a smooth experience from initial contact to move-out day. By tapping into the insights mystery shopping offers, PBSA operators can refine their services, marketing, and customer care to truly stand out. 

Here’s a breakdown of the benefits: 

Pinpoint Staff Training Needs 

A mystery shopping service can give you an objective view of your team's performance, highlighting where they excel and where improvement is needed. This insight allows for targeted staff training, boosting job satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, the quality of service provided. 

Increase Sales Conversions 

By understanding the customer experience through mystery shopping, you can refine your sales approach to improve conversions. This means more effective use of your marketing budget and higher occupancy rates. 

Optimise Marketing Spend 

Mystery shopping reveals the effectiveness of your marketing messages in real-time, allowing for adjustments that protect your investment and increase ROI. 

Achieve Customer Service Excellence 

The feedback from mystery shopping can guide you in delivering superior customer service, leading to higher satisfaction, awards, and an outstanding reputation in the PBSA sector.   

Secure a Competitive Advantage 

Mystery shopping insights help you understand your market position and what you need to do to outperform competitors, ensuring your PBSA offering is the preferred choice. 

Understand Brand Perception 

Find out how potential residents see your brand, and adjust your strategies to meet their expectations better, enhancing your appeal and strengthening your market presence.  

A Truly Bespoke Service  

The uniqueness of our Mystery Shopping Programme lies in its tailored approach specifically designed for the PBSA sector. We employ students who have undergone rigorous training to act as mystery shoppers, ensuring an authentic and relevant evaluation of the student accommodation experience. These mystery shoppers rate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that we have meticulously crafted, making the programme entirely bespoke to the needs and challenges of the PBSA industry. This customisation ensures that the insights and outcomes are directly applicable and highly valuable, providing clear, actionable data that is precisely aligned with the sector’s priorities. Consequently, this bespoke nature of the programme translates into better value for money, offering clear and sector-relevant outcomes that directly impact the success of PBSA operations. 

Conclusion 

Investing in a Mystery Shopping Program is a strategic move that yields tangible improvements across your PBSA operation.  

You can work with us to experience our Mystery Shopping Service, in partnership with hereSAY and SAY property consultancy. We can help you achieve these insights into staff performance and customer service. Pick when to assess, receive feedback, and access tailored training to improve. 

Ready to learn more? Drop us an email to get started: info@propertymarketingstrategists.co.uk

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