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Mystery Shopper at Jay’s Place
Name
Module
Tutor
Institution
Date
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Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................3
Product................................................................................................................................3
Place....................................................................................................................................4
Price....................................................................................................................................4
Promotion...........................................................................................................................5
People..................................................................................................................................5
Process.................................................................................................................................6
Physical Evidence...............................................................................................................6
Critical Incident.................................................................................................................7
Sustainable Marketing Practices......................................................................................7
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................7
References...........................................................................................................................9
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Introduction
As I embarked on my exploitative journey regarding Digital Marketing Solutions(DMS),
I came across a restaurant on a sunny Saturday during my morning strolls and decided to be a
mystery shopper. This experience took me to Jay’s Place a restaurant with an exquisite touch of
local and international delicacies providing culinary services to both the local and international
visitors. Consequently, I decided to take this chance with a close friend of mine and to
experience the café services from the perspective of a customer. Consequently, we equipped
ourselves well with the seven principles of marketing and assessed the services as well as
products from the restaurant. The 7 P’s of marketing include Product, Place, Price, Promotion,
People, Process, and Physical Evidence (Febriansyah, 2019). Therefore, my mission was to
physically assess all these factors by looking at the cafe's strengths and weaknesses in light of
these factors, a process that would inform us of the different elements of sustainable marketing
and practices within the café.
Product
The first P in the 7 Principles of Marketing stands for Product. A product can be both
tangible and intangible. In this case, Jay’s Place sells one of the most sensitive products, which
requires utmost consideration and careful planning before serving (Wittink, 2004). Consequently,
on entering the restaurant, I was drawn to the diverse menu that features a myriad of food
products, including a wide range of breakfast Items such as sandwiches, Salads as well as a
variety of beverages. My order included an exquisite breakfast platter and cappuccino, which
was served promptly and came with a touch of fresh ingredients, which were both aromatic and
offered an effective touch of aficionados. Nevertheless, I realized that this menu was not quite as
wide as I heard earlier thought. Upon in-depth consideration, I realized that it lacked some diets
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for specific people, such as Vegan and gluten-free diets, which could come as a setback for the
restaurant. Consequently, expanding their menu to capture these products can effectively help the
café to reach a broader audience while ensuring the satisfaction of most of their customers.
Place
Jay's place location is a reflection of its successful eras. The café is located in a bustling
area that is well surrounded by high foot traffic. On the other hand, the café’s interior presented a
cozy outline, significantly outlining a rustic charm that essentially signifies the welcoming
atmosphere for all customers (CIM, 2023). On the other hand, the café had comfortable and
organized arrangements for seating with natural lighting during the day and ambient exposure at
night, signifying an ideal spot for casual meetings as well as solo and personal reflective
encounters. Nevertheless, despite the café being in a prime location, the café did not do a good
job of exposing a conspicuous signage that would communicate elegance to the passersby.
Therefore, this did not quite present a good picture of the café, which may eventually get
overlooked by most of the passers-by. Therefore, the café should think of enhancing this signage
to cater for a more eye-catching and conspicuous look that would significantly increase the
visibility while attracting more customers.
Price
Price dictates many variables in a profitable organization since a product is only worthy
what a customer is prepared to pay for. Consequently, the price of the products needs to take into
account all the perspectives of the customer. In this case, Jay’s price value aligns quite well with
its target market; consequently, this establishes one of the foundations of the success of the
company. The price is reasonable and affordable considering the market of footwalkers and by-
passers. Nevertheless, I realized that the company does not offer discounts and incentives during
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off-peaks, and this could potentially alter the customer’s repeat visits. The move could also also
cause the café to miss out on budget-conscious customers (CIM, 2023).
Promotion
The promotional activities within the café appeared very limited, considering the
attention needed. This was basically witnessed through a small chalk board which was not very
conspicuous outside the café. The chalkboard enlisted several of the day’s menus as well as the
special meal of the day. Nevertheless, the digital presence of the company on social media was
not very clear and conspicuous and the café could effectively leverage the use of social media
marketing in social media platforms to effectively highlight some of the promotional services
(Loo & Leung, 2016). Feedback is also vital in this case as the café does not significantly outline
the feedback procedures to get the views of the clients and enhance the brand awareness through
improving engagement.
People
Generally, the staff at the premises were quite friendly as well as attentive to the clients.
This contributed to the positive ambiance at Jay’s place while ensuring constant and consistent
improvement and a positive experience at the café. The staff at Jay’s welcomed us ans showed us
to our sits while ensuring that they effectively took our orders and consistently checking on us to
ensure that we were okay. During checkouts, we were delightfully ushered out with the staff, and
the barrister exposed consistent smiles outlining how satisfied she was that we bought some of
her favorite brews. Nevertheless, we noticed that there were not enough staff members and that
they appeared overwhelmed by the services (Wittink, 2004). This led to long waits and during
this time. Therefore hiring more workers to improve the response could effectively help in
ensuring that the company satisfies there customers during these hours.
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Process
The ordering process at the place was quite straightforward considering the size and the
location of the café. Consequently, from our experiences once a customer enters the café they are
effectively ushered in and directed to the counter where they place their order. Depending on
whether the customer wants a takeaway product or a sit in, they are effectively shown there sits
where food and drinks are served promptly and effectively. The payment process was also quite
smooth with the provision of a variety of payment processes and options available for the clients.
Nevertheless, a potential for improvement arises from the fact that there was no digitization in
the whole process. The payment was sometimes made through a mobile app outlines an effective
digitization approach, which could essentially help in reducing onsite congestion and improve
service delivery, especially for tech-savvy customers.
Physical Evidence
The ambiance at Jay’s palace proves to be effective, ambient, and welcoming to the
passersby and other customers. The touch of rustic wooden furniture presents a grungy feeling
that resonates well with a young and old customer base. The hotel has potted plants within the
environment together with a piece of very soft background music, consequently bringing out an
inviting environment for all the customers while reflecting the café’s dedication to style and
commitment as occasioned by the cleanliness witnessed in the restrooms. Nevertheless, a minor
issue came from the company’s inability to put up proper signage, which could better organize
the place and effectively be organized by the place while outlining the proper aesthetic and
usability of the place (Wilhelmus, 2019).
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Critical Incident
All was well at Jay’s place until a critical incident occurred, where the customer
highlighted her dissatisfaction with the waiting time. The customer started frowning and using
abusive, inappropriate language. This incident highlighted the need for an effective digital
ordering system that would ensure the personalization of the menu and order (Loo & Leung,
2016). Nevertheless, this situation was handled professionally by the available staff, who came to
the rescue by offering complimentary drinks. Consequently, the company's peak hours create
bottlenecks in the effective provision of service.
Sustainable Marketing Practices
The café presented some commendable sustainable practices, which were significantly
outlined by its use of biodegradable takeaway containers. After an in-depth investigation, I also
realized that the company sources its products locally, supporting local suppliers and creating
effective community engagement (Nelson, 2020). Nevertheless, I noticed that there could be
improvements that can be occasioned by involving a comprehensive recycling program that can
encourage bringing reusable cups and containers, which would further enhance sustainability
efforts within the organization.
Conclusion
The mystery shopping experience at the café was effective and insightful as it did not
only help learn from the experience but also effectively outlined insightful strengths and
weaknesses of the café. One thing that came out clearly is that the café excels effectively in
product quality as well as in customer satisfaction. However, I learned that the cafe could benefit
a lot from an enhanced promotional service as well as ensuring the diversification of the menu
while addressing specific areas such as digital marketing and digitizing the online ordering
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system further. This could help take the company to greater heights. Consequently, the journey to
the digital marketing domain, as well as this journey help me establish a more profound
understanding of marketing in a broader as well as effective customer experience. Also I
established that organization must effectively continue refining their approach to marketing
through effective frameworks to improve service delivery.
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References
CIM. (2023, March 10). The 7 Ps of marketing | CIM Content hub. Www.cim.co.uk.
https://www.cim.co.uk/content-hub/quick-read/the-7ps-of-marketing/#:~:text=The
%207Ps%20of%20marketing%20are
Febriansyah, R. (2019). Marketing Mix 7Ps . KnE Social Sciences, 3(13), 619.
https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v3i13.4235
Loo, P. T., & Leung, R. (2016). A service failure framework of hotels in Taiwan. Journal of
Vacation Marketing, 24(1), 79–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766716682555
Nelson, P. (2020). Information and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Political Economy, 78(2),
311–329.
Wilhelmus, K. Y. (2019). The Application Of Model 7Ps Marketing Mix At STKIP Weetebula.
Jurnal Edukasi Sumba (JES), 3(2), 68–77. https://doi.org/10.53395/jes.v3i2.49
Wittink, D. R. (2004). Journal of Marketing Research: 2 Ps. Journal of Marketing Research,
41(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.41.1.1.25089
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Appendix 1: Service Product Worksheets
Jays Place Worksheet
Principle Definition Comments
Product Refers to any good or service
offered to a customer.
Wide variety of breakfast items,
sandwiches, salads, and beverages.
Fresh ingredients and appealing
presentation.
Menu could be broader to include vegan
and gluten-free options.
Place Location and ambience of the
business.
Bustling location with high foot traffic.
Cozy and rustic interior with comfortable
seating. Prime location, but signage is
inconspicuous.
Price Cost of the product or service to
the customer.
Prices align well with the target market.
No discounts or incentives offered during
off-peak hours.
Promotion Activities used to communicate
the product or service to the
target market.
Limited promotion - small chalkboard with
daily specials.
Weak digital presence on social media.
No clear feedback procedures.
People The staff who interact with
customers.
Friendly and attentive staff.
Understaffed during peak hours, leading to
long waits.
Process The steps involved in a
customer's experience.
Straightforward ordering process at the
counter. No digitization - payment through
traditional methods only.
Physical
Evidence
The tangible elements that
represent the brand.
Welcoming ambiance with rustic furniture
and potted plants.
Clean restrooms.
Lack of proper signage for organization.
