Mystery shoppers not asked about lifestyle

A mystery shopping exercise set up by the organisers of next week’s Independents Day has exposed a lack of communication by practices.

Around a quarter of mystery patients were not asked about their hobbies and lifestyle, in findings by Independents Day organisers Proven Track Record (PTR) and released to Optician as the event’s media partner.

Further feedback showed that half the patients were not told about different lens options, such as tinting and coatings, while around two-thirds were not offered the option of contact lenses at all.

The mystery shopping exercise, financially supported by Transitions, was carried out across 40 independents in the spring. Participating practices were provided with confidential details of how they performed against the other practices.