Through mystery dining I’ve been able to eat out for free 1 or 2 times a month for the past few years,
sometimes with the whole family and other times just with my husband or a friend.
It's been a great way to try new restaurants and the family assignments are a really cost effective
way for us to treat the children. They love going out ‘like adults’ and I’ve been able to introduce
them to food that they wouldn’t normally try at home. It’s actually quite easy to manage once you're
familiar with the sorts of things that you need to provide feedback on and I’m now so accustomed to going
home and typing up a report after the visit that it feels odd not to!
Mum of two, Lisa, has been one of The Mystery Dining Company’s assessors since 2003.
We are recruiting diners who can take a child
(usually under the age of 10) for a family dining
experience.
This is an opportunity for families to save
money by eating out for free in a child-friendly
environment in return for completing a detailed questionnaire which
provides a report on elements such as the attractiveness of the
children's menu, how friendly the waiting staff are, how quickly
orders are taken and meals arrive and the general cleanliness of
the restaurant.
The assessor must complete the report (which normally takes
about an hour) and send that, along with a copy of the restaurant
receipt, to The Mystery Dining Company within 24 hours of a visit.
The report is then verified and once any additional questions are
answered the cost of the meal is reimbursed.
The purpose of a family assignment is to help restaurants who
have signed up to the mystery dining programme to better understand
what they can be doing to make family visits more enjoyable for
children and parents alike.
Whether you would like to introduce the children to different
cuisines, familiarise them with eating in a restaurant environment
or simply want to help raise standards, an increasing number
of restaurants are interested in learning about how they can better
meet the needs of families.