Rebecca Brown and Agnes Holliday: mystery shopping tests for PBS and the Smithsonian Institution
- Exhibited by
- Maxine Delahunty
- Added
- May 24, 2008
- Medium of Communication
- Direct mail
- Target Audience
- Type of Charity
- Research & policy development
- Country of Origin
- USA
- Date of first appearance
- 1995
SOFII’s view
In 1994 and 1995 Ken Burnett organised a remarkable series of mystery shopping tests in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia as preparation of his book Friends for Life: Relationship Fundraising in Practice. His purpose was to find out if the generally low levels of customer service offered by fundraising organisations in the UK and Europe were matched by similar organisations in other countries. While the results were generally depressing they also produced flashes of individual brilliance and a long list of useful lessons. This exhibit features two highly instructive tests from the USA.
Creator / originator
Burnett Associates’ Ken Burnett, author of Relationship Fundraising and other books.
Summary / objectives
These tasks were each undertaken on behalf of large and fragmented fundraising organisations who just wanted to get an idea of levels of donor service within their far-flung constituents.
Background
Ken Burnett had carried out similar tests in many other countries and for a range of different organisations.
Special characteristics
Though it had been anticipated that donor service would have been seen as a more important priority on the ‘other’ side of the Atlantic, these tests proved that this was not the case. At least, not back then...
Influence / impact
Through Ken’s book and subsequent seminars and articles these tests were brought to the attention of a large number of fundraisers around the world. How much attention was paid still, perhaps, remains to be seen.