Why the first enquiry carries so much weight
People who ask a design practice for help are often nervous. They may be planning the biggest change to their home in years. They do not know the language of drawings, consents or fees.
Design work is hard to compare before it starts. A client cannot see the finished result in advance. They look for signs that the practice is organised, curious and easy to talk to.
Small practices are often busy with live projects. A new enquiry can sit in an inbox while the team is on site or in a meeting. The client reads that silence as a sign of how the project will go.
A calm, clear first reply helps the client relax. It also tells them what to expect next.
A practice that explains its stages early earns trust. A client who understands the process feels more able to say yes, and more able to ask questions later.
What a client goes through before they hire you
Our shopper plays a homeowner or small business owner with a modest project. It might be a single-storey extension, a loft room, a kitchen reconfiguration or a planning question for a small change. We agree the brief with you. The shopper asks questions and requests a first conversation. They never commission work.
We do not judge design quality. We never comment on taste, style, drawings or portfolios as art. Our focus is how the practice communicates.
We also never give planning or legal advice, and we do not test whether any advice you give is correct.
Step one is your website. Can a visitor see what you do, which projects you take on and how to start?
Step two is the first enquiry by form, email or phone. We note how long a reply takes and what it says.
Step three is the initial conversation. Are questions asked about the property, the aims and the timing? Step four is the proposal. Is it clear what is included and what happens next? Step five is follow-up.
What we measure
Every score has a written observation behind it. We use our core checks and add a few that suit design practices.
Website experience: is it clear who you help and what a first step looks like? Ease of making contact: is there a simple way to ask? Response time: how long before a person answers? Telephone manner: is the call calm, clear and unhurried?
Customer welcome and understanding: did the person ask about the property and the hopes for it before talking about the practice? Explanation of the service: were stages such as survey, concept, planning and detail described in plain words?
Trust and professionalism: did the shopper hear about experience with similar projects and how the practice works? Attempt to secure the sale: was a next step offered, such as a meeting or a proposal? Follow-up: did anyone come back?
We also look at how clearly the proposal explains your own fees. We ask whether it says what could change them. We never judge the level of any fee.
Things worth checking in a design practice
These are prompts for checking, not accusations. Every practice works in its own way.
Is the website clear about the kinds of project you take on, and the ones you do not? A visitor with a small job should not have to guess. Is there a short explanation of the usual stages?
Does the enquiry form send an acknowledgement? Does it say when the client can expect a reply? Does the phone go to a person or to a voicemail that says when the message will be returned?
In the first conversation, does the practice explain terms like planning permission or building regulations in plain words, without giving legal advice? Are the client's questions answered or put aside?
Does the proposal set out the stages, what is included and how long each takes? Is the next step obvious? If the client goes quiet, does the practice follow up politely?
What you receive afterwards
You receive a scored report with the observation behind each score. You can see how long each reply took, what was asked and what the shopper was told to expect.
The report lists strengths first, then weaknesses, then a prioritised action plan. The changes most likely to help are at the top. The plan is written in short steps that a small team can act on without extra software. You can read it in one sitting and share it with your partners or team.
Each report is checked by hand before release. We remove any comment that is opinion without evidence. We never judge the design work itself.
We never name or rank individual staff. The report is about process, training and systems. It shows one customer journey on one occasion, so use it as a prompt for improvement, not a verdict.
A retest after you make changes measures progress against the first score.
Who this suits and how to start
This suits architects, architectural technologists, interior designers and planning consultants. It works for a sole practitioner as well as a studio with several staff. It is helpful if you receive plenty of enquiries but win fewer than you would like.
To begin, ask for prices by email. We can also send a free first-impression report on your website and first contact.
If you want to test something particular, use the Custom Questions option. You write up to 10, 20 or 30 questions of your own and choose how many shoppers carry them out. You might ask how clearly the shopper was told what a first meeting involves.
We agree the scenario with you before anything starts. We also ask you to confirm that staff know, in general terms, that mystery shopping may take place.