When evaluating HR and payroll software competitors for a client preparing to expand operations, we conducted a comprehensive B2B mystery shopping software exercise. We aimed to assess leading software vendors on key decision-making factors, including automation, compliance, scheduling, customer support, and pricing structures. By engaging directly with sales teams and product demonstrations under the guise of a potential buyer, we extracted detailed insights that would be challenging to obtain through standard research.

Methodology

We approached three agreed HR and payroll software vendors. Codenamed Provider Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. With the stated aim of working with a mid-sized business needing:

• All-in-one HR

• Scheduling

• Payroll automation solution.

We planned our work around specific questions. We tested each provider to see if they could give accurate, relevant, and engaging answers.

Each vendor was evaluated on:

• Ease of onboarding and implementation timelines

• Payroll automation capabilities

• Compliance management for California labour laws

• Scheduling insights and reporting tools

• Customer support structure and responsiveness

• Pricing transparency and flexibility

• AI and automation features

Findings & Insights

1. Payroll Automation: Claims vs. Reality

• Provider Alpha: Positioned itself as having a fully automated payroll system with minimal human intervention. However, while automation existed, manual adjustments were still required for exceptions like commissions and bonuses.

• Provider Beta: Highlighted seamless payroll integration with scheduling, automatically pulling timesheets into payroll. However, manual approvals were still required before payroll could be finalised.

• Provider Gamma: Promoted its payroll automation as reducing administrative work but required more manual oversight compared to the other providers.

While automation significantly reduced manual inputs, no provider offered a truly ‘hands-free’ payroll system. Each required manual oversight, especially for variable payments like bonuses.

2. Compliance Management & California Labour Laws

• Alpha: Had a built-in overtime calculator for California labour laws and automated compliance updates. However, customisation options for complex compliance needs were somewhat limited.

• Beta: Provided automated compliance alerts for labour law updates, including minimum wage changes, overtime rules, and minor work-hour restrictions. These alerts were embedded within the scheduling and payroll systems, ensuring managers received proactive notifications.

• Gamma: Offered compliance support but did not specialise in U.S. labour laws, limiting its relevance for a business operating in California.

Provider Beta offered the most comprehensive real-time compliance alerts, making it ideal for businesses needing proactive regulatory updates.

3. Enhanced Scheduling & Reporting Tools

• Alpha: Presented visually appealing and intuitive scheduling tools but lacked real-time reporting on labour costs.

• Beta: Allowed real-time tracking of labour costs, overtime, and employee hours directly within the scheduling dashboard. It also featured a shift bidding system, allowing employees to claim open shifts automatically.

• Gamma: Provided mobile-friendly scheduling with shift swapping but lacked deep analytics on labour costs.

Provider Beta’s scheduling insights were the most robust, providing managers with real-time labour cost control.

4. Customer Support & Onboarding Experience

• Alpha: Assigned a dedicated account manager and implementation team but had mixed responsiveness in support queries.

• Beta: Provided comprehensive onboarding resources and a hybrid support model of self-service guides and live support.

• Gamma: Offered implementation managers for onboarding but relied heavily on self-service resources.

Beta’s mix of real-time and automated support ensured a smoother onboarding experience. Alpha’s dedicated account management was beneficial for ongoing support.

5. Pricing Transparency & Customisation

• Alpha: Modular pricing, with different costs for each feature. Discounts were available for rapid onboarding.

• Beta: Transparent pricing with all-in-one packages makes comparing costs easier.

• Gamma: It had the most competitive base pricing, but additional features required add-ons, increasing costs over time.

Provider Beta had the most predictable pricing. Alpha’s modular approach allowed for more tailored but potentially higher costs.

Conclusion: The Value of Mystery Shopping

This mystery shopping exercise isolated important differences among providers. Insights hard to find with regular research. Insights our client did not know before the mystery shopping exercise.

Beta was great for compliance management and scheduling insights. Alpha was all about automation and account management. Gamma was the cheapest, at least on the face of it. However, it didn’t have strong compliance features for California labour laws.

Those choosing the right HR and payroll provider can benefit from mystery shopping. This method gave insights into:

• Product features

• Vendor responsiveness

• Their ability to meet business needs

Interested in using our B2B mystery shopping services? Contact us to uncover the hidden details competitors might not tell you upfront and ensure you make the most informed decision for your business.

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