| I wish I had a nickel for every time
| |
| | confident about attaching a higher number
|
| someone said to me, "Oh, you do Mystery
| |
| | of points to it.In most companies, there
|
| Shopping; I always wanted to do that!" I
| |
| | are three or four areas that they like to
|
| think most people do find the thought of
| |
| | have the shoppers give feedback on. The
|
| posing as a customer and reporting back
| |
| | first area is usually the facility. Was
|
| on how they were treated, rather
| |
| | the location easy to find? Was the
|
| intriguing. But there is a lot more to
| |
| | entrance neat and clean? Did I feel safe
|
| it that skulking around in a trench coat
| |
| | parking after dark? Was the interior of
|
| and spy glass!I believe most companies
| |
| | the location attractive? Was it easy for
|
| have taken the plunge and decided that it
| |
| | me to find what I was looking for? The
|
| really is important to conduct frequent
| |
| | next area usually covered is the
|
| "mystery or secret shops" of their
| |
| | inventory or merchandising of the store.
|
| businesses. The question remains, do
| |
| | Was the signing helpful? Was the
|
| they do anything constructive with the
| |
| | business in stock on what I needed? Was
|
| information or is it used as a
| |
| | it easy for me to shop? The last one is
|
| disciplinary tool?Before you start having
| |
| | usually the area of service. How was I
|
| people snoop around your company,
| |
| | greeted? Was the employee easy to find?
|
| consider the following clues that will
| |
| | Was the employee knowledgeable? Did the
|
| help guarantee a successful program.1.
| |
| | employee make me feel special? Again,
|
| What's the Value in a Mystery Shopper
| |
| | these questions can be as many or as few
|
| Program?a. The most important reason for
| |
| | as you think is important to get the
|
| conducting a mystery shop, is to see your
| |
| | feedback that you need.b. The next step
|
| business through the eyes of your
| |
| | is to hire the shoppers. This can make
|
| customer. Not only should you consider
| |
| | or break your program. Too often
|
| mystery shops, but using focus groups on
| |
| | companies think they are saving money by
|
| a quarterly basis that are made up of
| |
| | hiring friends and family. I suggest
|
| some of your actual customers. Both
| |
| | that you hire people you don't know. You
|
| sources will provide you with excellent
| |
| | are looking for unbiased feedback and the
|
| feedback that you can start to focus
| |
| | best way is to hire the right people for
|
| on.b. Second, a well-thought out mystery
| |
| | it. I recommend going to the Mystery
|
| shopper program will allow you to
| |
| | Shopper Provider Association website for
|
| evaluate the accuracy of your training
| |
| | the listing of good companies to use can
|
| program. If your employees are taught in
| |
| | hire a company to coordinate your entire
|
| their training program that they must
| |
| | shopper program, or you may try doing it
|
| greet the customer in a certain way, the
| |
| | yourself if you have a small company and
|
| "shop" will show the results. It is also
| |
| | want to try it first on your own. If
|
| a way to hold employees accountable for
| |
| | you are choosing to find shoppers on your
|
| what they learned in training. If you
| |
| | own to use your own materials, then I
|
| train them you can test them!c. Third, it
| |
| | suggest They have a massive database
|
| helps a company to truly focus on the
| |
| | and it can be accessed by zip code. I
|
| areas that need improving, based on the
| |
| | will suggest, however, that you use the
|
| customer's reactions. Too often
| |
| | same techniques you use when hiring any
|
| management believes that there needs to
| |
| | employee. Call the potential shopper and
|
| be changes in one area and the customer
| |
| | interview them extensively just as if you
|
| feedback shows that the focus needs to be
| |
| | were hiring a person to work for your
|
| elsewhere in order to keep them as a
| |
| | company on a full or part time basis.
|
| loyal customer. Management may think
| |
| | You will get a good feel over the phone
|
| that tightly merchandising their floor
| |
| | about their communication and grammar
|
| space is giving the customer the
| |
| | skills that I feel is so important in
|
| selection they want, and it turns out
| |
| | providing a company the proper
|
| that the customer says it is too cramped
| |
| | feedback.c. Lastly, I am always asked,
|
| to shop comfortably.2. Should I do a
| |
| | "How often should I do a "shop" and how
|
| Mystery Shop Without the Employees
| |
| | much should I expect to pay?" I believe
|
| Knowing?a. Pop Quiz! How many of us read
| |
| | consistency is key. If you are looking
|
| those words and remember a grumpy teacher
| |
| | at saving money you can always choose to
|
| walking in the classroom to a group of
| |
| | do your shops, randomly. Pay is usually
|
| rowdy kids, slamming her book on the desk
| |
| | based on the length of time it takes the
|
| and bellowing, "Ok, take out a sheet of
| |
| | shopper to do the "shop" from the time
|
| paper we're going to have a pop quiz.,"
| |
| | they leave their house until they get
|
| Panic just struck your soul! The same
| |
| | back. Pay can range from $25 per shop on
|
| thing happens with employees. In
| |
| | up.So depending on budget and whether you
|
| addition you have just thrown any trust
| |
| | choose to do them weekly, monthly or
|
| you have built with your employee's right
| |
| | randomly, make them a pivotal part of an
|
| out the window. If you want to build a
| |
| | on-going training program and do not do
|
| team, let the players know the game
| |
| | it for less than one year. That may
|
| plan!b. Explain to your employees why you
| |
| | translate into 12 shops to 365 shops, but
|
| are planning a mystery shop. Explain in
| |
| | either way you must ask yourself how much
|
| a positive way that it is part of the "on
| |
| | information would you like to have and
|
| going" training program of the company
| |
| | how important could this be to your day
|
| and that the best way to improve business
| |
| | to day business. We all know what
|
| is to find out what the customer really
| |
| | happens when we say we are going to lose
|
| wants. Explain also, that it is a way to
| |
| | weight or exercise more or get organized,
|
| hold the employees responsible for the
| |
| | it is failure in the making if we are not
|
| information they were provided in any and
| |
| | dedicated to being consistent.4. How Do I
|
| all of their training programs.
| |
| | Give The Bad News?a. The problem with
|
| Employees are far less likely to be upset
| |
| | mystery shopper programs is that they get
|
| with the results of what they were tested
| |
| | a very bad rap from those employees who
|
| on if they had sufficient time to
| |
| | have been shopped because the results
|
| "study"!c. Your employees are part of
| |
| | have been used as punishment.
|
| your team. Give them the tools to be
| |
| | I tell clients that this program is not
|
| successful everyday and they will jump
| |
| | a "stick"! It is not meant to create
|
| through every hoop you provide. It
| |
| | fear in the minds of your employees. If
|
| reminds me of a time my son was on a
| |
| | that is your goal, you better re-think
|
| soccer team. He was five years old and
| |
| | your management style.a. Praise first!
|
| this was a perfect sport to expend that
| |
| | Go through the report before you bring
|
| energy that all five year olds seem to
| |
| | your employee in. Make sure you are
|
| have pent up inside. I remember one
| |
| | well-versed in at least 3-5 things they
|
| Saturday game the coach was trying to
| |
| | are doing well. Praise them for those
|
| remind the boys about the drills they had
| |
| | things and remind them to continue the
|
| learned at practice. Game time for this
| |
| | good work.b. Corrections second. Make
|
| age group is what I call, "like herding
| |
| | note of no more than 3 areas they can
|
| cats"! The boys were so excited they
| |
| | improve in. Negative comments do not
|
| couldn't wait to get on that field and
| |
| | motivate as well as comments such as,
|
| show the coach what they had learned.
| |
| | "Well the mystery shopper found what I
|
| All of a sudden one of the little boys
| |
| | always have known, you sit behind the
|
| got the soccer ball and was moving the
| |
| | desk the whole time I'm gone". Use the
|
| ball down field as fast as he could. The
| |
| | word "we" in your conversation with your
|
| parents were screaming, the coach was
| |
| | employee, such as "We have seen through
|
| jumping up and down and his teammates
| |
| | our reports that we all need to be
|
| were following in hot pursuit! As the
| |
| | working at making better eye contact with
|
| little boy kicked the goal everyone went
| |
| | our customers. We need to make that a
|
| crazy! The little boys face just beamed
| |
| | top priority this week. I know I can
|
| as he came to the sidelines!
| |
| | count on you and everyone else to focus
|
| But the coach didn't have that same
| |
| | on that."c. Don't use the mystery shopper
|
| delight on his face! The coach said,
| |
| | to do your human resources work! It is
|
| "You kicked the ball into the other
| |
| | not the job of the mystery shopper to
|
| team's goal!!!!" Agggh!!! But the
| |
| | deliver the information that is necessary
|
| little boy snapped back as any five year
| |
| | for you to let the employee go. In fact,
|
| old would, "You never told me which way
| |
| | it is probably not legal! Besides, it is
|
| the goal was"!How many times have we
| |
| | a sign of a weak manager that can not
|
| forgotten to tell our team which way the
| |
| | deliver constructive criticism!A mystery
|
| goal is!3. Where Do I Start?a. Slow down
| |
| | shopper program takes time to create a
|
| and think, is my answer. First, think
| |
| | well run program that provides the
|
| about the information you really want to
| |
| | feedback that can be used to further the
|
| obtain from these reports and what are
| |
| | performance of the company. It is not
|
| you going to do with it. The questions
| |
| | just about the actual "shopping" it is
|
| you want to ask are one of the most
| |
| | about the entire program and how the
|
| important parts of the program. The best
| |
| | information is used.By using this tool
|
| place to obtain the questions is to go
| |
| | you will see that providing what your
|
| back to the training material. Remember
| |
| | customers say is important to retaining
|
| what I said earlier, if you train them
| |
| | their business shouldn't be a
|
| you can test them.You probably have, what
| |
| | "mystery"!Anne M. Obarski is "The
|
| I call, non-negotiable questions that you
| |
| | Customer Service Spy!" As a
|
| can begin with. Those are the things you
| |
| | professional speaker and trainer, Anne
|
| teach employees that must be done, no
| |
| | will work with your company to provide
|
| matter what. If you want to attach
| |
| | you with the clues to keep your customers
|
| points to the questions, then you can
| |
| | coming back. Anne presents keynotes,
|
| give more points to the questions that
| |
| | break-out sessions and customized
|
| you want your employees to be the best
| |
| | training, nationwide, in the area of
|
| at. Let's say answering the phone in a
| |
| | customer service. You'll want her two
|
| certain way is mandatory. If they know
| |
| | new books, "Surprising Secrets of Mystery
|
| that, and they are held responsible for
| |
| | Shoppers" and "Real World Customer
|
| doing that, then you should have it on
| |
| | Service Strategies That Work".
|
| the questionnaire and you can feel
| |
| |
|
