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