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