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