Most people don’t like the idea of being tested, and fewer still like the idea of being subjected to pop quizzes—especially when they’re being conducted without your knowledge. It should be no wonder that many retail and service employees are wary of mystery shops, which are a lot like secret tests, right? You might even scoff and think, why would I want some outside person coming in to secretly judge everything I do, from how I greet them to how well I explain a product. Who would want that?
But the truth is that these pop quizzes happen every day. It’s not just from mystery shoppers, however, it’s your regular cliental. Many are scrutinizing every single detail of the work your performing to how professionally you dress and present yourself. Every day. Multiple times per day. And the truth is that the stakes are way higher with real customers than mystery shoppers, too. The latter delivers a confidential report; the former may tell all of his friends or family.
Mystery shops—that is, the ones conducted by actual mystery shoppers—represent a tremendous opportunity for frontline staff to find ways to improve their sales and service skills. Sure, you might get a bad score if you you’re having an off-day, but that’s a low-stakes way to learn from your mistakes. The alternative is that you may not find out how well you’re doing until it’s too late, when your commissions or tips are affected or there are reviews left on sites like Google or Yelp. By then, the company’s reputation might be cemented.
Mystery shoppers provide feedback that will ultimately help you become a better employee and teammate for your coworkers. That’s why you should relish the opportunity, not resent it. Take pride not just in doing a great job, but also in how much you are improving all the time. (And if you find yourself not caring about whether you get better at your job, nor caring about being a great coworker, you are probably in the wrong line of work. There is surely something else out there that will speak to whatever your passions are. Remember, unhappiness is infectious, so you should seek a better opportunity for your own sake, as well as for others’.)
Is your employer mystery shopping you? If not, you should ask them to do so. You may think you would sound like an overachieving student who begs the teacher for more schoolwork, but that’s not really the case. This isn’t about a report card, it’s about your paycheck. Your ability to deliver a great customer experience will factor into every level of the work you do. Remember, you may not own the company you work for, but you can take ownership of what kind of employee you want to be.
Point your manager to our site to learn more about mystery shopping. When their interests are piqued, they can contact us to learn more about what kind of program we can design for your company. The Brandt Group has nearly 30 years of experience in helping businesses implement mystery shopping programs to create more effective training and rewards programs. If you’ve ever thought about how you’d like to receive more recognition for your hard work, or how you’d like to get more actionable feedback on how to improve at your job, then this is the best way to do it. Want a better work environment? Be the change you want to see in your workplace. Let’s get started today!
