We’re almost there! Christmas is less than a week away, and we suspect many employees like yourself can’t wait to push through the festivities and make it to the other side of New Year’s, right? —Soon. Just keep focused and it’ll all be over before you know it!
In the spirit of the season, this blog is our gift to you, the employees on the frontlines of retail, hospitality, customer service, and sales. We want to talk to you today about why you should want to be mystery shopped. We know that there’s a stigma that employers use mystery shopping to spy on their staff, to castigate them if they forget some step in the procedure or forget to empty the trashcan. So, let’s take some time to dispel some of those concerns and hopefully convince you how mystery shopping is actually a great opportunity for you.
A Sign Your Employer Cares
At first blush, mystery shopping seems like its sole purpose is to provide managers with more numbers with which to criticize your performance. But the truth is that your employer wouldn’t bother with mystery shopping if they were completely numbers-driven. Were that the case, they would only need to look at your monthly scorecard to decide how well you did. There are definitely companies out there that operate like that, and they’re no fun to work for, but the employer who takes the time and money to invest in mystery shopping is saying they want to make you the best you can be. Maximizing your skills means enhancing profits, which helps keep you and your coworkers employed and well-compensated. It shows they want you to develop because they’re not looking to just replace you.
Helps You Deliver a Better Customer Experience
One concern that some salespeople have is that mystery shopping overemphasizes add-ons and up-sells. The last thing you want to do is sour the customer on making a purchase because you got too pushy. But the truth is that not mentioning add-ons, like extended warranties or accessories, or failing to mention there are higher-end options, is actually a disservice to your customer. How can he make the right decision without all the facts? Now, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t feel out each situation, but asking questions to find the right fit also means probing for those extras. Mystery shopping also gives you the opportunities to practice keeping your sales pitches as natural and contextual as possible.
Rewards You for Your Hard Work
Lastly, many companies who mystery shop like to use the system to reward their employees. While the money you make from commissions or sales contests is great, you’ll sometimes run into slow months that have nothing to do with your performance. It’s kind of unfair for you to be held accountable for a slowdown in the market, right? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a system in place that still recognizes your attention to detail and thoughtfulness even when it doesn’t always translate to immediate transactions? Mystery shopping allows for just that, and we always recommend to our clients that they use such a system with their staff.
In a nutshell, mystery shopping means your employer cares about your continued development; it means you’ll get practice at delivering the best customer experience possible; and lastly, it means you’ll have the opportunity for recognition, even in a dry spell.
Want to get a mystery shopping program started at your work? Talk to your manager or employer and direct him or her to our Contact Us page. Let’s all work together to ensure we’re offering the best experience to each and every customer, thereby improving everything in your work life.
And finally, from our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!
