Mystery shopping thread xiii ** please don't mention client names on here **

Littleoldme

Thanks for all the replies about non-chatty assistants, given me food for thought and I will have a good think about the best way to handle that in the future. Think I have thanked you all.

Had great fun trying to write the report on that one, how can you explain something complicated in 255 characters or less. I am expecting a email for clarification (and they can get the 1205 character explanation first typed out )

Tudorc1

DebtHater wrote: »

C'mon.... can we give the flowery dress thing a rest?! I dont wear dresses, of any flavour

I notice that you have taken the link off your signature - I liked the pictures if you in that pretty frock at the radio station ! (lol)

Hollypear

Littleoldme wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies about non-chatty assistants, given me food for thought and I will have a good think about the best way to handle that in the future. Think I have thanked you all.

Had great fun trying to write the report on that one, how can you explain something complicated in 255 characters or less. I am expecting a email for clarification (and they can get the 1205 character explanation first typed out )

What I put in that situation LOM is " I asked a) b) and c). However the MOS was not very forthcoming with responses to my queries". I then sort of waffle a bit and finish with "Despite my efforts at prompting I did not gain the information I was seeking and had I been a genuine customer this would probably have resulted in my not purchasing the fridge?whatever from this store today"

Hope that helps a bit. In fact I have the sentence in a word doc with other now and cut and paste it. Then just take out the a)b)C) bit and use what is appropriate.

nearlyheadlessian

Glamazon wrote: »

Personally, I would expect the same level of service from a company whether I was alone, with a child or wearing a flowery dress So what if it distracts the MOS? Does that mean that anyone going into a store will get a substandard level of service because they have a child?

Naturally you expect the same level of service and that isn't unreasonable. But when an MS company says no children that's a pretty wide bracket of 0-18, you might have multiple children and so on. Speaking from the perspective of having worked in retail, I find some children incredibly distracting, and some parents are easily distracted by their children. If someone isn't giving me their full attention when I'm telling them stuff, they may not notice it has been said. It's hardly fair if a retail assistant is marked down for a shoppers inattention - so I can see why the rule is in place.

Becles

Littleoldme wrote: »

I had to do an electrical retailer tonight and was to enquire about one product with a given price/spec from the briefing notes. The shop assistant approached me fine and asked if they could help and I said I was looking to replace my fridge freezer and waiting for them to ask me questions.... and waited... and waited and then he came up with "what make is your existing one" which I answered that I was not sure and that I was not brand driven anyhow,.. and then he asked should he leave me to have a look. I answered yes and carried on browsing round and then was approached by another assistant who did sort of ask the right questions.

When they said they were going to leave you to look, I would have said something like, "it's so confusing with so many choices. Which brands are the most reliable?" That encourages them to stay and help! If they are reluctant to give you anything to take away at the end, I say my husband will be paying and could they write the details of the fridge down for me to take home for him. They usually give you a print out, and often they even write their name and stuff on for you

Glamazon wrote: »

Personally, I would expect the same level of service from a company whether I was alone, with a child or wearing a flowery dress So what if it distracts the MOS? Does that mean that anyone going into a store will get a substandard level of service because they have a child?

Children are different - some are well behaved and some are not. I know yours is little and will be peacefully sleeping or chuntering on to himself and not causing any bother.

However, how many toddlers have you seen in stores that have tantrums, scream, interrupt conversations, announce they need a wee/are hungry/are thirsty, and so on?

If someone is trying to give you a information on a bank account/electrical appliance/holiday and a small child is constantly interrupting and spoiling the flow of conversation, it's not really fair on the shop assistant as they won't do as well as if they were talking to an adult on their own.

I usually go on my own, but occasionally have to take mine. Even older ones can be a problem! I was doing a travel agent in town and my boys wanted to go to the sports shop to buy a football so I sent them off to buy it while I was busy. I had to book a family holiday for two adults and two children, so I just pretended my youngest didn't exist and used our real details. During the shop the boys came back and came into the shop even though I'd told them to wait outside. As the lady was printing stuff off, she asked the boys what they were doing that day. The 11 year old started blethering on about Charlotte this, and Charlotte that. The assistant looked puzzled so I had to hurridly explain that my neice was coming to visit and he was very excited about it, then shot him the "shut up!" dagger look when she looked back at her screen

borders

I try to avoid taking my wife with me on visits. She starts shopping and spends double what I'm earning in fees. Is that tax deductible?

DebtHater

Tudorc1 wrote: »

I notice that you have taken the link off your signature - I liked the pictures if you in that pretty frock at the radio station ! (lol)

Unfortunately MSE removed it for me, otherwise the link would still be there.

misssarahleigh

Well, had a similar problem as Debthater. Just got a call off RE saying i'm a man. ummmmm, interesting. Must have incorrectly selected when applying, :beer:

DebtHater

Anyone not heard from Assosia in a while? I havent heard from them since October....

proshopper

Littleoldme wrote: »

What I am wondering is what should I have done in the situation of the first assistant not really being interested, let them leave me or give them more of the scenario to see if that starts them helping me (and write this up in the report?)

I had this dilemma in a travel agency yesterday.

The SA initially tried just giving me brochures, then some photocopies of bits of brochures. I prompted for proper assistance several times, saying there must be an easier way to find the right holiday, asking how I would know if one holiday is still available, even asking directly what the SA would recommend. The SA clearly just couldn't be bothered. I had to plant myself firmly in front of the SA's desk (standing, of course), saying: "it's going to take me ages to trawl through all these brochures," and mentioning that the last really good holiday I had was recommended by XXXX (travel agency across the road). Eventually, the SA rose to the challenge!

Obviously, everything went into the report, plus some other very relevant observations (it may not be bonus time in that store at the mo).;)

I think you just have to be persistent, but work according to the brief. If it had been the same turn or events for another MS company, I may not have needed to persist quite so much and could have behaved more like a genuine customer (i.e. could have left at the "take my custom elsewhere" point) because the SA's lack of response to my peristent enquiry would have been enough to report.