MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD 19 - please don't mention client names or fees on here!!

boyoboy1986

Quick message to anyone visiting Livingston in future. You now have to pay to park in some of the car parks.

It is very cheap at 50p for up to 2hrs and you can get the money back when purchasing in certain shops. Some of the car parks require you to pay and display and some are barrier controlled.

misssarahleigh

StacFace wrote: »

I work for a pub chain too and we look for someone who may be 'texting' (making notes) but not constantly talking on their phone (as we can say we didn't offer desserts because of it etc which would get them into trouble if they were the shopper). Also asking for a receipt is the biggest giveaway. Only 1-3 people ask for a receipt in each wave of mystery shops, including the shopper, and the other 2 will always be in business dress talking constantly on their phones whilst doing something else on their iPads, who are probably asking for the receipt to get dinner reimbursed by the company on a business trip.

And if the shopper does happen to match that description, we complain that we didn't want to disturb them and that's why we didn't offer desserts etc.

StacFace wrote: »

It's to excuse a report that marks us down for not offering desserts and coffees.

If someone is talking on their phone then obviously we're not going to interupt them to have a conversation. We're supposed to ask them if everything was OK, then offer desserts and coffees pointing them out on the menu, and make a recommendation of a specific dessert and specific coffee. Of course we do actually do that normally but if someone is on the phone talking, we ask if everything was alright for them, and they say "Yes" then continue talking on their phone then we leave them to it. We can hardly stand there with them chatting away to someone on a phone saying "How about some chocolate fudge cake, it's lovely with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream or you can have it with custard if you like..."

If they're not going to do their job properly and let us provide our service for them to assess then they shouldn't be getting paid. I get docked wages if I'm caught on my phone instead of working so why shouldn't they?

I believe you have somewhat shoot yourself in the foot their as your opening statement was somebody texting but not on the phone. You go on to say you can tell the 'business people' as they speak on the phone, so based on that i assume the mystery shoppers don't?

Then go on to say if the mystery shopper is on the phone, that prevents you completing certain aspects of you job.

I agree with you that interupting somebody on the phone is something I would avoid, and if the Mystery Shopper is doing this thats not a fair assessment, but i feel since you indicated you can wead out the 'business people' from the 'mystery shoppers' based on phone useage you seem to have backtracked a little.

The blue sentance to me indicates you are arguing that you could not offer desserts because they were texting. Not speaking on the phone.

I may have got this wrong, but thats the way it comes off to me.

Lil_Me_2

misssarahleigh wrote: »

The blue sentance to me indicates you are arguing that you could not offer desserts because they were texting. Not speaking on the phone.

I may have got this wrong, but thats the way it comes off to me.

That was how I read it, hence my (possibly too harsh) reply.

StacFace

I was saying that MSers are normally only on their phone if they are texting, or appearing to text and actually making notes (obviously we don't know which). If they are doing this we can approach them and ask if everything was OK, and they can put their phone in their pocket or out the way somewhere and respond properly, we can then point out the dessert and coffee menus etc. and they can resume whatever they were doing once we've gone.

The 'business people', however, tend to talk on their phones constantly, meaning we approach them and ask if everything was OK, they just say "Yes" and then go back to talking on their phone. We then don't want to interupt them so just take the plate away and don't say anything else to them. This is how we distinguish between the two types of people who normally ask for a receipt.

I then went on to say if an MSer actually did come in and acted like one of these 'business' customers, then yes we wouldn't spot them but we would have grounds to complain that we couldn't do everything we're supposed to as everytime we said something we just got one word answers and then the customer continued talking on the phone, and was therefore clearly showing signs of wanting to be left alone.


Edit: Blue sentence was referring to what would happen if they were constantly talking on their phones, hence how we know that they will only 'text'.

kman

StacFace wrote: »

I was saying that MSers are normally only on their phone if they are texting, or appearing to text and actually making notes (obviously we don't know which). If they are doing this we can approach them and ask if everything was OK, and they can put their phone in their pocket or out the way somewhere and respond properly, we can then point out the dessert and coffee menus etc. and they can resume whatever they were doing once we've gone.

The 'business people', however, tend to talk on their phones constantly, meaning we approach them and ask if everything was OK, they just say "Yes" and then go back to talking on their phone. We then don't want to interupt them so just take the plate away and don't say anything else to them. This is how we distinguish between the two types of people who normally ask for a receipt.

I then went on to say if an MSer actually did come in and acted like one of these 'business' customers, then yes we wouldn't spot them but we would have grounds to complain that we couldn't do everything we're supposed to as everytime we said something we just got one word answers and then the customer continued talking on the phone, and was therefore clearly showing signs of wanting to be left alone.


Edit: Blue sentence was referring to what would happen if they were constantly talking on their phones, hence how we know that they will only 'text'.

I don't text or use my phone when I'm working - how are you going to know I'm the mystery shopper??

StacFace

kman wrote: »

I don't text or use my phone when I'm working - how are you going to know I'm the mystery shopper??

When a receipt is asked for, we know they don't always text but if they are going to use their phone, that's what it'll be for (or what it will look like at least).

Personally I think if a company is going to use MSers they should make it compulsory for staff to give receipts to customers without them asking so they can have realistic visits conducted, I know of one company that does this and there's a question on the report about whether they were given a receipt without asking. I can't believe so many spend their money on MS programmes without this.

kman

StacFace wrote: »

When a receipt is asked for, we know they don't always text but if they are going to use their phone, that's what it'll be for (or what it will look like at least).

Yeah, but that's not an accurate way of checking - I regularly 'eat out' when I'm away on business and always ask for a receipt (even when I'm not mystery shopping) - I don't often wear a suit, and as I said I don't record details on my phone... Would I therefore get preferential treatment?

DebtHater

Maybe we could end this debate with one simple statement........ As a worker in the "service industry" you are expected to give your best customer service to every customer.

It doesnt matter if I go into a shop, restaurant, pub and request a receipt or not. It doesnt matter if I have to visit the toilets and all the other weird and wonderful checks we have to do on a visit. I still expect the same level of customer service that anyone else would get, regardless of whether I was working or not. I dont expect the server to be watching my every move to see if I am "texting" on my phone, or whatever. I dont want the server to suddenly think "Oh christ, its a mystery shopper" and then improve on their service that they are giving me. They should be giving fantastic service ALL THE TIME - that is what they are essentially paid to do.

If you give your best service to every single customer, you will not have anything to worry about when the MS report comes to your manager.

StacFace

kman wrote: »

Yeah, but that's not an accurate way of checking - I regularly 'eat out' when I'm away on business and always ask for a receipt (even when I'm not mystery shopping) - I don't often wear a suit, and as I said I don't record details on my phone... Would I therefore get preferential treatment?

Yeah you would where I work, as we've never had anyone asking for a receipt who hasn't been either a mystery shopper or constantly on the phone during the visit in the last 12 months at least. If we got one or two doing it I don't think it'd change but if we got loads of customers asking for receipts then we obviously wouldn't be able to cook all of their meals first and keep an eye on all of them to clear the plates as soon as they've finished etc.

We know it's not entirely acurate but the important thing is to make sure the MSer gets the preferential treatment, even if some other people get it too, and we also know the MSer has to have a receipt to get paid, and has to allow us opportunity to interact (e.g. not be on phone constantly).

DebtHater

StacFace wrote: »

Yeah you would where I work

Maybe your workplace needs to rethink their customer service training then?

If you are saying that someone who asks for a receipt would then be given preferential treatment, then I would hate to think what the "general" service in your place is like.

And what you must bear in mind is that its not a test that you must pass, employers use it as a training tool to see where best to focus their efforts. Its all about maximising their profits, and quite frankly your workplace sounds like they couldnt care less until someone requests a receipt.