Mystery shopper for perfect sales

Serviceman Mystery Shopping is a training agency founded in 2003. Today, it is one of the largest mystery shopping service providers in Russia. Each month, it conducts up to 10000 inspections of stores, restaurants, banks, insurance companies, movie theaters, beauty salons, and more. The company's clients include shoe chains such as M-Shoes, Salamander, Ralf Ringer, Primorosso, and Corso Como.

There would be a reason: what should be the reason for the action

It is a mistake to assume that the task of mystery shopping is solely to identify negligent employees and the subsequent censure or dismissal of the "guilty". There may be several prerequisites for such a check. This is network monitoring, in order to unify and standardize the provided service, and benchmarking - a comparative analysis of your own service with the closest competitor. In addition, it is useful to conduct such checks and is even shown after the training of employees in order to identify the effectiveness of trainings, as well as before the launch of strategically important campaigns to monitor the readiness of all retail outlets for events. But, according to experts, it is the growth of the network that is the main prerequisite for retailers to turn to the "mystery shopper" mission. When you have a small network - no more than three or four points - you can independently control its work. But once the number of stores rises to 10, it becomes difficult to control service standards. “Another indicator for holding is the remoteness of stores. If the network is small, there are 2 - 3 stores, but they are located far from each other and you cannot control them due to territorial disunity, ”adds Nadir Alimov, Managing Partner of Serviceman Mystery Shopping. It is very important to decide on the purpose of the check even before contacting the company providing the service, the questionnaire, instructions and visit schedules are drawn up specifically for a specific task. If they do not correspond to the goals, then you can get a "curve" result, which is unlikely to contribute to sales growth.

We play openly: we inform staff about the launch of the program

Despite the fact that the mission is called "mystery shopper", you should not arrange a top-secret action from the check. It is advisable not only to inform employees about the program, but also to tell the purpose and technology of its implementation. Of course, it's not worth revealing all the cards, otherwise, the mission will fail. But the staff, being aware of the assessment and understanding what criteria will be assessed, will begin to pay attention to the observance of standards and "pull up". You can even familiarize sellers with check forms. First, it will allow them to represent the key points of merchandising and better navigate the standards. Secondly, they can conduct self-tests on a regular basis, which will allow them to be ready for inspection by the store management at any time.

Also, do not forget that before you measure any parameters, they must be implemented at the retailer entrusted to you. In short, before assessing the implementation of service standards, it is necessary to introduce these standards and train personnel in the skills of their implementation. Do not hope that retail experience obliges your staff to know all the nuances of working with a client. “That is, you have to develop standards that must be strictly observed at all points of the network. The MS mission will allow you to track their compliance so that the service is uniform at all points. It is important to remember that first you develop standards, implement them, and then follow, ”Nadir Alimov clarifies.

Put a daw: how to draw up a questionnaire

As a rule, the company working with the "mystery shopper" service is familiar with the standards and requirements of certain networks and it will not be difficult for them to prepare a checklist for the client, which will reflect all the questions about the network's operation, ”comments Nadir Alimov. - The company has a standard checklist, the so-called draft, which is adjusted at the request of the client: some questions are deleted, others, on the contrary, are entered into the questionnaire. Based on the purposes of the audit, we are finalizing the standard checklist for the client. " It is generally accepted that there are no difficulties in such a method of verification, unless the head of the company does not have a sufficient staff of auditors, but he knows for sure what and how to verify. In this case, the contractor is handed a ready-made questionnaire, where, according to the author, all the necessary verification parameters are entered. However, a specialized specialist should also be involved in the preparation of the MS questionnaire in the contractor company. And the client can only express wishes and make adjustments, coordinating them with the specific standards of their network.

What are the standards for shoe retail?

- Uniform and appearance standards. We check for badges, clothing compliance with chain standards (neat clothing, uniform (if applicable), closed-toe shoes, etc.).

Service standards. There are many nuances here. For example, some chains make it a rule to bring customers not one, but two pairs of similar sizes to try on, which always speeds up the process and encourages purchase. Others require sales staff to help customers tie their laces during the fitting process. "This standard may seem unexpected and strange, but similar rules are often implemented by sports shoe chains. When buying sneakers, it's crucial to insist that the customer try on both pairs and help them lace the shoes correctly, thereby ensuring the correct fit and support. After all, for athletic shoes, this is the most important rule. "There's also a psychological element at play here. A properly chosen pair will fit perfectly, and the customer will never want to part with it," comments Nadir Alimov.

- Checkout standards. Many shoe retailers place a high priority on these standards. How did they communicate warranty information to the customer, how did they process the payment, did they include care instructions, a receipt, and so on in the bag with the shoes? Did they offer related products?

Often, a client adds blocks on marketing and merchandising of a retail outlet to the checklist. In this case, not the work of the sellers is assessed, but the general criteria of the store - how the goods are arranged, whether all the models are presented on the shelves, the laces on the presented models are tied or untied, how the price tags are located, etc. In this case, a very extensive questionnaire is obtained. But, as a rule, shoe networks enter about 20-30 basic questions into the checklist.

Work on bugs: analyze the result

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The "mystery shopping" method, like any other research, is simply a collection of information, a statement of facts. Of course, the results are "summed up" and presented in the form of quite quantitative indicators: the percentage of fulfillment of standards is indicated, point ratings are cost, etc. But it is important to understand that MS does not guarantee subsequent changes.

The mystery shopping mission is a thermometer. We measure the temperature. And why she got up, how to treat and who should treat - these are questions that need to be resolved by the client himself. We state only the fact, yes, there is a temperature. You can measure it at least every day, but if you do not make an attempt to bring it down, that is, to cure the body, a thermometer will not help here, - says Nadir Alimov. - Imagine that you do not have a thermometer at home and you call the nurse every time to measure it, but you do not knock her down. This is money wasted. "

That is why it is important to initially clearly set goals, understand the tasks of such verification, and own tools to eliminate identified problems. Experts warn that you should not wait for bad results, and not wait, consider the mission a failure. If you are working to improve the service, you must choose the right staff, train, motivate and take control of the quality of their work. One of the elements of this system is the MS program. This is one tenth of your control over the service.

Wizards called? Contractor or Self Test

Market professionals do not hide the fact that you can carry out such a check yourself. An approximate checklist can be found on the Internet, friends and acquaintances, for sure, will not refuse your request to participate in the program. “We are not talking about the uniqueness of the offer. But if you count the time and labor costs, then it will turn out to be almost more expensive than a hired agency will do, ”says Nadir Alimov. In addition, the agency conducts trainings and educational programs for its staff. The quality of the appraiser base is one of the main factors of the provider's professionalism and its ability to implement the project. “We have a different class of buyers. They should cover all market segments and be, as they say, in the format of a particular store. " - explains Nadir Alimov.

What to look for when choosing an agency that provides MS services?

- Experience and client base . This isn't a network of remote buyers, but a serious company with a well-established infrastructure. It has a recruiting department, a training department, and a quality control department.

- In-person recruitment. This is crucial, as many companies are willing to "sign up" someone for the program after a five-minute phone call or online! It's important for the company to evaluate the prospective program participant's appearance and conversational skills.

- Value for money. The price for this service can vary almost twofold on the market – the lowest price for a shoe inspection is 500-600 rubles, while the highest is 1200 rubles (per visit).

- Staff training. A reputable company will definitely hold training seminars and workshops. Staff should not only gain basic knowledge but also be aware of all the nuances of working in a particular retail sector.

- Convenience of work. It’s great if the work of the company can be monitored online. When all the profiles are promptly delivered to a server, accessible both to the seller of services and the buyer. This makes it possible to quickly respond to certain malfunctions in the system:

according to the results, he may reward or fine a particular seller or take more strategic measures.

If you invest money wisely, this is a very correct investment and it will definitely work. But if the “mystery shopper” mission is treated as a panacea for all troubles and not to go further and not build a system, this is money down the drain.

REPORTING QUESTIONNAIRE