Mystery shopper visit. How to properly prepare and conduct a customer focus study of sellers
The success of your trading company depends on how your sellers work. You can produce cool, trendy shoes, or be exclusive distributors of it, your stores can be stylish and beautiful, your marketers can tirelessly come up with interesting promotions for customers, but all efforts will go to waste if the staff is impolite and unprofessional. Competence, friendliness and friendliness, communication skills and much more can and should be checked and tested using various methods. One of the most effective and reliable is the Mystery Shopper study. About how to prepare and conduct it competently, says expert SR, a specialist in the management and development of fashion business, Maria Gerasimenko.
Maria Gerasimenko - General Director of Fashion Advisers, business coach, expert in the field of management and development of fashion business. Main areas of activity: building business processes in the fashion industry, assortment matrix management, visual merchandising, sales and service management, development and implementation of loyalty programs.
Website: fashion-advisers.ru
Online school: school.fashion-advisers.ru
Telegram: @fashionadvisers
“We know our employees well. They work correctly, they know how to sell and love buyers! ”- this phrase can often be heard from owners and managers of the shoe business in consultations, trainings and business programs. There were cases when customers convinced the competence and customer orientation of their staff so much that the next day we went straight to their store to see for ourselves these rare sellers with innate customer focus and excellent sales skills. This was usually followed by disappointment. “What do you want to tell?”, “Wear it with pleasure!”, “What did you think when you bought it?” - this turned out to be a standard, banal set of phrases that we heard when we returned the goods in advance.
It often happens that personnel in the presence of management behave in one way, and in private with customers in a completely different way. There are many different methods to find out what kind of service your customers are actually receiving: surveys, telephone surveys, installing hidden cameras and monitoring video recordings, and Mystery Shopper research.
Many of the above methods of researching the quality of service and customer service are probably familiar to you. But the owners of the retail business have an ambiguous attitude towards the Mystery Shopper. Someone treats him with trepidation and aspiration (perhaps because of the name of this study), someone is sure that for feedback, it is enough to ask a girlfriend / friend to visit the store with a secret mission, and then ask about the details for a cup of coffee and someone, once using the services of an incompetent specialist, a “mystery shopper,” decided that it all makes no sense at all, there’s no reason to conduct this research and spend money on it.
Define a goal first
In fact, for all the romance of the name and apparent simplicity, this study must be carried out in compliance with certain regulations.
First, the Mystery Shopper study, like other studies, should have a clear goal. It could be:
- Testing the application of sellers skills acquired during the training.
- Checking a single employee of the sales area for customer focus.
- Assessment of the general atmosphere of customer focus of the store.
- Verification of compliance with visual merchandising requirements.
- Checking sales staff for honesty.
Of course, these five points are not limited to the Mystery Shopper’s goals; in fact, the goal can be anything from the wide range of business tasks that are set for the retail company.
Develop terms of reference and work criteria
As soon as the goal is determined, we proceed to the formation of the technical task - with the help of what actions and questions the secret buyer will be able to obtain the necessary information and achieve the goals. Whether the mystery shopper will be conflicting, phlegmatic, arrogant or a manipulator is determined precisely at this stage. Further, on the basis of the technical specifications, a questionnaire for the mystery buyer is formed.
It is important that your mystery shopper fills out this questionnaire within 30 minutes after visiting the store. Otherwise, the human factor will make its own adjustments to the results of the study, and they will no longer be reliable.
FORM
according to the results of the study "Mystery shopper" *
|
Store address: |
|
|
Observation time |
|
|
Employee (indicate name): |
|
|
Day of the week: |
|
|
1. What did the employee do when the client logged in? |
|
|
2. Employee call time to client |
|
|
3. Greeting |
|
|
4. Contact form: |
|
|
5. Smile / friendliness |
|
|
6. The quality of the conversation with the client |
|
|
7. The manner of communication (emotional background) of the seller with the buyer |
|
|
8. Solving a customer request (Stages and techniques) |
|
|
9. General competency |
|
|
9.1. Knowledge of goods and assortment |
|
|
9.2. The final stage, the reaction to failure |
|
|
9.3. Final impression of service |
|
|
10. The interior of the store: |
|
|
|
Additional notes / Notes: |
Come up with a legend
After drawing up the questionnaire, the legend of the mystery buyer is developed - we come up with a story for the buyer: who he is, what his needs, preferences, fears and features are. In practice, things happened differently: we carried out checks with crying wives who returned the goods, since the husband did not allow him to carry; there were arrogant girls of model appearance who constantly cursed at the staff and showed their arrogance; there were quiet, ordinary, mystery shoppers who controlled the fraud on the part of the sellers.
Who is suitable for the role of a mystery shopper?
Further, when the terms of reference are drawn up, the questionnaire is formed, and the legend is selected, it is the turn to choose the contractor. This is a very important stage of the study, because now it is clear how important it is for a mystery shopper to be competent in the features of a shoe store before giving an expert assessment of the work of employees and the store. So friends in this vast majority of cases are not suitable, unless they are experts in fashion retail. And then the question arises: where to find such employees, specialists? The performer must have certain knowledge in psychology, be artistic, attentive, and, of course, perfectly know the subject of verification. It is not easy to find such people right away, so you can order the Mystery Shopper service from professionals, or train your full-time performers in special courses. Keep in mind that a mystery shopper is a mystery because sellers should not recognize him. Therefore, the same employee cannot visit the store more than twice and remain incognito.
Example shopping plan:
- Mystery shopper enters, greets only if the seller greeted.
- He looks around in the store, slowly getting to know the assortment.
- If there was no initiative from the seller to help with the choice, invite the seller for consultation.
- Carefully inspects the proposed models, periodically inserts “phrases of the mystery shopper” (see below)
- Determined with the choice, approaches the checkout.
- Continues to carefully examine the model.
- Refuses to purchase with the words "I will still think and come another time."
Some phrases of a secret buyer that should be heard in the process of communicating with the seller:
- Wow! Why so expensive? Even in a boutique on Leninsky I saw the same shoes much cheaper ...
- What material are these boots / boots / shoes / sneakers made of?
- In which country is this produced? - Are you seriously? This is China pure water!
- Girl, I am surprised at you! The price of this bag is crazy, and the quality leaves much to be desired!
- I see that this is not leather, but a real oilcloth! Why are you hanging noodles on my ears? (say not too aggressively, with dignity, without raising your voice)
- Do you know that in the online store these shoes can be bought much cheaper? Therefore, I will try on you, and then buy from them!
REMEMBER! When conducting research, it is important to carry out video, audio recording and photography. Without this evidence, the Mystery Shopper will be invalid.
This article was published in the 145 issue of the print version of the magazine.
Why is it so important to work with customer reviews, analyze them and use them in your work?
How to implement sales funnels in the shoe business
Effective methods that will help improve the effectiveness of sellers
Service in the store: successes and mistakes
How to determine the amount of shoe purchases for the next season?
We are ready for active development in the Russian market
Friedrich Naumann, CEO of the Tamaris brand, told Shoes Report about the company’s ambitious plans, business development in Russia and expansion of the retail network, and also shared details about new collections and launches.
“Discount for repairs” of clothes and shoes in France supported workshops
The French have calculated the benefits of a program that encourages consumers to repair clothes and shoes by providing discounts on these services in certified workshops. The “repair discount” program began operating in France in November last year. Over the six months of operation of this program, the number of calls to repair shops in France increased 10 times and amounted to 250 repairs. The French saved 000 million euros, writes leparisien.fr.
Coach turned to Big Data analysis and won the interest of a young audience
American handbag brand Coach has planned the success of its Tabby model among a younger audience, Generation Z, by turning to big data analysis, abandoning traditional and analogue tools, such as human intuition or the ability of any executive to sense “which way the wind will blow,” writes B.O.F.
Why is it so important to work with customer reviews, analyze them and use them in your work?
Customer reviews are of great, invaluable importance when selling a product. However, many companies do not always understand this: they do not collect reviews, respond only to positive ones and do not work with negative ones. This is a big mistake and omission of the brand. In this article, together with SR digital marketing expert Tatyana Vasilyeva, we understand the intricacies and nuances of working with customer reviews and explain why it is worth paying attention to your customer reviews, and how this can increase your sales.
Louis Vuitton opens a new factory in Italy
Louis Vuitton has opened its second shoe factory in Italy. After opening the first one in Fiesso d'Artico in Veneto, the LVMH flagship brand has just opened a new production site dedicated to this category of footwear in the industrial zone of Civitano in the Marche region. There is also another brand production facility in Tuscany, where bags and leather accessories are produced, writes fr.fashionnetwork.com.
The Euro Shoes@CAF exhibition will be held in Almaty
From March 11 to 13, the Euro Shoes@CAF (Central Asia Fashion) exhibition will be held in Almaty at the Atakent exhibition complex. The exhibition, which is the largest international event in the fashion industry in Central Asia, will present collections of clothing, shoes and accessories.
New “dutik” from Rick Owens presented at the show in Paris
Strange bulky shoes are another trend of our troubled times, and it’s impossible to ignore. American designer Rick Owens presented voluminous inflated latex boots at a show in Paris, which, according to him, were created in collaboration with the young London designer Straighteye, who likes to experiment with architectural volumes.
VAGA SHOES is a new participant in the Euro Shoes premiere collection
The Russian women's shoe factory VAGA SHOES will take part for the first time in the international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes premiere collection in Moscow.
Euro Shoes will start operating on February 19 in Moscow!
The winter session of the international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes premiere collection will be held in Moscow at the Expocenter from February 19 to 22. The organizers promise the presence of all the main participants at the exhibition, as well as new names from Europe, Asia and Russia.
American buyers couldn't buy Birkin bags and sued Hermès
French fashion house Hermès is facing a lawsuit in California from two customers who were unable to purchase exclusive Birkin bags. The fashion house is accused of unfair commercial practices.
John Galliano and Christian Louboutin created the Tabi collection for Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela creative director John Galliano and French shoe designer Christian Louboutin released a shoe collaboration that was included in the Maison Margiela Artisanal spring 2024 couture collection. The design duo created six versions of the Tabi shoe. All shoe models in the collection have a split toe - a characteristic touch of the signature Tabi shoe model of the Maison Margiela brand. And Christian Louboutin gave the shoe its signature red sole.
Euro Shoes starts in a month in Moscow!
There is less than a month left before the main exhibition of shoes and accessories in Russia - Euro Shoes Premiere Collection. The event will take place from February 19 to 22 in Moscow at the Expocenter, and, as always, in partnership with the largest international clothing exhibition in Russia, CPM Premiere Moscow.
Why Rendez-Vous and Yandex Lavka released a “bread bag”
Shoe retailer Rendez-Vous announced the launch of a spring collaboration with Yandex Lavka and released a roll that resembles the shape of a woman’s handbag. This “Bread Bag” is presented in the Yandex.Lavka application at a price of 249 rubles. On the product packaging there is a promotional code for 1000 rubles, which can be spent in the Rendez-Vous network.
Camper has released innovative sneakers - designers
Spanish brand Camper's new Roku sneaker features six interchangeable components to create up to 64 different looks and color combinations. Roku means "six" in Japanese.
Fashion trends Fall-Winter 2023/24 for commercial footwear purchases
Permanent contributor to Shoes Report. Elena Vinogradova, an expert in sales and purchases in the fashion business, prepared an overview of the trends for the autumn-winter 2023/24 season especially for us.
MSCHF and Crocs launch "Big Yellow Boots"
Creator of the Big Red Boots, Brooklyn brand MSCHF has teamed up with American plastic clog and sandal brand Crocs for another oversized shoe. The new Big Yellow Boots will go on sale on August 9th.
Five rules of professional lighting for a shoe store - something that is relevant in any season
When developing a lighting concept for shoe retailers, it is important to take into account not only the history of the brand, the architectural content of the premises, the target audience of the stores, but also the seasonality of the goods. With the onset of the cold season, client preferences change: bright weightless shoes are replaced by more massive models in discreet dark colors. Despite significant differences in summer and winter collections, the overall philosophy of the brand, its recognition should remain unchanged at any time of the year. Tatyana Ryzhova, an SR lighting expert in fashion retail, has identified five basic rules for a competent lighting concept for a shoe store for readers of the magazine, which will help to present winter assortment to customers in a winning way.
Bertsy: what to look for when choosing a model
Bertsy and tactical boots are becoming more and more relevant footwear, and not only because of the start of the hunting season. In Russia, there are several dozen enterprises producing this type of footwear. Oleg Tereshin, Deputy Chief Technologist of ZENDEN, told Shoes Report about the differences and features of ankle boots and what you should pay attention to when buying them in specialized retail and online.
EURO SHOES presents an updated section of the GLOBAL SHOES exhibition with collections of shoe and bag brands from Asian countries
EURO SHOES premiere collection is expanding. Along with the traditional pool of leading European footwear brands from Germany, Spain, Italy and Turkey, several dozen footwear and bag brands from the Middle Kingdom will be presented in the GLOBAL SHOES section at the Moscow Expocentre from August 29 to September 1.
I doubt and object: how to find an approach to difficult clients?
How good and serene would be the work of a salesperson if the customers were calm, cheerful, always knew exactly what they wanted, and bought, bought, bought! It is a pity that this is possible only in dreams. Therefore, we will not dream, but we will act. Together with Maria Gerasimenko, a permanent author of SR, we understand the doubts and objections of buyers and build a strategy for working with them. Our expert pays special attention to the two main objections of buyers, on which 82% of sales are lost.
Two prominent Russian fashion designers Vyacheslav Zaitsev and Valentin Yudashkin passed away
One after another, two days apart, Vyacheslav Zaitsev and Valentin Yudashkin, outstanding fashion designers, whose work for the whole world was a kind of hallmark of fashionable Russia, left this world.
World Footwear Yearbook: Global footwear production reaches 23,9 billion pairs and is back to pre-pandemic levels
The Portuguese association of shoe manufacturers APICCAPS published the 13th edition of the international statistical bulletin World Footwear Yearbook for 2023, according to which in 2022 the production and export of shoes worldwide increased by 7,6% and 9%, respectively, and the world production of shoes reached 23,9 billion couples and returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Rostov footwear brand Novak presented a collection of sneakers and sneakers
In the spring-summer 2023 season, the Rostov-on-Don shoe brand Novak presented a cute collection of sneakers and sneakers for every day. The upper of the shoe is made of genuine leather, suede, nubuck, the sole is made of light EVA.
How to create selling visual content for online based on the identified unique selling proposition?
What is a USP (unique selling proposition) and what is it for? Why is the USP creation service in great demand among fashion retailers today? How to create a working USP? Answers questions and provides step-by-step guidance on how to define your unique selling proposition and work with it to increase online sales, Tatyana Vasilyeva, an SR expert in the promotion and development of fashion brands.
Shoe educational program: what shoe soles are made of
“What is the difference between TEP and EVA? What does tunit promise me? Is PVC glue? What is the sole of these shoes made of? ”- the modern buyer wants to know everything. In order not to smash his face in front of him and be able to explain whether such a sole suits him in soles, carefully read this article. In it, process engineer Igor Okorokov tells what materials the soles of shoes are made of and what makes each of them so good.
How to set prices that will earn
Some businessmen still confuse the concept of margin with the concept of trade margins and set prices for their goods, guided solely by the example of competitors. No wonder they go broke! Analyst at the Academy of Retail Technologies Maxim Gorshkov gives several tips and formulas with which you can set not only ruinous, but also profitable prices.
Sales of shoes and accessories: effective techniques for business rhetoric
Which speech modules are effective in communicating with potential and current customers of shoe stores, and which are not, Anna Bocharova, a business consultant, knows.
We form the salary of sellers: expert advice
“How do you charge your consultants for personal or general sales?” Is one of the most popular questions causing a lot of controversy and gossip on the online forums of retail business owners. Indeed, how to properly form the earnings of sellers? But what about bonuses, where to get a sales plan from, do employees allow them to buy goods at discounted stores? In search of truth, the Shoes Report turned to a dozen shoe retailers, but no company wanted to disclose its motivation system - the process of its development was too complicated and individual. Then we asked four business consultants, and finally became convinced that the topic of seller motivation is very complex, because even our experts could not come to a common opinion.
The whole truth about Bayer. Who is he and how to become one?
Bayer is no longer a new, but still a popular and sought-after profession. It’s fashionable to be a buyer. Buyers are at the origins of the emergence and development of trends. If the designer offers his vision of fashion in the season, then the buyer selects the most interesting commercial ideas. It is on buyers that the policy of sales of stores and what, in the end, the buyer will wear depends on. This profession is surrounded by a magical fleur, often associated with a lack of understanding of what exactly is the work of a buyer.
Technology Selling Issues
There is nothing worse than meeting the buyer with the words “Hello, can I help you with something?”, Because the seller works in the store just to help. Criticizing this well-established pattern of communication with the buyer, Andrei Chirkarev, business coach for effective sales and the founder of the New Economy project, shares the technology of truly selling issues with readers of Shoes Report.
Fur, and not only: types of lining
In the production of winter footwear, various materials are used that are designed to retain heat and meet the requirements of consumers: natural sheepleather, artificial fur, artificial fur from natural wool and others. All types of lining fur have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the properties of each of them.
The best models of Czech shoes of the past
In Soviet times, for shoes from Czechoslovakia sold under the Cebo brand, customers stood in line for four hours and did not regret it, because Czech shoes were considered to be of high quality, comfortable and fashionable. Shoe designer Juraj Shushka shared a photo archive of his collection with Shoes Report magazine, which contains the most interesting Cebo models from the 1940's to the 1980's.
Retail Arithmetic
Before you begin to solve specific problems, you need to find out how accurately all the leaders of your company understand the basic terminology of retail.
How to fire a worker without tears, scandal and trial
Sooner or later, any manager is faced with the need to part with an employee. Properly and on time the dismissal procedure will save the company money, and the boss himself - nerves and time. But why sometimes, knowing that a break in relations is inevitable, we put off the decision for months?
