By William J. Nowell
The assisted-living industry can look to other
industries to gain insight and ideas about best business
practices. One of the best practices involving training and
motivating employees is mystery shopping. Progressive companies
have made a commitment to improve sales and customer-service
skills at their facilities through effective use of mystery
shopping. Highly trained and motivated employees are essential to
meeting and exceeding resident and family member needs.
Mystery-shopping programs that foster ongoing training
opportunities, real customer feedback and, ultimately, improve
sales and service performance are a standard in most customer
service-focused industries. A few assisted-living companies have
even ventured into high-tech mystery shopping and have been
pleased with the valuable, actionable results. It is time for the
assisted-living industry to fully recognize its core
customer-service focus and use mystery shopping to train and
motivate employees.
What Is Mystery Shopping?
Mystery shopping has evolved from an innovative "big
brother is watching" integrity-control method to a standard
corporate practice with results that can be used in training and
employee reward programs. This positive aspect of mystery
shopping has eliminated most of the fear, anxiety and threat
employees may feel toward mystery shopping programs. Mystery
shopping consists of having a potential customer visit or call
the facility and fill out a questionnaire regarding the service
they received. The survey is largely composed of objective and
opinion questions, such as "Would you want your relative to
live here?" And, "Would you recommend this facility to
others?"
Mystery-shopping programs use results in a positive manner,
and can be further enhanced by audio and video. Although most
companies have just begun to learn of the availability and
effectiveness of "A&V shopping," many progressive
companies insist on it. Audio taping or videotaping the facility
allows the shopper to share his opinion while providing a
reflection of the actual events--the shopper acts only as a
medium. The tape can be reviewed to ensure the accompanying
written report is objective and accurate.
Once employees have recovered from their initial uneasiness
about being recorded, the tapes become an invaluable training
tool. Employees are afforded the opportunity to step outside of
themselves and hear and/or see what their customers experience.
They are no longer paying lip service to the value of the
program; they are using the program to improve their sales and
service skills. This ultimately serves to improve the company's
overall performance and increase revenue.
While benefits can be obtained from all mystery-shopping
programs, A&V shopping increases effectiveness given the
indisputable and objective nature of the results.
Benefits
-People learn more effectively from a combination of media.
The written report coupled with the audio and visual components
provides a more comprehensive and successful learning experience
for employees.
-Companies can see if the training provided is being
implemented into their employees' sales presentations.
-Companies can judge the overall effectiveness and value of
their training programs while uncovering areas for improvement
and concentration.
-Management is provided with a starting point for employee
consultation and follow-up training.
-Companies can use the tapes in sales meetings and sales
training.
-Companies are provided with tools that can be integrated into
their employee rewards and incentives program.
-Employees can listen to and/or see their presentations from
the customers' point of view.
-Employees may evaluate and improve their own performances
more effectively.
-Shopper-completed reports can be compared to the video or
audio tapes to verify objectivity and accuracy.
-Tapes capture the performance of actual sales skills and
techniques used by employees. This alleviates shoppers'
tendencies to award good scores based on subjective qualities
such as friendliness.
Who Should Use A&V Shopping?
All companies can benefit from A&V shopping. It is
probably most feasible and useful for companies that are
interested in evaluating their sales and marketing staff. Many
assisted-living providers spend a great deal of money and time on
sales-training programs; therefore, it is essential to evaluate
sales performance. Home building, senior housing, financial,
automotive, retirement and assisted living are some of the
industries currently using audio shopping on a regular basis.
Although video shopping is becoming more popular, it is not yet a
standard practice.
How Audio Shopping Works
Mystery-shopping companies that offer tape-recorded, in-person
mystery shopping train shoppers to conceal and use
micro-recorders during their mystery shop or tape record initial
phone calls. The shopper practices with the device at home to
ensure they have placed it somewhere that is not visible, but can
still clearly pick up the sales presentation. Although there are
some preferred areas to conceal the device, there is no standard.
Some companies use a small microphone that runs from the
concealed recorder to a hidden area on the shopper or on some
type of common accessory such as a pen, purse, belt or pager.
This method improves the sound quality of the tape. Companies
that conduct audio and non-tape recorded shops tend to use
"real-customer shoppers," who specialize in
mystery-shopping services.
How Video Shopping Works
Video shops may or may not include sound, depending on the
company offering the service and the desires of the customer.
Video shopping is conducted in much the same way as audio
shopping. Just as audio shopping employs micro-recorders, video
shopping requires micro-cameras, transmitting equipment and
concealed video recorders. Video shoppers are normally
"professional shoppers," employed full-time by the
mystery-shopping company, who travel around the country
conducting video shops. The technology involved in video shopping
is far more advanced and expensive than in audio shopping.
Therefore, it is necessary to use highly trained, professional
shoppers that can operate the equipment properly. This also
eliminates issues of liability.
How Much Does It Cost?
It is difficult to provide a specific price on this type of
service because many factors influence cost. However, it is
estimated that adding the audio component to an in-person mystery
shop increases the price of the shop by $50 to $100, and adding
video increases the price by $250 to $350 per shop. In addition,
companies who provide video-shopping services will often charge
for expenses incurred.
It is important to note that these prices are for in-person
mystery shops. Tape-recorded telephone or "telecheck"
mystery shops are available at a significantly lower cost and
provide a valuable training opportunity, as well. Tape-recorded,
telephone mystery shops typically cost anywhere from $25 to $50
per call, but may cost as much as $75 per call if follow-up
reports are desired. Follow-up reports track the mail and phone
follow-up efforts of the employee shopped.
How To Use Mystery Shopping Effectively
For mystery shopping to have value as a training tool,
managers or trainers must be taught how to coach and train the
employees based on the mystery-shopping tapes and reports. This
means the written-survey tool must be based on and reinforced by
company training. The managers must understand the value and
meaning of the program so they can bring the mystery-shopping
results to life. Sales managers and trainers who learn to review
the tapes with the employees in a constructive and
non-confrontational manner will benefit more from the program.
Most often, mystery-shopping programs fail to reach their
potential because the results are not put to adequate use. It is
recommended that you hire a consultant from the mystery-shopping
company to train managers in how to use mystery shopping
effectively.
Three Ways to Get More for Your
Mystery-Shopping Dollar
1. Incentives and Rewards: Manage-ment has watched
sales increase significantly while holding sales contests in
which the winners are largely determined by mystery-shopping
scores. It is helpful to have the contests take place over a few
months so employees perform as if they could be evaluated at
anytime. Prizes are often cruises or trips to desirable vacation
destinations.
2. Program Consistency: It is important to the success
of the program that the mystery-shopping effort be consistently
maintained. The shops must take place on an on- going basis so
employees must perform as if each customer is a mystery shopper.
Otherwise, performance efforts may relax once the employee has
received their mystery-shopping report.
3. Results Benchmarks: Value can be added to your
mystery-shopping program by working with a company that can track
employee and company scores over time, and offer trend analysis
and comparison to industry standards. This enables companies to
effectively track improvements and setbacks over time. Comparing
company scores to industry averages allows companies to more
accurately gauge their performance and determine opportunities
for improvement.
4. Real Customers: When feasible, mystery shoppers
should match target-market profiles and be relatively new to the
industry. If possible, shoppers should actually be in a situation
where they need information for a real, personal situation. Real
shoppers can give you a fresh customer perspective.
William J. Nowell is president of ServiceTRAC Inc., a
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based training, research and consulting firm.
He may be reached at (602) 941-3121.
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