Tips for New Entrepreneurs

When you own a small retail shop, you may work long hours, but there are probably times when you're away from the store. You may wonder how well your staff operates when you're gone. One way to find out is to use a mystery shopping evaluation service. Here's a look at how this service can help you monitor your shop while you're away.

A Shopper Visits During The Times You Specify

You may want a mystery shopping evaluation during the late evening hours when you rarely work. This gives you a glimpse into how the employees behave and how well they maintain the store in your absence. You can also specify the days you want to be evaluated on in case you're curious about how your store operates on busy weekends.

You Can Request Specific Scenarios

When a shopper visits your store, they make general observations such as how many registers are open, how clean the store is, and if employees are working or goofing around.

The shopper can also perform specific tasks, such as purchase an item and go through the checkout experience, ask about return policies, or ask for help locating an item. This spot-checks how knowledgeable your employees are about policies and how well they perform customer service duties.

The Mystery Shopper Is Anonymous

A mystery shopping evaluation is effective because the shopper is incognito. The shopper looks like any other shopper and doesn't give their true identity away by taking notes during the visit.

This means the shopper gets treated like any other customer, so if a checkout person is rude, they won't change their behavior for the shopper and the staff won't hurry and clean the store just because they see a shopper enter the building. This gives you a true look into what was happening in your store during the time the shopper was there.

Some mystery shopping visits are surprise visits where the shopper may take pictures of how well the shelves are stocked and how clean the bathroom is. However, most of the time, the shopper is in undercover mode, and your employees will have no idea a mystery shopper is in the store and evaluating the shop and their actions.

You Can Schedule Regular Visits

A single visit can provide helpful information, but when you have regular visits, you might be able to identify patterns and pinpoint problem employees. However, you may also find your store operates well in your absence and that can give you peace of mind when you're away.

If you're not sure how to use a shopper to evaluate your store, talk to a mystery shopping evaluation service about your options. You might want a few quick visits each month or one longer visit that includes making a purchase and return.