Being a mystery shopper is a fun, but serious, profession.
You can look at it as a being kind of like a private investigator (which you must be in Nevada!), an inspector, a spy or, as we like to say, a ‘fly on the wall’.
Whatever your image of yourself ‘at work’, ultimately the service you provide allows management extra sets of eyes and ears than they could possibly have at all locations.
So, when you evaluate a representative of a company who is trying to do their job, but messing up just a tiny bit – what should you do?
Tell the Truth – or Look the Other Way?
We are talking about situations where you see a food preparer peeking at their phone – and not changing gloves before turning back and touching the bread.
Or the sales person who tells you that the product sold by the guy next door is a bit better – and less expensive – than their model.
Or the representative found underneath their desk eating lunch – true story!
Most of us know we are not perfect – and all of us have that ‘moment’ when we don’t act exactly as expected.
And some of us are soft-hearted and don’t like to think we would be getting someone in trouble – or even worse – fired!
But – the truth of the matter is – the truth should always be told.
Not judgmentally, not with your opinion attached, and certainly not in a derogatory way.
Just the objective description of what was seen and heard.
If you do not record what you see – how will anyone know to train that individual to do things differently?
Truth Ignites Change
With the truth comes change – and your honest retelling of your experience will initiate that change with that organization and the individual.
In your mystery shop reports, tell what you see and hear – and then trust that the systems in place at each organization will do the ‘right’ thing for the people involved.
James Bond or Columbo would do it, so why not you?
Have you conducted a mystery shop where you were not sure if you should be truthful? What did you do?
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