Month: November 2014

Writing a great report for your mystery shop is critical for the client. A well written report should be clear, organized and a virtual replay of your experience. The client for which you are writing the report is relying upon this accuracy of information so that they can further provide training and feedback to their staff. The information you share about your experience is used to provide coaching, reward employees and enhance their performance on the job. In addition, the quality of work you provide in your report ensures your successful assignment for future assignments. Often schedulers are specifically looking for great shoppers to do that last minute urgent assignment and being able to depend on you and your writing creates a win-win solution for both you and the client.

There are many tips you might want to consider when writing your reports. When asked a yes or no question, always follow up by providing an explanation to your answer. Go beyond just stating yes or no. Offer the reader an explanation about why you responded yes/no. For example, if the question asked you whether or not you were thanked for visiting, answer such question with “yes, the sales associate thanked me for touring today, and asked what day and time I could return to complete an application.” To ensure that your commentary is concise, use description words that add value. Keep your comments objective and add value to your statements. For instance, “Sally was dressed in neat and professional attire. She wore a black skirt, white blouse, and nametag. Her hair, makeup, and nails were tastefully manicured and conservative.”

It is equally beneficial to the client when your comments help the client to imagine the setting for which you visited. Describe the experience so that they client will be able to view the experience as if she/he were there in person. The client wants to understand what areas might need to be improved upon to enhance the efficiency of their team. For example if you encountered an experience where you felt the associate was rude; don’t merely state, “she did not speak to me nicely and was rude.” A more helpful explanation might be, “When I arrived, Sally was on the phone. She appeared stressed and disorganized. Her desk was cluttered with numerous papers, there were three guests waiting to be seen. She was so busy that she was not able to make eye contact or greet me verbally with a friendly tone in her voice.” Help the reader understand the circumstance that made your interaction positive and/or negative. Any comments you make should be a recording of the facts surrounding your visit and they should be made in an objective manner.

Lastly, always spell check and proof your work for accuracy. When you leave your shop, always drive away from the location and park somewhere safe so you can make notes of your experience. Your accuracy for the story is critical and any falsification of the data that you provide could potentially eliminate you from being paid and receiving additional work in the future.

It’s important to listen closely to closing techniques used by Leasing Professionals when you mystery apartment shop. Since this is such an important part of their job, make sure you report on the many “closes” they use, including assumptive, indirect, time-sensitive and direct closes.

The agent that uses a natural approach can be very smooth when essentially asking for your business; they may begin early in the presentation and use an assumptive close when referring to the apartment or certain features as “yours” when asking you for your opinion. When the Leasing Professional uses an indirect close he/she may ask you “yes”/”no” questions like, “Do you like the apartment?” or “Will this work for you?” Be sure to pay close attention; a time sensitive close may attempt to tell you there are just a few apartments available or there is a rent special or discount for a limited period of time and is meant to emphasize that you need to make a decision. And last but not leas(ed), you will most certainly be asked to complete an application or leave a deposit to lease the apartment; this is what is commonly known as a direct close.

When submitting your mystery apartment shop report, make sure you detail these closes in order for the agent to get full credit for their sales efforts. Remember, a Leasing Professional’s great close may open a door to a potential renter!

There are many attributes that create a professional image in the workplace. Whether you are wearing a suit and tie or dressing business casual, you can make the most of your wardrobe no matter the size. Online retailers as well as those found in indoor/outdoor malls always have suggestions found on mannequins and displays with suggested color combinations you may not have previously considered. You’ll love the compliments from your peers and others. The subject of dressing for success has been debated many times over the years as styles have changed. One thing the experts agree on is maximizing your wardrobe to the fullest extent; purchasing pieces that will mix and match on an everyday basis provides a fresh look each and every day when you venture out to face the world.

It’s easy to get into the habit of wearing the same clothing items on the same day every week. There’s one way to combat it though; start keeping track of what you wear and when. You can jot it down or make entries into your Smartphone, Tablet, PC or Laptop on a spreadsheet. It was especially helpful to me working in sales and visiting my clients on a weekly, semi-weekly or monthly basis. Once I put my plan into motion, I got results when people began to notice and complimented me on my versatile wardrobe. I rotated my suits, mixed and matched sport coats with dress slacks, shirts/ties, factored in time for my garments at the cleaners and before I knew it, my plan was working. I was perceived as not only being well-dressed, but successful. You can do it too, using any method you’d like!