Mystery shops have many details. I have noted three areas to pay attention to when completing an apartment shop to ensure success.
Mystery shops have many details. I have noted three areas to pay attention to when completing an apartment shop to ensure success.
Know the details! As with any mystery shop, the goal is to know what they goals are for completing the shop. Read through all of the shop specific notes right when the shop is assigned to you and right before heading out to complete the shop. Why? Because details may have changed.
For example,
• Is it ok to give your real name or should you make up one?
• Do you need to visit the property during a specific time?
• Are you shopping a specific target or anyone on the property?
Always reach out with any questions or clarifications you may need to complete the shop. This helps all parties involved. You want to get paid for the time and gas you spend to complete the shop. The company wants to read about feedback that they requested when hiring the mystery shopping company. The mystery shopping company looks great and you get more shops. A win-win for everyone.
Collect Collateral
With apartment shops, you are posing as an actual potential renter. This is key for you to remember all throughout the shop. It is rather easy to complete apartment shops as most of us have already truly been a situation where we were looking for a place to live at some point in our lives.
Most apartment shops require you to collect a business card, floor plan printout, and brochure from the property that you are evaluating at that time. This is important as you will need to upload pictures of each of these in a section of your shop evaluation online.
Watch for Follow-up
There are many apartment shops that require you to note follow-up, from up to three different ways. The three ways are phone, e-mail, and note or materials received through the mail. The last one may not be as common due to access to e-mail addresses.
If you are required to give the leasing agent the correct phone number, make sure to check your voicemail for up to five (5) days after the shop. This goes for your e-mail too, to note whether the leasing agent followed up with you after your visit. Remember our goal is to allow the leasing agent to do their best job.