Mystery Shopper Tips: ‘Oh No! My Target Passed Me Off to Another Associate!’

Most people have experienced the ‘pass-off’.   In a world where customer service no longer seems to be a priority, being passed off to someone else for assistance seems insignificant most of the time, but it can also make us feel as though we are not important.  As a Mystery Shopper, emotions are not impacted as much when we are passed off to someone else – but frustration is felt almost immediately.

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Mystery Shopping Tips – Don’t Blow Your Cover!

One of the many important mystery shopping tips for any shop contract for a customer service representative is to come up with a believable story that will set the stage for them to sell you on their product or service. Companies want to know how well their associates are performing, but to be fair mystery shoppers should be engaged and present a real-life situation.

Mystery Shopper

This means being involved in the customer service interaction, asking questions, presenting concerns, and coming across as genuinely interested.

To create a plausible story, try these mystery shopping tips:

  1. Be believable:  Whatever mystery shopper story you conjure up should probably be something that’s either happened to you before or is happening to you now. Once, I signed up for a shop near the airport, but I had just started seeing a pilot, so I pretended he wanted me to move closer to the airport. That way when I was asked what airline he worked for, I wasn’t caught off guard.
  2. Be involved: Ask questions that are appropriate to the sale. You might ask about reviews by others, what type of warranty or guarantees are offered, etc.
  3. Be real: Prospects want to feel like they are making a good buying decision. So they drill down to what is important to them. Some ask about the area or if it’s a safe place to live. You can easily work these into the conversation when you tie back into your personal situation – like saying there are a lot of break-ins where you live now or how the last TV you bought was broken in less than six months. People who really are looking to buy will ask questions that indicate they care.
  4. Be particular: Don’t just roll over and play “sold”. Real customers don’t give in right away on big purchase decisions, so neither should a mystery shopper.  Everyone has something special they want their new phone to do, or some particular feature or layout design they want in a new apartment home. Don’t be afraid to ask for it.
  5. Be hesitant: It’s important to see how a professional tries to overcome any obstacles that creep up. So, if you’re not feeling it 100% when the salesperson makes their presentation (and remember as a mystery shopper you shouldn’t be), say so. You wish it came in black, you’d rather have a first floor, you think the location is too far away from your job, or something else. If they are really good, they’ll have a positive they can counter any negative with, even if they can’t really fix your gripe. For the sales agent, it’s all about selling the pros and downplaying any cons!

Feel free to check out our other mystery shopping tips, too.

Mystery Shopping Tips

An experienced mystery shopper could win an Oscar, but even beginners can hone their mystery shopping skills starting with their very first mystery shop contract. When you’re convincing, it allows the person you are shopping to be just as convincing in their attempt to sell you.  Come back for additional mystery shopping tips in the future.

 

Mystery Shopping the Maintenance Man

When the leasing office is busy, there may be times that the office team cannot handle all the guest traffic. In fact, they may not even realize a maintenance person had stepped in to help a customer until after the prospect has come and gone. Yes, when a customer wanders into the office only to find that everyone is out on tour and only one of the maintenance associates happens to have stopped into the office, guess what might happen.

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7 Mystery Shopping Tips

How to Enhance Your Recall During and After Your Shop

7 mystery shopping tips

One of the biggest challenges we face as shoppers is remembering all of the details for our reports and recounting them accurately and objectively.   The mystery shopping tips provided here are from actual mystery shoppers, and should help enhance your experiences.

I must admit, I was a little overwhelmed after my first on-site mystery shop.   I opened the report, and my stomach was in knots.  I remember thinking, “How can I possibly remember everything, and how can I submit a report if I DON’T remember everything exactly as it was?”  I said to myself, “This is like filling out a Police report!”  The Who, What, Where, When, and How of mystery shopping can be intimidating.

Mystery Shopping

Well, the truth is, you probably cannot, and will not, remember every single detail, no matter what you do.   But, do not lose heart.  You can stack the deck in your favor by practicing a few simple techniques.  Your mind is a wonderful, amazing thing.  You’ll remember more than you think you will, even if you do not take specific steps to enhance your memory.   Here are some tips I use to maximize my potential for remembering more and for getting to a place where it becomes completely natural, almost second nature.  What we say in our mystery shopping reports matters, especially to the employee who is being evaluated.  Taking a few moments to increase your ability to remember can make a big difference in the quality of your mystery shopping reports.

Here are a few things that I have found help me, and I hope they will be useful for you too!

 

Mystery shopping tip #1

  • When I arrive on-site, I never just hop out of the car.  Always check the time and make a note of it before leaving the car.  You may think you will remember, but you may not.  Don’t take a chance – get into the habit of checking the time and writing it down every time you arrive on-site for a shop.  (Subsequently, when you return to the car after the shop, get into the routine of checking the time again and writing it down before starting your car.  You will thank yourself later when you are doing your mystery shopping report!

 

Mystery shopping tip #2

  • Repeat a few things to yourself silently while you are there.  I make a note of, and repeat to myself, the employee’s hair and eye color, and I actually say to myself, silently of course, “Blonde and blue,” or, “Bald and brown.”  You get the idea.  You will be surprised at how well this simple technique works and how it can help you to remember the details about the employee’s appearance.  Again, you think you will never forget but can find yourself straining to remember just a few hours later (especially if you go directly from one shop to another).

 

Mystery shopping tip #3

  • Once I have made a point to remember what color the consultant’s eyes and hair are, and what they are wearing, I look for a name tag.  Have you ever left a shop and realized that you did not notice, or do not remember this?  Get into the habit of looking for it, and soon you will be doing it without even thinking about it!

 

Mystery shopping tip #4

  • I look around and make a mental note about my surroundings.  I actually say to myself, “Dark wood desk, blue walls, and brown patterned carpet.”  This sounds simplistic, but there is something about the act of looking at these things and describing them to yourself briefly and silently, or making a “mental note” as a conscious act, that goes a long way toward helping your brain to “do its thing”.   So often, we see, but don’t REALLY SEE what is right in front of us!

 

Mystery shopping tip #5

  • I try to LISTEN attentively, pay attention to what they say, what questions they ask, how they interact with me as a customer.  Again, LISTEN, AND MAKE MENTAL NOTES ABOUT WHAT IS SAID.  It is possible to get caught up in the shop and realize when you leave that you did not make a conscious effort to notice important components of the shop.  If you just pay attention, listen, and make mental notes to last until you can pull over and actually make written notes, your mystery shopping reports will be more detailed, complete, and accurate.

 

Mystery shopping tip #6

  • Give every employee the best opportunity to succeed and to shine during your shop.  Don’t do or say anything to discourage them.  The employee’s success depends on you to remember when they do something right and to report it.  Give them your full attention and you will decrease the likelihood of forgetting something important.

 

Mystery shopping tip #7

  • After getting in the car, jotting down the time, and leaving the location, find a place to pull over out of sight to make notes about the employee’s appearance and any other details you can remember. You can use shorthand as long as you know you can read it later! Any notes you make right after the tour will be extremely helpful to you later when you are completing your mystery shopping report.

 

See other mystery shopping tips from the pros at Ellis partners in Mystery shopping since 1984.

Finally, relax and have fun!  Mystery shopping provides you with an opportunity to meet new people and to experience things you might not otherwise!  Give it your full attention and allow the employee to do their best.

 

Sandra S-

5 Mystery Shopping Tools Every Mystery Shopper Needs

Are you considering becoming a mystery shopper but you aren’t sure what all it takes?  ‘It might be expensive. I might need a lot of stuff I don’t have.’ There are just a few mystery shopping tools you need to get started as a mystery shopper, and they’re things most people already have.

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Make Money Mystery Shopping

We are all looking for ways to supplement our income.   With the economy being in such distress and gas prices jumping to an all time high, any extra income would be a great help.  A part time job may not be ideal as you will have to report to work on a predetermined schedule given by your boss.

One solution: Make money mystery shopping, quickly and easily as an independent contractor.

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Mystery Shopping Tips During the Holiday Season

 

The holidays present some unique challenges for shoppers.  Most of these can be overcome with a little forethought, preparation, and planning.  Here are a few mystery shopping tips to keep in mind during December.

 

After the change from Daylight Savings Time in November, the hours available to conduct your on-site mystery shops before dusk decrease dramatically.  Gone are the days when it stays light out until almost nine p.m.  All off a sudden, you look around at 4:30 and realize that dusk is upon you!  During the summer months, it is not unusual to tour as late as 5:30 p.m.  However, most apartment communities do not allow their leasing agents to show apartments after dusk, so you must plan your winter shopping assignments accordingly.

 

  • Try to take advantage of the morning hours to conduct on-site shops.  Most communities open between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
  • Incorporate travel time into your planning so that you arrive before dusk.  Don’t just plan to arrive at the community at dusk.  You will probably be told that you cannot tour if there is not sufficient time to see the apartment and the amenities before it gets dark.
  • Arriving before the threat of darkness will allow the leasing professional to make a full presentation without feeling rushed.  The agent should never feel they need to cut their presentation short.  Give them every opportunity to shine without pressure.

 

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and New Year’s Eve all occur during December.  The following things should be taken into consideration when scheduling shop contracts around these holidays.

  • Many employees take vacation time off during the holidays.  If you get a leasing professional on the phone today, he/she may not be in tomorrow.  Try to schedule your onsite shops on the same day you conduct your phone shop.
  • If you are not planning to visit the same day, ask the target agent if they will be in the following day.  If they say they will be off but their colleague can help you, try to work something out so that you can visit the community the same day.  If not, discreetly ask when they will return by saying something like, “Oh, aren’t you lucky!  How long will you be away?”
  • Keep in mind that most communities close on major holidays.  Know what holidays are coming up when you accept a shop contract and check your personal calendar to make sure you can shop before the holiday, or during the days following the holiday, depending on how soon you can reach the intended professional.
  • Sometimes businesses close on the day before after a holiday, too. If a holiday occurs on a weekend day, some businesses close on the Friday before or the Monday after the holiday.

 

Most apartment communities cannot show you an apartment when it is snowing outside if the amount of snow is significant.  During the cold weather months, check the weather report.  If it is snowing or snow is in the immediate forecast, do not schedule an on-site tour.  Stay in, stay warm and safe, and schedule your appointment for another day.

 

Some communities close early when it is snowing or right before a holiday.  If you are planning to visit late in the day, confirm that they are not closing early that day. Always, allow adequate time to travel safely to your destination if there is snow or ice on the roads.  Schedule your appointments accordingly so that you are not rushed. Wear appropriate shoes and dress in layers during the cold months.   If the sun is shining when you leave the house, your tour later in the day might be sabotaged if the weather turns cold.

 

Visit our mystery shopping tips page for additional strategies that work all season (and year) long.

So you wanna be a Mystery Shopper…. Are you mystery shopper material?

Not everyone is cut out to be a Mystery Shopper. Not only do you need to be a good actor or actress, but you also have to know a thing or two about looking for a new home. While anyone can be an independent contractor mystery shopper, there are a few key qualities that every mystery shopper should have.

Do you have what it takes to be a Mystery Shopper?

  1. Do you know how to follow directions?

You may be thinking to yourself, “Ummm, yes!” Well there are quite a few details in any given shop contract that can’t be ignored.  All are an integral part of being a Mystery Shopper and successful shoppers will adhere to the shop contract specifications to ensure a.) they are accurately completing the shop and b.) they get paid for their hard work!

  1. Are you good at managing your time?

Time management is learned by some and a talent for others, but at the end of the day, we aren’t all good at it! Not only do you have to complete the shop itself, but then you have to write up your report. If you don’t manage your time wisely, you could get behind on the report portion, forget details of the shop, turn in a sketchy report, or end up getting dinged in the money department. It’s super easy to get paid for your shops, but you have to be good at time management.

  1. Are you detail oriented?

You are directly responsible for the score of the shop. Forgetting a detail here, forgetting a detail there is not optional. If you don’t remember the details of the shop, your report will be missing components, and the score will be a direct reflection of your lack of detail either positively or negatively. How does that affect the person being shopped? Either they could be reprimanded for a negative score that wasn’t deserved or there might be some areas needing work that would go undetected and the property could suffer as a result. The details, or weeds as I like to call them, are crucial to the success of a shop.

Still wanna be a mystery shopper?…   please continue.

  1. Are you punctual?

Being on time is another one of those things that not everyone is good at. Either you’re punctual or you’re not. There are deadlines set in place by the client that the mystery shopping company passes on to the shopper in order to maintain timeliness. Yes, you can always ask for extensions with extenuating circumstances. But, it is important to take all shop contracts seriously and complete the shops by the due date provided. Punctuality is extremely important!!!

  1. Are you responsible?

Most people won’t admit if they are irresponsible, but responsibility is another critical piece to the success of a shop. Again, the employee’s fate is in your hands. Mystery shopping – though fun and flexible – is still business and you have to treat it as such. Sure, it’s easy money in your pocket; however, there’s a score being given to a working employee at the end of all this and you have to be responsible with the details, time management, your punctuality, and the ability to follow directions to ensure the accuracy of the shop.

We aren’t all cut out to be mystery shoppers, but the good ones stick around for years. Mystery shopping is fun, easy, rewarding, and a great way to earn extra money in your pocket! Do you have what it takes to join the mystery shopper team?

If you still wanna be a mystery shopper then have a look at what actual shoppers are saying on the Ellis shoppers blog.

 

-Allison M

 

FAIR HOUSING QUESTIONS & MYSTERY SHOPPERS

WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE IS APPROPRIATE?

Of the many things that professionals in the multifamily industry need to be responsible for, perhaps the most important of all is the monitoring of Fair Housing compliance by the Federal Government.  The Federal Fair Housing Law states that it is illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

 

There are also some states, counties and towns that have additional protected categories.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) budgets millions of dollars annually for Fair Housing testing and enforcement (apartment mystery shoppers!) and is expanding such enforcement to non metropolitan areas as well.

 

Due to such extreme importance and to ensure that employees are educated and practicing compliance at all times, most property management companies require thorough Fair Housing training – oftentimes on a quarterly basis.  Most Fair Housing training cites examples of violations or specific instances in which companies and its employees have been subjected to costly expenses – many times for millions of dollars.   Although continuing education can certainly build a leasing professional’s confidence in understanding the Fair Housing Act, it is no wonder that agents become tense and evasive when clients and prospective residents present questions related to any of the protected classes.  Questions such as “What kind of people live here?” or “Do you allow children?” can make the newest agent panic and the more seasoned agent very uncomfortable.

 

There have been many fair housing questions related to mystery shopping report writing.  Many mystery shopping reports have a section dedicated to Fair Housing in an effort to document compliance by on-site leasing professionals. So it is important to understand what would be considered an appropriate response to a Fair Housing question.  Equally as important is the way in which the question is presented so as not to jeopardize your identity as a mystery shopper.

    

Did the agent do or say anything that could be perceived as discriminatory? This is a very broad question and needs to be assessed based on the overall experience.  Shoppers should pay attention to what is being offered to them, if they are being ‘steered’ to a particular area of the community or if it seems they are not being treated the same way as they have observed other customers being treated.  If you feel discrimination was present, thorough and accurate documentation should be included on the mystery shopping report; examples should be specific.

 

What kind of people live here?  If you ask this question directly, chances are good that it will indicate to the agent that you are likely a mystery shopper.  Not only are most agents thoroughly trained on how to answer this question, but these days it is not commonly asked – unless they are being shopped.  Be cautious in how you word the question and approach it conversationally and at the appropriate time whenever possible.  Most importantly – document word for word how you asked the question and exactly how the agent answered it.  As an example:  You go on tour with an agent who happens to walk you past a large playground within the community.   As you ask questions about the community you might mention that you notice they have a playground and then ask the agent if there are a lot of kids that live there.   Understand that the agent will react cautiously to your question and might even avoid answering it altogether.  The agent will more than likely answer your question in a manner that does not answer your question – which is exactly the point.  Your question is such that if the agent were to answer directly – they could be in violation of Fair Housing Law.

 

An appropriate response to questions regarding what type of people live at the community might be something like the following: “It is our policy to lease to everyone who qualifies.  I’m happy to assist you with your apartment needs, but as directed by law, I am unable to answer that question.”

 

As apartment mystery shoppers we have a responsibility to do our best to approach Fair Housing questions in a way that does not raise a question to the agent that they are being shopped.  Equally as important we need to be clear on why our questions are sometimes avoided, unanswered or responded to evasively. We have to understand that by not answering our questions directly, the agent is actually doing what is appropriate which will be noted favorably on their mystery shopping report.

 

Finally, because our shopping reports can ultimately become documentation in the event that questions are raised with respect to a community’s compliance with Fair Housing law, accuracy is imperative and documenting exactly what is said and observed is vital.

 

If you are seeking additional answers to any other fair housing questions then please visit  the Fair Housing Act and Federal Fair Housing Law at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD.

Apartment Mystery Shops: Become an Independent Contractor Mystery Shopper

Being a professional in the multifamily industry for more than 20 years, I learned about apartment mystery shopping early in my career.  Starting out as a leasing consultant, I worked my way up into management and chose to spend a few more years managing at the on-site level getting mystery shopped many times along the way.  I loved managing communities, working with amazing leasing teams and learning more and more about the industry every day.

As my career evolved over the years, policies and procedures changed and technology improved resulting in even more change…more often.  With all of the changes that continued on a regular basis, one thing remained consistent and that was the fact that no matter what position I held, I was responsible for leasing apartments.

As a leasing consultant I was shopped on numerous occasions and I continued to be shopped as a manager.  Over time there were things I came to understand about the apartment mystery shop:

  • Being shopped was not something to be afraid of
  • Mystery shoppers were not “out to get” me; they were merely giving their honest feedback
  • I could actually learn a lot from my mystery shop; it was a great training tool
  • The shopping report made it easy for my employer to see areas where I needed additional training
  •  An apartment mystery shop was truly an investment in ME by my property management company

Every company I worked for over the years has used a professional shopping company like Ellis Mystery shoppers and has consistently used apartment mystery shops for ongoing evaluation the leasing performance of all the onsite staff.

Growth and advancement go hand-in-hand with self-development

A mystery shop is an opportunity for the leasing agent. It offers the potential for:

  • Bonuses like cash incentives
  • Rewards like paid time off
  • Recognition by management and executives
  • Promotions and increased responsibility
  • And more

When I was presented with an opportunity to advance to the corporate level as a marketing manager for a large multifamily organization, I was thrilled at the chance for further advancement.  Because I had learned from people who believed in me and invested in my training year after year I was excited and confident in my ability to perform the job well.  I still believe that the most important role in apartment management is leasing apartments – no matter what position you hold within the multifamily industry.  There can never be too much training, and there are skills involved that need to be improved upon and fine-tuned on a regular basis.  An apartment “mystery shop” program is an invaluable tool for any multifamily organization to incorporate into their overall leasing training program.

The most important role in apartment management is leasing apartments

Because my individual circumstances have allowed me to take some time away from the business, I have chosen to be a mystery shopper with Ellis because of their ongoing commitment to excellence and their outstanding credibility within the multifamily industry.

I enjoy being on the other end of the mystery shop and I commit fully to each shop contract that I conduct and to every shopping report that I write.  Being an independent contractor mystery shopper with Ellis is what keeps me connected to the industry and reminds me of how much I was able to grow because of the service that they provide through their mystery shops.  As a shopper, I continue to learn and grow with each evaluation – much like I did as a leasing professional when I was being shopped. As a shopper I get to continue making a difference and contributing to the success of onsite leasing staff by providing objective feedback about my customer experience during the shop.

 

-Julie S