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Of course, Mystery Shopping isn't only useful for larger franchisors with numerous stores. Many newer, smaller franchisers find it equally valuable; in fact, having a Mystery-Shopping program is an excellent selling point to would-be franchisees, as it shows concern for quality and brand strength.

2. Have you consulted with your employees about the goals of your program? (This is recommended, depending on its purposes.)

Whilst the US will encapsulate a variety of tastes across its nation, Europe certainly has more marked differences in style appeal from territory to territory. To generalise, France tends toward subtle branding and closely fitted garments, Germany more towards the urban, Italy towards the heavily logo-ed, Scandinavia towards clean design. The UK is seen as particularly discerning and often leads current trends. In Europe, it could be said that we have to work that much harder to ensure we are hitting all the right notes in order to appeal to each market we enter.

You may not think your customers are always right, but seeing things the way they do can be key to unlocking your franchise's potential. The perception a customer holds of your brand, your store and your service are vital to your success. As customers expect consistency from location to location, a poor experience at one store reflects badly on the entire chain.

8. The provider should not burden you with the same administrative hassles and high costs a customer feedback program would cause. Once again, the Internet proves useful, as it allows your company to nearly eliminate program administration costs.

1. What information can you gain from the Mystery-Shopping program and how will you apply it?

A good Mystery Shopper will be reliable, responsible, service-oriented and possess a keen eye for detail. While some of the companies offering this service will interview potential employees before hiring and train them thoroughly for specific jobs, others are less vigilant. As with most service industries, you get what you pay for.

3. The Mystery-Shopping provider you select should possess a proven track record for handling clients in your particular industry, as this can help them identify pitfalls early. A good company can develop effective shopping scenarios, straightforward evaluation forms/checklists and proper statistical reports. The data made available to you through charts, graphs, and questionnaires, must be easily digestible so problems are clearly identified.

The Mystery Shopping Option:

Streetwear is very much the modern evolution of the urban look of the last decade - with its baggy styling and somewhat specific social appeal, it was a look which was never entirely embraced by the mainstream fashion world. Since then, music and fashion have fused more than ever before; out of this fusion we see the likes of Tinie Tempah emerge, with a modern take on the urban music genre, and wearing tailored high-fashion takes on the original look. Combining denim, tweed and even accessories like bow-ties or waistcoats and singing hip-hop/R&B would have been previously unheard of; now it is a style which is very much replicated by the likes of Urban Outfitters. Clothing has become less restrictive for men - it is more acceptable for them to display their unique sense of style and wear more eccentric items. Beyond this, streetwear is also a look which spans demographics; age, race, gender, fashion-taste - a store such as Topman used to sell more conservative menswear; now,said of the impairment. “The good news is, much of their store could be attributed to a streetwear look, so diverse that it provides something for everyone, cementing its appeal.

3,wholesale apple macbook. What types of evaluation will be most effective for your franchise? Examples include in-person visits, telephone calls, email and website evaluations, competitive inspections or combinations of these.

Each of the examples above, including and perhaps above all fashion, are highly creative industries, fast-paced by nature, but now with the advent of the digital age, faster than ever before. Fashion has to constantly look for fresh inspiration and much of this is now done online by brands' creative teams and designers. Tools such as Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram which allow users to create trend/mood boards using images not just from the world of fashion but also from every day life, be it architecture, nature, foreign cultures or even sports or people themselves, are all promoting the cross-over between fashion and other mediums, as well as connecting brands to their target audience's collective minds and aspirations.

6. Insurance coverage is extremely important. The provider you choose should have current professional liability coverage,discount ipad 3. Should any legal actions be initiated as a result of the information your provider collects, you must be protected.

1. The provider should be seriously focused on client care and respond immediately to client needs. A specific team should be dedicated to serving you as a client, providing the attention your company deserves. An effective Mystery Shopper program requires an efficient supplier with excellent time management.

Mystery Shopping is best conducted at regular intervals over a set period. Most companies receive monthly reports, though some prefer bimonthly or quarterly reports, so franchisees and employees will be able to track their progress continually. Mystery Shopping results are often used as a basis for rewarding employees, even in unionized environments, and are rarely used as a disciplinary tool. The best ones are developed ahead of time, with management and staff each providing input. Employees know the evaluation is coming, and even know what is on the evaluation form, allowing them to consider things and prepare.

4. How will you arrange your Mystery Shopper's schedule?

2. A provider with an easy-to-use, Internet-based program will reduce the administrative burdens of Mystery Shopping. Using the Internet makes it quick and cost-effective to make changes to your standards, instructions, tasks, timelines, questions, etc. For security reasons, some companies still rely on traditional mail, fax or couriers to deliver results,Wholesale Samsung Phone. However the information that would be leaked through the web is almost never scandalous anyway.

5. Mystery Shoppers should be profiled, selected, trained and continuously monitored for quality by their provider. They may need to be rotated to avoid being recognized over time and to maintain an objective viewpoint of your brand and customers.

10. A good Mystery Shopping provider should also offer a range of complimentary services, like analysis of competition, on-line electronic comment card programs, traditional on-site comment cards, onsite exit interviews, customer satisfaction and follow up surveys and telephone programs. Any of the services offered should be customizable, and the standards entirely at your discretion,cheap iphone 4s for sale.

Preparing for the Mystery Shopper:

In order to get the most out of your program, you will need to find a provider with enough expertise to guide you along, and enough flexibility to meet your needs. There are many companies offering Mystery-Shopping services, so when it comes time to choose one for your franchise, you should keep many things in mind:

9. The provider should always push your organization to continuously improve. More detailed evaluation procedures, tougher scoring and greater demands on your employee's will challenge them and instill a culture of positive change.

6. What kind of costs are you willing to incur?

There are several options for franchisers who want customer attitudes to improve. Unfortunately, many are satisfied simply with a voluntary customer feedback program. While such programs are an important way to keep in touch with customers, they are only a small part of the entire picture. Being voluntary, customer feedback typically highlights only those aspects of the franchise that provoke a very strong opinion, either good or bad. However, there is much more to learn.

Critics of Mystery Shopping often claim it is nothing more than a "snapshot" of a business on a particular day. However, Mystery Shopping is not meant to reflect statistically-valid sample sizes. Instead, it observes how customers are actually treated, and helps extrapolate best practices for that location and its staff. Others ask why a company should pay for a Mystery Shopper instead of several hundred surveys or an online comment card. While these methods are valuable in their own right, they are not replacement for Mystery Shopping. As mentioned above,Choosing the Right Motorcycle Repair Shop_61891., comment cards are usually completed only by very happy or very unhappy customers. One might complain, "I stood in line too long," but not necessarily "I stood in line for more than 45 seconds,Cheap iphone 4s." What if your brand boasts a 45 - second wait time or less?

A comprehensive "Mystery Shopping" program, on the other hand, provides a view of what occurs in the service environment at a given moment, seen through the eyes of a real customer. Mystery Shoppers are trained to be observant, providing information tailored to the exact standards established for your brand. For example, if you expect customers to be greeted within 30 seconds of arrival, Mystery Shoppers can prove how long it really takes. Perhaps you insist that a customer ordering a small drink should always be offered a larger one? Mystery Shoppers will order in exactly the fashion you like and record the response. Should you be concerned your employees are less customer- service oriented on the weekends, Mystery Shoppers can evaluate your franchise at a specific day and time.

Before you set about finding a Mystery-Shopping provider, there are several questions you need to ask:

Criticisms of Mystery Shopping:

When competition is fierce, customer relations are the one thing separating a successful franchise from an unsuccessful one. For franchises,If you shop auctions, then, a proper Mystery-Shopping program answers questions far too important to ignore. While early results may be disappointing, they can do much to start a store on the right path and maintain great service over time.

Some franchisees also run Mystery Shopper programs independent of the franchisor. This is often done to prepare for franchiser inspections, though it may simply reflect concern for their own business and a desire to improve it.

Choosing the Best Provider:

Limitation of Customer Feedback:

7. The information you receive must be timely, accurate and useful. You must work with your Mystery-Shopping provider to ensure that targeted, task-specific information gets to the people who need it. Various user groups within your company may require information in job-specific formats, e.g. operations people will be interested in standards and procedures, while human resources (HR) people are more concerned with training effectiveness. As such, the information must be provided in an intuitive manner for each user.

4. The provider should be flexible enough to accommodate client capabilities. While an Internet based program is of great help, a quality provider can deliver information in other ways if the franshisor requires it.

5. What is the desired demographic profile for the Mystery Shoppers being sent? (The Mystery Shopper will typically embody the profile, although occasionally, employers send in someone who doesn't fit, as this too can be a test.)