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Who Are Mystery Shoppers?

 

I first heard of mystery shopping back in the early 90’s. My grandma worked at a large retailer as a greeter, and called me one day to let me know that “secret shoppers” thought she was in her 50’s. Confused, I asked her what she was talking about, and she explained that secret shoppers came in posing as customers to evaluate the employees. I asked her how she did, and her only focus was that the shopper thought she was in her 50’s when in reality she was in her mid 70’s (she always looked younger than her true age).

 

I didn’t know then that a few years later I would be immersed in the world of mystery shopping. It has evolved significantly over the last decade and broken through some of the stereotypes.

 

The one stereotype that still exists on some level is that the mystery shopper is a stay at home mom type looking for some extra income. I will hear that from some prospective clients, especially those that are interested in B2B mystery shopping, as they believe we may not be able to utilize shoppers who mirror their typical customer.

 

Our company alone has over 300,000 mystery shoppers at our availability to conduct shops. Over the years, I’ve learned that they truly come from all walks of life – we have the traditional stay at home mom, college students (who better to conduct liquor and tobacco compliance shops), lawyers, small business owners, nurses, and engineers. Shoppers range in age from 18 to 85; some do the work on a part-time basis while others make this their full-time work.

 

Because of this, mystery shopping has been able to serve many more industries than it once used to, and has been one reason we’ve been successful in B2B mystery shopping.

 

Everyone knows the value of good customer service, and shoppers want to be a part of making that happen. The next time you think of the shoppers that come into your business, don’t look for what you perceive as the traditional shopper – you may be surprised at who it is!

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The Best Interview Question

 

The hiring process can be daunting, especially in today’s economy – there are more people vying for jobs, and many have similar and great qualifications. What do you do to find the best match for the job?

 

Outside of the traditional interview process, many HR deparatments are turning to social media to learn more about a candidate and see who’s the best fit for the position. This has been a fantastic way to learn more about a person, in their own environment so to speak.

 

More traditionally, there is a great way to enhance the traditional interview experience to see a potential employee from a different perspective. A recent article on Ragan’s site shared the benefits of asking “situational” questions during an interview – a simple “What would you do if….” question that a potential employee cannot really prepare for. Their response can give you better insight than the more traditional interview questions.

 

From the article, there are things you can watch for when the candidate answers these situational questions to give you a better understanding of who they are, how they think, and what experience they bring to the table:

 

Look for these elements:

• A realistic “frame.” Does the candidate think through the answer, or just give the first solution that comes to mind? A thoughtful candidate might start out by saying, “Well, you could handle that in a couple of ways,” list them, and then commit to one. It’s a sign he or she understands the scope and complexity of the situation.
• A sense of sequence. Does the candidate take you through the solution step by step or jump around haphazardly? Listen for a clear series of points, steps, or procedures. You’ll get a clue to whether he or she has solved a similar problem in the past, and has a decent sense of organizational issues.
• An awareness of limits. Does the candidate oversimplify the problem or overstate the certainty of his or her solution? You expect that candidates will make the best case they can for their solution, but do they have the honesty or insight to identify the unpredictable outcomes and loose ends that might derail their plan? Listen for the candidate who can explain what he or she would do, but who also acknowledges that something else might change his or her plans.

 

You want to make sure you get the best person for the job, so using a variety of techniques and having patience through the process should bring the right candidate to your business!

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How Do You Use LinkedIn?

 

LinkedIn has been a fantastic social media site for professionals – I’ve often referred to it as the “Facebook for business” and the “underdog of social media.” It grew quietly and has become a great resource for networking, lead generation, and recruitment over the last couple of years.

 

The infographic below shows data on how people are using LinkedIn, what benefits they get, and when people use it. Some of the more interesting statistics include:

 

79.6% of LinkedIn users utilize the groups feature most often. I’m not surprised to see this number increase over years past. Before, many users did not take advantage of the LinkedIn Groups, but this is a wonderful feature for people to connect with others, show their expertise, and learn more about their industry.

 

64% of LinkedIn users utilize the “Who’s looked at your profile” feature. We can’t help it – we want to know who’s checking us out. This is a great way to find new connections, potential lead generation, and to see what types of people are drawn to your profile. While this is great for LinkedIn, I think Facebook would come to a screeching halt if they ever implemented this feature. Just food for thought.

 

Interestingly, this infographic does not illustrate that people are using LinkedIn for lead generation and/or employment purposes. If this were to be revisited a year from now, I would guess that these two tasks would make it to the infographic. More and more companies, especially in the B2B segment, are using LinkedIn for lead generation. As a B2B company, we have gained several new contacts through LinkedIn over the last couple of years.

 

Similarly, employers are using many different methods to find and vet potential new employees. While most check out the potential hire’s blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, LinkedIn can be a great resource to learn more about potential candidates.

 

Take a look at the infographic below and let us know what you think. Are there any surprises? How do YOU use LinkedIn, and how often? We’d love to hear from you!

 

 

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