Search results matching tag 'Mystery Shopper'

How can you tell if a customer is a time waster?

Emily Ashwell — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:01:52 GMT

Interesting comments from travelhub member Iamozy on this week's Mystery Shopper here.

One of the points she makes is that agents have to make a judgement about whether someone is a time waster and planning to book elsewhere. If you think they are, how much service should you give them?

This followed criticism from Mystery Shopper to some Exeter agencies for only handing over a brochure when they enquired about a UK short break.

How do you tell when someone is a time waster?

Re: How do you beat Mystery Shopper?

Nickbroadland — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:34:18 GMT

Emily, we do not get mystery shopped as an independent in a rural town.

However when I used to work in London I was mystery shopped on 3 occasions and each time won. Including the time I was completely lost and had to work it out as I went along. My key tips and what we try to do in our shop are.

Welcome quickly and then chat to the customer, no long silences. Sell extras by bring them into the conversation and noting them. Check customer history, regular customers like it when you ask about last there last holiday. (Of course it can cause moans but look positively at them, so if you get " well it was bit remote or I did not like the trips", then you can offer car hire).

Do not take to many details, we have gained 2 booking in last month due to Thomas Cook taking full names etc at first enquiry stage. (Customers felt that the company was building to much data on them). Stick to name and telephone number and if you can postcode, you can always ask for more but do not push.

Always try an upsell, I recently offered a customer who want a cheap break a seaview upgrade and then mentioned others upgrades and now they are looking at booking a suite a double the price of the orginal room.

Re: How do you beat Mystery Shopper?

Emily Ashwell — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:51:59 GMT

I can't comment on the other publication and your experience, but you do raise some really interesting points generally about Mystery Shopper. First of all how much emphasis should MS put on closing the sale? If the advice is at the expense of the sale, why should an agent be marked down for it? Also, it is one person's view of an experience and their view is subjective, even if they are professionally trained Mystery Shoppers.

If you ever get Mystery Shopped by Travel Weekly then you are welcome to respond either here or I do a blog post every week on Mystery Shopper and have had agents who have been Mystery Shopped respond on the blog.

I think that we should be much more open about MS and provide some sort of forum for agents who have been mystery shopped to have their say. That's what we're trying to do here - MS shouldn't be a one-way process where we publish and the agencies get no reply or we don't have an open debate when some people think MS has got it wrong.

Best, Emily

How do you beat Mystery Shopper?

Emily Ashwell — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:36:21 GMT

Hi there,

I've been commissioned to write an article entitled 'How to beat Mystery Shopper'. The idea is to give readers great customer service tips so that if they are ever Mystery Shopped they are well prepared!

Have you been Mystery Shopped and won? If so, what was it about your agency that you think stood out?

Thanks! Emily