Mystery Shoppers

Filed under Post Offices & Retail Network

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Retail, upselling

picture of man as a shadow in line at the post office overwritten with the words Mystery Shopper

Like most retailers, the Postal Service uses mystery shoppers — customers unknown to the retail staff who fill out evaluations on their shopping experience — to determine how well retail units are performing. Not every postal retail unit is visited by mystery shoppers. Only units with a certain amount of revenue are included in the mystery shopper program.

Mystery shoppers record how long they spent in line, how the retail unit looked, how courteous the retail associates were, and other details about their visit. For example, sales associates are supposed to ask whether a package contains anything liquid, fragile, perishable, or potentially hazardous. Mystery shoppers are asked to note down whether anyone asked them this about their package.

Five weeks ago, Pushing the Envelope dealt with the topic of “upselling.” Some of the questions on the mystery shopper evaluation relate to which products sales associates promote to their customers. Given the variety of customers and types of transactions, the need for a uniform approach to customers is important. Is it appropriate, however, to include items generally viewed as “upselling” in the mystery shopper program?

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What about the mystery shopper program in general? Is it effective or can it be improved? What do you think is the most effective way to ensure postal retail units provide good retail service?

This blog is hosted by the OIG’s Risk Analysis Research Center (RARC).

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47 Responses to “Mystery Shoppers”

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47
Heather Says:
May 10th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Sometimes i think that it is unfair to have mystery shoppers in certain situations. for instance if you are a shopper of food service what if they have a bus of 75 people. it is not a normal situation.
46
Miranda Jenkins Says:
March 20th, 2010 at 2:51 am
I LOVE the idea of mystery shoppers.

The practice can help everyone: business and client

The business gets some constructive criticism (and sometimes an eye-opening slap in the face), and the customer gets a better overall experience after the problems are corrected.

BUT, it only works if the business takes that information and uses it to make changes for the better, instead of simply stacking the feedback forms in a big pile to serve as fireplace starter… Or worse, justifying the bad experience in some way (i.e. “We don’t get paid enough to go the extra mile!”).

Use the mystery shopper feedback to make REAL changes in the way your business runs, and you’ll have clients telling their friends, family and co-workers about the outstanding experience they had with your business.
45
JAFO Says:
March 15th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
The concept of the Mystery Shopper is a valid one.

However, the point about “what” is being upsold is a good one. I feel disingenuous pushing something (a PO Box) to a customer who ALREADY HAS ONE.

This is an example of a good idea poorly executed. There needs to be more one-on-one observations by the supervisors to see that the clerks are following the GENERAL IDEA of the upsell, but please, drop the stupid offerings.

And who shops the Mystery Shopper? If their job is to keep finding mistakes, what stops them from making it up?

The reason for the MS program is to ensure we are making as much retail revenue as possible. The clerks need to change the mindset that it is just a rote procedure job, and start to engage their customers. It will result in more revenue, and happier customers. There are ways to do it, but first you need to try. Unfortunately, the USPS is stuck with a lot of employees at the Retail Window that only got there by seniority, not their sales or customer service skills. That is the sad truth, and the good clerks suffer through the MS program as a result.
44
Mail Girl Says:
March 14th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
As a clerk in a level 18 post office, the mystery shopper program is a waste of time. The shoppers use the same boxes every month so you know when you are being “shopped.” However, when you receive your score it is in the 80s. For example, we have had the same sign alignment in our office for the past 5 years. Points have never been deducted for this, but one shopper felt the need to deduct points for sign placement. I always ask the HAZMAT question and they say you don’t. It’s irritating that USPS takes the word of a stranger opposed to their own employees.

Also, upselling is okay if we can just ask if stamps or envelopes are needed. But does someone coming to mail a package really want to rent a P.O. Box? This suggestion is crazy and a waste of time.

The Big Bosses need to wake up and actually come to visit a smaller post office to realize how stupid this actually makes us look!
43
Quad Bike Dealers Says:
December 16th, 2009 at 5:48 am
I’m not sure which point people are giving most thoughts to here, either the mystery shopping or being made to upsell?

The behaviour of mystery shoppers can sometimes bring out the worst in a person by using directional questions, which in most cases can be taken on to two different paths.

What everyone seems to forget is that is why these people do what they do, to test the ethical behaviour of staff as well as the knowledge they have on the business they are promoting.

The opposite side to the coin is the “upsell” theory which is being debated – and should it be something people are made to do?

The answer is simple – yes, they should be made to upselll products/services supplied by the business owners. If the position in the business is to sell, supply or finance, then as long as the ethics behind the upsell are right, then it should be a process which is followed.

Should it fall the other way and the ethical behaviour is not correct, then it is something which should be questioned if the morrals of the business owners are in doubt.

We run upsells within our business, but the one thing we keep in mind is that it is a process of upselling not just for money, but value to. If it helps the consumer and is cost effective, then we offer it as a standard process.
42
Skippy Says:
December 7th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Character, it is not so much the selling that is the issue for most of us, it is what we are being “forced” to upsell, and the script that we are supposed to use. Most customer are pretty easy to read, and you can suggest products and services to meet their needs with out sounding pushy. If a customer comes up to you and says that they don’t care how long it gets there, why should you suggest Express? Why should we have to explain insurance when it is self explanatory?

We should simply ask the customer how quickly does it need to get there, like we used to do, and we can suggest the service that best suits thrie needs. Most regulars know exactly how they want to ship, so why suggest something that you and they know they won’t use?
41
CharacterObserver Says:
December 7th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I enjoy seeing these posts. Some of you in ‘small’ offices may know everyone that comes in your door. Although your office probably doesn’t make enough revenue to pay your utilities plus your salary. Everywhere I go, I get asked “if I would like to open an account because I would save 10% on my purchases today or would I like fries with that?” Those people get paid $10 an hour and can follow a script. I say ‘no, thank you’. I don’t get mad like some people claim that customers get annoyed that they are asked how they would like to do business. If it’s so burdensome bid to another job so someone who wants to come to daylight hours can. I’ve seen ideas on revenue generation or revenue possibilities for things other than USPS services….we can’t even get our clerks to have faith in our own product!