SCO wrote:

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My store has always gotten 90-100% on the mystery shopper. This isn't really about what YOU care about the bagger saying, but the fact that when all these things are done the customer feels more comfortable and appreciated. Sure, if the bagger doesn't say hello and goodbye the customer's day won't be ruined, but there's nothing negative about being friendly when you work in a customer service-oriented business.

The other parts of the mystery shop are important. Clean floors, clean carts available, hand baskets, things being tidy, and employees being able to seek out customers who need help finding something. The only part I don't like is the credit card application at checkout. Problem is, most people don't want to hear about a credit card offer and get annoyed and turned off when we tell them about it.

Granted, it's not the most important thing in the world to get tested on it, but the things that the secret shopper looks for are things that we all should be doing anyways, not just because there may be a secret shopper out there.

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You're right. Those are things we should be doing anyway. However, and maybe it's just us, but I know for a fact that either our SS isn't even coming into the store on the dates that are provided on the reports, or they are flat out lying. I have gotten 100% shops when I've been supervising on nights when I've had 4 call ins that wasn't replaced by day shift. I've had to supervise, work customer service and uscan while being down 4 people. I know for a fact that our store was trashed from the restrooms to the lot and customers were bagging their own groceries and have gotten 100%! Then I've had nights when things are running smoothly, the store is clean, everyone is calm and pleasant and BAM! A big fail! These SS aren't being honest. I should have failed that one SS for obvious reasons but by some miricle, I passed. I even brought this up to my FEM and pointed out the dates and showed her the schedules that matched up with the shops and she was litreally lost for words. I ask every now and then if that has been looked into or if anything is being done but I think that there really isn't anything we can do about dishonest SS!

Oboro718 wrote:

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SCO wrote:

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My store has always gotten 90-100% on the mystery shopper. This isn't really about what YOU care about the bagger saying, but the fact that when all these things are done the customer feels more comfortable and appreciated. Sure, if the bagger doesn't say hello and goodbye the customer's day won't be ruined, but there's nothing negative about being friendly when you work in a customer service-oriented business.

The other parts of the mystery shop are important. Clean floors, clean carts available, hand baskets, things being tidy, and employees being able to seek out customers who need help finding something. The only part I don't like is the credit card application at checkout. Problem is, most people don't want to hear about a credit card offer and get annoyed and turned off when we tell them about it.

Granted, it's not the most important thing in the world to get tested on it, but the things that the secret shopper looks for are things that we all should be doing anyways, not just because there may be a secret shopper out there.

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You're right. Those are things we should be doing anyway. However, and maybe it's just us, but I know for a fact that either our SS isn't even coming into the store on the dates that are provided on the reports, or they are flat out lying. I have gotten 100% shops when I've been supervising on nights when I've had 4 call ins that wasn't replaced by day shift. I've had to supervise, work customer service and uscan while being down 4 people. I know for a fact that our store was trashed from the restrooms to the lot and customers were bagging their own groceries and have gotten 100%! Then I've had nights when things are running smoothly, the store is clean, everyone is calm and pleasant and BAM! A big fail! These SS aren't being honest. I should have failed that one SS for obvious reasons but by some miricle, I passed. I even brought this up to my FEM and pointed out the dates and showed her the schedules that matched up with the shops and she was litreally lost for words. I ask every now and then if that has been looked into or if anything is being done but I think that there really isn't anything we can do about dishonest SS!

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I know people who have done mystery shops at restaurants and the work you have to do really makes it not worth the free meal/groceries etc.  I know if I had to rate the stuff in a Kroger mystery shop I would probably give "sunshine and kittens" or just BS some of it.

There are some mystery shoppers who will flunk the cashier if they pay by check and the cashier doesn't notice their name.  If the cashier doesn't say, "Thank you Mrs. Smith, have a nice day", the cashier gets a bad report.

Our store has had problems with engagement and before our previous manager left, he had the floor supervisors performing engagement audits where they would mark whether or not the cashier engaged the customer.  Management has threatened writeups for bad mystery shops and another store in our area has done so.

The problem is that mystery shops are viewed by the union as "heresay" because you cannot be brought face to face with your accuser.  In addition, if it is during a certain time of day (after school) or on the weekends, you are likely going to be so busy that your focus is getting the customer in and out of the store.  You aren't being rude to the customers, but you aren't going that "extra mile" that Kroger wants.

Anytime I think of engagement anymore I think of King of the Hill when MegaLoMart (Walmart) started selling propane and Hank had to offer "Service with a hug" to try to keep the customers from switching to MegaLoMart.  The difference though is that Kroger CAN compete with Walmart on price because of coupons and running an effective ad. 

As I said in a previous thread, "Play the game, but know the rules".  Your union contract is your rulebook.

Courtesy is something that has gotten dummed down over the years and no one is really surprised if they don't get any.I've checked out in stores where when I said Thank You,they would say No Problem.

Had a manager tell me he got a call from a zone manager congratulating on one of his employees getting 100% on a mystery shopper report, but the SS just wrote in a name of someone she remembered.

The store manager had to inform the zone manager that while he appreciated the seceret shoppers comments, that employee had died over a year before the SS came into the store.

Em wrote:

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SS are cheap. They will purchase a little bit of product and put something stupid at the bottom of the basket. If they have something at the BOB make sure to greet them, engage and thank them. You will win.

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You won't win if they are lying. Actually, no one wins when they lie.