Inside Hospitality

Ask Permission First vs. the Yes Strategy

Posted on 01. Feb, 2012 by Michael Hartzell in Inside Hospitality, Mystery Shopping

Instead of being resistant when a request is made, say “Yes”. Saying yes lowers turnover, lowers costs, improves sales and the score on your mystery shopper services report will improve. With every guest there is a question but it may not be spoken aloud. The unspoken thought may be: “Do you have… ?” or “Can you …..?”

You might have chosen to have an “ask permission first” culture where no one makes a move without asking a manager how to proceed for situations the rules do not already cover. Once the “ask permission first” culture is the plan, those who must ask permission avoid doing so until it becomes absolutely necessary. The first reaction to a request is “no” vs. “I will ask the supervisor”.

Once the staff begins to think in terms of “no” or “ask permission first”, their approach to the tasks at hand becomes more routine and mindless. Once the body is in motion but the mind is absent, chances are the spirit sits dormant and the leadership is left wondering about why morale is low.

The priority of hiring only soldiers who can listen, learn and follow directions can get the job done. If you believe that getting the job done will be all that is necessary for competing in the marketplace then there are no worries. After all, the “ask permission first” culture can maintain status quo as long as the supervisors have high awareness of operations and three is an abundant number of applicants interested in working.

If you instead took the “Yes” attitude and found a way to say yes when asked, more smiles and appreciation on the guests become an automatic response. The guest knows they are asking for something unusual and most of the time willing to “pay” for the special request.

If the staff understands it is up to them to create a win-win for each guest, they are able to be a part of the solution which empowers them to be more than an obedient soldier. Over time each problem/solution gives them an opportunity to learn and there is no need to remind any leader than learning is one of the four essential needs everyone has (according the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey; Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy)

With more “yes” in the room, there is a lift in morale and while empowering staff to make decisions is a risk , the risk is short term as the team learns how to excel.

Functions and tasks can be measured with a checklist, service times with a stopwatch. The heart and mind of the guest is reflected in a mystery shopper report but when you try to improve functions and tasks to impact guest satisfaction, it could be the rules or the systems that are a part of the problem.

Systems and rules are necessary but the winners always have those on staff who are willing and able to go the extra mile. Limiting the options with “ask permission first” does not empower. Creating a YES culture where guests and staff have more choices is how positive reputations can be shaped.

About the Author: Michael Hartzell – Certified Guerrilla Marketing Trainer & Coach, Inbound Marketing Certified Professional. Read more at www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

Tis’ the season to choose a new Mystery Shopping Partner.

Posted on 21. Dec, 2011 by Inside Hospitality in Inside Hospitality, Mystery Shopping

This is the time of year when big decisions are being made for the following year. Your Mystery Shopping solution provider choice for the new year should be based on industry industry experience, understanding and knowledge. We invite you to contact us for a free Mystery Shopping Trial shop today.

Work with a Mystery Shopping Company that understands your business in 2012.

Posted on 08. Dec, 2011 by Inside Hospitality in Mystery Shopping

Now is the time to plan for 2012.

Do a search yourself and see what we mean.

What is the difference? How do you know if you are partnering with the correct company to measure your guest experience?

We want to be that partner.

Why should your restaurant or hospitality operation partner with Inside Hospitality and GuestReady™?

Here are some reasons..

Reason #10 GuestReady™ is fully an customizable program tailored to your unique operation. A one size fits all mystery shopping program does not work.

Reason #9 GuestReady™ uses professionally trained demographically-matched evaluators.

Reason #8 GuestReady™ offers unparalleled Worldwide coverage in over 30+ Countries.

Reason #7 We’re only as good as the support we provide. We offer Incredible 24/7 Client Support and are always just a call or a click away.

Reason #6 How do you use the information? GuestReady™ provides result analysis, consulting and coaching that is included with our service. Your success is our success.

Reason #5 GuestReady™ requires no set up fee or long term contract. Simply put, if we’re not delivering the level of information your company demands- you shouldn’t be locked into using us.

Reason #4 GuestReady™ Integrates seamlessly with our other guest experience measurement solutions.

Reason #3 Immediate program set-up. Typically we can have a custom solution set up within 24-48 hours.

Reason #2 GuestReady™ provide simply the most detailed and accurate evaluations in the restaurant & hospitality industries with information that provides you with actionable information.

Reason #1 Our Guarantee. GuestReady™ offers our 100% Client Satisfaction Guarantee. We are confident you will find our services to be outstanding. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with any visit or detailed Guest Experience Analysis, the visit will be free of charge or we will schedule another visit at no charge – your choice.

More on our mystery shopping solution GuestReady™ here.

Questions to Ask on a Mystery Shopper’s Report

Posted on 17. Oct, 2011 by Inside Hospitality in Mystery Shopping

When developing a mystery shopper’s report program, which questions can get to the crux about why a guest might be happy or feel angry? Should those be determined by the executives sitting in an office from afar? Do you rely on the management team of the operation? Zagat’s recent articleabout the 10 most controversial restaurant policies might be a potential list to include in a mystery shopper’s report.

No kids allowed
No substitutions allowed
Automatic gratuity for large groups required
No reservations accepted
Credit card required to hold a reservation
No cell phones or cameras
Time limits for dining
Enforced dress code requirements
No standing at the bar allowed
Cash only

If a restaurant has a sign / poster which listed these controversial policies found at www.zagat.com as “rules”, would sales and profits improve? A mystery shopper might reveal the guest’s opinion about the rules. If these rules are “deal breakers” which keep the guests from returning, does it matter?
How many times does a restaurateur have a vision to have a restaurant which does not fit the community in which it serves? To gain control over the business, more rules are in place to overcome the community culture.
These are not the only rules a restaurateur might put in place.

Restaurants which have party rooms but offer no dessert might say: “no outside food” and leave the birthday parties cakeless.

“Restrooms are for customers” is a sign frequently seen. To use the facility, does a guest first pay?

There is a thin line between when a staff member becomes a guest and vice versa. Rules which try to control an environment where the staff has the opportunity to experience the restaurant they love yet minimize the risk from after-shift-hangouts.

“No laptops or computers” could easily become a new rule. There is little doubt that a guest who pulls out their computer is one who will slow the table turn.

While not a written rule, there have been occasions when marginal restaurant managers will say: “No orders 10 minutes before closing”. Beware the rules made up by marginal managers which soon become a spreading stink in the room which shouts: “The guest is second”.

Policies to control guests for the benefit of all guests will always be a consideration. Laws of the land are not optional and will be passed on as restaurant policies. Understanding the heart and mind of the guest can become a guessing game. Knowing what the guest feels about restaurant policies does not have to be a secret. Mystery shopper’s services are available.

Secret Mystery Shoppers

Posted on 11. Apr, 2011 by Inside Hospitality in Mystery Shopping

Secret mystery shoppers are more powerful when combined with pre-planned announced restaurant shoppers. After completing hundreds of secret mystery shoppers, I learned a trick or two. Here are a few tips to make your mystery shopper program more effective than ever.

The goal is: Understand the reality of what a guest truly experiences and why so as to make the very best decisions to create success within the restaurant operation.

In the article last week, the timing and frequency for restaurant mystery shopping needs to change. In the age of social media and perpetual hype, a restaurant can’t afford to operate without more eyes and ears giving feedback. The time to “Inspect what you expect” needs to triple vs. 10 years ago.

If a restaurant has a secret mystery shopper conducted once a week, it doesn’t take long to determine whether goals are being met. For many companies, once a month or possibly twice is the frequency. The mystery shopper is used by many as a way to create an environment of “always be ready”. While this can be an influence, this is not nearly enough to keep the team empowered and motivated.

The downside of a secret mystery shopper is that it is only a snapshot in time and does not give much more information than the what, when and where (and who is responsible). Even with photos, audio, and reports by people who are specially selected and trained, there is push back from the managers and team: “They came at a bad time. That never happens.” “We only ran out for 15 minutes.” “I wrote that employee up.” It is unfortunate that the mystery shopping program is one that improves a manager’s ability to create plausible ‘reasons’ for failing to make a smile and satisfy a guest.

Since the objective is to do more than simply monitor and keep the restaurant team perpetually on their toes, the announced shopper is just as valuable as a “secret shopper”. Much is learned when an announced shopper is done soon after a secret shopper.

“We will be doing a shopper on Tuesday during dinner. I shouldn’t be telling you in advance but I know you would appreciate having the opportunity to shine.”

This is hopefully when the best people are put on staff, the brass is polished, the sidewalks power washed and the products inspected closely. If the communication flow is working correctly, there is a buzz around the restaurant: “We are getting shopped by someone on Tuesday night. We have to be ready!”

When the not so secret shopper arrives, they need to stick out and do something dumb to give-away the fact that they are the person / group doing a shopper. Given this new bit of information, hopefully the team Is inspired to turn it up a notch and be unbelievable in every respect.

The final report by the shopper should maintain the same objectivity and scoring as any other shopper report. There should be no special exceptions because it was announced.

At the completion of the report, how did the restaurant team do? Was the score a 100? Did the person completing the report feel WOW?

Given the fact that everyone knew in advance, why would the final result not be at 100% plus?

We know the world does not revolve around a mystery shopper program. Everyone understands this factoid. However it is not every day that the team has an opportunity to shine brightly and receive recognition for their efforts. A great restaurant leader knows the importance of grabbing every opportunity to help the team receive recognition, congratulations and acknowledgement. The announced shopper is a great time for the team to shine.

If the secret mystery shopper score is marginal and the announced shopper score is also marginal, what could be the problem? Is it skill? Or Will? Is there a system problem? Or possibly a people problem? It could be all of the above.

Having a lower score for an announced shopper is a red flag because if they can’t get it done even when the restaurant team knows, how can they expect to have outstanding execution ever? There are more issues here than meet the eye and it is time to investigate.

Comparing secret mystery shoppers and announced shoppers side by side helps to determine if the words such as “fluke”, “never happened before” and “that is a mistake” are a reality.

Once a team proves they have both the skill and will to WOW and amaze the guest beyond expectation, any marginal secret mystery shopper reports in the future are more in question. When no one is “looking”, does the “dog and pony show” stop? The announced shoppers can prove the team has the ability. The secret shopper confirms they can do it every time.

P.S.

For those companies in the process of cutting budgets, I suppose you may cut the secret shopper program but not tell anyone in the operations right away. If the mystery shopper program does not have an impact and has little or no value, why then is there such hesitation to keep the change “secret”? It obviously has value. Find something else to cut.

The mystery shopper can be a Stradivarius violin. In the right hands, the music will be amazing. In the wrong hands, it just squeals and it annoying.

It may be time to contact Inside Hospitality to make your secret mystery shopping program stop squealing and turn the results into beautiful music.

Michael Hartzell – Inbound Marketing Certified Professional, entrepreneur, writer, speaker, restaurant marketing coach. Member of the American Marketing Association. Read more at www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

New Mystery Shopping Feature- Phone call recording for every evaluation.

Posted on 20. Oct, 2010 by Inside Hospitality in Inside Hospitality, Mystery Shopping

Don’t take our word for it. Introducing Recorded Mystery Shopping Calls with every onsite evaluation.

We are constantly looking for ways to deliver more value to our mystery shopping clients. Beginning in November we will be recording all reservation/ information calls and will be available for all clients within their evaluation form.

No more “he said, she said”.

Many companies charge an additional fee for this service. We think it’s just the right thing to do in helping you build a better business.

Want to learn more about our industry leading mystery shopping program? Click here!

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Today’s tip is brought to you by Inside Hospitality™, a comprehensive and innovative guest experience management and measurement company whose integrated suite of hospitality business solutions from restaurant focused mystery shopping to online reputation management achieves tangible results in the marketplace and is the choice for restaurant and hotels worldwide.

Contact us today and learn how Inside Hospitality™ can create a custom solution for your organization. We can be reached anytime @ (888) 260- 0380.

Click the “RingMe” button and we’ll call you back within 1 minute.

Volition.com Mystery Shoppers Conference Promotion

Posted on 14. Sep, 2010 by Inside Hospitality in Inside Hospitality, Mystery Shopping

Our friends at Volition.com are sponsoring an Independent Mystery Shoppers Conference Promotion.

The website that The New York Times called “The de facto water cooler for shoppers who want to compare notes.” is proud to announce a contest where two lucky Mystery Shoppers will win entry to the 2011 The Independent Mystery Shoppers’ Conference.

Mystery Shoppers and Mystery Shopping Companies come together for three days of learning and networking. This is an event not to be missed. Hundreds of shoppers and company owners will be present.

The best Mystery Shoppers in the world will be attending the 3rd Independent Mystery Shoppers’ Conference. This will be the first time the event will be held in Florida at the Regal Sun Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Located in Walt Disney World, The Regal Sun Resort is the ideal venue for a family adventure, or a relaxing getaway.

Visit the Volition Independent Mystery Shoppers Conference Promotion page by clicking here !

Can A ‘Pay What It’s Worth’ Menu Work Longterm? No.

Posted on 15. Jul, 2010 by Inside Hospitality in Industry News, Mystery Shopping

This is a pretty interesting story we have been following for the last few weeks. Vancouver, BC, based Rogue Kitchen and Wetbar has come up with an interesting approach gimmick to restaurant marketing. Allow customers to “Pay What You Think It’s Worth”.

Has it been tried before? Yes.

Has it ever worked? No.

The restaurants claims this is a success, this restaurant opened on June 11th. (34 days ago to be exact) this isn’t a success. It’s a gimmick, a crap shoot that will backfire. This is not a long term (or even a short term) marketing approach.

It’s just a bad idea.

Restaurant Tells Customers to ‘Pay What It’s Worth’

Proving there is honour among rogues, Rogue Kitchen and Wetbar announced today it is extending its groundbreaking “Pay What You Think It’s Worth” program indefinitely.

Customers take the Rogue Oath: “I promise to pay the fair market value for the food I am about to eat.” The menu suggests prices but patrons can pay less if they think the fair market value of their meal is less than the menu price – and are honour bound to pay more, if they believe it’s worth more.

When Rogue opened for business on June 11, 2010, it introduced the program on a trial basis only. It received much initial attention and scepticism from the mainstream media (National Post: Can a pay what you want restaurant break even? Salon: The bold “pay-what-you-want” restaurant experiment). Many wondered whether Rogue would be repeatedly stiffed by unscrupulous freeloaders. Either the program would fail or Rogue would go broke.

“We really weren’t sure ourselves if the program would work,” says Marnie Burnett, Rogue’s director of business development. “We serve a lot of different types of people at Rogue, especially because we’re located in Vancouver’s main transit hub, Waterfront Station.”

“But tour customers have taken the Rogue Oath seriously, and to our utter amazement, the amount of people paying more than the stated menu price has almost exactly equalled the amount where people have paid less.”

Read full story at Restaurant News Resource by clicking here!

Will Twitter Replace Mystery Shopping? No. – Daily Tip for Thursday July 15th.

Posted on 15. Jul, 2010 by Inside Hospitality in Daily Tip, Mystery Shopping

Today’s Tip: Mystery Shopping isn’t going away. Promise.

The following Tweet was circulating around the Twitter universe the last few days, “Will Twitter replace traditional mystery shopping research?”

Um, no it won’t.

Does Twitter have a place in measuring the guest experience? Of course it does. Will it “86″ mystery shopping? No.

We said it once and will say it again, Mystery Shopping does NOT focus on the Guest Experience. Mystery Shopping is designed to measure the technical execution of steps of service, the technical elements of the guest experience.

Twitter can be a great way of listening to guest feedback about their experience. You will never see a Tweet like the following, “The bartender didn’t use a jigger while pouring our drinks and didn’t attempt to up-sell us on top shelf liquor.”

People don’t talk like that on Twitter.

So relax, all you mystery shopping companies, Twitter won’t be putting you out of business any time soon.

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Contact us today and learn how Inside Hospitality™ can create a custom solution for your organization. We can be reached anytime @ (888) 260- 0380.

Click the “RingMe” button and we’ll call you back within 1 minute.

Does your mystery shopping company “mystery shop” itself ? We do.

Posted on 28. Jun, 2010 by Gary Tripp in Inside Hospitality, Mystery Shopping

A peek inside how we operate.

How can you tell other companies how to improve their operational procedures but not measuring your own? You can’t. Inside Hospitality conducts weekly “mystery shopping” audits on it’s own operation procedures for all it’s internal departments.

Our Internal Mystery Shopping Grades just came in for June: 98.7% -

A couple areas of improvement but overall great job by the IH team.

Want to help us build a better company, we are always looking for evaluators to help measure and improve our level of service. Apply here !

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