A Practical Alternative To Being Unemployed

Gerry Charbonneau

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging". Hank Aaron

The Conference Board's new Employment Trends Index www.conference-board.org/ (ETI)™ fell in May, continuing a decline that began in July 2007 and suggesting more softening to come in the labor market. The index (1996=100), launched today, fell in May by 0.5 percent to 113.7 from 114.3 in April and is down 6 percent since July 2007. .


"Employers will find it easier to recruit and hire, and will be looking at slower growth in compensation costs. Workers will find it harder to get a job, a raise or a bonus - all of which will further rein in consumer spending". "The Employment Trends Index peaked in summer 2007, leading the job losses that began in January 2008, and we don't see signs of a turnaround yet," Levanon added. In reality employers have kept their payrolls leaner and meaner.

One year ago Home Business Magazine www.homebusinessmag.com/ reported that U.S. workers hated their jobs and blamed poor promotion policies and excess work loads as the main reason driving down overall job satisfaction. Stress leave and job burnout were the usual results. People on extended sick leave stayed home dreading having to go back to their place of employment. Has this happened to you personally or to someone you know?


There are creative alternatives to merely staying at home, unemployed, recuperating from job stress, waiting for a past employer to call you back to work. One such avenue of escape involves becoming a mystery shopper. The need for mystery shoppers is great. The financial rewards and the opportunity to put your natural talents to work in the job market are many. The competition is not as fierce as the day-to-day rat race atmosphere of the traditional workplace.


Mystery shopping may be defined as the anonymous observation and gathering of specific information at a retail store for the purpose of quantifying, verifying and ensuring adherence to store standards and procedures. Was the sales person friendly? Were there cobwebs near the light fixtures? Did the sales person thank you for your purchase? Did the sales person help you with your purchases? Were you as a customer happy with the service you received?

Whether a company has a single store, several stores or hundreds of stores, they rely on others to comply with and enforce a set of policies, procedures and behavioral standards. As professionals, they want things done the proper way, everyday and with every customer. It's their right. Mystery shopping either confirms or rejects the effectiveness of a company's efforts to provide outstanding customer service.


Have you ever gone to a fast food restaurant and gotten less-than-ideal service? Have you ever had to search high and low for a sales clerk to ring up your purchase in a clothing store? Ever been appalled by an unsanitrary washroom facility that just reeked with debris and germs? How about being served a bad tasting hamburger or overly greasy fries?

These black and white issues (policies-procedures-operations) in general are very easy to manage. The store and the staff either comply or don't comply. It can be that simple. There are statistics to track and numbers to use in holding staff members accountable. But what if there aren't any numbers to review? How do you evaluate something seemingly intangible, like a greeting, without relying on mere speculation or opinion?

The big question every retailer needs answered is:

How do their stores treat their customers when no one is looking?

What are sales associates saying to customers on a regular basis? What actions do sales associates take to provide the good customer service companies expect to be an integral part of their company culture?

Retail managers are trained to walk the sales floor, observing their staff in action to ensure they are following the proper selling steps for turning shoppers into buyers, maximizing selling opportunities and adhering to company policies.

They track statistics, look for deficiencies and coach as necessary. But is that enough? Obviously it isn't enough. So the need for the mystery shopper arises.

Gerry Charbonneau
SearchWarp.com
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Article submitted Wednesday, June 11, 2008
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