An anonymous service evaluation, commonly called “shopping," is one more way to assess how well your staff is serving your guests. When properly used, a mystery shopper can help you identify weaknesses and flaws in service delivery that never happen when you are watching. Shoppers can also uncover theft, an unfortunate but real problem that occurs in all business environments. On the positive side, a shopper can also identify those employees who provide consistently superior service to your guests. I always advise my clients to use this knowledge to recognize and reward employees. Your employees will appreciate and respond to positive feedback.I advise clients that shopping a property too frequently can have a counter-productive effect; employees can develop a defensive attitude when they perceive they are being scrutinized excessively. In my opinion, there is already sufficient stress inherent in the daily workload of your guest contact employees. You can conduct regular anonymous evaluations without overdoing it. I suggest no more than quarterly shopping, and I suggest that the property be shopped in both peak and off-peak periods.
Mystery shopping is just one more tool to help management assess employee performance, assure consistent adherence to standards, and maximize guest satisfaction.
Harry Nobles formerly worked for the American Automobile Association (AAA) as a Field Representative inspecting and rating hotels and restaurants. He was later promoted to Supervisor of Inspections at AAA headquarters with overall responsibility for lodging and dining ratings throughout North America. While in this position, he participated in the development and implementation of the AAA Diamond Ratings Guidelines; a revised version is currently used by AAA.
Since his retirement from AAA, Mr. Nobles has consulted with several leading hotels and management companies with special focus on improving guest services, maximizing guest satisfaction, and assisting his clients in earning and retaining optimum AAA and MOBIL ratings. His in depth knowledge of AAA and MOBIL inspection, classification, and rating procedures and his years of practical experience give Mr. Nobles a unique insight into all aspects of hotels ratings.
Mr. Nobles currently advises clients throughout the United States and several foreign countries, and is a Special Training Consultant for the Educational Institute, AHMA.
