When the Boss is Away...

The Situation

Recently, we were approached by a local retail business owner concerned that his team acted in an unprofessional manner when he was not around. He noticed company sales were slipping, and he received some unfavorable reviews on-line, so he wanted to see for himself what was going on. He knew that installing cameras would not go unnoticed, so he approached MG&A to act as "mystery shoppers" while also hiring one of our team members as a part-time sales associate.

The Assessment

A mystery shopper investigates customer service, employee honesty and loyalty at a business. Posing as a secret shopper is nothing new for us. We've offered this service to many local businesses, including restaurants, car dealerships and more. Our investigators pose as customers, new clients and even job applicants to determine whether employees are honest and consistently provide customers with positive customer experiences. It's a great way to learn more about your team and see how they treat others when management isn't looking.

We all want to know how our employees handle themselves when the boss isn't around. In a time when every cent counts, mistreating customers is inexcusable. We took the case.

Let's Get to Work!

This was a job for our "Shoe Leather" Team!

We prepared the youngest of our team to go in for an interview with the general manager. We asked The Client to inform her the interview was "just a formality" since the new hire was a family friend and just needed some part-time work while in college. The manager was professional throughout the interview, but not very friendly. This surprised the Client. He told me that he always thought her to be very friendly and warm.

Even more disturbing was what the new hire was told about the position. Since she was only hired as a favor to the boss, she would be doing a lot of the jobs that no one wanted to do, like cleaning the bathrooms and the breakroom. It had been made clear to the manager that the hire was for sales.

Meanwhile, another team member was looking around on the sales floor, waiting to be greeted by a salesperson. Several employees were sitting around, looking at their phones. No one was in a hurry to introduce themselves. Finally, the investigator went up to one of them and asked for help. When the sales associate got up and put their phone away, our investigator pretended to be hard of hearing. He even wore a fake hearing aid. Every time he asked the sale person a question, he made them repeat it several times. As they became more and more frustrated, the team member would ask more questions, having them repeat it louder each time. That was when the sales associate began mumbling under his breath. At first, then he stopped bothering to hide what he was saying, assuming that the investigator couldn't hear him. Eventually, the manager came over and tried to steer him to another area so that the salesperson could help other customers. As the salesperson was walking away, he made a snide remark about the investigator, and the manager laughed and nodded in agreement.

Now Hiring: Sales Manager and Associate

We provided The Client with video evidence of both interactions, and he did not take it well. He was appalled, but he understood why his sales were going down while his competitor's numbers were going up.

The Client is currently holding interviews for new sales associates and a store manager.

If you have concerns about your employees and would like us to investigate, let's talk! Michael Guadagno & Associates doesn't just catch the bad guys; we help prevent bad situations from occurring. If you're planning to make a big decision and need assurances, contact us.?? www.ispyck.com | ?? (919) 363-6321 | ?? [email protected]