Experiencing Mystery Shopping
Imagine yourself as a mystery shopper in your department. What strengths and challenges do you think you’d include in your final report?
Ann, thanks for your response. It sounds like the admissions process runs smoothly for the most part. I like that you are taking measures to educate your admissions director on the programs by pairing her with an instructor or director. That way there is someone available to answer her questions and she is learning important details at the same time.
Elizabeth Wheeler
One challenge we would currently encounter is answering certain questions during the admissions process. In explanation, our admissions director is new and still learning, and there are certain questions about licensing or specific curriculum of the programs that she has not yet mastered. However, she does make an effort to obtain this information during the interview, whether through a phone call to the most qualified person to answer the question if he/she is absent, or by including an instructor in on the meeting. We are correcting this issue by pairing her with an instructor or director during the admissions process.
A mystery shopper would see the following strengths in the education department: well - equipped labs, caring and dedicated faculty and well kept facilities. Some challenges would be the small number of students - while many "sell" this as a positive, to some students it may give the wrong impression.
I feel a mystery shopper is so important to any business.
Things to look for:
A. Were you greeted properly (with a smile)
B. Were they helpful to your needs
C. Were any matters taken care of in a timely
manner
I feel good customer service will help the organization grow..by word of mouth.
Bridgette, Good for you! Keep it up.
Elizabeth Wheeler
We have actually had mystery shoppers in our institution pose as students and were told afterwards, once we could not get in touch with that student . that they were posing in our classes as shoppers. We were told overall we did very well!
I agree with this person. I could see where staff can get comfortable with the students, but it is always better to keep it professional.
Bob, We agree it's not about a feeling. They are walking in with set criteria to review the campus. This question is to get you thinking about the service provided by your institution, and if it matters whether the one evaluating you is a student or shopper. Make sense?
Dr. Jean Norris
Gauge the effectiveness of the teacher by comparing entrance exams to exit exams. Look for significant improvement. That removes the subjectivity from the assessment and personal opinions of the instructor. At the end of the day, the knowledge they gained is what is going to benefit them, not whether they "felt" like something was to their liking or not.
Bob, All great measurements! At the end of the day, mystery shoppers are out to find what schools are doing well, as well as areas of opportunity. What are some areas of opportunity you would mention?
Elizabeth Wheeler
I would include in my final report evaluations of how knowledgeable the instructor is, how engaging his presentations are, his level of interest in individual student's success and progress, how he maintained control and discipline in his class, how he spent his time when evaluating student's lab tasks around the room and how he maintained order and cleanliness of his classroom.
Mary, Great insights! The questions you posed are key to determining right fit and student needs. How can help to incorporate this now?
Dr. Jean Norris
As a mystery shopper, I would evaluate the academic process of a student. Is the faculty knowledgeable, engaging, provide relevant instruction, etc. At my school the faculty is passionate and knowledgeable regarding their respective program. However, the need or expectation of the student is not always taken into consideration. I believe retention suffers as a result. My final report would reiterate the importance of faculty not only providing instruction but outstanding customer service (what does the customer want/expect to be successful?).
I think for the most part our school would do great. Our staff is very friendly, helpful and we always try out best to make everyone feel unique and to make it clear that we care about them. With that said, I think there is always room from improvement. There are a few admissions officers that get off track when helping students. Having a positive attitude is always a great thing I think it is also important to remember that our students do have things to do. Most of them want to get the admissions process done in a timely fashion and when a admissions officer drags it out it can becoming boring and even frustrating especially if the student has other responsibilities that they need to tend to.
Ed, Interesting! Do you feel that employees perform their duties better when they think they are being evaluated? What effect does this have on the institution?
Elizabeth Wheeler
I think we would get great value out of secret shoppers. We currently send employees to audit classrooms in session and obviously instructors will be mindfull when they notice a co-worker enter the classroom so it will not be as effective as someone they have no idea are secretely monitoring them. I believe it keeps employees on their toes and doesnt allow them to get sloppy and complacent.
Jamie, Great! What other areas would you look for if you were a mystery shopper?
Dr. Jean Norris
I am responsible for the front desk receptionist. As a mystery shopper, I would be looking for professionalism in dress and actions. Courteous, friendly, accurate information and follow-up.
Cynthia, I just want to make sure I understand; is this from the student's perspective?
Dr. Jean Norris
