gamaliel, Interesting perspective! What can you do to employ a mystery shop in your classroom?
Dr. Jean Norris
Strengths would be cleanly and organized. Weeknesses would be a lack of communication and uniformity.
I have seen the undercover boss show and for sure the "boss" saw first hand the negative aspects in their company that requires. improvement. It will be very hard for me to be in this kind of job and watch my co-workers and make a report.
I could never be a mystery shopper for my department. A mystery shopper has to report what is seen, what would you do if you asked a worker how they actually felt about their department and they gave negative comments. It would be your job to report. I would be so afraid that many would lose their jobs. Perhaps this is not what happens but we all know we see things that should be reported and not reported.
I would include the follow up treatment of potential customers.
I would focus on how potential students are greeted and more importantly the methods of follow up utilized.
It is important to get feed back after a tour or visit from a potential customer.
If I was a mystery shopper, visiting my department, I would focus on the infection control aspects that determine whether or not the program is maintaining the infection control standards regulated by our state. My final report would include comments about how the sterilization section of the department could improve the asthetics qualities of the counterspaces that are dedicated to clean instruments.
It seems like the focus of the mystery shopper is on the frontline staff, but how about what happens inside the classroom? In a school that offers the three shifts (AM,PM and evening classes) there is a great deal of discrepancies in the way the classes are taught from one shift to another; every instructor has a personal approach to tackle the program but many times, the lectures are not being given at all or the calendar is not followed. Students that are now enrolled and captive customers are not getting what was promised. Mystery shopping should also be done to standardize the teaching "customer service experience".
Breanne,
As an instructor I'm rather oblivious to what goes on at the reception desk. There are well-dressed women who seem to be having a good time, but I don't feel comfortable talking with them or what I would talk about... maybe I'm not seeing something here?
Carol, Very interesting! What are some of the things you would look for at your institution, both strengths and weaknesses?
Dr. Jean Norris
For many of my younger years, I was a mystery shopper and I actually went to different restaurants in the area and wrote up the findings of that specific date, time and item of food, how it was presented and cooked. It was a true eye opener as to what we may not look at so closely if we were with a group of people. I think it provides the agency, some feedback on what was good or requires improvement. Like so many shopping experiences, we can really make quality improvements if we are more aware of the problems.
The tool I used, required me to give suggestions and then to go back in a few months to see if anything changed from the report.
Nicole, Great awareness. What makes it important to always be aware of your schools' strengths and weaknesses?
Dr. Jean Norris
I think our school would do awesome at this. I really think our team is very outgoing and making everyone feel so welcome. They all do such a great job at making people feel at home. I think our main weakness would be some of the staff being professional too our students. They seem to get too comfortable with them and become more friends. So this is something we may want to try in our school!
Chris, Great awareness. What are some of the things that you can do help change the negative behavior?
Dr. Jean Norris
Weekness amoung the department, I am ashamed to say would be that we have a bit of negativity in the workplace. Positive is that our facilities are state of the art and many of the instructors work well together.
Kathryn, It is interesting to read your perspective on faculty. What are some other things you would look for in your assessment?
Dr. Jean Norris
The strengths would include instructors that enjoy teaching and care about the students. The challenges would be a few instructors that are mired down in long term ways of teaching without really changing the way they teach in several years.
David, Interesting! What do you think you would find?
Dr. Jean Norris
follow up after the customer leaves
Janice, Thank you for sharing! What brings you to choose these two, specifically?
Dr. Jean Norris
