Tips Guides

Being a Mystery Shopper is a bit like being a consumer spy. Not quite MI5, but it is important in its own right as a yardstick for customer service and identifying improvements that can be made to a business. The reason that companies hire a mystery shopping service is to understand in an unbiased way what the customer is experiencing, and determine if that experience needs improving to maximise profit potential. If a business has front of house staff that pay little attention to customer service then the customer will not make a purchase and may well not come back.

Another major factor about pleasing the customer is that word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool and there is very little control any marketing department has over that. If a customer has a good experience, that information will be passed on. Word of mouth recommendations bring in business when it is positive, and reduce it when it is negative. Finding out that a restaurant has poor service will not encourage anyone to go give it a try themselves, and that negativity is more likely to be passed on, despite the information being second hand.

It is not just the customer service that is important; it is they way the restaurant, shop or service is looked after. On a mystery shopper’s brief there are several pages of variables that need to be checked and rated along side customer service. This can cover cleanliness of the floor, attractiveness of displays and even the how welcoming or warm the atmosphere of the establishment is.

When the brief is issued to a mystery shopper, there will be a general time frame when the report must be made. This could be because the behaviour of a certain member of staff is under investigation or to understand the pressure the existing staff may be under during a busy lunch time for example. The brief will also indicate what the shopper is to order, purchase or enquire about. Upon arrival at the service under investigation, the consumer spy will note the time, how many customers are present and how many staff are either serving, working or standing around. The role of a mystery shopper is to be a customer, therefore must conduct the investigation in as natural a way as possible. The staff may be aware that a mystery customer will be calling in, but will have no idea what day or what time.

Once the initial assessments have been made the shopper will rate the type of welcome offered by the staff based on the time it takes, and the level of friendliness from a smile to a welcoming comment. Timings are also made about the time a customer is left to browse before being offered help. In a business where the service is particularly bad, a mystery shopper could have to wait as long as ten minutes before finally asking for assistance. It is imperative that the report is completed because there are so many factors the company is paying to be investigated, so there is no option of leaving because the service is bad. It is also important to not be opinionated, lose calm or give the game away; the mystery shopper must always remain a model customer.

Once the queries have been made and qualitative assessments have been rated, the shopper then completes the report. It is important to remember how enquiries were worded and what the response was exactly for the report and the names or descriptions of the staff involved. The experience of the mystery consumer will benefit all customers that follow and improve the running of the business under investigation. Not quite the same as being part of the secret service but the role is definitely the surreptitious back bone in the success of consumer society.

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the customer service industry.
Find out more about mystery shopping and how it can help business productivity at Performance In People.

Popcorn machines are a fantastic way to raise money for an event or non-profit organization. The tantalizing smell of fresh popcorn popping is fantastic advertising all on its own, attracting customers from a great distance. However, many other things can be done to bring people to the popcorn machine and increase the amount of donations to help meet fundraising goals and spread the word about your organization.

Advertising

Advertising before the start of the fundraiser works well for increasing the number of customers at your popcorn machine. Many fundraiser events suffer because many people today no longer carry anything other than plastic. Pre-event advertising will let everyone know about the cost of the popcorn beforehand so that they bring enough cash with them.

Even if it is outside of a local grocery store, posters in and around the local area will make people aware of the event. Local media such as newspapers, television stations, and radio stations will often provide free advertising for non-profit fundraisers and events as a public service. If your organization will be setting up at a local event, talk to the organizers about sharing advertising. This could be something as simple as sharing advertisement flyers and announcements.

Location

When setting up a fundraiser, location is the key to the success of the event. The best place to set up is anywhere that there are a large number people (and children) walking by while still having enough room to handle a large number of people. This is for two reasons: First, people will buy more if they do not have to go out of the way to get it. Secondly, if it is difficult to wait in line at the popcorn machine, people simply will not bother. Another great location is a place where people are already waiting like a ticket booth or play park. If there is no big event occurring in the local area that will be attracting customers, make one by holding a competition, festival, or outdoor movie event.

Give Customers A Bonus

Adding something for people to do or see while at your popcorn machine fundraiser not only works great for advertising and location, but also for the amount spent. Community fun sports days, a concert featuring a variety of local talent, or even a carnival will bring in considerably more people than a popcorn machine set up on its own at a local grocery store or mall. This is simply because it targets a larger audience that will spend more time at the event meaning there is more of a chance that each visitor will buy popcorn. The extra events can collect donations as well giving you more than one method of collecting donations. Fundraisers such as these also promote the closeness of the community and, in some cases, give kids in the community an opportunity to do things they might not have the chance to do otherwise.

Popcorn is one of the most popular snacks in America, so why not use this for a good cause. It is not only quick and easy to make, but it also requires very little cost to produce a large amount of product and can is easily made in several flavors. Best of all, popcorn machines can be used over and over again making it great as a repeat fundraiser for several events providing your organization with year around donations.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on popcorn machines, visit http://www.snappypopcorn.com/.

Motivating employees can be one of your biggest challenges as an employer, but learning how to inspire your workforce is the key to a successful organization. This article will provide you tips for motivating employees that will help your organization unlock human potential. Whether you’re an executive, a manager or a team leader, the following information will be beneficial to you.
Constant pressure to increase productivity, profitability and revenue growth can often overshadow the importance of how an unengaged workforce can negatively affect corporate performance.

Nationwide studies have shown that up to 80% of employees are not motivated by their work.
Think about the way you want your target market to feel about your products or services. Engaged customers are among a company’s most profitable clients and brand advocates while engaged employees are a company’s most productive and efficient workers. Motivating employees captures the heads, hearts, and souls of your employees to instill an inherent desire to succeed and a passion for excellence. Engaged employees want their organization to succeed because they feel connected emotionally, socially and even spiritually to its mission, vision and purpose.

All of your employees are motivated, but not necessarily in the areas you want them to be motivated. Employees are individuals, meaning that you can have a motivation problem throughout your organization, but the reasons for that lack of motivation will vary with each person. To effectively motivate employees, managers need to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform. Of all the functions a manager performs, employee motivation is one of the most difficult. Igniting a spark of motivation in your workforce starts with figuring out how to appeal to each employee’s unique needs and desires. The information you will gain also demonstrates how their personal goals are achieved through the attainment of organizational objectives.

Did you know that money is often not the biggest motivator for an employee? A recent survey found that only 15% of employees left their jobs because of inadequate salary and benefits. The same study also found that of those who left their jobs:

- 30% were unhappy with management and the way they managed
- 25% felt they received no respect for good work
- 20% complained of limited opportunities for advancement
- 15% cited inadequate salary and benefits
- 5% were bored with the job
- 5% cited other reasons (retirement, career change, sabbatical, travel)

How can you find ways to motivate your workforce through each individual employee? The answer is simple: assessments. Employee assessments will provide you with insight that could lead to higher productivity and job satisfaction throughout your organization. The information collected from assessments provides company leaders with perspective on the current reality in their organization’s workplace and highlights areas of concern affecting the total workplace experience.

Many companies use employee assessments to help them find ways to motivate employees and make them want to live up to their full potential. This provides better results as each employee’s reason for working is unique. Addressing each individual’s needs in the organization will create a highly motivated workforce that strives for the best as a whole.

Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide. For more information about using assessments for motivating employees, visit our website.

If you are an eBay seller, you will have to do business with eBay buyers. As traditional retailers do, you may also have a problem with some customers. While the majority of eBay buyers are more than pleasant to deal with, there are some who can ‘ruffle your feathers.’ While your first thought may be to give a difficult eBay buyer a piece of your mind, you may want to refrain from doing so, especially if you rely on eBay to generate income for yourself and your family.

When it comes to dealing with difficult eBay buyers, one problem that commonly arises is with your current auction listings. It is not uncommon to get an eBay message from a buyer requesting that you lower your price on one of your listed items. In fact, it is not uncommon for an eBay buyer to mention that other eBay sellers have the same items listed for less. If and when this ever happens to you, you will want to keep your cool. You should simply state that you are unable to lower your asking price. Kindly suggest to the eBay buyer in question that if they are looking for more affordable prices, they should consider doing business with an eBay seller who offers more affordable merchandise. The decision as to whether or not you want to lower your eBay prices is yours to make, but you should never feel pressured into doing so.

Another situation that commonly arises on eBay, concerning difficult eBay buyers, is the payment process. There are many eBay buyers who make the mistake of assuming that all eBay sellers accept the same methods of payments, but not all do. One of the most common methods of payment accepted is PayPal. If you currently do not have a PayPal account, you may want to look into doing so. Regardless of what methods of payments you do accept, you are urged to outline them in your auction listings. Yes, eBay has a section for that, but, unfortunately, not all sellers make their way down to that section. Should you have a buyer that wants to make alternative arrangements, you need to use your best judgment. If you cannot reach an agreement, eBay should be notified.

One of the other common problems that arise on eBay, with difficult eBay buyers, is those who refuse to pay. With eBay, if you bid on an auction and win it, you are responsible for making payment; however, that doesn’t mean that everyone does. When trying to request payment from a non-paying eBay buyer, you will want to stay professional when doing so. By simply sending a few reminder notices you should still be able to keep your positive image. If you haven’t heard anything from your non-paying eBay buyer, you may want to contact eBay after about a week. eBay has a process that allows you to get your fees back, as well as a process that will gives non-paying eBay buyers a negative feedback rating.

It is also not uncommon for an eBay buyer to be unhappy with the item that they purchased and received from you. If this happens, you need to also use your best judgment. To prevent a problem from occurring, you will want to make sure that you provide a detailed description of whatever you are selling, as well as numerous pictures. It is also advised that you outline a return policy, whether or not you actually have one. Should you have intentionally or unintentionally mislead an eBay buyer, you should make the situation right; however, stand your ground if you are being scammed or ‘taken for a ride.’

The above mentioned situations are just a few of the many that you may come across as an eBay seller. No matter what situation arises, you are advised to use your best judgment and also keep your cool. In the end, you will be glad that you did.

Uchenna Ani-Okoye is an internet marketing advisor and co founder of Free Affiliate Programs

For more information and resource links on eBay visit: eBay Basic Search

Are you an eBay seller? If you are, your goal is likely to make as much money as you can by selling products that you no longer need or want on eBay. Unfortunately, there are now thousands, if not millions, of individuals who are interested in doing the same thing. For you, this often means a steady increase in competition. However, even with competition, you should still be able to make a profit when using eBay, but you may need a little bit of help. That help could from marketing.

When many of us think of internet marketing, we often automatically think of online retail stores or online websites. Although you are not running your own online retail store, you are trying to make a profit online; therefore, you are, in a way, like a retailer. Just having your for sale items listed on eBay is enough to get your eBay items exposure, but you may want to think about taking it a step farther. There are a number of different ways that you can go about marketing your for sale eBay items, without having to spend a dime.

Perhaps, one of the best ways to go about marketing your eBay items is by joining the eBay community, otherwise known as the online message boards. When you talk with other eBay community members your screen name used is also your eBay name. In the eBay community forum, every time that you start a new message or respond to an existing one your name is left, with a link to your main eBay webpage. That is the age that outlines all of the items that you currently have available for sale. Many eBay community members click other member’s pages just out of curiosity, but it not uncommon for someone to find something that catches their eye. Simply starting a few conversations with other eBay community members, even just occasionally, may help to up your eBay exposure.

Another relatively easy way that you can market your eBay auction listings to the general public is by posting on a number of message boards, besides eBay. There are a number of message boards that allow internet users, just like you, to post information on items that they have available for sale, both on and off of eBay. Providing a link, as well as short description of some of the items that you are looking to sell is a great way to increase your eBay exposure and up your chances of making a sale. When taking this internet marketing approach, it is important that you only advertise your eBay listings in areas designated for doing so. Spamming is not permitted on many online message boards and it may actually get you a bad reputation.

Speaking of using online message boards, there are a number of online message boards or forums that allow members to have signatures. Signatures are where many people leave their name or a favourite quote of theirs, but some message boards allow members to use it as space to promote their products or businesses. Before posting a link to your eBay auctions, you are advised to examine the online message board’s policy concerning signature advertising. Should it be allowed, you are advised to take advantage of this free internet marketing. You will want to post a link to your eBay sales page, but be sure to mention that eBay is where all clickers will be going.

Another easy that you can promote your eBay items, particularly if you have multiple items for sale, is by putting a ‘please checkout my other eBay auctions,’ message at the end of each of your eBay listings. As with all of the other above mentioned internet marketing tactics, this is easy and free to do.

Uchenna Ani-Okoye is an internet marketing advisor and co founder of Free Affiliate Programs

For more information and resource links on eBay visit: eBay Basic Search

You cannot have a successful business without a suitable cash flow. If this secret is so well known, why are there so many struggling businesses? When running the daily operations of a business money, or cash flow is a big challenge.

I will present you 7 tips to help you improve your income and cash flow.

1. Cash and Carry. Try to build a business based on a cash and carry system and stay far away from worries about receivables. This is the best business plan, where customers pay when they buy leaving you only with the money.

Collecting money takes a lot of your time, that is why you are almost obligated to come with new options of paying. Set your rules from the start of your business, so your partners and clients will know what you want from them.

2. Collect receivables in a very strict way. Do not let the customers pay you when they remember, go and collect your money in time. To be a good administrator of your business means to have a successful business, so create and apply a set of collecting rules. The longer you wait for receivables, the harder it becomes to collect them. You do not need a rude attitude to collect your cash; all it takes is a strong voice behind a stronger person.

A very useful thing to do is to establish a collecting date after witch you should send out a follow-up statement within 10 to 30 days from the established date. Each business has its own opinions about the perfect time. You should not send follow-up statements sooner then 10 days from the established date. Payment may be delayed by the mail, but no longer then 30 days. If you do not receive the payment within 45 or 60 days, you should notify your customer with a phone-call.

Accounts that go past a 90 day term should be taken to the next step, of collections with a method you established for this situation.

3. Receivables Funding. Apply a program that involves accounts receivable funding. Factoring of accounts receivable is a very good way to keep the cash flowing. Factoring programs are used by businesses that work with government agencies.

If your clients are small businesses or individuals you may find it more difficult to apply an accounts receivable funding program because there are more risks to assume.

4. Suppliers. Negotiate terms with your supplier to help delay the outflow of cash payments. Usually you can delay the payment until the end of the month or even up to 60 days. This allows you a little advantage of working with their money on your projects. Also this delay will end (hopefully) just when your clients pay, so you can pay forward to your vendors.

Some companies prefer the route of forwarding, giving you the opportunity increase your offers without having to invest large amounts of money in more products.

5. Deposits of customers. Have your customers pay a deposit before starting your work. This will help you cover the first costs of the project. More and more companies use this method of funding. It reduces the risks of nonpayment because you already got some upfront money.

6. Permanent credit limit. Implement a credit account through a lender to help you keep a floating line of cash.

7. Save funds. Create a hard times funding source. Most businesses have ups and downs in their activities and an efficient cash management can be quite difficult. Put some money away during your top times to help you in harsh times. We all know this sounds a little bit hard, but it is very easy, take a percentage of your monthly earnings and put it in a savings account.

You may find all of these 7 tips useful for your business, or just 1 or 2, but remember that anything you do to improve your cash flow will raise your business. The worst thing you can do is sit back and hope for the best. See all those CLOSED signs in the shop windows? They hoped and they lost. Be smart, do your best and keep your business at a pro level.

Brad Griffin is an Accountant and CPA. After running a successful cash business in the 1990’s I am now a full time options trader sharing my knowledge and success trading options at my website http://www.indexspreadoptionstrading.com.