Arsalan Sajid
Students are required to work odd jobs to fund their expenditures, and mystery shopping is one of them. It will provide them with more cash to meet their demands. However, rating employees based on company standards rather than their judgment is tough. As customers, they will approve of the employee’s behavior, but from the company’s perspective, it can be unacceptable.
As a PhD student, OP tried to increase his income by doing mystery shopping for Best Buy. OP became confused with the nature of the job as to how to grade different types of employees to meet the company standards for customer service. As a customer, OP went to buy a streaming box for the TV and found a helpful staff member who advised OP to get a low-cost brand with a user-friendly device and taught the installation method. This whole service the employee tried to provide was contrary to what the company asked him to give, but OP liked his style of helping the customer. OP had to grade him according to the company policy, which forced him to give a lower grade to the employee. Read the entire story to learn about OP’s doings and share your view in the comment section below.
Source: Reddit
1. OP started mystery shopping for the company and could not understand how much was expected from the employees.
2. As a PhD student, OP began mystery shopping for additional money which OP had to visit as a customer and then give a score to the staff according to the criteria of customer service.
3. OP gave an example of receiving an assignment for Best Buy to purchase a streaming box for the TV and asking an employee for assistance while claiming to be unfamiliar with the technology.
4. The employee did not force OP to buy a specific brand but instead mentioned one low-cost brand that was user-friendly for the new learner and explained to OP how to install it.
5. The employee did the opposite of what was expected of him. Although he did not match the standards, OP liked his manner and wanted to give him a full score before quitting.
Now that you’ve heard the story, let’s dive into what Redditors had to say. Keep reading to discover other people’s perspectives on the matter.
6. A Redditor had a bad experience in doing mystery shopping and was glad to leave that job.
7. Redditor loses 10% for forgetting the name.
8. According to Redditor, it seems unnatural to use their name in buying or selling something.
9. A Redditor got fired for doing the right thing while secret shopping.
10. Redditors quit the jobs after getting secret shopped and not doing what they required.
11. Redditor had an awful experience while working for Best Buy.
12. Yes, the company loses its credibility by using these tactics.
13. According to Redditor, Best Buy is only for non-technical people.
14. Redditor has learned the lesson.
15. Redditor points out the causes of the company’s failure.
16. Redditor did the right thing to help without wasting the time of the customer.
17. Redditor criticizes the manipulation that company employees do sometimes with naïve people.
18. Yes, calling the name repeatedly can bother the other person.
19. Redditor recommends OP to rejoin the company and receive their money after giving positive grades to their staff.
20. Well! That is difficult to handle.
OP disliked the technique of judging employees by testing them with hidden shoppers and then grading their performance. The better option is to ask random customers if they are satisfied with their employee’s attitude. He left the position because OP did not want to give them a low score based on their judgment standards. The firms desired the best possible sales and urged employees to follow their regulations, which is often difficult because their goals are unrealistic. Customers will be annoyed if they discover later that they have been duped. What do you think about it? Please share your thoughts, and stay tuned to Defused for more tales.
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