Archive for October, 2009

Thousands of people have found a novel way to pay for their shopping and take free trips during the downturn. They have become mystery shoppersHundreds of British companies are employing part-time ’spies’ to pose as customers to check that their outlets and employees are up to scratch. It is a service mainly used by shops, restaurants and pubs, but is also widely used by cinemas, travel companies, airlines, theme parks and hotels. Mystery shoppers are the eyes and ears of their businesses.

Whilst acting as a typical customer, an undercover mystery shopper or diner visits a location and performs specific tasks such as ordering goods or services whilst observing sales and service techniques. They might also ask the staff specially prepared questions or register a complaint. The shopper then leaves the premises without revealing who they are and completes a questionnaire to be returned by a specified date.

Robert Brady, who founded the The Mystery Shopping Club in 1995 says,

"Mystery shoppers are paid to purchase and keep products such as clothes, spectacles, groceries and petrol. They can also get paid to have their car serviced.

Occasionally they are even paid to stay in a hotel or go on holiday."

Brady added,

"Mystery shopping raises the quality of the service and the goods on offer. Customers complain less than you might think, they often just stop using a particular shop or service and take their business elsewhere. Companies and organisations gain an excellent insight as to how their companies perform in the eyes of their customers. This helps reduce complaints and stop customers converting to their competitors."

Mystery shopping, also known as secret shopping, has been around since the 1940’s. It first surfaced in the USA as a way to measure employee integrity. The UK mystery shopping industry has increased dramatically in recent times now boasting a field force of ten’s of thousands of casual workers. Thousands of covert visits take place daily.

Brady says that a typical shopper’s day might include visiting a travel agent to ask them a tricky question, then a cinema to check whether the sound and vision of the film was clear. It might then be followed with a meal out – restaurants provide free meals and drinks for mystery diners and their companion.

Shoppers have the ability to take their children with them on some visits. Many fast food restaurants actually prefer it. Theme park assessments often make this a requirement. Some shoppers who don’t have children often borrow a young relative for the day.

It is also possible to take a working holiday by planning a trip and then checking with a few mystery shopping agencies if assignments are available at your destination or on route to the area that you plan to visit. Mystery shopping can also be carried out from home by telephone, e-mail or over the Internet. Online companies are assessed regularly as are fast-food home deliveries.

Brady says that fees per visit vary between companies, but are usually between £6.00 and £30.00 per assignment. Some jobs do command £100 plus, but these are for longer, more complicated assignments such as staying at a holiday park or buying a pair of prescription spectacles. Most agencies also pay travel and petrol expenses and, if you make a purchase, you will be reimbursed and often be allowed to keep whatever you bought.

He says that it’s a casual job that gives people the freedom to work when and where they want and for as many or as few hours as they choose.

Source: http://www.themysteryshoppingclub.co.uk

Entrepreneur Challenges Small Businesses To Help Tackle Youth Unemployment

“It is all of our responsibility to combat youth unemployment. Without their contribution the pensions of my generation will suffer” states Graham Hill, co-founder of telephone answering service, Verbatim.

This month the Future Jobs Fund, created by the Government in the 2009 Budget, will award its first grant with the aim of creating new jobs for young people.  And Graham Hill is taking this opportunity to challenge other small businesses to help tackle youth unemployment by taking on a modern apprentice or a offering a work experience placement.

“It is mutually advantageous to get involved in helping to reduce youth unemployment. There are over 4 million small businesses in the UK who employ between 1 and 10 people. If only 1 in 5 could take on a young person youth unemployment would be solved.” explains Graham.

Youth unemployment needs a different approach to the usual job creation strategies.  Most young people cannot be expected to step into a job and be left to get on with it, as older more experienced staff can. A young person is likely to need some form of training – either informally by their colleagues or formally through specific training schemes.

Verbatim has long put its money where its mouth is by employing young people within the team. The first was Jodie Piper when she graduated from Newbury College in 1998 and was taken on as a Modern Apprentice through the Learning Skills Council.(in those days Verbatim paid her to attend college one day per week to NVQ level 2 in Customer Service). Jodie was trained and mentored by her colleagues and became an asset to the business. She loved the work and Verbatim were thrilled with her. Not long after, Jodie’s mother joined the team having been recommended by her daughter. 

Now Verbatim has a team of young people working within the company and is sponsoring them all to complete their NVQ level2 qualifications.

“If we don’t tackle youth unemployment now, people of my generation can say goodbye to their pensions. This will cause huge social problems in the future – problems that the Government and Welfare State will be left to deal with. We need to act now and the Government needs to make it easier for small businesses to take on young people. At Verbatim, as far as we are concerned if a young person has a good attitude and a good general education, we can train them ourselves.” says Graham.

Modern apprenticeship or work experience can be of great benefit to both the young person and the company hosting them. And yet despite the Government’s rhetoric they are not helping companies connect with young people in order to offer them placements.

“We recently called Reading University to offer a work placement to a graphic design student – but my calls were never returned.” says Graham, “I then called the job centre and they couldn’t help, instead they directed me the Backing Young Britain** website. This is a great idea but with no contact details and no practical support to help businesses back young Britain, we once again drew a blank.”

This seems to be in complete contradiction to a declaration that Lord Mandelson made while visiting Nottingham this August. He said: "We are looking to the private sector, public sector and third sector to help us to create places and opportunities for young people to make sure, as a result, we do not see a lost generation."

Eventually Graham was contacted about a youth employment symposium being held at Westminster this November. The fee to attend was £550 but did not offer any content or even a forum for small businesses.

“This is an astounding oversight on the Government’s part.” says Graham Hill. “Most large corporate are shedding jobs at the moment. But good quality SME’s are taking on staff. These are the businesses that the Government should be targeting and helping to employ young people, either through modern apprenticeships or by facilitating work placements.”

Verbatim is calling on all small businesses to consider taking on a young person as an apprentice or for a work placement and is challenging the Government to help small businesses tap into the youth market giving young people a future.

Source:  www.ThePhoneAnsweringService.co.uk