Sitting idle is so boring. Our hope is that you (or your hotel/location) has invested in a Quality Assurance program of some type (preferably with us) so that performance is constantly checked and can be improved. It's so important to mystery shop and evaluate all customer touch points, whether it be through Operator, Concierge, Reservations, Sales & Catering or any other of these types of customer-facing evaluations. Why? Because without checks and balances in place, you are sitting idle, performance is lackluster, and you are losing unrealized revenue.

So what exactly should you be doing with these evaluations once you receive them? Don't be embarrassed if you know you can, and should, be doing more with them. With these steps, we can help you kick into a higher gear so that the investment in these valuable resources will result in better performance, which translates to more $$$. It's a no-brainer.

STEP 1- Within 48 hours, get ready to review your evaluation. This means, open up and save the report plus the audio (if you get one) onto your computer. If you need to print it, go ahead and do that too.

STEP 2- Listen to the audio, if applicable (some may not get audios). As you listen, take notes and jot them into these three columns:

1. Successes- all of the things done that are impressive
2. Opportunities- all of the things done that need a little work
3. Other- random thoughts, ideas, and action steps

As you listen, think about call flow, transitions, voice inflections, pace, rapport built, ease of asking questions, strategic movement through the call, acquiring the customer's needs and how you catered to them, clarity of messages, etc. Is it friendly? Is the customer satisfied? Is the call closed with an enthusiastic message? Are next steps secured (if applicable)? You get the idea.

STEP 3- Read and review your evaluation. As you do, don't get distracted by any points lost or the score. Instead, focus on what was done well and what needs to be done to improve. Do these things align with the notes from Step 2? Are there any surprises? Does the feedback make sense? If you need additional input or suggestions, you can always contact us. Then, make notes, like done in Step 2 (you can just add to the list you already started). Next, rank your Opportunities in order of most important to improve ASAP.

STEP 4- Create next steps.

1. Make a check list of all of your Opportunities and action steps in ranking order.
2. Follow through. The only way to continue to improve is to evaluate yourself after each and every call. Take the checklist you created, and see how many you can cross off after each call.
   
3. What is your goal for your next evaluation? Be realistic with the expectations. You can set a score goal, or you can take your list of "Opportunities" and decide how many you want to accomplish within a week, or you can do both. The key is to make your goals achievable.
4. Be accountable. You need to be accountable for your results. If you aren't improving, not only are you letting yourself down, but you are also selling your hotel/location short.

We know that this list and these steps are helpful, so we have created a printer-friendly version of it.

Remember- we are your partners and want to celebrate your successes with you, so please continue to reach out to us should you have any questions, need clarification, or whatever the case might be.