Kit Lau and May Ho are mystery shoppers. What is a mystery shopper? Well, if the owners of a shop or restaurant want to know what the standard of service in their establishment is really like, they will send in a mystery shopper to have a look around and report to them. Listen to Kit and May as they talk about three mystery shopper visits they conducted last week.
Kit: Penny is a world-wide brand which only sells modern watches. The first thing I noticed was a dirty tissue on the floor of the shop. Why hadn't an assistant removed this? I was greeted with a 'Good afternoon'. The watches were well displayed so that the customer can browse and have a good look around. But almost as soon as I walked the display case, an assistant came and stood behind me. I know he was there to answer my questions if I asked, but his presence was really off-putting. When I moved to another display area, the young man followed me. This policy is not good. Customers should not feel that an assistant is breathing down their neck. I decided to leave the shop because I did not feel comfortable.
May: FD342 is an Italian eatery in Wanchai. When I phoned to reserve a table, someone answered straightaway and the young lady I spoke to was friendly, efficient and polite. When I arrived I was immediately shown to my table. A waitress brought a menu as soon as we sat down and then left us alone. The tables were quite far apart and there was a simple vase on each table with a sunflower in it. The waitress quickly came to the table when we were ready to order. I asked her a couple of questions and she was very knowledgeable about the menu. One thing I really liked about this restaurant was that there was no annoying music playing in the background. The food was of an excellent standard. The only down side was that, at the end of the meal, we had to ask for the bill three times before someone eventually brought it.
Kit: Eight is a new clothes shop in a top shopping mall. It is the first outlet in Hong Kong opened by the British brand that has several branches in London. The clothes are aimed at smart young males and females who want a casual but classic American or British university look. That's what it says in their advertising but knowing both English and American university students, I am not sure such a look exists! The shop was too dark to see the clothes properly. Clothes were displayed on tables and shelves. There was a heavy smell of one of the company's perfumes in the air. This was much too strong. And it was very difficult to locate the cash desk stuck at the back of the shop. I think young people will go into the shop out of interest but whether they will buy anything is another matter. The clothes seemed over-priced and ordinary to me. But then again, I am not a young trendy person!