...and you heard a gentle voice say, “Don’t go into the light, resist the light; you have more to do here!” Many people who report a near death experience share similar stories and dramatic occurrences that took place while they were “flat-lining”. This is also true for business owners who have survived flat-lining, or owners who are currently struggling with a business with little to no profit at the end of the month. This is not a healthy place to be; it causes stress, discomfort, and possibly the complete loss of the will to carry-on.

In Part One of this article (IST March 2006) we discovered how to “check the pulse” of the business by looking into what makes it tick; customers who visit, and the employees who run it when the owner is not there. We went into “operation” mode by recommending a Secret Shopper Survey to be implemented for a complete diagnostic of what is happening and not happening during business hours. We also made a strong recommendation before this exploratory procedure takes place: pre-op steps to set the team up for success PRIOR to sending in the secret team of shoppers must take place.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR SURGICAL FINDINGS…PLANNING RECOVERY
Analyzing the results of a secret shopper survey may reveal facts that you had already pre-diagnosed, and may also uncover new challenges. Believe it or not, this is GREAT! Finding hidden challenges allows you to now create an educated plan of action for a full healthy recovery, and could directly lead to a profitable outcome!

The first survey item to understand is whether profitability is being lost due to employees forgetting to share important opportunities with your customers, such as upgrading their service, or offering items that would enhance their purchase. If this is the case, “non-negotiable” new systems must be developed during training, orientation and employee performance reviews. A “non-negotiable” system means that your team members have no excuse for not performing this as an employee duty.

Customer service systems that increase profitability such as upselling, upgrading, additional services, retail opportunities, gift certificates, referral programs, etc., can be tied to “performance based pay” entitling employees to an hourly raise when goals are met for three months in a row, or bonus options. On the other hand if the “non-negotiable” systems are not carried through or constantly fall short of goals, this is an indication that this employee does not fit the work requirements, and should be let go.

AVOID A RELAPSE…
There are a few things to keep in mind for a healthy, full recovery. First you need to change the unhealthy behavior that caused the emergency in the first place, and second, you need to schedule regular check-ups.

Change the behavior, and you will change the outcome. If you do not change the behavior and choose to keep an employee who scores low on the secret shopper surveys in areas that make money for your business is purely bad business from an owner’s standpoint. This bad decision could keep the business in flat-line mode, needing constant resuscitation, or can cause certain death in the slow times of year.

Planning regular check-ups utilizing the secret shopper method can keep your team on their toes, and help you stay plugged into the customer life-line of your business. Make sure you let your team know that you will be performing random, unannounced check-ups throughout the year, along with performance reviews. Also during initial interviews, training, and orientation of new team members, make sure they are prepared with a list of diagnostic questions that your secret shoppers are asked.

We would like to support you in performing a secret shopper survey. Please email me at kvzuela@aol.com and receive a FREE Audio CD called “How to Run a Secret Shopper Survey in your Salon”, complete with a survey document to get you started! Just email us your name, address, and phone number.

If you complete a survey, let me know how it went for you! Email me your success stories, or your challenges! Remember; “Dr.” Coach Kristi says, “Stay away from the ‘white light’…you still have much to do here before you go!” Wishing you a speedy recovery!