Tasks That You Might Need To Perform As A Secret Shopper At A Hotel
People often associate secret shoppers with retail businesses, but the reality is that many other kinds of businesses hire such individuals to test out their facilities, service, and staff. If you're interested in getting different types of work as a secret shopper, you might occasionally find an opportunity to visit a hotel. As with retail visits, you'll have some specific instructions about how to assess the hotel, so you'll want to brush up on these requirements before you visit. Here are some tasks that you might need to perform during a hotel visit as a secret shopper.
Use Valet Parking
A hotel's management wants to know how effective its valet services are. Valet parking can be a good way for a hotel to earn revenue, but there's always the risk of this service not running smoothly and thus putting a bad taste in a guest's mouth. As a secret shopper, you might be tasked with pulling up in front of the hotel, having a porter help you to unload your vehicle, and then hand your keys over to a valet. You'll need to get the valet slip back from this individual, and then watch him or her drive your car away. In your report, you can note how quickly their interaction took place and how friendly the valet acted.
Having A Meal
Secret shoppers can be of enormous benefit in a restaurant environment, and it's possible that the hotel has hired you because of recent bad reviews about its food or service. This experience will be like any other dining experience, making it easy and enjoyable for you. You'll simply enter the restaurant, take your seat and unless you've been asked to order a certain dish — perhaps one that has had mixed reviews online — you can choose whatever you want to eat. After your meal, you can take some notes on the speed and friendliness of the service as well as the caliber of the meal to share with the hotel employee who hired you.
Asking For Help
Larger hotels have concierge desks at which hotel staffers are stationed with the primary goal of helping guests. You can play the role of a guest by approaching the concierge and asking a few questions. You might ask where to find a local attraction or look for advice about a restaurant or bar. In this exchange, note how readily the concierge gives you this information, and whether he or she seems genuinely interested in helping you.
To learn more about the types of tasks you would do, talk with a secret shopper.