Some mystery shoppers are natural writers, and they fly through their mystery shopping reports quickly and easily. Others, however, seem to find it difficult to find the right words to say, or they struggle with recalling details when writing their reports. Still others are simply not quite sure what information is relevant for the report and what is not. Such struggles can make report writing take up far more time than it really needs to, and this can actually detract from your productivity as well as your downtime away from job. By following three steps, you can speed up the report writing process with ease.
Make a Firm Decision
When you read through your report questions, it is important to be decisive with your answers. Before you begin typing anything, take a brief moment to firmly decide what it is that you would like to say. This can be a difficult decision at times, but by practicing this step repeatedly, you will find that the decision-making process is easier to do. Then, when you do start writing, you will not feel wishy-washy about your words.
Finding the Words
Then, you want to pause and consider which words you want to use to convey your answer. Some people struggle to find words because they try to sound more professional or smarter, but in the case of mystery shopping reports, this often is not needed. You can adopt a tone that may be similar to what you may use in a job interview. Avoid slang, but use words as though they would come right out of your mouth. Finding the right words to say can be difficult at times, but with practice using the right tone, you may find that writing becomes just as natural to you as speaking.
Recalling Details
For some people, the challenge with writing reports is not with writing at all. Writing may come naturally and effortlessly, but remembering the details of the assignments is not quite as easy. If you fall into this group of people, you will want to consider all of the steps that you can take to improve your memory skills and attention to detail. There are numerous options to consider, such as jotting down notes, using mnemonic devices and implementing other strategies. You many need to try several things out before you find one or a few that work best for you. Once you have mastered the art of remembering details, you will take a great step toward completing your reports more quickly.
Report writing is rarely one of a mystery shopper’s favorite aspects of the job. Some mystery shoppers may never enjoy report writing, but others dislike it because of specific areas that they struggle with. If you have been struggling with your reports and feel that they are taking up far too much time, there are some steps that you can take. Identify where your weaknesses are with report writing. Then, put these tips into action to overcome your current challenges with mystery shopping reports.
Before being able to retain the correct answers, I find it useful to jot a list of key words of what specifically to look for from when I first enter. I look at this list just before going in and usually carry it in, with a grocery list written on the back of the paper. Jotting down critical details, just with answers to each point on this list should be done immediately upon leaving the location. Careful wording can be done later but for now, just the facts. A question which I find useful when training others in self expression is, after all is written and re-read, ask yourself, “What am I really trying to say?” then state what you’ve written in your own words, in your own manner. Then write ‘that.’ If you look for “words” they will never come. Focus rather on “thoughts.” Spell check can become your best friend. Be aware however that schedulers often use software that detects when reports are copied and pasted word for word. Some reporting may seem redundant, however learn to say the same thing (if required of course), three different ways. It may take more than one or two shops to learn what a client is looking for in the report. Never presume. Ask questions. Remember nobody knows it all. We learn as we go and from each other.