Paid to snoop on your competitors

[stewart38]

Interesting concept , paying you to snoop on your competitors , so who is a snooper then ? (E-mail from Ceroc surrey)

I guess if you own a Franchise there is no harm to see what your local competitors are doing but to advertise it so openly ??



-----------------------

MYSTERY SHOPPERS
We are looking to expand our team of mystery shoppers. This is a paid role
where you will have to visit at least 3 different venues a month (as a customer)
and then evaluate your experience and provide us with feedback.
We are particularly interested in applications from our New(er) members. Must
have a full driving license.. own transport.. access to email each week and good
communication skills (written & oral)
----------------------------------------

[Twirly]

I thought that "mystery shoppers" were paid to snoop on the employees of that particular organisation's own staff and report back - not the competition's.

[David Bailey]

Interesting concept , paying you to snoop on your competitors , so who is a snooper then ? (E-mail from Ceroc surrey)

I guess if you own a Franchise there is no harm to see what your local competitors are doing but to advertise it so openly ??

Mystery shoppers have been around for a while - they're a great way of getting some honest feedback and reviews on your (not your competitor's) events. Unless it specifically says "Non-Ceroc events"?

Anyway, I'd be inclined to say "Good idea" to Ceroc Surrey.

[Lounge Lizard]

Mystery shoppers have been around for a while - they're a great way of getting some honest feedback and reviews on your (not your competitor's) events. Unless it specifically says "Non-Ceroc events"?

Anyway, I'd be inclined to say "Good idea" to Ceroc Surrey.

I would aghree with this - how much competition does Ceroc Surrey have?
not a lot, Leroc in Dorking & Guildford not much else
LL

[DavidY]

Anyway, I'd be inclined to say "Good idea" to Ceroc Surrey.

Ceroc Central had a similar advert a few weeks ago (and we crew folk were told about the concept ages ago - back in January, I think), so I assume it's across all of Ceroc.

I believe they're looking for the "Beginner" experience - attending the taxi dancer review class for instance, so it would be interested to know how much they're expected to pretend to be Beginners? Maybe they get interviewed and tested to see if they can dance sufficiently badly?

[bigdjiver]

There is a tendency for any long running organisation to get "cosy" and to slip into bad ways. The boss turning up at odd intervals has some effect, mostly on the night they appear. "Mystery shoppers" to check on your organisation is one way of getting a better idea of what is actually happening. Better, and cheaper, is to advertise for "mystery shoppers" and hope that just the threat keeps everbody on the ball.

If it creates paranoia in your competitors, treating newcomers as potential alien spies, then that might be considerd a bonus

[Whitebeard]

[snip]

I believe they're looking for the "Beginner" experience - attending the taxi dancer review class for instance, so it would be interested to know how much they're expected to pretend to be Beginners? Maybe they get interviewed and tested to see if they can dance sufficiently badly?

I'd be ideal for that role. Pity it's too darn sarf.

[Lory]

I've been a mystery shopper loads of times (my sister got me the job as she thought it suited me for some reason )

I had to take a friend, to several 'named' pubs and order a Cuba Libra (Bacardi and coke) then evaluate, using a point system, how well they served me..

If they did a 'perfect serve' as the called it. inc. running the wedge of lime round the rim of the glass... I would instantly congratulate them and hand over a £10 reward if not, I used to stick a sticker under the glass, saying you've been visited ..... blah blah blah!

It was a hard job but someone had to do it!

[Raul]

I've been a mystery shopper loads of times (my sister got me the job as she thought it suited me for some reason )

I had to take a friend, to several 'named' pubs and order a Cuba Libra (Bacardi and coke) then evaluate, using a point system, how well they served me..

If they did a 'perfect serve' as the called it. inc. running the wedge of lime round the rim of the glass... I would instantly congratulate them and hand over a £10 reward if not, I used to stick a sticker under the glass, saying you've been visited ..... blah blah blah!

It was a hard job but someone had to do it!

After several of these I would say "blah blah blah!" too !

I hope you got paid well for doing such a grotty job.

[Raul]

Ceroc Central had a similar advert a few weeks ago (and we crew folk were told about the concept ages ago - back in January, I think), so I assume it's across all of Ceroc.

I believe they're looking for the "Beginner" experience - attending the taxi dancer review class for instance, so it would be interested to know how much they're expected to pretend to be Beginners? Maybe they get interviewed and tested to see if they can dance sufficiently badly?

I don't know what to make of this concept.

If it is to know what your competitor is doing and to improve yourself to be as good or better - may be it is a good idea.

If it is to ask dancers to pretend to be beginners or to sabotage other people's classes - then it is not good. It can also backfire as the observers can give their employers what they want to hear, which would serve them right.

[ducasi]

Nothing in the email stewart38 posted, or anything that anyone else has posted, suggests that Ceroc want to pay people to snoop on their competitors.

They are more interested to know how they are doing themselves...

[bigdjiver]

I don't know what to make of this concept.

If it is to know what your competitor is doing and to improve yourself to be as good or better - may be it is a good idea.

If it is to ask dancers to pretend to be beginners or to sabotage other people's classes - then it is not good. It can also backfire as the observers can give their employers what they want to hear, which would serve them right.

Ceroc Central were looking for genuine newcomers to MJ to give feedback on how well their crew met the needs of beginners. Visiting competitors was not on the agenda.

I paid my nephews entry fee as a first timer into another MJ venue because I was hoping to learn from his experience. That was a waste of money because he was too polite to tell me how bad his "present" was. Fortunately he was also too polite to tell me "No way" when I dragged him along to Ceroc, and he has been attending enthusiastically ever since.

That 1st venue is no more.

[David Bailey]

I don't know what to make of this concept.

If it is to know what your competitor is doing and to improve yourself to be as good or better - may be it is a good idea.

OK, once again, as has been said about four times already, it's not about your competitor - it's about your own venues. Basically just another way of getting structured third-party feedback without having to pay vast amounts of money to consultants or whatever.

Again, it's a good thing - it's nothing to do with Ceroc trying some Evil Plan or something, it's simple user feedback.

And Ceroc should be applauded for doing it. So, again.

Blimey, and I thought I was Mr Conspiracy-Theory...

[Minnie M]

I would aghree with this - how much competition does Ceroc Surrey have?
not a lot, Leroc in Dorking & Guildford not much else
LL

PLUS the following modern jive classes/freestyles in the Surrey area

Club Jive
Jag Jive
Adrenalin Jive
Strictly Jive


PLUS quite a few swing classes/freestyle (wont bother to mention them)