In my line of business it’s pretty hard to know what I do. I mean, I go into a room, often dark, with a client and often perform very private procedures that I don’t talk about to anyone. So it only makes sense that my boss would hire secret shoppers, but the thing is my book is so darn hard to get on that when I am shopped it just isn’t that secret.
So I go into work on Wed and I notice an oddity on my book. It seems I have a new client, we’ll call her Sally Shopper, and she isn’t a request. Now this wouldn’t be odd except that I just don’t have spare time on my book. Since I dropped down to 2 days a week people have to fight for a slot on my book. We also have two new technicians who need clients. Because of this I never get new clients unless they specifically request me. All new clients go to the hungry new techs – which is as it should be!
So I double check to make sure there isn’t an “R” for requested next to Sally. I ask the spa desk to see if Sally has a file. She doesn’t. I then look at the other tech’s book and notice that they all have empty slots. I on the other hand have two loyal clients on my wait list for that day. This all strikes me as odd, but I figure that someone just forgot to put an “R” next to Sally’s name.
My Wed can be long and crazy. My 9am-12pm slots are secret slots that I save for good clients who couldn’t get on my book during my regular shifts. This means I come in at 9am and work until 9:30pm with only a two hour break to workout with my personal trainer and scarf lunch. Since I have a wait list today and no cancellations I know I am going to need to call those clients and try and fit them in my next wed morning slots. I do this because I love my clients and their loyalty to me, but I really hate working such long days when I don’t have to. So when Sally arrives I realize I shouldn’t have to!
Sally checks in and pays for an Atmosphere facial in cash. Now I have been shopped before and all I can say is THANK GOODNESS the higher ups have at least gotten better at sending shoppers in. Last year we had a bunch of shoppers sent to us with incorrectly filled out or expired gift certificates. One even forgot hers! But I digress. So she pays in cash and is shown to her locker. I am waiting for her when she enters the spa and show her to my room and give her the get on the bed spiel, leave the room for her to change, then step back in.
“So tell me about your skin.” I ask.
“It’s fine.”
“Okay…well I will be sure to take a close look at it and see if we can turn that ‘Okay’ into fabulous.” I say in a friendly joking manner. “It’s nice to see a new face on my book. Who recommended me to you?”
“No one. The person who made my appointment just called and they gave me you.”
“Oh.” I say a little startled. But I am sure that the person who made the appointment for her must have requested me. “Who made the appointment?”
“I don’t know.”
“Okaaaay.”
As the facial progressed things don’t get better. While performing extractions I always talk about product as a distraction from the pain and to bring home the fact that if we do everything right this part gets easier. Which means better skin AND less pain! As expected Sally doesn’t really do much, but she’s interested in trying a new product.
“Well what one product would you put me on that I would see a change fast?” She asks.
“Hmmm.” This is always a hard question to answer since one product won’t change your life unless you really use it, and usually the life altering products are demanding to use.
“Well you have a bunch of congestion Sally, so I think you would really benefit from the Kerafole mask. It’s my favorite mask in the whole world, but you have to use it.”
“How much is it?”
“I don’t know off the top of my head, but I think around $40.00.”
“Oh. Well I can’t really afford that. Could you just give me some to take home and try?”
“I am happy to get you a sample to try first, but realize it won’t be custom blended so it won’t work as well.”
“Will one sample be enough?”
“Well…no. It’s just a sample, but you can try it then come buy—”
Sally cuts me off and says, “Well I’d really like to have enough to see a change. I can tip you really well.”
“Oh that’s nice.” I reply a bit confused.
Then, flat out lying I say, “All my clients tip well. So are you interested in making the purchase or should I see if we have a sample for you?” I really want to make this sale because I know if she takes home the product she will be hooked.
Sally gets really quiet. It’s like she’s finally run out of steam, and it’s weird since she has been chattering at me the entire session. The silence feels palpable, and without all the noise I can finally think. In that moment of silence it finally hits me. Sally hasn’t been chattering she has been testing and interrogating me. She just tried to bribe me into giving her free product. Oh hell! I’m being shopped!
Like a movie I see the facial play out in rapid fire, but slowing down for the strange questions that threw me off balance, and the moments she tried to get me to do something a bit unethical. Everything clicks into place and becomes clear. The leading questions, the strange behavior, and most of all the unusual booking. She had an agenda, and I could only hope I passed.
I continued to give the facial, but now that it was all soaking in I was getting a little peeved. Why the hell was I, one of the top estheticians, getting shopped? What the hell was this person doing on my book?! I don’t have time for non-return clients. I have a TON of clients who would have killed for this time slot. All I could think about was my crazy 12 hour shift next Wed. and how tired I was going to be for my Thurs clients.
I finished the facial and pocketed the perfectly respectable $20 tip. And as is usual for me, once my anger wore off and I reflected on the experience I realized that I had been looking at Sally Shopper all wrong. I shouldn’t be mad that she took up a spot on my book. I shouldn’t be upset that she tried to trick and manipulate me. Heck it was all kind of funny since it took me nearly the whole damn facial to even catch on to her VERY obvious ruse. Nope. I just couldn’t be mad. I mean, my bosses have no idea what I do once I close those doors. It’s nice to know that they care enough to find out.
I haven’t gotten any word back yet about how I did, but I can just hope that I made us all proud. Then again, if you know me, I’m not really worried about it! 😉