Transcript Document
Mystery
Mystery
Shopping
Shopping
Promoting Quality in One-Stop
Career Centers
Region V Disabilities Training Forum
March 3, 2004
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mystery Shopping Environmental Scan
Themes
Widely used in the private sector and
increasingly in the public sector
Shoppers pose as customers to evaluate
quality and consistency of customer service
Measures performance against a set of
standards/expectations
Provides a third party objective view
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mystery Shopping Environmental Scan
One Stop Career Center Results
The “snapshot” revealed:
10 states have programs ( Alaska, District of
Columbia, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New
York, South Carolina, Texas, Utah,
Washington)
Some WIBs in six states have programs
( Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Washington, West Virginia)
10 other states expressed interest
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mystery Shopping Environmental Scan
One Stop Career Center Results
Obstacles to implementation include:
Lack of funds
Fear factor or the “gotcha” syndrome
Lack of knowledge on how to set up a program
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mystery Shopping Environmental Scan
One-Stop Career Center Case Studies
State-Led
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Michigan
New York
South Carolina
Texas
Washington
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Locally-Led
– High Country Region,
North Carolina
– Pacific Mountain
Partnership,
Washington
– Philadelphia
Workforce Investment
Area, Pennsylvania
– Walla Walla,
Washington
Mystery Shopping Environmental Scan
Critical Components
Involvement of all affected parties
Clear set of locally developed standards
Questionnaire designed to measure service
standard/expectations
Staff Training on the service
standards/expectations
Recognition program
Analysis and use of results for continuous
improvement
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mystery Shopping Environmental Scan
Key Findings
Mystery shopping can be a used to improve
service quality
Mystery shopping should be built around
critical components and expectations
Mystery shopping should be integrated with
other quality initiatives
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mystery Shopping Approach
Qualitative and quantitative data collection
Shop in-person, by phone, email and web
Diverse shoppers including
• Small business
• Individuals with disabilities
• Limited or non-English speakers
Common categories
• Physical facilities
• Knowledge, skills, helpfulness of staff
• Quality of resources available
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mystery Shopping Next Steps
ETA articulates One-Stop expectations
ETA operates mystery shopping within the
context of defined One-Stop expectations
Mystery shoppers will include a variety of job
seekers and employers, including people with
disabilities
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR