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„Employees first, customers second” – said so many
Wow, isn’t that a radical thought coming from an employee of a market research company that is fully dedicated to help raise customer satisfaction? Or maybe not.
Thinking of it, this should be the basic idea of how a company works. Just like Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group said in an interview with Inc.: „Virgin does not put the customer first. In fact, Virgin employees are the company’s top priority.”
That sounds nice, but what does this have to do with customer service?
To put it simply, a lot. “It should go without saying, if the person who works at your company is 100 percent proud of the brand and you give them the tools to do a good job and they are treated well, they’re going to be happy,” and also “if the person who works at your company is not appreciated, they are not going to do things with a smile,” Branson says to Inc.. If I continue this way of thinking then I would add that if an employee is not treated well, then the company can end up losing valuable people who could have contributed to its growth.
Have you ever asked what will happen if a Mystery Evaluator gives a bad feedback? Will the owner of the company think employees first in this case too?
Good question. We don’t have an exact answer for this, but we heard some very promising things from our clients. Usually what we see is an ‘employees first’-attitude. Our clients are trying to help with trainings to those who are not performing very well. And on the other hand if somebody is made redundant it is not because of the mystery visits’ results.
In some cases the whole purpose of the mystery visit is to determine what topics to put in a training program, so the employees will get all the support from the company to do their job as best as they can.
As a result our Mystery Evaluators are helping a lot not just for the brands to provide a better customer service experience, but for the employees as well to find more satisfaction in their work.
What does your company do for you to feel valued?
Author: Anita @AnitaKocsis910
Anita is an employee of Bare International. Besides her work
at the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves doing yoga,
travelling and reading. Her love for the automotive industry came
from the passion for innovations and technology. She has a master’s
degree in International Economics and Business.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
Mystery Evaluator Meetup in Budapest
Bare International held a Mystery Evaluator Meetup in its Budapest office in May. Therefore we would like to thank all the Evaluators who participated, for taking the time to give us the opportunity to get to know you much better.
Some Ba[sic] Comments You Might Want To Avoid
Everybody likes to put some creativity into their daily work, and we all appreciate a touch of personality and identity of the evaluator writing the comments he or she is reporting to us. A nice writing style could even turn a comment–box into an interesting piece of literature – however, it goes without saying that there are limits to this. Imagine not having anyone check the reports that feature the below comments, so that the client gets to read them. Our client might get a good laugh out of it, just like the Data Quality team does once in a while, but apart from that it does not look very professional. Wouldn’t you agree?
Imagine visiting a well-known quality-lamp store, where the salesperson shows his customers “all the lambs”. What with employees whose “physcial description” includes an “exposed cranium”, “red eyes” or “amber eyes”? Not to mention a “black hair young woman” who is “very masked”. And those are only the common spelling, grammar or vocabulary mistakes. There are even more surprising sentences that we keep finding in the millions of sentences that are submitted in your reports.
How do you like this sentence, where creativity has struck once again and one term is written in four completely different ways, none of them correct: “Sale assistant said me, that piano is quality. Sale asistant said me, that piano had good sound. Sale assitant said me, that my daughter will be satisfied with it. Sale assiant said me there is a sale.”
Or can you more or less understand what the evaluator was trying to say when writing: “Clerk to I with smile of service.”, “The service works hard very much and professional.”, “Also the one who aim at each family possessions evaluate a valid benefit.”, “I can understand for this demonstration and stimulus me for purchase.”, “There give no forms”, “Tha sales person was a young man with skin masts and shaved hair.”, “They had two manequies emulating Rihana atittude, very well done”, “a slightly body builded build”, “The store was well prepared and a lot of parish priest”, “The cool store was a relief from the high humidity and vog. It was very voggy outside”, “I could walk easily inside the shop and through the clothes.”
Some mistakes are rather frequently used. It might be useful to avoid writing the following mistake in professional communication: “Then I started a conversation by myself.” Another good piece of advice is to avoid stating the obvious: “Their 3 year warranty is for 3 years”. When assessing a restaurant service, please make sure to spell the word “tongs” correctly. You might not find it a good idea to report about a waitress using her thongs to distribute bread rolls to the diners.
Some other quite remarkable and funny mistakes: “As soon as I entered the train, the attendant came immediately.” “The terrace chairs were covered with birth droppings.”, “The former headquarter is in rehabilitation.”, “The TA did not offer me a second foot item.”, “The restaurant was self eating.”, “When I entered the shop the 2 sales assistants were disgusting about the collection”. A restaurant offered lots of different fruits on the breakfast buffet, which was referred to as “a basket case of fruit”.
I will leave you with some combinations of words that somehow made it into the commentboxes of submitted reports. For your pleasure. Yes, the below texts were indeed written with the purpose of sending them to the client. Job well done.
“when ı was been to there ı ask her.she is workıng aloıne there.She hasnt got name board.she is lookıng frıendly.but she saıd me we havent got it.Thıs shop not saıllıng”
“Big and good shop-window front, however, only well observably for the pedestrians because trees shift the view and require near two crossroads the attention.”
“Visit the intention not covered awaited since the seller only promoter I explained about the offer and I do not promoted the model that I buscaba.ni to be used and that so are the number is the number of celulares.en any time I wonder which was the model I was looking for did not attempt to comvens”
“He had asked me if my price range was on high or low end. I told him I had a cheap Dutch husband because I do.”
Author: Gert

Gert specialties are any coffee-related projects as well as reports in Dutch, French and English. In his free time he writes novels, plays and poems, and performs spoken word all over Flanders and the Netherlands. He also loves travelling, listening to music and going to concerts. He has a Master in Applied Linguistics and one in Modern Literature.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
BARE Diversity is the BARE necessity
Most of us know The Jungle Book, one of Kipling’s greatest novels. It tells the story of a young boy named Mowgli. He was raised by the she-wolf Raksha, mentored by Bagheera the panther, and is best friends with a bear called Baloo. Do you think Mowgli would have had the same adventures or even been the same boy if he had not had diverse “characters” being part of his life?
Well, here at BARE International, we do not have wolves, panthers or bears working with us but what we do have is a diverse “pack” of colleagues!
Are you the wolf, the panther or the bear?
From all of the important characters in Mowgli’s life I could relate myself the most with Raksha. She did not care about the fact that Mowgli was a human and accepted him as he was. She raised him the best she could and I can imagine that letting him go must have been very hard.
Now let’s see how my colleagues answered when I had asked them what character of Mowgli’s entourage they felt the most related to:
I would go for the panther. I might annoy people sometimes with it but I prefer playing by the books. However I can be all about fun as well and enjoy life, so I do have a Baloo-side in me!
I relate myself more with the panther as I often feel very protective towards my friends and family. From the moment someone gets into my heart I feel that I could walk through fire for them.
This is a difficult choice for me as I feel that I have all 3 of them in me but mostly, depending on the situation, either the mentor or the friend/fun part in me pops-up. So, I’d go for the panther as well as the bear!
Definitely Baloo the bear! He is the most emotional of the three. He is not afraid to show when he is sad or when he is happy. He has a high level of empathy, bravery, and self-awareness. And let’s not forget his great sense of humour, either!
And now let me ask you this question: Are you the wolf, the panther or the bear?
Author: Wara
Wara joined BARE International almost 7 years ago. Born in Thailand and moved to Belgium as a child, she knows how it feels to be “stuck” between cultures. Thanks to her optimistic mindset, she always tries to see a positive outcomes in everything. Her goal in life is to be happy, to live by example in order to inspire people around her… especially her son.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
The Michael Schumacher in me: Why Formula 1 racing inspires me
If someone asked you to remember the moment you got “hooked” by something that you are passionate about, would you be able to pinpoint it? I can! It was 1994 and I remember watching the Formula 1 Grand Prix with my family. I’m not sure whether it was the fact that I really felt happy watching it with my loved ones or the fact that I found this world so exciting. Whatever it was, I knew that I wanted to know more. From that moment on, this became my passion. Why?
The search for perfection
My Schumacher inspiration
Formula 1 is considered the world’s most demanding race. Both physical fitness and mental strength are mandatory and each “weakness” can be catastrophic on the track. From 1994, racing driver Michael Schumacher was in the spotlight for 3 years. He became my source of inspiration and my idol growing up. After having read his biography some years ago I got even more inspired. The drive, the passion and devotion he showed towards his profession was exemplary. I’ve taken over these values except his love of adrenaline… one step too far for me.
How this passion defined me
Formula 1 still plays an important role in my life and I can easily say that this has really defined my professional life as well. I’m passionate about my work and have a high sense of quality that some of my colleagues can describe as perfectionism. These factors are important to me in my engagement towards an employer. Here at BARE International, a company that I call my professional home for over 5 years now, we are also working towards determining the weakest link for our clients. They will then be able to eliminate or improve them in order to gain success in their fields. Because like Formula 1, I believe that excellence is not something occasional but continuous.
This story was written by Wara inspired by Thomas’ thoughts.
Author: Wara
Wara joined BARE International almost 7 years ago. Born in Thailand and moved to Belgium as a child, she knows how it feels to be “stuck” between cultures. Thanks to her optimistic mindset, she always tries to see a positive outcomes in everything. Her goal in life is to be happy, to live by example in order to inspire people around her… especially her son.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
There are more important things in life than coffee. But not right now.
Let’s talk about one of the most important topics in the world. The very substance that will get you through your working day and back home again: coffee! More specifically, let me introduce to you the exclusive Swiss coffee brand that uses coffee capsules instead of coffee beans but still offers a great taste. Not yet convinced? Ask any coffee drinker or read my blog message below.
They have been one of our longest and most cherished clients, and over the past few years we’ve indulged in all kinds of projects with them, ranging from recorded customer service calls to visits to their exclusive stores to big multimedia store visits. Their purpose has always been to evaluate the customer service; the friendliness, professionalism and knowledge of the coffee specialist regarding the brand and the coffee industry in general; as well as, in case of mystery visits in electronics stores, to analyse the visibility of the brand compared to its competitors.
Now let us have a look at what they have to offer their loyal customers. You will find that their arrangement of espressos, lungos and ristrettos has been ever-expanding, including various flavours, ranging from low to high intensity. A range of decaffeinated capsules ensures that you can even enjoy a cup of coffee in the evening, without having to lie awake in bed all night. Their limited editions range from all over the world, from Mexico to Peru to Rwanda. Doesn’t that sound lovely?
Several kinds of machines give the customer the opportunity to drink their coffee in any way they want, as some of them are equipped with a milk frother for a wide range of coffee recipes such as the old-time classic, the cappuccino, or a delicious macchiato.
Our mystery calls and shops are the ideal way to discover the wonderful world that is coffee. It might also be a good idea to have a coffee before setting out on a mystery adventure for any of our other clients, so that you won’t fall asleep. And it definitely beats having some beers or a bottle of wine before having a test drive at a car dealership.
Author: Gert

Gert specialties are any coffee-related projects as well as reports in Dutch, French and English. In his free time he writes novels, plays and poems, and performs spoken word all over Flanders and the Netherlands. He also loves travelling, listening to music and going to concerts. He has a Master in Applied Linguistics and one in Modern Literature.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
When shopping becomes a mystery
Many of us already had the experience of going out the door to do “some” shopping but ending up with half of the bank account empty. But did you now that some people are actually paid by a company to go shopping? In that case, they all of a sudden get the label of “Mystery Evaluator”. Of course there is more to it. These shoppers then become secret agents of what is called “Mystery Customer Research”.
Now, what exactly is this taboo called Mystery Customer Research? Mystery Customer Research is a simple act of shopping where everyday people with an eye for detail go shopping, go to a restaurant or take an airplane, while they actually get paid to do this! These “undercover shopaholics” then fill in a questionnaire evaluating the service they had been given. This way they help companies obtain valuable information concerning their own services, enabling them to improve customer satisfaction, and consequently increasing profits.
So what does Mystery Shopping exactly look like?
However, Tom is happy to have his burger for free, and the fast-food chain will be pleased as well when the questionnaire is filled in correctly. This scenario will be repeated by many shoppers, in multiple restaurants of the chain, during a period that can vary depending on the desires of the brand in question. The overall evaluation will enable them to look for solutions as how to do better on both general and shop level.
It goes without saying that there is more than mystery shopping alone. Sometimes the evaluator is only asked
But the aim of all this will remain the same: to improve customer satisfaction. Either you are a Mystery Evaluator or a normal person with no secret life, I’m sure you would like the extra spending money or getting nice products for free. If you simply want to enjoy the experience as a Mystery Evaluator, then this is your chance to try it out.
Author: Annelore
Annelore has been an employee of Bare International since September 2011 and is based in the Antwerp Office. She has a Master’s degree in English & Spanish literature & linguistics and a Master’s in Management. She likes discovering new places, travelling, reading and going out with friends to enjoy some very good (Belgian) beers.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
How can mystery shopping help you open a new page in your career?
Do you have the feeling you need start doing something new? You need a change in your life but don’t know how to survive the job-search? This article can help you explore the secret signs of burn-out and explain what benefits mystery evaluation can bring you while you are not working full-time.
Do you get too tired by the end of the day?
You say you don’t have time to exercise, go out, learn new things, because you are way too exhausted in the evenings. Unless your job consists of demanding physical work, this should not be the case. It’s not the work that makes you tired. It’s the negative feelings about it, that silently take away your energy and motivation.
Do little things at work annoy you more than they should?
You want to throw that coffee machine out the window. Even the eyebrows of a coworker you are sitting next to annoy you. Once your mood is not in the right place, you are more susceptible to letting things around you bother you more than they should. Just ask yourself… would you react the same way to these things if you were at home in a good mood? If not, it means that you feel frustrated and you need to change something.
Do you express your mood in days?
-How are you?
-You know, it’s Monday. – you answer frowning.
-How are you?
-I feel great! Are you kidding? It’s Friday.
The only thing that makes sense in your life is the weekend and spending the whole working week craving it? Five days waiting for 2 days? Job crisis alert!
Changing a job is never easy
– I don’t have time to search for a new job or go to job interviews. Who is going to pay my bills while I am not working? – you ask.
Searching for a job can be a difficult time in one’s life. Browsing job portals, adjusting your CV, going for interviews, etc. But don’t forget: you have the power to organize your day. Finding additional sources of income has never been easier. We are living in a time of “online sharing”. You can share your car, or even become an Uber driver. Do you excel in a language or know much about your city? Teach language or offer guided tours! It will take you just a few clicks to publish your ad online.
Are you a fan of shopping? Are you particular about customer service? Then you might also want to become a mystery evaluator. You just have to register in the database of mystery shopping companies and look for projects on your job board. You can decide when, where and how often you would like to carry out a mystery visit. You go shopping anyway, don’t you?
If you become a mystery shopper:
No-one can promise that these types of income will compensate you for losing a full salary, but it is fun and might be enough to help you out for a couple of months until you find a job where you even like Mondays. Just don’t forget: Google is your friend! Explore your opportunities! Life is too short to do something you don’t like.
Author: Szintia
Szintia is an employee of Bare International.
Besides her work in the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves sports, travelling, and she is learning her 6th language. She is a Couchsurfer. She has a master’s degree in Strategic HR Management and she is a professional pastry chef.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
Belgium: Moroccan wedding and Customer Experience?
All new
As I never organized a party before, this was all new to me. A whole new world opened in front of my eyes and I began to search for everything that I needed to make it a worthwhile wedding party.
I had never experienced such stress before. You definitely cannot compare this with e.g. exam stress. Anyhow, at that moment I also realized that I had to cope with it for a full year (sigh).
Capturing all services
In our Moroccan community, we all knew already who the best Ziana Bellaroussa Najat, make-up artist, DJ, photographer, decorator and cook were. Yet I wanted to overtake how they interacted with their customers and how one could offer more than the other. Working for BARE International has given me the opportunity to do this as I knew what it all contained and what to pay attention to. So step by step – and doing this all by myself – I started to compare prices, services, packages, advantages and so on. Next to all these criteria, the most important one was to have services that really did what I had asked for (especially when you are paying a certain price!). I made appointments with each service representative and made a choice on the basis of the above criteria, paid a deposit and we made agreements for the day of the wedding, which took place on a Saturday in October 2016.
Besides the wedding itself, I also had my henna-day. Such a day is normally held 2 days before the wedding and is very intimate. We only invite family and close friends, as most of the time this takes place at the bride’s house. This was the moment when my hands and feet were pampered with henna decorations and when we could tell intimate things about each other. We can consider this day as the last evening at the bride’s parental house which is in our tradition a very special day to experience.
The Big Day
Finally… THE day has arrived. I was thinking to myself: Today I will marry my best friend, the one I Laugh with, Dream with, Live for, and the one I Love. I need to enjoy every moment of this beautiful day and get the most out of it!
First, the Makeup Artist came to my place in the morning to transform me into a princess. At 13.00 my husband-to-be and his family arrived as well, and they entered the house. At this moment the groom gives the bride the flower bouquet. That was a simple white one, just the way I like it. Then we took some pictures and gradually we left. The camerawoman and photographer were filming and taking pictures all the time in order to capture our beautiful moments together. Thereafter we got in the car – a Jaguar old-timer – and we drove towards the park, which was 10 minutes away. During this ride all other cars had very loud music on, some of my friends even got out of the windows and out of the cars and were dancing in the streets – when the traffic lights turned red of course!
Once we arrived at the park, we went to the beautiful gardens full with flowers and took a couple of pictures with our families and friends. After that, they all went home to get ready for the party while my husband and I were having a private photoshoot – which we really enjoyed. We were very lucky with the weather as well, it was not raining and the sun was shining.
After this lovely photoshoot we went to the wedding hall, awaiting all guests and me, ready to be transformed again in the Moroccan dresses that I had chosen (a green and a blue one). All guests were dancing while we were taking pictures alone but also with our families and friends. We had an entree, 2 main dishes and dessert with drinks and the wedding cake at the end of the party; I was so satisfied with the food. It was DELICIOUS!
Brahim – my husband – and I also danced for about half an hour to some traditional Moroccan music, which is called “Regadda”. It had always been my dream to dance to this kind of music with my husband. I really had a great time and all the guests as well. But the end was the most emotional part… All the guests were crying along! Especially when my twin sister couldn’t contain herself! It was a really difficult moment for us as we had spent 23 years with each other and suddenly letting her go and my mom was the worst part ever! Still it was the most beautiful day in my entire life so far!
Author: Rajae
Rajae works at BARE International. Besides her job, Rajae loves travelling, going out with her friends and spending time with her family. She also loves fashion. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Office management – Sales and would like to learn Spanish next to English, Dutch, German, Arabic and French.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
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Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com
Mystery Shopping mistakes you should avoid at all costs
“Oh, sorry, I just lost my wig” – As a Mystery Evaluator, have you ever been in a situation like this? This story is about a guy called Sam, who is actually pretty nice, but needs to improve a bit. Obviously his name is fictional, but the scripts were written by Life.
The hilarious story of a Mystery Evaluator
Once upon a time there was a Mystery Evaluator who wanted to become the best of all. As you might think this wasn’t going so well at first. Let’s see some of our protagonist’s encounters.
The Mystery Visit – always check your job board and never reveal yourself
After the first shock, both the Resource Manager and Sam agreed to start over and properly assign another visit to him. Sam received the confirmation email this time and he performed his first, real, approved visit. Everything went well until one day the visit required a proof of some sort. In this case this was a photo that had to be taken inside the shop where the brand logo was visible – easy, right? What can possibly go wrong during a mystery visit?
Poor Sam sometimes really felt that mystery shopping was not for him, but the bright side of the story is that he never gave up. Neither should you. This is the end of Sam’s story this time, but I’m sure that many more stories are about to come. Just remember: if you don’t need a wig on a daily basis, then leave it at home. It’s best for the wig, for you, and for your Resource Manager as well.
Author: Anita @AnitaKocsis910
Anita is an employee of Bare International. Besides her work
at the Social Media and Recruitment team, she loves doing yoga,
travelling and reading. Her love for the automotive industry came
from the passion for innovations and technology. She has a master’s
degree in International Economics and Business.
Interested in becoming an Evaluator with BARE International?
[maxbutton id=”20″]
Want to be a guest blogger for BARE’s Mystery Evaluator’s Community?
Apply to: akocsis@bareinternational.com