Why Even Evaluate?

Before there was a SkilCheck, and before we had the need for consistent SkilCheck evaluators, when I first started in storage, we had a training program. An evaluator came in to assess our course. One of the key points he made was that while we were doing a great job with training, we were not following up with our trainees after the course. He emphasized the importance of follow-up to ensure everyone maintained the expected behaviors. It was crucial to check and verify that all employees adhered to our standards, especially if we wanted to grow the organization significantly.

He noted that we had invested much money in a 10-day training program. That investment would be wasted if the trainees didn’t implement what we taught them. We couldn’t train effectively without having established standards and procedures that everyone followed consistently. This approach was like a franchise model, which can also help improve employee retention.

The evaluator also discussed some issues we were facing. For instance, one manager was upset with his assistant for using a red pen instead of a blue one, leading to an unnecessary argument. These sorts of conflicts were time-consuming. Without clearly written procedures, people will interpret tasks in their ways, which is not conducive to growth or maintaining a streamlined system.

SkilCheck Evaluators Know…Consistency is Crucial

So SkilCheck took the approach of keeping everything as similar as possible, and that’s why we only have a couple of full-time evaluators. They do the same thing repeatedly, which is about maintenance and consistency.  Consistency is crucial. Other companies that do mystery shopping often have a telephone mystery shopper score the conversation they just had with the manager, resulting in 1,000 or 2,000 different opinions. In our case, we have in-house, specifically trained evaluators for this situation. This method is explicitly designed to provide competent and consistent feedback. The evaluators know what they’re looking for rather than relying on personal preferences. Sometimes, people call a storage property and think, “That person was terrible,” but perhaps it isn’t as bad as it seems—maybe something didn’t work quite right.

Our SkilCheck evaluators are not just participants in their portion of the process; they are involved in every aspect of our work. They attend our weekly meetings and brainstorming sessions and are a significant part of the overall effort. You can learn more about our SkilCheck evaluators and why they’re such a great fit for our company in their own words!

SkilCheck Evaluators are Continuously Trained

Regarding training, we can train our in-person shoppers to go into the field and share their thoughts afterward, but that’s a different ball game. We perform about 1,000 monthly phone evaluations. We can’t sit with each telephone shopper to explain precisely what the customer needs. However, our in-house SkilCheck evaluators are trained continuously. They listen to numerous calls, which helps maintain consistency because they are in tune with our clients’ needs.

Another important aspect is that they are very open about their mistakes. For example, if they realize they forgot to make a point, they will listen to their recordings again and acknowledge it. They genuinely own their errors. This attitude helps them improve and sets a precedent for everyone else. They are eager to learn and grow.

Other companies often treat their scores as final and unchangeable. However, we’re different; we acknowledge that we’re human and can make mistakes. If we misunderstood something the caller said or if there’s another issue, we’re willing to adjust the scoring accordingly. If that’s how they want it evaluated, then that’s how we do it!

Keep it Positive!

We are simply trying to assist employees in becoming better at their work. Practice is essential in any area of life where you want to improve. If you’re serious about your progress, having someone with experience guide you in enhancing your skills is beneficial. Without guidance, improvement can stall, much like when I play the piano. I can practice repeatedly, but I don’t get any better without structure or someone providing feedback.

It’s essential to ask insightful questions and engage with constructive feedback, as these elements can often feel judgmental but are crucial for growth. That’s why I believe we need consistent evaluators.