Section B Mystery Customers Are Everywhere

1. Section BMystery Customers Are Everywhere New Horizon English Course

2. CONTENTS Reading More Text B Words & Expressions Exercises Introduction

3. Introduction In Text A，we learned about a special occupation as an air courier, which appeals to those who enjoy traveling around the world spending much less money on the air ticket. Text B introduces a more interesting job, being mystery customers. It sounds like a detective, but the purpose is completely different. Many companies hire these mystery customers to act as regular customers to obtain the first-hand information about C.H.A.M.P.S so as to improve their service.

4. Text B: Mystery Customers Are Everywhere “I find myself glancing at my watch to see how long I’ve been standing in line,” she said. “Everywhere I go, I notice if the dumpster gates are open or if there’s trash in the parking lot.” Ms. Clark is a “mystery shopper” －one of thousands of workers that companies hire to act as regular customers in order to measure customer service, cleanliness, and whether a store is selling a product that meets a company’s standards. Chinese Text B Para. 1 - 2

5. Mystery shoppers can be found, or rather, not found, everywhere from restaurants and car shops to convenience and department stores. They play a constant cat-and-mouse game with business employees and managers. However, it’s not all fun and games.   Once in the field, a mystery shopper will normally work several stores or restaurants every hour, taking mental notes while inside, then writing down their thoughts after they leave. Chinese Text B Para. 3 - 4

6. It’s important for mystery shoppers to be as exact as possible because companies are looking for any information they can use to improve their services. The mystery shopper’s report won’t say, for example, “Does the trash can need to be emptied?” What an educated shopper will say is, “The trash can to the left of the front door was overflowing with 10 pieces of trash on the ground.” It’s clear, then, that companies just need the facts. Chinese Text B Para. 5

7. C.H.A.M.P.S. stands for cleanliness, hospitality, accuracy, maintenance, product quality, and speed of service. Mystery shoppers have to be able to observe and take note of each of these aspects of the restaurant within three to five minutes. Restaurant shoppers might also need to sample the food.   These days, mystery shoppers are armed with a number of high-tech devices, such as a digital scale and a digital thermometer, as well as a handheld PC for recording the whole experience. Chinese Text B Para. 6 - 7

8. It’s a challenging job, but a rewarding one. Mystery shoppers can be full time or part time. Full-time workers tend to stick to set mystery shopping practices. Part-timers often choose simpler, reward-based programs. In these programs, the shopper explains himself or herself to the store managers and awards prizes to employees who gave great service. Chinese Text B Para. 8

9. To be a mystery shopper, it’s important to be a good observer, but sometimes it’s also important to have the right look. Companies often take on shoppers from certain backgrounds to better fit in with regular customers. If a secret shopper is sent in, for example, to do an expensive car shop, he or she must look like this kind of buyer. “It’s a challenge to do your job without being discovered,” Ms. Clark said, “because most of the people that we work for are very aware of the mystery shopping program.” Chinese Text B Para. 9

10. 1 Once in the field, a mystery shopper will normally work several stores or restaurants every hour, taking mental notes while inside, then writing down their thoughts after they leave. Meaning: Once a mystery shopper is on duty, he or she will usually visit several stores or restaurants every hour, keeping in mind their level of service, and later writing all of this down after leaving. Meaning of the Sentences

11. 2 Full-time workers tend to stick to set mystery shopping practices. Meaning: Full-time shoppers usually do their regular jobs in a fixed manner. Meaning of the Sentences

12. 3 In these programs, the shopper explains himself or herself to the store managers andawards prizes to employees who gave great service. Meaning: In these programs, the mystery shopper introduces himself or herself to the store managers after finishing their task, and then gives the employees something as a reward for their excellent service. Meaning of the Sentences

13. Words & Expressions notice regular standard constant maintenance speed sample scale tend New words

14. Words & Expressions Expressions take mental notes stand for take note of stick to take on fit in with

15. Words & Expressions noticev. & n. v. pay attention (to) with the eyes, other senses, or mind; observe 注意（到） e.g. Did you notice anyone leave the room? She did not notice that her mother was a little angry. n. a written or printed announcement 公告；通知 e.g. The notice on the blackboard says there will be a meeting this afternoon. New Words

16. Words & Expressions regular adj. customary, usual, or normal; occurring at fixed intervals; not varying; constant. e.g. John's our regular caller. We have regular meetings every Monday. n. a habitual customer e.g. Tom is one of our regulars. New Words

17. Words & Expressions standard n. [C] a level or degree of quality that is considered proper or acceptable标准；规格；水平 e.g. living standards One should have his/her own personal standard of right or wrong. adj. generally recognized as correct or acceptable 标准的 e.g. standard British English 标准英式英语 It is a standard computer keyboard. New Words

18. Words & Expressions 【1】 continually happening or repeated 不断的；连续发生的 e.g. He is under constant attack in the newspaper. They make constant use of their computers. 【2】 fixed or unchanging 始终如一的；恒久不变的 e.g. His hard work is a constant inspiration to us all. Nothing is constant. constant adj. New Words

19. Words & Expressions maintenance n. 【1】 [U] the act of keeping sth. in good condition 维护；保养 e.g. Careful maintenance can extend the life of your car by several years. There are thorough maintenance checks on each plane before takeoff. 【2】 [U] the act of continuing to have or do as before 维持；保持 e.g. The maintenance of peace and quiet is necessary in a hospital. Their foreign policy involves the maintenance of friendly relations with all countries. New Words

20. Words & Expressions n.【1】[U] quickness of movement or action 迅速；快速 e.g. More haste, less speed. 【2】[C; U] a rate of movement calculated by dividing the distance traveled by the time taken 速度；速率 e.g. He drives the car at a steady speed. v.【1】go, pass, or take quickly 迅速前进；急行；带着……快走 e.g. The holidays sped by and soon it was time to go back to school. 【2】 (cause to) move, go, or happen faster（使）加速；增速 e.g. The new equipment will speed up production. speed New Words

21. Words & Expressions sample vt. try a small amount of food, try an activity, etc. to see what it is like 试尝；检验；抽样 e.g. He sampled the pudding and found it to be delicious. n. [C] a small part representing the whole; typical small quantity, thing, event, etc. 样品；实例；标本 e.g. sample survey 抽样调查 The doctor took some blood samples. 大夫取了几个血样。 New Words

22. Words & Expressions scale n. 【1】 [C] a weighing machine 磅秤；秤 e.g. I weighed it on the kitchen scales. 【2】[C; U] size or level in relation to other things or to what is usual 规模；范围 e.g. The company is producing digital TV sets on a large scale. We should fight against AIDS on a global scale. New Words

23. Words & Expressions tendv. 【1】have a tendency; be likely (to do or be) something; 倾向于 e.g. Some young couples tend to have no children. A creative person tends to approach a problem from a new angle. 【2】 take care of; look after 照料；看护；服侍 e.g. They want a nurse who can tend them. He tends the shop when his father is away. New Words

24. Words & Expressions take/make mental notes记在心里 e.g. I took mental notes of what he said. When he mentioned his birthday casually, she took a mental note of it. I didn't take any notes. Please make a note of my new address. Expressions

25. Words & Expressions 1. be a sign of; represent; mean 象征；代表；意味着 e.g. Yellow roses stand for friendship. 2. (in questions and negatives) allow to continue; accept without complaining（用于疑问句和否定句）忍受；容忍 e.g. I won’t stand for her bad manners any more. How can you stand for such bad working conditions? standfor Expressions

26. Practice Words & Expressions e.g. Mystery shoppers have to be able to observe and take note of each of these aspects of the restaurant within three to five minutes. 神秘顾客必须在三五分钟内观察并留心他们所检查的餐馆在这几方面的全部情况。 take note of :pay careful attention to 1. 你要留意她对你讲的话。 You should take note of what she tells you. Expressions

27. Practice Words & Expressions e.g. Full-time workers tend to stick to set mystery shopping practices. 全职神秘顾客往往会坚守此行业已经建立的工作惯例。 stickto: 坚持；坚守；不放弃 1. 他向来说话算数。 He alwayssticks tohis word. 2. 这份文件非常清楚地表明，中国将坚持改革开放的政策不变。 It is made quite clear in the document that China willstick toits open-up policy. Expressions

28. Practice Words & Expressions e.g. The company is beginning to take on new workers. 这家公司开始雇用新工人。 1. 这些年来他摆出了一副银行家的派头。 Over the years he has taken on the look of a banker. 2. 他担负了额外的责任。 He took on extra responsibilities. take on 雇；雇佣; 从事，开始对付 Expressions

29. Practice Words & Expressions fitinwith:（使）符合；适合 e.g. Companies often take on shoppers from certain backgrounds to better fit in with regular customers. 公司通常会雇一些有特定背景的人，从而使他们看上去更像普通顾客。 1. 他初来乍到，和同事们处好关系还需要时间。 He is new here. It will take time for him to fit in with his fellow colleagues. Expressions

30. Part I Part II Exercises

31. Part I: Choose the best answer. B 1. Four years’ study at college is a ___ experience for me. A. constant B. rewarding C. standard D. mental 2. He is my father’s best friend and a ___ visitor of our family. A. regular B. convenient C. digital D. continuous 3. The girl was taken ___ as a secretary in the company after her first interview. A. in B. up C. on D. after 4. Whatever happens, they’ll ___ to the task until it is finished. A. lead B. tend C. want D. stick 5. The police found two men ___ outside the bank. A. wander B. wandered C. wandering D. to wander A C D C

32. A 6. Don’t take what I said so serious. It’s only ___. A. fun and games B. fun and game C. funs and games D. funs and game 7. The IOC ___ the International Olympic Committee. A. takes notes B. is armed with C. stands for D. sends in 8. Can you act ___ my guide in your town? It is completely new to me. A. as B. on C. up D. for 9. The man is easy-going and ___ with his colleagues. A. fits in B. suits C. gets well D. matches 10. At the sports meet, I shall be ___ the field for the four- hundred-meter running. A. on B. at C. in D. with C A A C

33. Part II: Use the right form of the given word to finish the sentences. 1. The main benefit of (work) _________ with the company is the opportunity to travel abroad. 2. I find it (relax) __________ to play tennis, and it takes my mind off my work. 3. We walked as (fast) ______ as we could, hoping to catch the 9:30 train to/for Wuhan. 4. We have got some (information) ___________ about the project. working relaxing fast information

34. rewarding being noticed 5. Studying English is a (reward) _________ experience for me. 6. He left the classroom without (notice) ____________. 7. You need (finish) ________ the work before the boss comes back. 8. He tends (get) _________ angry when people disagree with him. to finish to get

35. Para. 1- 2 译 文 “我发现自己不时地看表，计算着自己排队等候了多长时间，”她说。“每到一处，我就注意观察垃圾箱的门是否敞开着或者停车场是否有垃圾。” 克拉克女士就是被公司雇佣的成千上万的“神秘顾客”之一——他们乔装成普通顾客，检查商店的客户服务质量、店面的清洁程度以及商店出售的产品是否符合公司的标准。

36. Para. 3- 4 译 文 虽然难以觉察，但从餐馆到汽车经销店，从便利店到百货商场，神秘顾客的身影随处可见又不可见。他们总是在和商店的职员和经理们玩“猫捉老鼠”的游戏。然而，这绝不是游戏打闹。 一旦工作起来，神秘顾客通常每小时要跑几家商店或餐馆，把里面的情况默记在心，离开后再写下自己的想法！

37. Para. 5 译 文 神秘顾客的工作应该尽量准确，这一点非常重要，因为公司正尽可能寻求一切信息来改进他们的服务质量。譬如说，神秘顾客的报告上不会写“是否该清理垃圾桶了？”一个训练有素的神秘顾客会说：“前门左侧的垃圾桶满了，有十余件垃圾散落在地上。”显然，公司需要的仅仅是事实。

38. Para. 6-7 译 文 C.H.A.M.P.S. 这几个字母代表的是清洁、好客、精确、设施维护、产品质量和快速服务。神秘顾客必须在三五分钟内观察并留心他们所检查的餐馆在这几方面的全部情况。餐馆里的神秘顾客有时还需品尝食物。 近来，神秘顾客还配备了许多高科技装置，如数码秤、数码温度计以及用来记录全部体验过程的掌上电脑。

39. Para. 8 译 文 这是一项既富挑战性又有意义的工作。神秘顾客可以是全职，也可以是兼职。全职人员往往会坚守此行当业已建立的工作惯例，而兼职人员通常会选择一些更简单的、建立在奖励基础上的项目。在这些项目中，神秘顾客通常会向商店经理公开身份，并建议奖励那些工作出色的员工！

40. Para. 9 译 文 要做神秘顾客，敏锐的观察力非常重要，同时也要扮得有模有样才行。公司通常会雇一些有特定背景的人，从而使他们看上去更像普通顾客。如果要派一位神秘顾客去检查一家高档汽车经销店，那么他（她）看上去就必须像这样的买主。“要想工作时不暴露自己的身份可不是一件容易的事，”克拉克女士说，“因为在我们的服务对象中，多数人很清楚神秘顾客项目。”