“When I visited the branch, the employee told me to wait to open an account since the merger process was not complete. “ 

Imagine that you are a bank manager reading this mystery shop report. You realize that the bank employee told the potential customer the wrong information, and as a result, missed out on a new account.  The unexpected happens at times, and when this is the case, Confero notifies management quickly.   As was the case this time, we informed our contact, and the bank managers communicated the correct information to employees, so that the further loss of potential new customers was avoided.

Mystery shop reports can be eye-opening for the areas you plan to measure AND for unexpected information, too.  Here are surprise findings we have seen in client programs over the years:

• For an automotive client, adding safety-related questions to the survey in addition to customer service questions resulted in important gains for the company.  Managers received fast data on safety deficiencies at certain locations, as well as realized a decreased number of accidents, due to the increased accountability that the mystery shop program created.
• A financial services company wanted a telephone mystery shopping study to assess the competition and compare selling styles.  The shops provided data on hold times, as well as associates’ sales and service approaches.  At the onset, Confero’s team researched the client’s website.   Confero’s Client Services Manager wanted to learn how potential customers would find contact and location information about the company online.  When researching the locations on the company’s website, we learned about deficiencies in the company’s online location search feature. Location information was missing, meaning that customers would potentially never learn about those locations online.    While the competitive information provided vital information to management, learning about their own website’s pitfall allowed them to quickly correct a problem they may not have learned of elsewhere.
• A moving company wanted information on competitors’ pricings and offerings.  Confero deployed a competitor mystery shopping program.  They learned that a few of the companies that they viewed as their biggest competitors were either out of business, or not answering their phones. This allowed the company to turn its attention to other companies – their true competitors – and learn how to position themselves better against them.