Mystery Shops Have Uncovered Surprises –
“When I visited the branch, the employee told me to wait to open an account since the merger process was not complete. “
That would be an unanticipated revelation revealed with a mystery shop to a bank manager, right? Imagine that you are the 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.
Confero Has Found a Few Surprises with Our Mystery Shop Programs –
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’ pricing 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.
Importance of Seeing Your Business Through the Eyes of Your Customers –
Each day, you get up and work to take care of your customers. While your intent and effort may be the same day in and day out, things change. The way you approach your customers, the information you share, the way you present your products, your website’s information, etc. can all need to be refreshed from time to time. Or learn what is missing from your efforts that could add customer benefit or a competitive edge.
Unanticipated Revelations Revealed with Mystery Shops
What’s working? What isn’t? How can we improve to better serve our customers? Thorough and well designed mystery shopping programs help a business not only discover the good things about their business; but also, challenge areas and a good customer research company will coordinate reports that give you action items to improve your customer experience. Indeed, mystery shops uncover surprises.
Confero Can Custom Build a Market Research Program for Your Business –
Since 1986, Confero has been helping businesses build their competitive edge through mystery shopping programs. Whether you seek a simple or more complex mystery shop program, our team with over 100 years combined experience can assist. Contact Confero to inquire about uncovering any surprises in your business.
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