Retail Active Client wins Vegas ‘Best of Best’ Award

Retail Active client LIVERPOOL ONE has been awarded the coveted International Council of Shopping Centre’s ‘Best-of-the-Best’ award at the ICSC awards in Las Vegas.

This award honours outstanding examples of shopping centre development and services.

Liverpool One has worked closely with Retail Active, one of the UK’s leading Mystery Shopping Companies to implement an industry leading Customer Experience Improvement programme.

The recognition by the ICSC Awards is testimony to success of the programme and investment made.

 ‘Retail Active’ is proud to be part of Liverpool One’s continuing success and that the recognition of this award is directly linked to their role in the community and being a beacon for outstanding customer service.

Retail Active CEO, Julian Chamberlain said: “It is clients such as Liverpool ONE that set the standard for other key players in the retail world.  Not just in the UK but as beacons of success across Europe and internationally.’

Liverpool ONE’s commitment to Customer Service has always been unfaltering and our Mystery Shoppers have always enjoyed completing this programme.

At Retail Active Mystery Shopping, we are very proud to be associated with this programme and congratulate everyone at Liverpool One on achieving such a terrific result.

Retail Active is was founded in 2000 and is a leading  Mystery Shopping Company proving a wide range of services such as Mystery Visits and Brand Auditing, creating  Mystery Shopping Jobs throughout the UK.

UK Consumers Complain More

One of the UK’s leading Mystery Shopping Companies ‘Retail Active’ has surveyed a panel of 2,541 people over the past three months to identify consumer’s propensity to complain about shoddy goods and service.

Retail Active conducts an annual survey to track the performance of customer service and reports a further decline in service compared to a year ago. More than half of High Street shoppers say customer service has worsened significantly across all sectors of high street retailing.

This major new survey by the mystery shopping company Retail Active says 62 per cent of mystery shoppers think service in the UK has worsened over the past year.

We are complaining more about shoddy service – thanks to the Recession to the current economy in the UK

A record number from the Retail Active mystery shopper panel say they are prepared to complain about shoddy service more than ever before. Three out of four people polled in the survey said they won’t suffer in silence any more – and will stand up to sloppy staff.

Retail Active CEO, Julian Chamberlain said: “This fascinating survey has given us a revealing snapshot of the effect of the credit crunch, service on the high street and peoples likelihood to complain.

“One very interesting factor is that 73 per cent said they do complain about bad service. This is the highest figure we have ever recorded and it shows British consumers are no longer prepared to suffer bad service in silence.

“Nearly a third, 31 per cent, of shoppers polled said they complain more now than they did before the credit crunch!

“Eight out of ten shoppers went on to say they would refuse to shop again at stores with poor service.

“A significant majority say they also expect more for their money in the current economic climate.

“The figures show consumers are put off by bad service and are taking their business to retailers who offer better service and value for money. If retailers cut back on customer service and training, they do so at their peril.

Julian Chamberlain said: “Retailers are having to fight for every pound in tough conditions and just can’t afford to let standards of service slip any further. The survey shows that customers think the deterioration in service is due to lack of staff, de-motivation, lack of training and staff being unhappy. The majority of customers said they were upset most by discourteous staff and about being kept waiting.

Retail Active Mystery Shopping is one of the UK’s leading Brand Audit and Mystery Shopping companies. It creates thousands of mystery shopping jobs to monitor customer service standards for a wide variety of clients in the retail, leisure, automotive and travel sectors.

High Street Service Declines For Third Consecutive Year

One of the UK’s leading Mystery Shopping Companies ‘Retail Active’ has surveyed a panel of 2,382 people over the past three months to identify what shoppers think about the quality of service on the UK high street.

Retail Active conducts an annual survey to track the performance of customer service and reports a further decline in service compared to a year ago. More than half of High Street shoppers say customer service has worsened significantly across all sectors of high street retailing.

This major new survey by the mystery shopping company Retail Active says 73% per cent of shoppers polled think service in fashion retailing has worsened over the past year.

Eight out of ten mystery shoppers went on to say they would refuse to shop again at stores with poor service.

An astonishing seventy-four per cent said they were prepared to spend more in businesses where they receive great service.

Retail Active CEO, Julian Chamberlain said: “This remarkable survey has given us a highly revealing snapshot of the effect service has on the British buying public.

“Retailers are having to fight for every pound in tough conditions and just can’t afford to let standards of service slip. Mystery Shopping is an essential tool to help fight back and improve the service offered within the UK.

“One interesting aspect of the research is that 73 per cent said they do complain about bad service. This is the highest figure we have ever recorded and it shows shoppers are no longer prepared to suffer poor service in silence.

“More than a quarter, 28 per cent, of those polled said they complain more now than they did before the credit crunch hit!

“These findings will make essential reading for retailers. If they cut back on customer service and training, they do so at their peril. The figures show people are put off by rotten service and are taking their business to retailers who offer better service and value for money.

Julian Chamberlain said: “The survey shows that customers think the deterioration in service is due to lack of staff, poor training, staff being unhappy and de-motivated.

Retail Active is one of the UK’s leading Brand Audit and Mystery Shopper Companies. It sends out thousands of mystery shopper agents every year to monitor customer service standards for a wide variety of clients in the retail, leisure, automotive and travel sectors.

Further detailed information about the survey is available at www.retailactive.com

91% Buy British

Retail Active the leading Mystery Shopping Company has surveys a panel of 2,887 people during July 2011 to ask if they would buy British products in preference to imported items.

Overall there is a resounding seal of approval for items made and sold in Great Britain with a staggering 91% saying that their preference is to buy British whenever possible.

There were regional differences, with buyers in Scotland and Wales having a preference to buy in their home country before wanting to buy British produce in general.

Northamptonshire topped the list as the county most passionate about buying British.

The survey went on to ask 'if given the opportunity would they purchase British in preference to imported products' in specific categories. Organic produce, outdoor and leisure, food and confectionery all scored in the mid to high ninety percent. However electronics, motors, home and furniture all scored disapointingly with 62% saying they would make British goods their first choice.

A core theme that ran through the feedback was that is often too difficult to identify British goods. Where shoppers did identify UK goods they are prepared to pay a little more for them.

Retail Active went on to ask why people felt so passionate about purchasing UK goods, with pride in British capabilities, quality and the limited impact on the environment being top reasons.

Julian Chamberlain, CEO of Retail Active Mystery Shopping, says “this is a fascinating insight into the psyche of the British shopper. We live in a shrinking world, where interconnectivity and communications have given rise to the global economy. Many UK economists celebrate globalisation, claiming that the market is working more efficiently than ever. However according to our research most people would buy British goods as their preferred choice, a fact that some experts may have overlooked?

This is great news for manufacturers and producers up and down the land. Retailers can stock British goods in the confidence that they are likely to sell well and command a small price premium.

4th Generation Retail Audit Plan

Retail Active the leading Retail Audit and Mystery Shopping Company has launched its impressive 4th generation retail audit programme to critical acclaim from retail industry insiders and experts.

The Retail Active audit approach is arguably the most advanced and meaningful way to identify, measure and correct poor compliance issues and gain business intelligence.

Over the past six years we have spent time refining, improving and amending our systems and processes. The 4th generation programme is leaps and bounds ahead of anything else in the market. We have had our team of developers in Tallahassee, Florida and in the UK working to ensure that the new programme is completely intuitive and proactive in its output.

Clients that have need working with us over the past few years are amazed at how the system can genuinely track and prompt improvements based on their own bespoke criteria.

Julian Chamberlain, CEO of Retail Active Brand Auditing and Mystery Shopping, said "We are constantly looking at ways to improve and our 4th generation brand audit system and process is exceptional. Providing an audit service with flawless execution is essential, especially as we work with some of the most recognised and prestigious brands in the world". Retail Active provides a holistic audit service that is second to none, generating brand accountability at every level within our clients businesses.

Retailers working with us can expect:

• Full visibility of their brand portfolio
• The opportunity to compare the visual and financial brand performance
• Substantially improved brand management and marketing control
• A proven way to save hours of wasted management time, resource and costly overheads
  

High Street Summer Service May Disappoint

Retail Active the leading Mystery Shopping and Brand Audit Company has surveyed 3,485 people during July 2011 to ask if they expect service on the high street to deteriorate during the summer holiday period.

An overwhelming 84% of mystery shoppers said that based on previous experience they expect service to worsen throughout late July to early September.

As tough times set in, companies working on tight budgets may struggle to cover staff holidays with well trained replacements. Retail Active's shopper panel believe that this is a core reason why customers fear there will be an impact on the service they will receive.

Julian Chamberlain, CEO of Retail Active Mystery Shopping, says "the perception that service may suffer over the summer period is much higher than we expected. Retailers need to do all they can to ensure continuity of service with competent and trained staff. Wherever possible they must look to improve this during the crucial summer trading period.

If the anticipation of poorer service were to turn to reality there is an obvious risk to service delivery and trading performance on the British High Street.

Our survey highlights the significant benefits of diligently planning holiday cover and ensuring that they have well trained staff, capable of delivering great service with strong product knowledge."

Retail Active has tens of thousands of Mystery Shoppers working undercover on assignments all over Europe. Mystery Shopping is a vital tool for any business looking to improve their performance and build staff competence and profitability.

It's not all bad news though. Retail Active says that 38% of shoppers said they expect far worse service when away on their holiday than they would in the UK.

The Wacky and Wonderful World of Mystery Shopping

Retail Active the leading Mystery Shopping Customer experience agency has shed light on some of the exciting assignments clients ask them to conduct.

According to Head of Operations - Daniel Smart, Retail Active Mystery Shopping are regularly asked to assess the customer experience for some of the most wacky, weird and wonderful experiences you could possibly imagine. He says "You just couldn't make it up! Whilst on the face of it some of the company's mystery assignments may sound a bit strange, each one has a serious business purpose. Our clients expect the very best, that's why they come to us" .

"Over the last month we have been asked to test customer service at man-made beaches in shopping centres, fly off on holiday to test flights and hotels, attend conferences in Florida and dress as wealthy business people to check services at some of London's most prestigious venues. Perhaps one of the most striking jobs has been to purchase a boat valued over a million pounds. Unfortunately for the Mystery Shopper they had to cancel the order a couple of days later."

Retail Active has had an incredible year with trading significantly ahead of expectations. We work with some of the most recognised brands on the planet. Earlier this year the company moved to new prestigious offices at the internal Space Centre in Oxfordshire.

"It's an exciting time for our team too! Our business is very process driven, so being involved in special assignments that are fun and different makes the job more interesting and we love a challenge."

Commenting, Julian Chamberlain CEO of Retail Active said - "It may sound like a lot of fun. However, behind the scenes is an intensely serious business working hard to ensure that we deliver meaningful information that makes a lasting difference to our client's business performance."