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.
