Video Mystery Shopping

Four compelling reasons to use Retail Active Video Mystery Shopping:

1) Customer Experience
See your business from the customer’s perspective – literally.  With Video Mystery Shopping, you can ensure that your company standards are adhered to and that your customers' experiences are of a similar high standard, whichever location they visit.

2) Training
Video Mystery Shops can bring a whole new dimension to your current training programme.  With a DVD of perfect service at your stores, you are not restricted to just telling your staff what excellent service is - you can actually SHOW them.

3) Management
No matter what product or service your company provides, service is always a high priority.  Using undetectable, covert recording techniques, Video Mystery Shopping gives you the facility to monitor and manage your business as never before.

4) Quality
Before undertaking assignments, our Mystery Shoppers are checked and briefed as to the requirements of each project.  The recordings are received by us within a matter of hours and they are put through our exacting Quality Assurance measures, checking video and audio quality, adherence to the brief and reporting accuracy.

We can provide online streaming of Video Mystery Shopping footage or we can have footage recorded on CD or DVD for distribution.  An accompanying written report is always an option and this will always be checked against the recording before both video and report are made available on our online portal.

Whether it’s for a new programme or in addition to a programme you are already running with us, Video Mystery Shopping can bring a whole new element to your business.  Please contact us for a demonstration or for further information, through info@retailactive.com or by calling 01235 438 413.  Retail Active is one of the leading Video Mystery Shopping companies.

If you are an established Video Mystery Shopper, please let us know through shoppersupport@retailactive.com, or you can update your Shopper Homepage with details of the equipment that you own so that we can match you up to our clients’ requirements and ensure that Video Mystery Shopping jobs are available to you.

What it takes to be a Mystery Shopper...

Have you ever wondered how businesses’ make decisions?  A growing number of household names are turning to the services of the Mystery Shopper.  The nature of a Mystery Shopper?  You need to have a good memory, be observational and have good writing skills.

A mystery shopper needs to be committed, able to work to a strict or tight deadline, be enthusiastic and reliable.  Every assignment that we schedule is going to provide useful and often decision making information to our clients.  We need Mystery Shoppers who can complete visits for us, with a very objective approach.  Completing an assignment will provide a customer’s insight into the approach and service that it provides.  

The emerging trend in our clients’ portfolio of requests is the Video Shop.  An accurate account of the Customer Service experience received in their business.  Shoppers completing video mystery shopping jobs are becoming more technical and proficient at covert operations.

So, do you have what it takes?  Ready to document and share your shopping experiences?  Why not sign up and start mystery shopping through www.retailactive.com; the home of one of the leading UK Mystery Shopping companies.

Service where it matters

Businesses rely on ensuring that their customers and clients keep coming back. As a mystery shopping company, our entire business is set up around this fact. We keep our clients coming back by helping them keep their customers. Because we spend a lot of time thinking about this, we can sometimes be quite startled when others don’t appear to agree. A recent experience particularly got us thinking about how a business gets (and keeps) new customers. There are a myriad of techniques employed to get new customers into your business, but once there, they’ll only stay if you provide a service that is good enough.

Our experience went like this: we decided to get pizza.  Because one member of the group did not want to get pizza from the usual company, we tried a different pizza company. A simple quirk of fate has got us through their door, a good opportunity for them to win some new repeat customers (or not). When we arrive to collect our pizza, our name was already listed as being ready, which pleased us.  Unfortunately, we then experienced a series of customer service 'do-nots' that had us wondering whether they had any customer service training at all. The short list being:

• They did not acknowledge us. This may not appear to be much of an issue, but certainly exacerbated the problems which were to follow.
• They left us waiting for 10 minutes while they took phone orders.  This, again, wouldn’t matter so much if we had received the acknowledgement, but instead just made what was to follow worse.
• They did not have the pizzas ready.  This was pretty bad, but mistakes like this happen and how you handle them can occasionally win you life-long customers.  This did not happen though.
• They misled us.  Two of our pizzas were ready, while one had either been forgotten or accidentally given to another customer.  Instead we were told that it was “nearly ready”, whilst we watched the preparation from start to finish.
• They did not acknowledge or apologise for our extended wait.

As might be assumed, we decided to never again venture from our usual pizza place. However, this had very little to do with the initial mistake, we’ve waited for pizza before and were hardly in a rush.  Instead, it was to do with the apparent attitude of the staff towards us.  The feelings a customer has towards a company define whether they will return.  If a customer feels undervalued or unwanted, then they are very unlikely to come back.  Of course discovering how your business makes your customers feel can be very tricky, but then this is where selected mystery shoppers can make a world of difference. So, when in doubt, call the experts at Retail Active Mystery Shopping.

Happy New Year from all at Retail Active

New Years Day is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.  2012 has seen our business grow and it has been a pleasure helping you reach your goals.

To all of our clients, employees and our worldwide panel of mystery shoppers, auditors and interviewers, our success in 2013 depends on all of you.  Thank you and we wish you all and your families our best wishes for happiness and prosperity in 2013.

Happy New Year!

Service Hero of the Month - November 2012

We are pleased to present this month’s Service Hero; Charlotte, a valued member of Boots, who works at their store in Leeds, United Kingdom.

Charlotte has been nominated as a Service Hero due to her personal and excellent Customer Service, noted as going out of her way to ensure that Boots' customers are happy and have everything that they need.  In a very busy location, Charlotte makes time to engage every customer as an individual and always has a smile to share.

We are always on the look-out for nominees for Service Hero of the Month so if you have experienced extraordinary Customer Service, whether during a Mystery shopping visit or at any other time, please email your nomination to shoppersupport@retailactive.com along with the reasons for your nomination, your nominee’s name and the company they work for.  Please include your details so that you can be contacted regarding your nomination for further details if needed.

To find out what Retail Active can do for your company to improve Customer Experience, please email info@retailactive.com.  If you are interested in becoming a Mystery Shopper, please visit www.retailactive.com. 

Service Hero of the Month - October 2012

We are pleased to present this month’s Service Hero; Daniel, a valued member of Timpson, who works at their Fenchurch Street Station store in London, United Kingdom.

Daniel's hard work, dedication and enthusiasm for the brand he represents were evident during recent visits to Timpson, Fenchurch Street Station. His passion for great service and expert knowledge has helped his customers make the right choices for repairs and product purchases. We have received outstanding praise from customers regarding their experience, specifically stating that their opinion of the brand has been positively influenced as a direct result of Daniel's great advice and guidance.

To nominate someone who you feel should be recognised for their excellent Customer Service skills, please email shoppersupport@retailactive.com with your nominee’s name, the company they work for and the reasons for your nomination. Please also include your details so that we can get in touch regarding your nomination, in case we need some more information.

Remember, your nominee doesn’t have to be from one of your mystery shopping assignments and you don’t have to be working for our mystery shopping company to nominate someone.
If you would like to find out what Retail Active can do to improve Customer Service and Customer Experience in your stores, please contact info@retailactive.com.

Repeat Customers Spend 33% More Than New Customers

A customer research company has recently published findings that suggest repeat customers spend on average 33% more than new customers. Another key result from the survey is that referrals among repeat customers are 107% greater than non-customers.

The two facts combined reaffirm the long held view that operating a strategic customer retention plan is essential for business success. Developing your customer loyalty is a key part of any sales growth plan, especially as it can cost as much to gain ONE new client as to keep FIVE existing ones.

Building your customers advocacy is crucial especially when you look at the way businesses can lose customers. Incredibly 68% of customers leave because of what they perceive as indifference from the service provider. This level of indifference makes them feel unappreciated and taken for granted.

14% leave because of dissatisfaction with the current service and/or product
9% leave because of a better product/service or price
5% follow a friend's advice, these customers are passive and have been persuaded by a detractor.
3% move away from the area
1% of customers die

Retail Active the agency who compiled the survey information specialise in Mystery Shopping and Compliance Auditing.

Julian Chamberlain, Managing Director of Retail Active commented, ‘Before any company considers spending valuable time and money attracting new customers, they should consider these statistics. It is striking that even in such a tough economic climate loyal customers are still prepared to spend much more than those new to your business proposition.’

Retail Active provides research focused on delivering genuine business advantage to clients. If you would like to know more about the Mystery Shopping services they offer visit www.retailactive.com or call 01235 438413.