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.

Devon - Mystery Shopping Opportunities

We are looking for conscientious, articulate and reliable secret shoppers to join us for mystery shopping jobs in Devon.

Following the success of our weekly mystery shopping in the Republic of Ireland, we are running a similar programme in Devon so we are looking to expand our current team. We’re going to be having some really exciting opportunities in the coming weeks, where you could be paid to shop and enjoy products and experiences from your favourite brands.

Retail Active is a market leading Mystery Shopping Company in the UK and we are still growing fast. Our clients employ us to report back on the services provided at their hotels, restaurants and stores. Mystery Shopping is a huge part of our repertoire and our mystery shoppers help us to help our clients improve customer service and experience in their businesses.

If you are looking for mystery shopping jobs and interested in joining the team, please visit www.retailactive.com or telephone 01235 428413 for more information.

Video Mystery Shopping with Retail Active

Retail Active is one of the market leading Mystery Shopping Companies in the UK and we are undertaking a new venture for one of our existing clients. Due to the number of Video Mystery Shopping opportunities coming up, we need to expand our team of registered Video mystery shoppers.

Do you have experience in VIDEO MYSTERY SHOPPING? We would love to get you involved!  Please contact us on 01235 438 413 and let us know what equipment you have. You can also edit your Shopper Homepage to detail the equipment you own, to ensure that you are offered Video Mystery Shopping jobs.

We can only offer Video Mystery Shopping work to our registered Mystery Shoppers so if you're interested, join the team online at www.retailactive.com

We already have a great team of Video mystery shoppers on our panel so if you’re looking for a Video Mystery Shopping company, please email us on info@retailactive.com to see what Retail Active can do for your company.

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.

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.

MYSTERY SHOPPING IN A RECESSION

Times are tough on the High Street and budgets are being cut, so is this the time to reduce your marketing spend, or is this the time to learn exactly what your customers needs and expectations are?

Making the right decision is going to be a difficult and critical choice. In every recession there are winners and losers. It is often said its not how you enter a recession it is how you emerge from it.
One of the most powerful ways to place your business in a winning position is to identify key measures that are strategically important to your future success.

To emerge from any downturn in good shape it’s important to consider the medium and longer term customer satisfaction and advocacy. Annual Mystery Shopping Programmes cost less than £1 per day per store/unit. Cutting this spend could give you a very short term cost saving but can backfire. When considering how to win in a recession it is essential to measure the right things. The customer experience you deliver each day, through every interaction, direct and indirect, either builds or destroys your brand.

Retail Active the Mystery Shopping Company are experts in turning pioneering research into measurable ways to improve business performance, quickly and with surgical precision.

The Mystery Shopping results gathered are expertly analysed to provide a new perspective on your business. Retail Active provides unequalled support to help turn objectives and strategies into reality with award winning training materials and business tools.

The Retail Active web based 24/7 reporting system is the most advance available and will guide you effortlessly to the areas on which you need to focus.
To learn more on about winning with Mystery Shopping Research in an economic slowdown visit www.retailactive.com or call 01235 438413.

At a time when customers are choosing where and what to spend their money on do you should be looking to use customer research to help you do the following:
Monitor Customer Service Delivery
Measure Brand Standards
Drive Sales
Reduce Complaints
Develop Customer loyalty and Advocacy
Motivate Your Team
Monitor Performance
Determine Strategic Goals
Set Tactical Objectives
Benchmark Competitors
Increase Employee Satisfaction
Protect Capital Investments and ROI
Determine, Prioritise and Measure Critical Customer Touch Points
Turn Complaints into new Opportunities
Protect and Build Brand Equity