Welcome to Mission Control

 

Retail Active is a fast growing business and at long last we have moved to our new dedicated office aptly named, ‘Mission Control.’

Having dedicated office facilities has enabled us to develop our own, special culture further.  Working as a close team gives us a feeling of pride and a deep sense of mission.

Here’s what some of the team have to say:

“The team are becoming stronger.  We are working together so much better now that we are in one building, rather than split across several offices.  We support each other at every stage of the way!”
Jo – Completion

“The updated technology is a real bonus – we now have the same Wi-Fi that NASA use and we still have great facilities being installed, like the Video walls.  We were restricted by our office before; now the sky is the limit.”
Michelle – Quality Assurance

“It has meant that we now have increased visibility across our business.  Our back of house and scheduling teams can now understand our client’s perspective and the Account Managers have a greater awareness of our Mystery Shopping community.”
Charlotte – Operations

To find out why we are one of the UKs fastest growing Mystery shopping companies and ask what we can do for your company email info@retailactive.com.  

If you are looking to join us as a Mystery shopper, you can join online via our Mystery Shopping Academy at www.retailactive.com

Devon and Cornwall – join our continued expansion!

Following on from the success of our search for mystery shoppers in Devon, we are now also expanding our exciting new project into Cornwall and parts of Somerset.  We are looking for genuine, reliable and articulate mystery shoppers in these areas to join us in our mission to improve customer service and guest experiences across Great Britain and beyond. 

Although we have had a surge of applications from the West Country, we still have space on the team for those looking to work flexible hours, enjoy the UK’s best brands and get paid to shop!

Retail Active is one of the UK’s leading mystery shopping companies and we are currently booking new clients for our Summer 2013 programme. To find out what Retail Active can do for your company or book your company for mystery shopping visits, please email info@retailactive.com.

 If you are interested in joining our Worldwide team of secret shoppers, you can sign up online for mystery shopping jobs at www.retailactive.com or telephone 01235 428413 for more information.

Thank you to all of our Mystery Shoppers

Retail Active is the most innovative of all of the UK’s Mystery Shopping Companies, but we know that a lot of our great reputation is founded on the hard work of our mystery shoppers all over the globe.  With this in mind, it’s that time again – time to say a brief Thank You to our star Mystery Shoppers.

Thank you to Keith from South Lanarkshire:
Your help, at the last minute, on our most recent new project has been greatly appreciated throughout the scheduling team.  You’re a star!

Thank you to Natasha from London:
You’ve only recently joined the team and you’ve already completed numerous visits, most of which were hard-to-allocate visits.

Thank you to Justin from London:
You always go above and beyond to be a great help ... especially with our new VM check project!

Thank you to Robert from Stockton-on-Tees:
You’ve been a shining star in an area that is hard for us to allocate visits in.  Thank you for trekking out in all weathers for us!

Thank you to William from Limerick:
You’ve been a great help with our recent project in Ireland.  Thank you, William.

Thank you to Sarah from Limerick:
As always, you’ve been happy to travel across the country for us, picking up visits en route.

Thank you to Nicola from Belfast:
Travelling far and wide to complete visits for us, you have been a great asset over the past month.  We are delighted to have you on the team, and now your husband too!

Last but not least ...
Thank you to all of our secret shoppers – you help to make Retail Active the leading British mystery shopping company.  You can find out what we can do for your company, or join our mystery shopping team at www.retailactive.com

Service Hero of the Month - December 2012

Retail Active is the leading British brand auditing and mystery shopping company and we like to recognise service excellence not just by providing clients with our acclaimed mystery shopping reports, but from accepting nominations for our Service Hero award.

We are delighted to award this month’s Service Hero to Sharon, a valued colleague at the Glossop branch of Wickes.

Sharon has been nominated for recognition as a Service Hero due to her excellent Customer Service skills, noted in a recent mystery shopping visit.  She takes the trouble to explain the services that Wickes can provide and does so at the right level for her customers to understand. 

Our mystery shopper said, “I felt that she was interested in my needs, not just in a sale, and as a result I felt a valued customer and would have been more likely to buy as a result.”

If you want to nominate someone for our Service Hero of the Month, please email shoppersupport@retailactive.com with your nominee’s name, the company they work for and the reasons for your nomination.

The nomination doesn’t have to come from one of our mystery shopping visits or brand audits.  The nominee could work at your regular coffee-stop or supermarket – we are happy to receive all recommendations.

Please include your contact details in the email, just in case we need to get in touch for more information with regards to your nomination.

If you’re interested in seeing how we can help you to improve Service Excellence and Customer Experience within your business, please email info@retailactive.com for more details.

Mystery Shopping Jobs in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

We are looking for genuine, reliable and articulate mystery shoppers to join us in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Over the next few weeks we have some very exciting assignments on offer; jobs where we pay you to shop and you get paid for doing something you really enjoy!

Retail Active is one of the leading Mystery Shopping Companies in Europe and we are growing fast.  Companies employ us to check out the service offered at their stores, hotels, restaurants and resorts.   We are on a drive to help improve the quality of service and standards for consumers and by working with us, you will play a very valuable part.

If you are interested in joining us and are looking for mystery shopping jobs, sign up at www.retailactive.com or telephone 0044  1235 428413 for more information.

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.

The rise of the e-card

Christmas is just round the corner and here at Retail Active our tree is already up and the office is covered in cards and advent calendars.  We’ve also started to receive a few e-cards, which has got us thinking.

As a mystery shopping company, we are thinking about the relationship between business and consumers, and particularly what a company’s behaviour says about itself and its relationship with its customers.

A quick search around the internet will find a lot of people decrying the e-card as pointless and impersonal.  The reasons given are all fairly similar, the ease of which an e-card is sent makes them feel less meaningful.  With a traditional card, you know the person sending it has thought about you as they chose, wrote and sealed the card, whereas with an e-card they may well have simply imported their email contacts and clicked 'send all'.  But these arguments are all on the assumption that it is an individual sending cards to another individual.  When a company sends greeting cards, they are taking your name from a database, using bulk purchased cards and preparing them in an automated envelope stuffer – probably the same one used to send your bills.

The process is not all that different from what they would be doing with the e-cards, so why not save the environment a bit and skip delivering actual cards?  The answer is fairly simple as it turns out. 

Most companies put a lot of work into not appearing faceless and corporate, they engage in massive programmes to engage their customers and ensure their customers think of them as something more than 'just another company' (we would know, we provide the mystery shoppers who check how they are doing!).  When you’ve invested this heavily in building that relationship with your customers, the last thing you want to do is give the impression that you are being impersonal.

With electronic communication ever taking the place of traditional modes of communication, it is safe to say that the e-card is here to stay (and the traditional card might be doomed), but for now, if you are a business who cares about your relationship with your customers, a well chosen traditional card is your only real choice.

Let us know! Will you be sending e-cards this year?

Welcome to the team, Kimberly!

The UK’s leading Mystery Shopping and business intelligence company, Retail Active, is proud to announce the recent Client Account Manager appointment. 

Kimberly Morgan, from Oxfordshire, has been in the industry for over five years with more than two years in Account Management.  She has a background in finance and marketing and an MBA from the University of San Diego. Working with us for some time, she has impressed us to make recent developments in her role and this important appointment due to her deep, grass-roots understanding of the industry.

Julian Chamberlain, Director of Retail Active, adds, “We are very excited to have yet another brilliantly conscientious and client-focused individual on the team and I’m sure that Kimberly will delight our clients just as she has us at Retail Active.”

Retail Active is one of the leading and fastest growing Mystery shopping companies in the UK and now is a great time to join us.  See what we can do for your company by clicking here, or ask us at info@retailactive.com.

We are always looking for brilliant and driven individuals to join us as Mystery shoppers and you can via our Shopper Academy at www.retailactive.com.

Retail Active Supports Movember

Being a Mystery Shopping Company we have a lot to say to our clients about how to engage their customers. We believe that a customer who is engaged and invested in your business (and this is basically true no matter what business you are in), is a customer who will stand by you. We don’t just mean that they’ll keep purchasing your product either; a good customer is like a good friend, and if you’re good to them they will move heaven and earth to help you, not because of what you’ve done for them but because they believe in you. So of course we hope you feel like we’re doing right by you, because no matter whether you’re a client or a Mystery Shopper you are incredibly important to us, we couldn’t do what we do without you.

Of course you might be justified for asking “What’s with the sudden love in?” well let me tell you. We’re about to talk to you about our beliefs, feelings, and a sterling cause which really knows how to engage you on a personal level. As a mystery shopping company what we tend to talk about is Mystery Shopping, Brand Audits, customer satisfaction surveys and the like. We really don’t talk about our beliefs and passions, we don’t know about other Mystery Shopping Companies (or indeed other companies generally), but talking about our beliefs always seems a little odd. Isn’t it something for the individual rather than a large company? Well of course it is, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t pull together to make a worthwhile difference, and throughout Movember we’re going to be trying to do just that.

For those who don’t know, the Movember Foundation is a charitable initiative aiming to raise funds and awareness for men’s health (specifically prostate and testicular cancer). During November each year they are responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. Each participant (a Mo-Bro) starts November clean shaven and grows a moustache over the course of the month. They essentially becoming a walking talking advertisement for Movember (talk about knowing how to use word of mouth to engage your audience). You can find more about them on their website. Here at Retail Active we’ll be getting together to support Movember and hopefully gather a fine collection of distinguished moustaches. So whether you come to us for Mystery Shopping Jobs, to keep your customer service in tip-top shape, or have just stumbled across this blog, we hope you’ll keep following us through Movember and perhaps even join us as a Mo-Bro!

A BIG Thank you to our mystery shoppers all over the world

A BIG Thank you to our mystery shoppers all over the world.

Thank you to Leslie from Gwent:
You are always happy to help with our visits in South Wales and complete reports to an excellent standard.

Thank you to Barry from Aberdeenshire:
Your attention to detail is superb and your recent reports have been spot-on – thank you.

Thank you to Emma from Cheshire:
We can call on you for anything and we can trust that you will complete anything to a high standard, and on time. 

Thank you to Justin from London:
Your hard work on our stations project is unrivalled. You are a credit to secret shopping, and we are glad to have you on the team.

Thank you to Anoop from London:
You were allocated three last minute, high-priority test visits and completed them the same day with zero proof-reading queries, and you only joined us last month – you’re a star!

Thank you to Carole from Oxfordshire:
You joined us in July and have completed assignments varying from calls to detailed visits and we are grateful for your excellent reports. We managed to fit you in a hotel stay as a ‘thank you’ and we hope you have a lovely break away with your husband!

Thank you to Elin from Edinburgh:
You always manage to fit in our in-the-middle-of-nowhere mystery shopping jobs, and your help on our most recent project has been greatly appreciated throughout the scheduling team.

Thank you to Martin from London:
You’ve helped out on so many last-minute visits over the past few months for us and we truly appreciate your dedication – you’re our perfect mystery shopper.

Last but not least...
Thank you to all of our secret shoppers – you help to make Retail Active the leading British mystery shopping company.  For more information about becoming a secret shopper, or to make an enquiry about mystery shopping or brand audits, please visit www.retailactive.com

Operations Director

Salary: £48k, Bonus Scheme, Company Car, Incentive Package and Benefits
Based: Harwell, Oxfordshire


Retail Active is one of the fastest growing customer  intelligence companies in the UK. We work with some of the world's best known brands and are now looking to implement our aggressive growth plans in the UK and overseas.

We currently have a vacancy for an Operations Director, based at our office in Harwell, Oxfordshire. This is a pivotal role and vital to the company's future success. Reporting to the Managing Director you will be directly responsible for executing the company's business plan and daily operational activity. You will work closely with the Commercial Director and be responsible for the Operations Teams, ensuring flawless execution of the Retail Active proposition to complete client satisfaction.

Prior experience in customer research programmes is essential, coupled with an excellent understanding of customer experience in retail and hospitality environments. You will also have proven senior management (operational) experience in a high pressure environment.

You will have outstanding interpersonal and presentation skills, be commercially astute with an aptitude for strategic business development. Key to this role is your ability to drive growth by adding real value to both existing and new clients.

As Operations Director you will be responsible for leading your teams by example, forging strong high-level relationships with clients and for meeting demanding business targets.

This is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic business at an influential level with potential to reap substantial rewards and success.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Delivery of the company business plan and financial objectives
• Management of the Completion Team, Quality Assurance Team, Account Management and IT Teams to ensure flawless execution of the Retail Active proposition
• Communication and delivery of agreed company KPI's weekly, monthly and quarterly and annually
• Attending high level meetings to ensure complete client satisfaction, representing the companies range of services whilst making a meaningful difference to client businesses
• Understanding client objectives and continually qualifying client needs through communicating to and meeting with clients at strategic and head office levels
• Compare revenue performance with market opportunity by product
• Fulfill ad hoc reporting requests as needed
• Maintain a well informed understanding of competitors activity, products and objectives
• Work with the Managing Director and Sales Director on relevant client acquisition projects, participate in company marketing and sales efforts where appropriate
• Seek every opportunity to represent Retail Active, its products and business interests with third party organisations and business partners
• Interact and foster outstanding working relationships with clients, be fully conversant with Retail Active products in order to help drive sales - and specifically on large, cross-discipline pitches and RFPs
• Delivering an agreed increase in overall productivity by focusing on streamlining current processes and implementing industry best practices
• Lead large national and international projects, from initial costing through logistical delivery and quality assurance
• Deliver business to grow at +30% per year while decreasing operating costs through process re-engineering and supply chain and people management
• To attend monthly Business Planning meetings and agree points of further action to deliver the company plan

Required Skills and Experience:

• Degree in communications, market research, business, or related field
• Extensive experience managing operations for a qualitative market research organisation
• Experience in leading and motivating teams to deliver outstanding results in a demanding environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, being used to present complex data in an interesting and easy to comprehend way
• Outstanding project management skills with the ability to establish priorities, manage multiple projects, establish time lines manage and appraise team leaders and employees to achieve objectives
• Experience working with top clients across multiple industries, including FMCG, Finance, Healthcare, Retail, Hospitality, Automotive and Technology
• Experience in successfully implementing new product innovation to the market place
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to interact professionally and effectively with all levels of employees and senior leadership
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure of deadlines. Ability to adapt quickly to change
• Leadership experience as demonstrated by successfully managing an organisation of at least 15 team members
• A commitment to maintain confidentiality of employee, client and business data 
• Strong strategic, analytical and critical thinking skills
• Good knowledge of PowerPoint, Word and Excel
• Experience managing large, complex domestic and multi-national projects across cultures
• Experience working with senior management to drive and implement key business strategies

Closing date for applications is 24th August 2012.

Retail Active is one of the fastest growing brand audit and mystery shopping companies in the UK. We work with some of the world's best known brands sending specially trained mystery shoppers to assess the quality of service at client's premises. Mystery Shopping is a fast growing market research technique and we are actively recruiting secret shoppers of all demographic profiles. Those wishing to apply for mystery shopping jobs should apply at www.retailactive.com. Alternatively applicants will find us by searching mystery shopper on Google.

British Consumers Complain More

Leading Mystery Shopping Company 'Retail Active' has repeated its survey of high street consumers 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 2,781 people have participated in the survey over the past three months.

More than half of the High Street shoppers say customer service has worsened significantly across all sectors of high street retailing and reports a further decline in service compared to a year ago.

This major new survey concludes that 64 percent of British consumers believe service in the UK has worsened considerably over the past year.

Retail Active mystery shopping say more and more people are prepared to complain about shoddy service than ever before. Four out of five people polled in the survey said they will not suffer in silence any more - and will stand up to sloppy staff.

Retail Active Managing Director, 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. "Nearly a third, 38 percent, of shoppers polled said they complain more now than they did before the credit crunch in 2008!

Retail Active is one of Europe's leading Mystery Shopping Companies and conducts Brand Audits, Secret Shopping and customer satisfaction surveys to over 170 companies in the UK and Europe.

The company is always looking for new secret shoppes and assessors to help with Mystery Shopping and Brand Auditing.

New Exciting Assignments

Over the next two months we will be releasing a whole range of exciting new assignments. We are looking for people just like you to join us to assess customer service throughout Europe. You could be eating in fine restaurants, having a pint (or two) at your local or going to the cinema as a Retail Active mystery shopping professional.

Retail Active conducts secret shopping throughout Europe, sending thousands of secret shoppers each month to test service and quality. We are always looking for new mystery shoppers to join us in our quest to be one of the world's top Mystery Shopping Companies.

We are a growing company and are very loyal to our team; we always give those that do a great job the opportunity to do some of the best assignments. This could be staying in a five star hotel or on a funded shopping trip where you can keep luxury purchases.

If you are not a Mystery Shopper with us currently, please apply online at www.retailactive.com and go through our Shopper Academy. From time to time we are also looking for Auditors to help us conduct Brand Audits as well as Customer Service Interviewers.

Retail Active is a leading Brand Audit and Mystery Shopping Company with significant growth plans.

Join us and help make a real difference to customer service, everywhere!

Customer Service Interviewer Vacancies

Retail Active the leading British Brand Audit and Mystery Shopping Company is currently recruiting experienced customer service 'Exit Interviewers' to work with us on an exciting new project.

This could be an ideal part time job with likely earnings of £200 for working over a Saturday and Sunday.

Opportunities exist throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.

You will need to be confident, well mannered and approachable as it will involve speaking with shoppers as they leave a store. Our clients are leading retail businesses and expect the most diligent and professional service to be provided by our team members. You will be filling in short questionnaires with them, which then need to be entered on the Retail Active online portal. Having an iPad or tablet would be helpful but is not essential.

Having Field Marketing, Exit Survey or Brand Auditing experience is a definite plus, however honesty, reliability and wanting to deliver a great job is equally important.

Register your interest by email to shoppersupport@retailactive.com and please include your Shopper Number on the email.

If you are not a Mystery Shopper with us currently, please apply online at www.retailactive.com and go through our Shopper Academy. Please be advised that you need to be a Mystery Shopper with us to accept Exit Interviewer work.

Retail Active conducts secret shopping throughout Europe sending thousands of secret shoppers each month to test service and quality. We are always looking for mystery shoppers to join us in our quest to be one of the world's top Mystery Shopping Companies offering outstanding mystery shopping services.

Recruiting Brand Assessors

Retail Active is a mystery shopping and brand auditing company that's growing fast and we are looking for the very best people to join us.

We have lots of exciting new assignments starting over the next few months. You could be helping us evaluate the service at petrol stations to posh restaurants all over the UK and continental Europe.

It helps if you have had previous experience as an assessor or mystery shopper, but it's not essential. You will need to be honest, reliable and keen to help us make a real and meaningful difference to our client's business interests.

The key competencies you need are accuracy, empathy, outstanding communication skills and a keen eye for detail. Retail Active works with many of the globes best known brands and you will need to be able to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Retail Active is one of Europe's leading Brand Audit and Mystery Shopping Companies. Each year our carefully selected Brand Auditors and Secret Shoppers visit companies to test their level of quality and service.

If you would like to join us visit www.retailactive.com and complete our online application.

Assessors Required

Retail Active the leading UK Brand Audit Company is looking for assessors with previous experience of auditing to join our International panel of audit experts.

Our clients are leaders in their sector and want to make a step change in performance. We are looking for outstanding assessors to help us evaluate clients business delivery. If you have undertaken audit work in the past 12 months and have a track record of success we would love you to join us.

As an assessor you will need to be articulate, detail conscientious and work to an exacting standard. You will receive full training and will be rewarded for doing something you really enjoy anyway.

Five Reason to Join Us:

1.  Help make a real difference
2. Have Fun!
3. Experience great brands
4. Work will a highly regarded team
5. Increase your core competence

Retail Active is a fast growing brand audit and mystery shopping company and there is plenty of scope for those who want to help improve customer service. We are also one of Europe's leading mystery shopping companies and part of the Sequential Solutions Group.

Retail Active provides brand auditing and mystery shopping throughout Europe, completing thousands of assignments each month to test brand compliance, service and quality. We are always looking for assessors to join us in our quest to be on of Britain's top brand auditing companies, offering outstanding auditing and mystery shopper services.

If you have the drive, ability and experience to be a top rated assessor join us here at Retail Active www.retailactive.com .

Retail Active is Network Rail's Mystery Shopping Partner

Retail Active, one of Europe's leading mystery shopping companies has been appointed by Network Rail to research more than 500 retailers operating at 15 major stations across the UK.

The aim is to increase the profitability of retailers within Network Rail's stations and to identify ways to drive sales and customer service.

The programme will involve thousands of mystery shoppers, who will visit the locations six times a year - as part of a three year programme.

The retailers include well-known brands such as Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury, Boots, Starbucks, WH Smith, Nero and Bodyshop - as well as a number of small independent operators.

Stations involved include major London terminals Paddington, Victoria, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street as well as Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street and Leeds.

Retail Active's Managing Director, Julian Chamberlain said: "The purpose is to engage with retailers in a spirit of partnership and to monitor and benchmark performance trends and share the results.

"Our regular evaluations and feedback will help Network Rail to develop and maintain good customer service practice with their business partners for years to come.

Laura Pries, Operations Director of Retail Active mystery shopping says: "The main objective is to improve the retail experience for customers - who will have a different set of demands to those on the High Street. Timing and ensuring people get what they need quickly are important. People in a station environment are usually in a rush.

"We have built a questionnaire based very much on the engagement of the secret shopper and how they feel about the experience.

"Some retailers have their own programmes and they wanted mystery shopper research that would work in harmony.

"Network Rail has been very careful to consider its retailers and how they may operate slightly differently to each other.

"Our programme will not penalise retailers because they don't do certain things or if they behave in a slightly different way.

"I believe Retail Active won this contract because we provide arguably the most advanced and meaningful mystery shopping and brand audit research available. We are passionate about what we do, and are a close knit team and provide rich information that makes a huge difference to our clients.

"Network Rail wanted someone who would integrate with them and immerse themselves in their business - and that is what we have done.

Julian Chamberlain added: "We are a fast growing mystery shopping company and our ability to deliver this project with flawless executions means we are the right choice.

"Working with Network Rail enables us to show our true capabilities as the UK's leading Mystery Shopping and Brand Audit company."

Retail Active Signs Up Over 60,000 Mystery Shoppers in USA

Retail Active, one of Europe's leading Brand Audit and Mystery Shopping Companies announced it has signed up an additional 60,000 mystery shoppers in the United States of America. The drive to recruit shoppers took place over the past few months following strong US interest in the company's products and services.

The British owned business intelligence company has experienced significant growth in UK business over the last year and is increasingly being asked to provide its services on a global basis.

Retail Active's Managing Director, Julian Chamberlain said: "We are delighted to welcome so many US secret shoppers to Retail Active, especially those who have already given us such great feedback.

"We are very much of the view that it is the quality of people who join us and not the number that is important.

"All mystery shoppers who join us apply online and complete our mystery shopping training academy. If they are successful and pass the online test we invite them to join us as probationary shoppers, giving them the chance to build their rating which could lead to top assignments with prestige clients."

Retail Active is a fast growing mystery shopping company and part of the Sequential Solutions Group. The company specialises in delivering bespoke customer intelligence solutions to some of the world's best known brands.

Mystery Shoppers Urgently Required

Would you like to shop, dine or stay in fabulous hotels and get paid for doing it!

Retail Active are the market leaders when it comes to mystery shopping and brand auditing in the premium brand and prestige business sector. We are looking for outstanding mystery shoppers to help us evaluate customer service and sales efforts for our renowned clients, and would love you to join us.

You will need to be articulate, conscientious and be able to recognise great service when you see it. There's no catch and no hidden fees. You can earn money doing something you really enjoy anyway.

Five Reasons to Join Us:

1. Have Fun!

2. Experience great brands

3. Taste great food

4. Stay in top hotels

5. Help make a real difference

Our clients are the best in the sector and want to learn how well their sales and service staff are representing their business. The most successful way to reliably test this is to use one of our team to rate how well they do, known as a mystery shopper. You could be one of these secret shoppers by joining us here at Retail Active www.retailactive.com .

Retail Active is a fast growing brand audit and mystery shopping company and there is plenty of scope for those who want to help improve customer service. We are also one of Europe's leading Mystery Shopping Companies and part of the Sequential Solutions Group.

Data Processor Vacancy

Data Processor - Salary: 16k - 17k
Hours of work: 9.00 - 17.30 Monday to Friday
Harwell, Oxfordshire

Retail Active Mystery Shopping is growing fast and we are looking for a Data Processor to join us at our Head Office in Harwell, Oxfordshire.

We have an exciting IT opportunity for a highly motivated individual to join our Operations team designing forms for deployment to the internet through our proprietary system. The successful applicant will report to the Operations Manager. You will be a motivated and energetic individual, used to working in a fast paced environment and delivering results.

Our Operations team is responsible for delivering bespoke Mystery Shopper research that contributes a meaningful and lasting difference to our client's business performance. This is an environment where we work to tight deadlines, ensuring the standard of service we provide our Secret Shoppers and Clients is second to none.

Accuracy and diligence are essential competencies, as is the ability to analyse and interpret research data. You will have a strong understanding of Microsoft Excel, be IT literate and have a keen eye for detail. Experience with CSS is desirable though not essential.

While this role is predominately focuses on creating data input forms, you will also be involved in developing new creative projects on a regular basis. We will look favorably on those applicants that can demonstrate their abilities in other IT areas outside of data input.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Working with our proprietary system, you will design bespoke forms for deployment for the internet to meet client Mystery Shopping Programme requirements
• Input research data to the Retail Active System
• Determine client facing dashboards, enabling clients to see accurate and meaningful research data at a glance
• Work closely with Client Account Managers, interpreting their needs to ensure clients receive an exacting level of service at all times
• Provide support and guidance to all the Allocation team so that projects can be implemented smoothly and effectively
• Develop bespoke demonstration websites for clients where required
• Meet implementation targets and deadlines
• Work with other members of the IT team to ensure the department works smoothly and effectively

Retail Active is a fast growing mystery shopping company, there is plenty of scope for those with drive and ability to develop their career to the highest level. This great opportunity to join a fast paced team that thrives on success.

If you would like to apply for the position of Data Processor, send your current CV, stating your qualifications and experience to info@retailactive.com . Please include a cover letter setting out why you should be considered for this role.

Retail Active is one of Europe's leading Mystery Shopping Companies and part of the Sequential Solutions Group.