Center Parcs signs up Retail Active

Center Parcs have chosen Retail Active as their Mystery Shopping partner to assess service levels and staff behaviours. Following extensive trials the Oxfordshire based Mystery Shopping Company was selected for its capability and experience in being able to help make a real difference to company performance.

Commenting on the news, Julian Chamberlain CEO of Retail Active said, “We are very proud to work with such a distinguished business. The team at Center Parcs are passionate about making genuine improvements to their customer’s holiday experience. Knowing that there is a real zest to make positive improvements based on our research helps make our work so much more rewarding”.

A spokes person for Center Parcs added, “Our Mystery Shopping programme is a vital learning tool. The reports are with us in less than 48 hours, helping us make improvements straight away. We receive the feedback in a very constructive way, where we can measure behaviours through dynamic customer insight.

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. Mystery Shopping services help increase customer satisfaction, sales performance and build staff competence and profitability.

Retail Active Mystery Shopping operates in a range of diverse business sectors, such as Retail, Hotels, Automotive, Supermarkets, Cruise Operators, Restaurants, Pub Retail, Banking and more.

Arguably the Best Mystery Shopping Company in the World

Retail Active, the leading Mystery Shopping and customer experience agency is bucking the trend with continued growth and significant investment in people and technologies.

Following their successful move to the new £40m International Space Innovation Centre, Retail Active is expanding its workforce and business activities.

Trading at the Oxfordshire based Mystery Shopping and Brand Audit Company has been significantly ahead of expectations. Over the past 12 months the company has seen a 40% increase in turnover. Retail Active boast an impressive client list, having some of the most recognised companies in the world on their books.

Julian Chamberlain CEO of Retail Active puts the impressive performance of the company down to the whole team’s dedication to delivering excellence. “In a market where there are several companies offering a similar service it’s essential to have a point of difference. The Retail Active approach is to deliver flawless execution of our services - we just don’t accept sloppy practices”.

”I passionately believe that people make the difference. You can have the best systems, technology and processes in the world, but if you don’t have the right team in place you will never win. Our team are not just experts in their field; they are also a highly motivated force with the passion to provide every client with the best possible Mystery Shopping and Brand Audit Programme.

Commenting further Chamberlain said, “Each day we receive enquires from clients dissatisfied with the way they are being treated by other mystery shopping providers. We are here to welcome them to a new and better way of working, one where the client actually gets what is promised to them.

We have never lost a customer; it’s this that enables us to claim Retail Active is arguably the best Mystery Shopping Company in the world.

Blast Off at Retail Active Head Office

Retail Active the leading Mystery Shopping and customer experience agency plans to expand its workforce and has moved to new larger offices.

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. To cope with the exacting demands of our international customers it is essential that we have the team and resources to deliver an outstanding service experience.

After careful consideration we chose the International Space Innovations Centre in Oxfordshire as the new HQ for Retail Active. The office has recently been opened by Prince Andrew the Duke of York following a multi million pound investment in technology and systems.

Our entire business relies heavily on the most advanced Mystery Shopping and customer insight system available. The Space Innovations Centre gives us the unrivalled advantage of being at the heart of the UK Space industry. This gives us added benefits of being able to use and share some of the tremendous technologies and facilities available on the campus. Already we have attracted some of the brightest talent in the country to join us in our quest to be the Mystery Shopping Company of choice.

In addition to being able to visit the state of the art offices, our clients will be pleased to know they can use our multi million pound conference facilities including the unique space wall, the largest video wall in the United Kingdom.

Commenting on the news, Julian Chamberlain CEO of Retail Active said ‘Now is the right time for us to move to the word class facilities that the Space Centre has to offer. Retail Active is a brand that delivers excellence and this is very much reflected in everything we do.

Our exciting growth plans for the future require our team to have the systems, facilities and environment to operate flawlessly.





The new £40m space centre monitors satellites in orbit; Retail Active’s new office is equipped with screens displaying high resolution images from satellites. Commenting, Julian Chamberlain stated that this unique facility provides Retail Active’s valued clients with the opportunity to launch Mystery Shopping and Brand Audit programmes with a difference!

Mystery Shopping Scams

Mystery Shoppers are being targeted by fraudsters, who are trying to cash in on this increasingly popular part-time activity.

Internet-based tricksters send tempting emails to would-be mystery shoppers asking them for personal information and bank account details.

Unsuspecting people, who want to earn extra income by monitoring customer service standards in retail businesses and public organisations, risk falling prey to a series of scams by bogus companies.

Potential victims are targeted by huge volumes of unsolicited emails on random lists.

The fraudsters have angered genuine Mystery Shopping companies, like Retail Active, which has a wide variety of clients in the Automotive, Food and Drink, Government, Hotels, Leisure, Retail and Travel sectors.

The company gets dozens of calls a week from people all over the world worried that they have been duped – or are about to be.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain says: “

“We have received reports of people being asked for personal details, which are then sold off to use on marketing lists – or for other uses, such as fraudulently accessing people banks accounts.

“No reputable Mystery Shopping company would ever ask for money – so that is the first way to establish whether a company is genuine or not.

“Mystery Shopping is becoming increasingly popular and provides a valuable service to industry.

“We are very angry that fraudsters are trying to exploit people who genuinely want to help improve levels of customer service – and earn some much-needed extra income as well.

“We’ve drawn up a five point guide to help mystery shoppers avoid being conned.

1. Do not apply to be a mystery shopper through an email, list, club or agency. Always apply directly to mystery shopping companies.

2. All reputable mystery shopping companies provide online training as part of the application process. If there is no training then the likelihood is that you are being conned.

3. If in doubt phone. All genuine mystery shopping companies such as Retail Active advertise their telephone number and can be contacted directly.

4. Never, ever part with cash in advance. If you do then there is a high probability that you are being defrauded.

5. There are hundreds of thousands of active mystery shoppers in the UK, ask a friend if they are a mystery shopper. The chances are that they are or at least know someone that does. Ask them who the best mystery shopping companies are.

If in doubt register with mystery shopping company Retail Active at www.retailactive.com.

Restaurant " booby traps" make you eat and spend more

Diners tucking into a meal out have been warned to look out for cunning restaurant “booby traps” designed to make them eat too much and spend more money.

Flowery menu descriptions such as Granny’s Special Double Chocolate Cheesecake instead just plain chocolate cheesecake are often more expensive and can increase food sales by 27 per cent – according to new research.

The research by the business intelligence specialists and mystery shopping company, Retail Active, found that one major restaurant chain charges £1:45 more for an ice cream on Sundays, after dressing it up as a “Special Sunday offer.” Where in fact it is exactly the same food, just more expensive!

Retail Active also spotted an international hotel chain selling “Coffee with Stained Glass Window Biscuits” perhaps better known as Jammy Dodgers!

And descriptions such as Home Cooked, free-range, organic and locally-sourced are a minefield – they are covered by trade descriptions, but due to the fast paced nature of the restaurant industry they prosecution rarely take place.

Julian Chamberlain, the managing director of the leading business intelligence and mystery shopping company, Retail Active, says: “Restaurants have developed a number of skilful tactics to make diners overeat and spend more.

“Some customers would be horrified to discover just what they are eating. People who carefully select healthy items in their weekly shop have no idea what’s on their plate in a restaurant.

“Two major chains have been accused of selling “steak” from African cattle known as Zeebu. Whilst there is no law against this, there is an inference that they are selling Beef, regretfully for the consumer they are being sold something completely different!

“Chicken” can be reformed from mechanically removed meat, reshaped and processed to look like fresh chicken and “Scampi” may be reshaped bits of processed seafood left overs. “Crabsticks” may never seen a crab.

“If there isn’t a proper description on the menu – ask the server and see if they know what it is. If the restaurant company isn’t advertising the origin of the food – it’s probably for a reason.”

Julian Chamberlain says: “Menu writing is a highly crafted art, designed to fill the stomach and empty the wallet.

Most branded menu chains highlight lucrative, high profit dishes to catch the eye and staff are trained to sell them.

Some menus are so developed they use the profit highlighting tactic to hide low profit items they feel obliged to stock, but don’t want you to buy!.

Not just a pretty face - Customer service doesn't mean just being nice

The media has latched on to customer service as a hot topic – but industry professionals are asking whether this populist portrayal short changes the issue.

They say customer service is now a boardroom issue as companies realise that, in a tight market, it is an essential way to add value to their brand – without raising prices.

Companies like Oxford-based Retail Active, which sends out thousands of mystery shoppers every year to assess levels of customer service, say there’s more to creating genuine improvements in customer service than just highlighting shortcomings and naming and shaming.

Retail Active’s Managing Director, Julian Chamberlain says: “We are delighted that customer service is on the agenda. Our undercover agents do reveal a lot of areas where customer service can be improved – but what happens next is to apply a proven approach to delivering service excellence.

“First class and sustainable customer service is a structural issue within companies – not simply a case of identifying a few individuals who fall short of expected standards or of picking out poorly managed facilities.

“Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You want your customers to go away happy and come back again and again.

“It’s not difficult to sell something once – but to sell products and services to repeat customers takes skill and application.

“That’s why customer service is now a boardroom issue – not just a media talking point.

“In difficult trading conditions like these – customer service is the essential make or break ingredient between profitability or loss.

“Our aim is to permanently improve level of customer service and the expectations of consumers – so that, in future, everyone benefits.

“There are ways to achieve this and there’s no mystery about it – you have to follow the rules.

There is no one size fits all but we would recommend retailers:-

• Understand how customers experience your product offering – known as the consumer journey

• Identify the key touch points of the consumer journey – these are real moments of truth where there is an opportunity to exceed expectations, consistently and constantly

• Focus on delivering a flawless execution of service by designing strategies to maximise engagement of your identified moments of truth

• Use a regular customer service assessment programme such as mystery shopping to identify performance and what could be improved on

• Support your service strategy with bespoke and focussed training, taking care to ensure every level of employee understands what is expected of them

• Continuously review your ability to deliver great service

Mystery Shopping lets you fight back against bad service - and make money

Channel Four’s Mary Portas isn’t the only one to appreciate the value of mystery shopping.

There is an undercover army of ordinary people hard at work, reporting on bad customer service - and making money as well.

Leading Mystery Shopping Companies like Retail Active send out thousands of secret shoppers every year into leading High Street stores to make sure retailers are on their toes

And some of their agents even make a living out of it.

When 25 year old Jay Cox gets home after a day’s shopping – he counts up how much he’s earned.

Jay, from Exeter in Devon, is a full-time Mystery Shopper, carrying out undercover assignments all over the country, to assess standards of customer service.

He can appear unannounced in businesses ranging from High street retailers to posh South Coast Marinas - with a brief to buy a mooring for a luxury yacht.

There’s a James Bond touch too. He often carries a concealed digital camera with a pin-head sized lens hidden in his lapel or under his cap.

Jay, who left school with just a handful of c and d grade GCSEs, says Mystery Shopping can bring in up to £25,000 year.

He started part time six years ago – and went “professional” two years ago.

He says; “Employment prospects in Exeter are not good if you don’t have any qualifications – so Mystery Shopping is an ideal career choice.

“I enjoy being my own boss, I like working with people and I have a flair for technology.


“You have to be very organised and make careful plans to maximise the number of visits and minimise travelling expenses.

“When I work in London, I leave home at 4am to start work at 9,

“I can get in between four and seven visits per day.

“I pose as a customer and make detailed notes about the quality of the customer service. The biggest thing I’ve bought is a house.

“As well as getting paid, you get to keep some of the smaller items – but obviously I had to give the house back!!”

Jay, undertakes regular assignments for Britain’s market-leading Mystery Shopping company, Retail Active.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Mystery Shopping is an ideal way to earn extra cash and enjoy shopping at the same time.

“It is perfect for people looking for a second income or for students seeking to make some much-need cash.

“We employ thousands of Mystery Shoppers. Few of them want to make a living like Jay – but his case does show that if you have drive and imagination- there is no reason why it shouldn’t be a full-time job.

“Mystery Shopping fulfils a vital role in retailing – by helping companies to constantly assess the quality of their customer service and to keep ahead of their competitors.

“All we ask is for our shoppers to be conscientious, articulate and able to recognise great service.

“You can experience top brands, restaurants, hotels and holidays – and help to make a real difference in keeping businesses on their toes.”


For others, becoming a mystery shopper is an increasingly popular way of topping up your income – and enjoying valuable perks like free holidays, meals at top restaurants and shopping expeditions to leading retailers.

You even get to keep some of the stuff you buy. You pick your own hours and make it fit with your lifestyle.


Linda Smith, 57, from Southampton had to pose as the owner of a luxury yacht and check out the exclusive facilities at swish South Coast Marinas, including their five star restaurants, when she took up Mystery Shopping.

She says: “It is a great way to earn some extra pin money and have some fun as well. I have never owned a boat but I had to read in great detail about the type of power boat I was supposed to have and be believable as someone who knew all about tides – so I could ask all the right questions. Then they asked me to visit all of their other Marinas, where they gave me the red carpet treatment every time.

Linda, who is a business studies teacher, says her experience as a mystery shopper is not only a profitable and enjoyable part time job – it gives her some good lessons to pass on the students.

“I’ve also had to check out the National Health Service by phoning hospitals and testing the quality of service delivered to patients. You always get a full briefing from Retail Active Mystery Shopping on the background to the job and the questions you need to ask.”

Fifty five year-old Sue Reed from Maidstone took voluntary redundancy from her job as a librarian two years ago and the money she earned from Mystery Shopping really helped to maintain her lifestyle.

Sue was already an experienced Mystery Shopper – covering assignments which included undercover visits to high street retailers, supermarkets, top restaurants and even taking holidays.

Sue said: “I was able to taken on more work for Retail Active Mystery Shopping. It was already a very useful supplement to my income – but after I left my job it gave me the freedom to be my own boss. I can take assignments to fit in with my personal life and it gives me more time to see my grandchildren.

“I get to eat in top restaurants, go on holidays and I’ve even been given gym membership – and I get paid as well.

“You need to be well organised, observant, objective and have a good memory. I have no intention of going back to a full time job now – my part-time job is all I need. It has always been an excellent way to earn extra cash.”

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Mystery Shopping is an ideal way to earn extra cash and enjoy shopping at the same time.

“Payment depends on the size and nature of the assignment – but we just have just paid some shoppers more than £200 for a single job.

“It is perfect for people looking for a second income or for students seeking to make some much-need cash.