Mystery shopping and overt operational audits are two different approaches used by businesses to assess and improve their operations, especially in the context of customer service and retail environments. We discussed Brand Audits in a previous blog, which is another type of overt audit. Brand audits are designed to protect brand image in the context of the physical sales environment. Auditors record location details (which may include digital photographs and embedded video) to confirm that the sales environment mirrors corporate expectations. Operational Audits are quite different but equall ..read more

Yes, it is generally advisable for businesses to have a social media policy for legal purposes. A social media policy is a set of guidelines and rules that govern how employees and representatives of the company should use social media in the context of their work. Social Media Policy Protects Company Reputation Protecting Confidential Information: A social media policy can outline the importance of not sharing confidential or sensitive company information on social media platforms. This helps protect trade secrets and other proprietary information from being inadvertently or intentionally d ..read more

An employee’s body language can have a significant impact on customer service. Nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, gestures, posture, and tone of voice, can convey a lot of information to customers and influence their perception of the service they receive. How Employees’ Body Language Can Impact Customer Service First Impressions: When a customer interacts with an employee, the initial impression is often formed based on body language. A warm smile, good eye contact, and a welcoming posture can set a positive tone for the entire interaction. Trust and Credibility: Positive body lang ..read more

Getty Images Conducting call center evaluations for customer service is essential for ensuring consistent quality and identifying areas for improvement. However, many companies just don’t have the resources available internally to conduct evaluations on a regular basis. This was the case for one of our clients, a specialty supplier of all types of metals, parts, and more. With over 100 locations, this made call center evaluations somewhat challenging. We worked with the client to create a customized program that would supply them with the necessary data they were looking for. Who were their s ..read more

Competitive intelligence and mystery shopping are two related concepts that can provide valuable insights into a company’s competitive landscape and customer experience. Let’s explore each concept in more detail: Competitive Intelligence Competitive intelligence (CI) involves gathering and analyzing information about competitors, their products, strategies, and market positioning. The goal is to gain a competitive edge by understanding the market dynamics and making informed decisions. CI encompasses various techniques such as market research, data analysis, and information gathering from pub ..read more

I have often wondered why so many large corporations and businesses opt to spend a lot of money on annual customer feedback surveys. Are they reliable? After all, is a customer going to recall every service touchpoint over a full year and be able to provide clear, actionable answers to survey questions? While annual customer satisfaction surveys can provide some insights, they may have limitations that can make them less effective in capturing the dynamic nature of customer satisfaction. Top 4 Reasons Why Annual Customer Surveys May Not Work as Well Lack of Timeliness: Annual surveys only ca ..read more

You may wonder that in the age of online reviews, does a business really need to conduct customer satisfaction surveys. Between Google Reviews, Yelp, and Social Media Reviews, many companies have ditched the surveys. Conducting customer satisfaction surveys is an effective way to understand your customers’ perceptions and experiences with your product or service. It goes way beyond an online review and when done correctly, can provide you with deeper customer insights. Steps in Creating an Effective Customer Satisfaction Survey Define your objectives: The first step is to determine the purpos ..read more

When a client calls us looking to do a competitive mystery shopping project, most of the time their focus is on pricing. Once we get into the project however, they tend to learn much more about their competitors than they originally thought. Sales Prevention When we launch a mystery shopping project, we develop a survey with specific questions designed to gather ALL types of intelligence not just pricing. Here is a great example: The question is “Did the representative attempt to “win” your business by asking for your business today?” For this particular program 70% of the time they did not. S ..read more

Audits are an effective observation tool for evaluating everything from product displays and use of marketing materials, to brand exclusivity, franchise compliance, and even adherence to detailed company standards. During periodic visits, auditors openly evaluate the physical and visual aspects of the site according to your customized checklist. Brand Audit Brand audits are designed to protect brand image in the context of the physical sales environment. Auditors record location details (which may include digital photographs and embedded video) to confirm that the sales environment mirrors cor ..read more

With the rise of reviews online and social media, many companies have opted out of sending their clients surveys altogether. The thinking is they don’t need them since they are hearing from their customers on a regular basis online. However, is this a good strategy? Do surveys still play an important role? Let’s start by taking a closer look at the Review Economy. Let’s face it, we have all relied on online reviews when it comes to making a purchase. I would guess that this increased a lot this past year during COVID, with most of us increasing our online shopping. in fact, we wrote about Appl ..read more