Increasingly, our work is becoming crucial for businesses who need to increase their sales or the size of their individual transactions. And we love to help our clients to help their clients to buy.
I'd like to share a very recent example with you where I dealt with an experienced sales person who seemed to forget his role and most certainly did not help us to buy!
The client sells motor caravans and had asked for our help to support them in increasing their turnover. Having experienced caravans before, my wife and I decided to do this initial job ourselves and turned up on a bright, dry Saturday morning, posing as a credible couple looking to buy a 2-berth motorhome with a budget of around £30,000 (I wish!).
On arrival, there were some problems with signage for parking spaces outside the business and this meant we had to park further away than we needed, as we soon found out. (Help me to buy - tell me that I can park on the forecourt in those spare bays!)
So not the very best start but nothing too serious. The range of motorhomes was excellent, baffling perhaps for a first-timer and we spent over ten minutes wandering around the stock outside, without anyone coming out to greet us. Opinions are divided over whether customers like to be approached or left alone but we definitely needed a little direction; an approach from a sales person such as "Good morning, Sir, if you need any help please ask, you can find me in the sales office" would not have offended at all and would have ensured that we didn't walk away, bewildered by choice. (Help me to buy - I am clearly browsing broadly and I will probably therefore need a bit of direction. Make youself known to me and tell me you are available if we need you, which we do!)
Being reasonably persistent and having a job to do, we had to go and seek help in the sales office.
We entered the sales office, whose muddy floor and untidy desks created a less than brilliant first impression. We were warmly greeted, however, by a staff member who quickly realised that she could not help us. Despite there being seats for customers to use, we weren't offered one and we were left standing, alone whilst the staff member went to find someone else. We resisted the temptation to run off with the motorhome keys that we could see on desks! (Help me to buy - make a good first impression on me; offer me a seat since you have some for customers and because you are going to leave us on our own for a couple of minutes.)
Our salesman duly arrived after a couple of minutes and he, too greeted us nicely, asking how we could help. We told him what we were looking for and I asked if we would find a new vehicle with a £30,000 budget. A rapid and emphatic "No" was the reply. Tone and words only make up a relatively small part of how we perceive someone's communication but the salesman had chosen both badly! I looked at my wife whose eyes told me that she knew I now felt like an idiot. A leaflet was then produced showing that an entry level vehicle was available at £33,000. (Help me to buy. Don't make me feel stupid because I don't know what you know. My budget is close so why couldn't you have said something more positive like "You're not at all far away from a new vehicle with that budget, Sir".)
Our salesman showed us to an example of the nearly-affordable new vehicle and a couple of only-just-secondhand models that were within our budget, suggesting that we go inside each and spend time on our own having a good browse. This was appreciated. (You just helped us to buy!)
We loved one of the secondhand vehicles we were shown at £27,995. It was better equipped, more sumptuous and even had a fitted cycle carrier for my mountain bike! The information in the window was difficult to read but showed it was very low mileage and there was a call to action to arrange a test drive. Perfect! There were some information sheets inside the vehicle, too but it didn't say whether we could take one, so we didn't like to. (Help me to buy. Make it obvious that I can take away an information sheet.)
We went back into the sales office, grinning and were warmly greeted again by our salesman, who was sitting behind his desk. He allowed us to remain standing alongside the two chairs in front of his desk that were presumably for potential customers. We told him what we had seen and what we had liked, and also why we had liked it. We asked a few more questions and received answers. (Help me to buy. Take me out to the motorhome and talk us through the things we might want to know. Make sure we know about the key benefits of this one. The more time we spend in it, the more we will feel we own it! Get us more excited about it!)
Our salesman remained firmly seated behind his desk. We remained standing, uninvited to sit down. Our salesman didn't ask us any questions at all. He didn't offer any information about the vehicle. (Help me to buy. Make us feel comfortable. Find out what we need and match a solution to that. Tell us why the motorhome we like will make us happy. Do something!)
Running out of steam, we ask one more question: "Do you get many like that coming in secondhand in such nice condition? Answer: "No, rarely and I couldn't even tell you how much they cost new. We don't have the franchise for that make you see, and if you want to find out the new price you'll have to go to xxxxxx motorhomes over at xxxxxx. " (Help me to buy. You can close a sale by a transfer of your enthusiasm for the product. Don't insult me by telling me that you don't even know how much it cost new and that you can't be bothered to find out. I don't care anyway - we like this one - it's got a bike rack on it for Pete's sake!! Don't send me elsewhere! What are you doing?!!!)
Still standing, we leave a long pause, waiting for some glimmer of a sales process to kick in. Like maybe taking our details or something? We managed to get "All our stock is on the website and it's up to date, so have a look on there". (Help me to buy. I'm not interested in your chuffing website - I've spent 10 minutes outside browsing your stock! And actually, haven't you picked up on the fact that we like the vehicle we've been talking about? With it's bike rack and everything???)
Long pause. (Help me to buy. Let us sit down. Take our details. Offer us that test drive. Develop rapport. Do something. Anything. Please!)
"OK, thanks for your help. We'll have a look on your website. Cheerio!"
Needless to say, we should be able to help this client convert more sales, going forward! If we can help you convert more sales, please get in touch with us. www.shopperanonymous.co.uk
Friday, 1 October 2010
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
The Customer is Always Right - True or False?
I was recently asked the question "Is the customer always right?" when presenting at the Maidstone Muesli Mafia networking group. It also cropped up during a recent training course I was running for a 4 star Hotel.
Interestingly it's also a question that's just been posed by our good friend in Australia, Jurek Leon, and I've included some of his thoughts here too.
So, is the customer always right? It was only about twenty years ago that customer service gurus were teaching the following two rules:
If you've ever read Jan Carlzon's book "Moments of Truth", you'll be familiar with his concept of "flattening the pyramid" to give front line staff more power to serve the customer well (and deliver a Moment of Truth!). This relies on having flexible rules in place. Richard Branson agrees, having recently written in the New York Times, “If your company is going to stand out from the rest because of its truly excellent customer service, staff should treat the (company) rules more as flexible guidelines, to be followed as the situation demands. The customer is not always right – and neither is the rule book.”
The customer is not always right - and neither is the rule book. How about that for a great new mantra! Jurek interprets this beautifully and says that when we hear "The Customer is always right", what we should really be thinking is that "It doesn’t pay to prove the customer wrong". He then goes on to suggest two new rules to replace those above:
Interestingly it's also a question that's just been posed by our good friend in Australia, Jurek Leon, and I've included some of his thoughts here too.
So, is the customer always right? It was only about twenty years ago that customer service gurus were teaching the following two rules:
- Rule 1: The Customer Is Always Right!
- Rule 2: If The Customer Is Ever Wrong, Reread Rule 1.
If you've ever read Jan Carlzon's book "Moments of Truth", you'll be familiar with his concept of "flattening the pyramid" to give front line staff more power to serve the customer well (and deliver a Moment of Truth!). This relies on having flexible rules in place. Richard Branson agrees, having recently written in the New York Times, “If your company is going to stand out from the rest because of its truly excellent customer service, staff should treat the (company) rules more as flexible guidelines, to be followed as the situation demands. The customer is not always right – and neither is the rule book.”
The customer is not always right - and neither is the rule book. How about that for a great new mantra! Jurek interprets this beautifully and says that when we hear "The Customer is always right", what we should really be thinking is that "It doesn’t pay to prove the customer wrong". He then goes on to suggest two new rules to replace those above:
- Rule 1: It doesn’t pay to prove the customer wrong.
- Rule 2: Give customers the benefit of the doubt and always treat them with respect.
Friday, 16 July 2010
Kent mystery shopping company boosts sales at local animal attraction
Media Release
Mystery shoppers lead to 10% boost for award winning animal attraction. Shopper Anonymous help power rise in visitor satisfaction.
Note to editors: Images & interviews available, also opportunity for journalists to go ‘under cover’ as a mystery shopper.
A Kent-based mystery shopping company has helped the world-famous wildlife park at Port Lympne, part of The Aspinall Foundation, address customer service issues resulting in improving the uptake of one of its main attractions by an impressive 10%.
Shopper Anonymous Kent (www.shopperanonymous.co.uk), part of the UK’s leading mystery shopping company, employed twenty mystery shoppers including parents, grandparents and single visitors to visit the top attraction ‘under cover’ and report on their experiences.
Managing Director of Shopper Anonymous Kent, Graham Seymour explains:
“Our mystery shoppers not only got to have a great day out at the attraction with their families, but were trained by us to look at a whole range of factors. These encompassed everything from researching their trip on the web and their experience at the ticket office right through to the food and customer service but also smaller things that can make all the difference to a day out such as signage, litter bins and even the cleanliness of the toilets."
“Over the course of a year our mystery shoppers reported back to us on their experiences and patterns soon emerged, with certain factors repeatedly being cited as not customer-friendly. We were then able to report these to Port Lympne and work with them and their staff to make the changes that really improved the customer experience.”
As a result of feedback from Shopper Anonymous mystery shoppers a whole range of changes were instituted, from asking all staff to wear name badges to training all staff in customer service, with training provided by Shopper Anonymous.
One of the most significant changes was in the promotion of The African Experience, an exciting four-wheel drive safari to see wildlife including zebra, giraffe and wildebeest. Following mystery shopper feedback, the location of ticket sales for the safari was changed, contributing to a 10% rise in ticket sales.
Other customer feedback included the fact that visitors loved the occasions on which drivers on the African Safari switched off the pre-recorded commentary and introduced it live, so the staff are now being trained to do that more often. Port Lympne also made changes to signage (including ‘You are here’ stickers on maps, a minor factor that makes a huge difference) and made sure that feeding times and keeper talks took place at the advertised time.
According to Port Lympne Retail Manager Gary Gould, the changes, though subtle, have made a big difference:
“The advice we received from Shopper Anonymous, tied with other marketing campaigns, saw almost a 10% rise in uptake of The African Experience Safari from 2009 to 2010."
“We are going into our second year using Shopper Anonymous and we are really happy with the service. Howletts and Port Lympne are committed to giving our visitors the very best customer experience at every stage. The reports we receive have made a big impact internally, helping to reinforce our culture of excellence in customer service across every aspect of the visitor experience. Off the back of the reports we were encouraged to put all our retail and safari staff through customer service training, ensuring they are fully equipped to give the very best experience to our customers. This training has actually been headed by Shopper Anonymous themselves, who can approach the training through their extensive experience from a customer’s perspective."
“Seemingly small suggestions like ensuring every member of staff wears a name badge, can make a big impact, and we will continue to use the mystery shopper reports to make sure we maintain our high standards across the board.”
The Shopper Anonymous work at Port Lympne continues, with regular reports from mystery shoppers ensuring customer service standards are kept up and attraction management know what their visitors really think.
Graham Seymour of Shopper Anonymous Kent says that there are a number of lessons that any tourist attraction can learn from Port Lympne’s experience:
“Staff should be encouraged to interact with visitors, even if they’re just selling them an ice-cream, as it makes people feel welcomed and makes staff feel like part of a team, not just a worker. An engaged customer is more likely to revisit and recommend to friends.”
“It is definitely worthwhile testing the business to see what customers really think, in real time, not just waiting for comments or complaints to appear in a comments box. Staff really do value training as it helps them become more engaged and loyal. A mystery shopper programme helps set the benchmark for staff behaviour and actions, something that is not always in place. How can staff live up to expectations if the expectation is not set?”
ENDS
For all media enquiries about Shopper Anonymous including images and interviews please contact Steve Bustin at Vada Media on 07803 729208 or steve@vadamedia.co.uk.
For all media enquiries about Port Lympne and The Aspinall Foundation please
contact Charlotte Jones on 01303 234121 or charlottej@aspinallfoundation.org.
About Shopper Anonymous
Shopper Anonymous (www.shopperanonymous.co.uk) is an independent mystery shopping
company, specialising in improving customer service standards by providing businesses with constructive, non-emotive feedback through a mystery shopping program.
Shopper Anonymous programs are unique due to the quality of the observations. Shoppers are hand picked which means the quality of the feedback is accurate and written in a style that explains the experience in a full, constructive but honest manner.
About The Aspinall Foundation
Howletts & Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks were set up by the late John Aspinall with the aim of protecting and breeding rare and endangered species and returning to safe areas in their native homeland. The Aspinall Foundation is the charity which manages Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks and it is funded solely from charitable donations and visitors to the
park. World leaders in conservation - The Aspinall Foundation working in conjunction with the parks have so far returned to protected areas of the wild Przewalski's horses, black rhino, Cape buffalo, pythons and gorillas.
Mystery shoppers lead to 10% boost for award winning animal attraction. Shopper Anonymous help power rise in visitor satisfaction.
Note to editors: Images & interviews available, also opportunity for journalists to go ‘under cover’ as a mystery shopper.
A Kent-based mystery shopping company has helped the world-famous wildlife park at Port Lympne, part of The Aspinall Foundation, address customer service issues resulting in improving the uptake of one of its main attractions by an impressive 10%.
Shopper Anonymous Kent (www.shopperanonymous.co.uk), part of the UK’s leading mystery shopping company, employed twenty mystery shoppers including parents, grandparents and single visitors to visit the top attraction ‘under cover’ and report on their experiences.
Managing Director of Shopper Anonymous Kent, Graham Seymour explains:
“Our mystery shoppers not only got to have a great day out at the attraction with their families, but were trained by us to look at a whole range of factors. These encompassed everything from researching their trip on the web and their experience at the ticket office right through to the food and customer service but also smaller things that can make all the difference to a day out such as signage, litter bins and even the cleanliness of the toilets."
“Over the course of a year our mystery shoppers reported back to us on their experiences and patterns soon emerged, with certain factors repeatedly being cited as not customer-friendly. We were then able to report these to Port Lympne and work with them and their staff to make the changes that really improved the customer experience.”
As a result of feedback from Shopper Anonymous mystery shoppers a whole range of changes were instituted, from asking all staff to wear name badges to training all staff in customer service, with training provided by Shopper Anonymous.
One of the most significant changes was in the promotion of The African Experience, an exciting four-wheel drive safari to see wildlife including zebra, giraffe and wildebeest. Following mystery shopper feedback, the location of ticket sales for the safari was changed, contributing to a 10% rise in ticket sales.
Other customer feedback included the fact that visitors loved the occasions on which drivers on the African Safari switched off the pre-recorded commentary and introduced it live, so the staff are now being trained to do that more often. Port Lympne also made changes to signage (including ‘You are here’ stickers on maps, a minor factor that makes a huge difference) and made sure that feeding times and keeper talks took place at the advertised time.
According to Port Lympne Retail Manager Gary Gould, the changes, though subtle, have made a big difference:
“The advice we received from Shopper Anonymous, tied with other marketing campaigns, saw almost a 10% rise in uptake of The African Experience Safari from 2009 to 2010."
“We are going into our second year using Shopper Anonymous and we are really happy with the service. Howletts and Port Lympne are committed to giving our visitors the very best customer experience at every stage. The reports we receive have made a big impact internally, helping to reinforce our culture of excellence in customer service across every aspect of the visitor experience. Off the back of the reports we were encouraged to put all our retail and safari staff through customer service training, ensuring they are fully equipped to give the very best experience to our customers. This training has actually been headed by Shopper Anonymous themselves, who can approach the training through their extensive experience from a customer’s perspective."
“Seemingly small suggestions like ensuring every member of staff wears a name badge, can make a big impact, and we will continue to use the mystery shopper reports to make sure we maintain our high standards across the board.”
The Shopper Anonymous work at Port Lympne continues, with regular reports from mystery shoppers ensuring customer service standards are kept up and attraction management know what their visitors really think.
Graham Seymour of Shopper Anonymous Kent says that there are a number of lessons that any tourist attraction can learn from Port Lympne’s experience:
“Staff should be encouraged to interact with visitors, even if they’re just selling them an ice-cream, as it makes people feel welcomed and makes staff feel like part of a team, not just a worker. An engaged customer is more likely to revisit and recommend to friends.”
“It is definitely worthwhile testing the business to see what customers really think, in real time, not just waiting for comments or complaints to appear in a comments box. Staff really do value training as it helps them become more engaged and loyal. A mystery shopper programme helps set the benchmark for staff behaviour and actions, something that is not always in place. How can staff live up to expectations if the expectation is not set?”
ENDS
For all media enquiries about Shopper Anonymous including images and interviews please contact Steve Bustin at Vada Media on 07803 729208 or steve@vadamedia.co.uk.
For all media enquiries about Port Lympne and The Aspinall Foundation please
contact Charlotte Jones on 01303 234121 or charlottej@aspinallfoundation.org.
About Shopper Anonymous
Shopper Anonymous (www.shopperanonymous.co.uk) is an independent mystery shopping
company, specialising in improving customer service standards by providing businesses with constructive, non-emotive feedback through a mystery shopping program.
Shopper Anonymous programs are unique due to the quality of the observations. Shoppers are hand picked which means the quality of the feedback is accurate and written in a style that explains the experience in a full, constructive but honest manner.
About The Aspinall Foundation
Howletts & Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks were set up by the late John Aspinall with the aim of protecting and breeding rare and endangered species and returning to safe areas in their native homeland. The Aspinall Foundation is the charity which manages Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks and it is funded solely from charitable donations and visitors to the
park. World leaders in conservation - The Aspinall Foundation working in conjunction with the parks have so far returned to protected areas of the wild Przewalski's horses, black rhino, Cape buffalo, pythons and gorillas.
Monday, 28 June 2010
Customer Disloyalty Schemes!
I was in Sevenoaks recently and nipped in to Costa for a lovely cup of coffee. At the checkout I was nicely offered the usual food upsell and was then asked if I had a Loyalty Card. I didn't, so was given a shiny new one which I put into my wallet.
Since then I have been to two Costa outlets, both in Motorway services. Imagine my surprise to see signs in both of these places "Sorry, we don't accept Costa Loyalty Cards here due to us being a franchise!
Now, call me old-fashioned but I thought it might have been quite important to honour the trust that a customer has in a brand by offering a similar experience in every branded outlet. Why destroy that brand loyalty by making some of their outlets different? And what does it say about the level of support that the franchisor is giving to the franchisee?
Arguably Starbucks is an even stronger brand than Costa so surely they wouldn't entertain this kind of approach? Well, at the weekend I was in the Midlands and happened to venture into a Starbucks on another motorway service station. I ordered my coffee and went to the till where there was a sign that said they were sorry that they were unable to accept Starbucks Loyalty Cards, due to them being a franchise! I couldn't believe it!
Whilst all this was happening, I received an email from one of our friends, Jurek Leon, who is a customer service guru in Australia. He was over here recently and was surprised to experience the same thing as me. He went a step further and took a photo of one of these signs, which you can see above, and commented that he has seen the same thing happening in Australia with other retail groups.
Jurek puts it quite nicely when he says:
"Smart franchisees realise that any losses they incur are more than made up for with the opportunity to make the businesses operating under their brand the preferred choice for their customers. So, if you are involved in franchising make sure this doesn’t happen in your group."
I couldn't agree more, Jurek!
Monday, 24 May 2010
Donuts
Walking along the seafront over the weekend I suddenly found myself laughing at a sign, as I seem quite often to do.
The sign, outside a refreshment kiosk used to say "Freshly made Donuts, 5 for a £1!". Inevitably, inflation has bitten and a new price has been inserted. It now says "Freshly made Donuts, 5 for a £1.50!". I thought I might like to take home some of this fresh, jammy confection but after rummaging in my pockets was unable to find a £1.50 coin, so I declined :-)
I have no idea why things like this make me laugh and was starting to recover as I passed another refreshment kiosk advertising "Takeaway's Avaible" (sic), a double whammy which I'm afraid rather set me off again!
Oh the joys of signage!
Have a lovely week.
The sign, outside a refreshment kiosk used to say "Freshly made Donuts, 5 for a £1!". Inevitably, inflation has bitten and a new price has been inserted. It now says "Freshly made Donuts, 5 for a £1.50!". I thought I might like to take home some of this fresh, jammy confection but after rummaging in my pockets was unable to find a £1.50 coin, so I declined :-)
I have no idea why things like this make me laugh and was starting to recover as I passed another refreshment kiosk advertising "Takeaway's Avaible" (sic), a double whammy which I'm afraid rather set me off again!
Oh the joys of signage!
Have a lovely week.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Prom delight!
Dear Graham
I wanted to write to you to tell you of my fabulous shopping experience in search of a Prom dress.
I had been looking for some time for a Prom dress, on shopping trips locally, Bluewater, Brighton and Bournemouth. Here in Eastbourne at ********** they said that there is not much stock left, it is towards the end of the season, most had chosen last November. In Brighton I looked through and tried dress after dress, nothing was right, it was just exhausting and disheartening. As a last resort, my mother said she thought she had passed a Prom dress shop in Tunbridge Wells. Before we left we checked on the internet for other Prom dress shops, and rang one, The Italian Wardrobe. On answering the phone the lady was very helpful and although did not have exactly what I was looking for, did say they have over 1,000 dresses in the shop and felt sure there was something there for me. I thought it was definitely worth a look.
We drove to the shop mum had passed previously first, and on entering was asked when Prom was and was told not enough time, they need at least 12 weeks notice. They had a few we could look at, old stock, some not so popular ones, none of which I liked, and a designer dress upstairs (£800) so we promptly left.
I did not think we would have any luck, until we stepped into The Italian Wardrobe, owned and run by mother and daughter for the last 17 years. We were greeted with a smile and "oh my what a slip of a girl, so slim" (which made me smile). They could tell just by looking at me my size and I was excitedly showed what they had. The owner's mother took my mother over to a chair sat her down and made her a cup of coffee, while I could look and choose what I wanted, but also the shop owner suggested some dresses she would like me to try. She thought I should show off my figure and get somthing that would hug me more. She chose a dress and colour I would never have chosen, but she said she knew her stock and knew what would look amazing on me. She helped me in and out of each dress, and once each one was on, I was to walk over and show my mother (who would be paying the bill), and when I tried on the dress that the owner chose it was absolutely stunning and I loved it and so did everyone else who walked in the shop off the street who saw it. I felt amazing in it and I was so grateful for the shop owner's help.
They helped me choose accessories for the dress which we brought and then said if I chose some shoes and came back, they would pin it up ready for alterations, which I did and said the dress would be ready in a couple of weeks or so, when they would ring. All this without an appointment, I could just walk off the street and get all this help and attention. Other girls came in also, tried dresses on and asked to hold it for them without even a deposit, and they did. They were really busy but still found time for everyone.
The Italian Wardrobe is a wonderful family business and I cannot recommend them enough for the fantastic service that they provide.
Ed: This is a genuine, unsolicited letter sent in to me by a real young lady. It's a fabulous example of a warm, friendly business that went out of their way to exceed expectations. They looked after the client brilliantly, increased the value of the sale in a helpful way that delighted the customer and signposted their after-sales service! This customer is already doing The Italian Wardrobe's marketing and PR for them! Wonderful!
I wanted to write to you to tell you of my fabulous shopping experience in search of a Prom dress.
I had been looking for some time for a Prom dress, on shopping trips locally, Bluewater, Brighton and Bournemouth. Here in Eastbourne at ********** they said that there is not much stock left, it is towards the end of the season, most had chosen last November. In Brighton I looked through and tried dress after dress, nothing was right, it was just exhausting and disheartening. As a last resort, my mother said she thought she had passed a Prom dress shop in Tunbridge Wells. Before we left we checked on the internet for other Prom dress shops, and rang one, The Italian Wardrobe. On answering the phone the lady was very helpful and although did not have exactly what I was looking for, did say they have over 1,000 dresses in the shop and felt sure there was something there for me. I thought it was definitely worth a look.
We drove to the shop mum had passed previously first, and on entering was asked when Prom was and was told not enough time, they need at least 12 weeks notice. They had a few we could look at, old stock, some not so popular ones, none of which I liked, and a designer dress upstairs (£800) so we promptly left.
I did not think we would have any luck, until we stepped into The Italian Wardrobe, owned and run by mother and daughter for the last 17 years. We were greeted with a smile and "oh my what a slip of a girl, so slim" (which made me smile). They could tell just by looking at me my size and I was excitedly showed what they had. The owner's mother took my mother over to a chair sat her down and made her a cup of coffee, while I could look and choose what I wanted, but also the shop owner suggested some dresses she would like me to try. She thought I should show off my figure and get somthing that would hug me more. She chose a dress and colour I would never have chosen, but she said she knew her stock and knew what would look amazing on me. She helped me in and out of each dress, and once each one was on, I was to walk over and show my mother (who would be paying the bill), and when I tried on the dress that the owner chose it was absolutely stunning and I loved it and so did everyone else who walked in the shop off the street who saw it. I felt amazing in it and I was so grateful for the shop owner's help.
They helped me choose accessories for the dress which we brought and then said if I chose some shoes and came back, they would pin it up ready for alterations, which I did and said the dress would be ready in a couple of weeks or so, when they would ring. All this without an appointment, I could just walk off the street and get all this help and attention. Other girls came in also, tried dresses on and asked to hold it for them without even a deposit, and they did. They were really busy but still found time for everyone.
The Italian Wardrobe is a wonderful family business and I cannot recommend them enough for the fantastic service that they provide.
Ed: This is a genuine, unsolicited letter sent in to me by a real young lady. It's a fabulous example of a warm, friendly business that went out of their way to exceed expectations. They looked after the client brilliantly, increased the value of the sale in a helpful way that delighted the customer and signposted their after-sales service! This customer is already doing The Italian Wardrobe's marketing and PR for them! Wonderful!
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Should staff wear name badges?
Yes, they should!
Some fascinating research backs this up. We have conducted research in the UK, Australia and New Zealand based on 116,000 measured shopping experiences which identifies that in those organisations where the staff are ‘caught’ wearing a name badge the overall rating for the customer service experience is 12% higher than in establishments where all the staff aren’t wearing a name badge.
So, if the customer’s perception of the experience can be influenced so much just by wearing a name badge, then why wouldn't we do it!
Name badges are great for customers but also for suppliers and anyone else who deals with an organisation.
Why?
Some fascinating research backs this up. We have conducted research in the UK, Australia and New Zealand based on 116,000 measured shopping experiences which identifies that in those organisations where the staff are ‘caught’ wearing a name badge the overall rating for the customer service experience is 12% higher than in establishments where all the staff aren’t wearing a name badge.
So, if the customer’s perception of the experience can be influenced so much just by wearing a name badge, then why wouldn't we do it!
Name badges are great for customers but also for suppliers and anyone else who deals with an organisation.
Why?
- They save regular visitors from embarrassment if they have forgotten someone’s name.
- In businesses where uniforms aren’t worn name badges help customers to distinguish between staff and other customers. It can be embarrassing when you mistake a customer for an employee!
- If someone knows your name you are no longer ‘Accounts’ or ‘Despatch’, you are a real person dealing with real people. That’s what customer service is all about whether internal (with other departments of your organisation) or external.
- The Law of Reciprocity: If the customer knows your name they are more likely to tell you their name.
- Accountability: It demonstrates that you are not hiding behind anonymity. You are accountable for what you do.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
And the winner is...
Celebrating good customer service is not something we do often enough and yet customer service is something we talk about daily. How many times do you stand in a queue, leave a shop or hang up the phone feeling disappointed and/or frustrated? And how many people do you tell about that experience? And how many people will avoid this business because of it? We've looked at that here previously in the Customer Complaints Iceberg.
So it was with a refreshingly optimistic feeling that, as an invited guest of my Franchisor, Shopper Anonymous UK I walked into the 1066 Business Awards Ceremony at the Azur on the seafront in Hastings on Friday night. A whole evening of awards dedicated to the hardworking efforts of small businesses in the Hastings and Rother area. Several things struck me throughout the evening; the first thing to strike me was our own award for Best Small Business of the Year! How delighted were we! Another thing that became apparent was that even in the current climate many young people are taking risks, going out on a limb and bringing their ideas to life very successfully.
Two phrases were repeated throughout the evening. When the award winners for each category were asked what the secret of their success was, their answers usually included the phrases ‘attention to detail’ and ‘outstanding customer service’. The George Inn in Robertsbridge won the award for Customer Service Business of the Year AND best Overall Business of the Year. The owners of The George spoke very highly of their team and insisted that the customer’s viewpoint was considered in every facet of their business.
I think everyone in the room vowed to ‘up their game’ even more and take their business out of the mediocre and into the outstanding. In this competitive market place with highly discerning customers, ShopperAnonymousUK stands by its belief that customer service is the key. If your aim is to take your business into the ‘outstanding’ you need to APPRECIATE the customers, offer something unique or personal and work on retaining the customer base you already have. It is worth noting that the successful businesses at the 1066 Awards dinner also seemed to endorse our view that ‘customers’ includes YOUR OWN STAFF. If you treat your staff and colleagues as customers you will be rewarded with loyalty, commitment and hard work. With a powerful and positive team, unified in their commitment to their customers, it is far easier to take your business into the ‘outstanding’.
Logically then, the winner is, and always will be…..excellent customer service!
So it was with a refreshingly optimistic feeling that, as an invited guest of my Franchisor, Shopper Anonymous UK I walked into the 1066 Business Awards Ceremony at the Azur on the seafront in Hastings on Friday night. A whole evening of awards dedicated to the hardworking efforts of small businesses in the Hastings and Rother area. Several things struck me throughout the evening; the first thing to strike me was our own award for Best Small Business of the Year! How delighted were we! Another thing that became apparent was that even in the current climate many young people are taking risks, going out on a limb and bringing their ideas to life very successfully.
Two phrases were repeated throughout the evening. When the award winners for each category were asked what the secret of their success was, their answers usually included the phrases ‘attention to detail’ and ‘outstanding customer service’. The George Inn in Robertsbridge won the award for Customer Service Business of the Year AND best Overall Business of the Year. The owners of The George spoke very highly of their team and insisted that the customer’s viewpoint was considered in every facet of their business.
I think everyone in the room vowed to ‘up their game’ even more and take their business out of the mediocre and into the outstanding. In this competitive market place with highly discerning customers, ShopperAnonymousUK stands by its belief that customer service is the key. If your aim is to take your business into the ‘outstanding’ you need to APPRECIATE the customers, offer something unique or personal and work on retaining the customer base you already have. It is worth noting that the successful businesses at the 1066 Awards dinner also seemed to endorse our view that ‘customers’ includes YOUR OWN STAFF. If you treat your staff and colleagues as customers you will be rewarded with loyalty, commitment and hard work. With a powerful and positive team, unified in their commitment to their customers, it is far easier to take your business into the ‘outstanding’.
Logically then, the winner is, and always will be…..excellent customer service!
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Dirty Words or Sexy Words?!
Which words turn you on? Some may admit that the odd dirty word can be a turn-on (!) but we've just spent some time looking at some dirty words that have most certainly been a big turn off!
Yes, we've just been having a review of the thousands of reports we produce on a regular basis. It's quite interesting to see which words in the reports correspond with a poor experience and I'd like to share the following "dirty words" with you!
Compare and contrast this to some sexy words which have correlated with a great experience and a definite turn-on:
I know which words turn me on more! How about you?
Yes, we've just been having a review of the thousands of reports we produce on a regular basis. It's quite interesting to see which words in the reports correspond with a poor experience and I'd like to share the following "dirty words" with you!
- Messy
- Confusing
- Cluttered
- Empty
- Unkempt
- Unwelcoming
- Littered
- Faded
- Ignored
Compare and contrast this to some sexy words which have correlated with a great experience and a definite turn-on:
- Smile
- Engaging
- Rapport
- Warm
- Tidy
- Abundant
- Bright
- Cheery
- Welcoming
I know which words turn me on more! How about you?
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
The Internal Terrorist!
One of my mystery shoppers was visiting a reasonably-sized Garden Centre a while ago as a paying customer. They were looking to spend a fair chunk of their hard-earned cash on some nice, big decorative pots for their garden, a potential sale worth around £200.
During their visit they received what could only be described as a rotten service experience. The member of staff was gruff, unhelpful, had little or no product knowledge and was certainly not going to use any they had. My shopper came away from the garden centre having not made a purchase and vowing never to go back there again.
This Garden Centre has at least one "Internal Terrorist" who is either consciously or unconsciously, slowly but surely destroying the business. In fact, it has more than one, as you'll read next, because knowing that they desperately need our services, I have made a number of calls to the business on their public line:
Don't let the Internal Terrorist destroy your business!
During their visit they received what could only be described as a rotten service experience. The member of staff was gruff, unhelpful, had little or no product knowledge and was certainly not going to use any they had. My shopper came away from the garden centre having not made a purchase and vowing never to go back there again.
This Garden Centre has at least one "Internal Terrorist" who is either consciously or unconsciously, slowly but surely destroying the business. In fact, it has more than one, as you'll read next, because knowing that they desperately need our services, I have made a number of calls to the business on their public line:
- Each time it takes forever for the phone to ring.
- Each time the phone is answered by an out of breath person with a big sigh, giving only part of the name of the business. This strongly communicates a "you have interrupted me" message.
- I have never been given the name of the person who answers the phone.
- Each time I am asked "(Sigh) 'Oos calling?".
- Each time I am told "(Sigh) 'Old on", as the phone is transferred.
- Each time I wonder why the management of this business hasn't woken up to the fact that some members of it's team are slowly ruining their dreams and aspirations.
Don't let the Internal Terrorist destroy your business!
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Awww, that's fantastic!
I don't know if you read my earlier article below about the Director of First Impressions? Well, here's a fantastic example of just that. The difference here though is that the Director of First Impressions was only ten years of age!
We've been working recently with a couple of small vehicle mechanic businesses, the sort of place you go to get your car serviced. One of our female mystery shoppers had a very poor experience at the first of these, where she was treated in quite a condescending way, almost being patronised. There was no offer of a seat while she waited, no coffee offered etc.
And then she went to the next business. On opening the door into a small but well turned out office, she was immediately greeted with a smile, eye contact and a warm "hello". From a ten year old boy!
He was smartly turned out, wearing a clean top embroidered with the name of the business and he immediately welcomed our shopper to the business. He organised everything efficiently, offered our shopper a seat, a coffee and asked what type of magazine she might like to read whilst she waited. He enquired as to how she was today and was friendly and chatty, genuinely taking an interest in the shopper and developing a great rapport. Our shopper felt like a friend of this business and a really valued customer!
The lad was on half-term and helps out in his Dad's business. He told our shopper that he takes pride in cleaning the office/waiting room too but would definitely not do the vaccuuming while a customer was waiting, so as not to offend with the noise!
What a brilliant little story. What a fantastic attention to detail! This lad understands great customer service at that tender age and he has created in our shopper, a raving fan of his Dad's business. I love it!
If you need help creating raving fans of your business, let us talk to you about mystery shopping. Find us at www.shopperanonymous.co.uk/contact/kent
We've been working recently with a couple of small vehicle mechanic businesses, the sort of place you go to get your car serviced. One of our female mystery shoppers had a very poor experience at the first of these, where she was treated in quite a condescending way, almost being patronised. There was no offer of a seat while she waited, no coffee offered etc.
And then she went to the next business. On opening the door into a small but well turned out office, she was immediately greeted with a smile, eye contact and a warm "hello". From a ten year old boy!
He was smartly turned out, wearing a clean top embroidered with the name of the business and he immediately welcomed our shopper to the business. He organised everything efficiently, offered our shopper a seat, a coffee and asked what type of magazine she might like to read whilst she waited. He enquired as to how she was today and was friendly and chatty, genuinely taking an interest in the shopper and developing a great rapport. Our shopper felt like a friend of this business and a really valued customer!
The lad was on half-term and helps out in his Dad's business. He told our shopper that he takes pride in cleaning the office/waiting room too but would definitely not do the vaccuuming while a customer was waiting, so as not to offend with the noise!
What a brilliant little story. What a fantastic attention to detail! This lad understands great customer service at that tender age and he has created in our shopper, a raving fan of his Dad's business. I love it!
If you need help creating raving fans of your business, let us talk to you about mystery shopping. Find us at www.shopperanonymous.co.uk/contact/kent
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
How to get a raving fan!
Andrew Foote, Managing Director of Party Plus Franchising, Western Australia writes the following true story:
“My wife Donna had the pleasure of taking possession of a new car. We needed a second car and decided that buying an inexpensive new car was the way to go. We decided on a Hyundai Getz, pretty-well the cheapest and lowest number of features you can get in a vehicle. Not content, we bought it from John Hughes Hyundai a low price dealership. A standard story so far, but here's where it gets interesting from a retailing and customer service perspective:
The salesman asked us questions and answered our questions honestly. No stereo-typical car salesman techniques here.
He didn't try to do the big upsell. He presented options and when we said no, his only suggestion was the tinted windows, saying that he'd do them "at close to cost" because he really felt they were important. I'm sure the dealership still makes a little bit of money on this, but hey, we wanted tinted windows and it was almost half the stated retail price - so we felt like we'd got an additional bargain.
He told us the timing process. Clever at this point. He told us it would be the end of the first week of September - and yet he phoned on 28 August to say it was being registered and detailed Friday and delivered first thing Monday - ahead of schedule (under promised, over-delivered).
That all sounds like pretty standard, good customer service with a bit of thought and care. But when we arrived we were in for a shock:
After finalising payment, he took time to methodically go through the key aspects of the vehicle before we left his office, making sure we understood the John Hughes' follow-up Customer Satisfaction Survey process and how important it was to them to get honest feedback. We were told that John Hughes personally reads every form, that the good ones go into the monthly updated testimonial sheets that are clearly displayed everywhere (social proof), and that if there were negative comments, John personally phoned those customers to fix the problem (I know he does this from other friends who were shocked to get a phone call from him one Sunday morning - and who keep purchasing because John lives up to his "I personally stand behind every car I sell" credo).
He made a big deal about the servicing options - they can come to us etc - and how important it was to them that they have good quality tradesmen etc. My guess is that the service guys are just like Scott.
During all of the explanations, he maintained eye contact with my wife the whole time, while occasionally referencing me - because she was to be the driver and it was in her name (I was just the moral support on this occasion). I like that. Nothing ticks me off more than a man assuming that he has to speak to another man.
After all of that, we were about to get up, but he stopped us - presenting my wife with a boxed bouquets of flowers and a bottle of good quality Voyager Estate wine.
We're feeling pretty chuffed at this point. But now it gets better. We went to get the car which we were told was in the showroom. But when Scott stopped we couldn't see it. Scott pointed to a display stand with the sign reading in big letters "Donna's Car - Getz ..." etc with details. Cute, and we had a laugh, but it felt like a presentation. We looked in front of this sign and saw the car was completely covered by a dark coloured parachute-type of material. Grinning like teenagers (and we're, ahem, 50-ish), with flair he whisked back the cover to reveal a freshly washed and dried new car. How do you reckon my wife felt?
Not content, and after presenting Donna with the keys, he then spent a solid 20 minutes demonstrating all the features and even offering to set-up our Bluetooth connection for the phone.
Just before we were ready to go, he then said "Would you like a photo?" Why not! OK, it's not the world's best photo, but it was printed onto photo paper and placed inside a presentation folder pre-printed with Congratulations etc etc.
And did I mention the full tank of fuel?
What's my point? Someone has thought hard about this process. My guess is that the fuel, the flowers, the wine, the time, the reveal and the surveys etc all cost extra time/money and take a little preparation. Would it have changed our buying decision if we didn't get these? Of course not - we'd already bought the car. But did my wife feel special with her inexpensive new car? You betcha. Do you think we'll be telling people about the experience? I've just told you!
And no, I'm not associated with John Hughes. Not in the slightest - I confess I've always been a little anti that business because of the cheesy commercials. But I've now become a raving fan, and there's no doubt in my mind that they will be the first port of call for the next vehicle.
“My wife Donna had the pleasure of taking possession of a new car. We needed a second car and decided that buying an inexpensive new car was the way to go. We decided on a Hyundai Getz, pretty-well the cheapest and lowest number of features you can get in a vehicle. Not content, we bought it from John Hughes Hyundai a low price dealership. A standard story so far, but here's where it gets interesting from a retailing and customer service perspective:
The salesman asked us questions and answered our questions honestly. No stereo-typical car salesman techniques here.
He didn't try to do the big upsell. He presented options and when we said no, his only suggestion was the tinted windows, saying that he'd do them "at close to cost" because he really felt they were important. I'm sure the dealership still makes a little bit of money on this, but hey, we wanted tinted windows and it was almost half the stated retail price - so we felt like we'd got an additional bargain.
He told us the timing process. Clever at this point. He told us it would be the end of the first week of September - and yet he phoned on 28 August to say it was being registered and detailed Friday and delivered first thing Monday - ahead of schedule (under promised, over-delivered).
That all sounds like pretty standard, good customer service with a bit of thought and care. But when we arrived we were in for a shock:
After finalising payment, he took time to methodically go through the key aspects of the vehicle before we left his office, making sure we understood the John Hughes' follow-up Customer Satisfaction Survey process and how important it was to them to get honest feedback. We were told that John Hughes personally reads every form, that the good ones go into the monthly updated testimonial sheets that are clearly displayed everywhere (social proof), and that if there were negative comments, John personally phoned those customers to fix the problem (I know he does this from other friends who were shocked to get a phone call from him one Sunday morning - and who keep purchasing because John lives up to his "I personally stand behind every car I sell" credo).
He made a big deal about the servicing options - they can come to us etc - and how important it was to them that they have good quality tradesmen etc. My guess is that the service guys are just like Scott.
During all of the explanations, he maintained eye contact with my wife the whole time, while occasionally referencing me - because she was to be the driver and it was in her name (I was just the moral support on this occasion). I like that. Nothing ticks me off more than a man assuming that he has to speak to another man.
After all of that, we were about to get up, but he stopped us - presenting my wife with a boxed bouquets of flowers and a bottle of good quality Voyager Estate wine.
We're feeling pretty chuffed at this point. But now it gets better. We went to get the car which we were told was in the showroom. But when Scott stopped we couldn't see it. Scott pointed to a display stand with the sign reading in big letters "Donna's Car - Getz ..." etc with details. Cute, and we had a laugh, but it felt like a presentation. We looked in front of this sign and saw the car was completely covered by a dark coloured parachute-type of material. Grinning like teenagers (and we're, ahem, 50-ish), with flair he whisked back the cover to reveal a freshly washed and dried new car. How do you reckon my wife felt?
Not content, and after presenting Donna with the keys, he then spent a solid 20 minutes demonstrating all the features and even offering to set-up our Bluetooth connection for the phone.
Just before we were ready to go, he then said "Would you like a photo?" Why not! OK, it's not the world's best photo, but it was printed onto photo paper and placed inside a presentation folder pre-printed with Congratulations etc etc.
And did I mention the full tank of fuel?
What's my point? Someone has thought hard about this process. My guess is that the fuel, the flowers, the wine, the time, the reveal and the surveys etc all cost extra time/money and take a little preparation. Would it have changed our buying decision if we didn't get these? Of course not - we'd already bought the car. But did my wife feel special with her inexpensive new car? You betcha. Do you think we'll be telling people about the experience? I've just told you!
And no, I'm not associated with John Hughes. Not in the slightest - I confess I've always been a little anti that business because of the cheesy commercials. But I've now become a raving fan, and there's no doubt in my mind that they will be the first port of call for the next vehicle.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Man pops head above counter and fails!
I was doing a mystery shop for a funded piece of work recently, in which I had to visit a small shop, overlooking the sea but in a slightly run-down part of town. The retailer sells a commonplace but fairly technical household item that comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, styles and energy options.
I found the shop relatively easily and it had made quite a good effort at standing out from its neighbours through some fairly bold signage outside and a reasonably well-maintained shop front. The window display was OK but not particularly eye-catching.
On entering the business my first impression was of a strong smell of stale cigarette smoke; not a great start! This was quickly added to by a fairly run-down feel to the interior, with tired and peeling paintwork and only a few lights on, giving quite a gloomy atmosphere. Given the hard time that the majority of retailers have had through 2009 due to the economic climate, perhaps some of this is understandable. Nevertheless, the poor first impression was now reinforced.
It's great to get an acknowledgement from a member of staff within the first 15 - 30 seconds of entering a shop; a smile will do and it makes you feel welcome. In this case, what I witnessed was a male face pop up from behind a counter and immediately disappear again, without any acknowledgement whatsoever. I guess my presence in his shop had been noted, however!
After browsing for a minute or so, I approached the counter where the face had appeared and found a man kneeling on the floor, tinkering with a stock item. This is when I spotted the ash tray and stale cigarette butts on the counter. I asked for some assistance and he looked up, got up and faced me. I asked him if it was possible to obtain a replacement part for my product at home, not knowing if it was an orderable item or required a custom-build. A few words of reply from the shopkeeper but with little if any eye contact suggested that I might be lucky. A minute or two of silence ensued as the store holder buried himself in a catalogue. Then, gazing past me out of the window onto a horizon that clearly held more interest than did I, his potential customer, he announced that my part could be obtained in three finishes and in 16" or 18", for "about fifty quid". I guess he felt that this was enough information for me and that he had done his job well. My own feelings were somewhat different by now!
Now, call me Mr. Picky, but I wasn't sure whether that measurement given was width or height. And what about depth and some of the other subtle details I needed to know? How to fit it, perhaps? Delivery options and timings? What did "about fifty quid" mean, did that include VAT? Since nothing more was being offered, I quizzed the expert further and received one answer, "height". I asked what to do if it it was too tall and it was suggested that I could cut bits off with a hacksaw. Hmmm... Can you guess what was going through my mind at this point?
I picked out a pen from my pocket and fumbled for a piece of paper which I could not find. I reiterated the two sizes, saying I needed to write them down, lest I forget. It would have been nice to have been offered the back of a fag packet to write them on but nothing was forthcoming.
So I bade him farewell and walked out of there as quickly as I could. Will I ever go back? Of course not. Would I ever recommend him to a friend or a relative? Of course not.
Now, would you not think that the mystery shopper report for this business was surely an incredibly valuable piece of feedback for the shopkeeper who was also the business owner? I wonder when was the last time that he really had the customer's perception of his business put to him. Probably never.
Well, the report was shared with him by a colleague of mine and, whilst he was looking at the horizon, busily avoiding eye contact, we learned from him the following:
1. Customers that come in are generally timewasters.
2. He hates customers that come in and who don't know what they want.
3. He must be doing something right because he sold 20 units last year.
Now, let's look at those three points a little closer.
1. Customers that come in are generally timewasters. Well, I guess a timewaster is someone who comes in and doesn't actually buy anything. I may be jumping to conclusions but I'd hazard a guess that the majority of visitors to this particular business have received roughly the same experience that I and my colleague received - cool, impersonal and unhelpful. Not to mention their perceptions from their first impressions of this business. I doubt that anyone received an experience that actually made them feel welcome, valued and helped them to buy. So yes, I can see how he might perceive the 95% who leave quickly without making a purchase to be timewasters!
2. He hates customers that come in and who don't know what they want. Errm, hello, Mr. Shopkeeper - you are putting yourself out there as a retailer and you are selling a fairly technical product. There are so many variables: sizes, aesthetics, colours, energy options, efficiency considerations, capital investment, lifetime cost of ownership, safety, environmental aspects, fitting options, fitting processes, compatibility options... And he hates customers who come in and don't know what they want? I would be surprised if any average Joe could work their way through this lot and actually know what they want when they visit. Time to wake up and smell the coffee?
3. He must be doing something right because he sold 20 units last year. I'm not an expert but a typical cost of a complete unit, retail is about £1,500. I would suggest that we need to revisit point 1, above! How many more could he, should he have sold if his attitude to his customers was better?! And how many of those people would have told other people of the great experience they'd had, increasing visits to the shop still further?
I think this is a great example of how to get it wrong in business. If we can deliver to our customers a great first impression, backed up by a warm welcome and a helpful, engaging experience, we're much more likely to help them to buy. And they'll go away delighted, telling others who'll want to come in to enjoy a similar, memorable experience!
If you're not sure how your customers perceive your business, we can help you find out. Find us at www.shopperanonymous.co.uk/contact/kent
I found the shop relatively easily and it had made quite a good effort at standing out from its neighbours through some fairly bold signage outside and a reasonably well-maintained shop front. The window display was OK but not particularly eye-catching.
On entering the business my first impression was of a strong smell of stale cigarette smoke; not a great start! This was quickly added to by a fairly run-down feel to the interior, with tired and peeling paintwork and only a few lights on, giving quite a gloomy atmosphere. Given the hard time that the majority of retailers have had through 2009 due to the economic climate, perhaps some of this is understandable. Nevertheless, the poor first impression was now reinforced.
It's great to get an acknowledgement from a member of staff within the first 15 - 30 seconds of entering a shop; a smile will do and it makes you feel welcome. In this case, what I witnessed was a male face pop up from behind a counter and immediately disappear again, without any acknowledgement whatsoever. I guess my presence in his shop had been noted, however!
After browsing for a minute or so, I approached the counter where the face had appeared and found a man kneeling on the floor, tinkering with a stock item. This is when I spotted the ash tray and stale cigarette butts on the counter. I asked for some assistance and he looked up, got up and faced me. I asked him if it was possible to obtain a replacement part for my product at home, not knowing if it was an orderable item or required a custom-build. A few words of reply from the shopkeeper but with little if any eye contact suggested that I might be lucky. A minute or two of silence ensued as the store holder buried himself in a catalogue. Then, gazing past me out of the window onto a horizon that clearly held more interest than did I, his potential customer, he announced that my part could be obtained in three finishes and in 16" or 18", for "about fifty quid". I guess he felt that this was enough information for me and that he had done his job well. My own feelings were somewhat different by now!
Now, call me Mr. Picky, but I wasn't sure whether that measurement given was width or height. And what about depth and some of the other subtle details I needed to know? How to fit it, perhaps? Delivery options and timings? What did "about fifty quid" mean, did that include VAT? Since nothing more was being offered, I quizzed the expert further and received one answer, "height". I asked what to do if it it was too tall and it was suggested that I could cut bits off with a hacksaw. Hmmm... Can you guess what was going through my mind at this point?
I picked out a pen from my pocket and fumbled for a piece of paper which I could not find. I reiterated the two sizes, saying I needed to write them down, lest I forget. It would have been nice to have been offered the back of a fag packet to write them on but nothing was forthcoming.
So I bade him farewell and walked out of there as quickly as I could. Will I ever go back? Of course not. Would I ever recommend him to a friend or a relative? Of course not.
Now, would you not think that the mystery shopper report for this business was surely an incredibly valuable piece of feedback for the shopkeeper who was also the business owner? I wonder when was the last time that he really had the customer's perception of his business put to him. Probably never.
Well, the report was shared with him by a colleague of mine and, whilst he was looking at the horizon, busily avoiding eye contact, we learned from him the following:
1. Customers that come in are generally timewasters.
2. He hates customers that come in and who don't know what they want.
3. He must be doing something right because he sold 20 units last year.
Now, let's look at those three points a little closer.
1. Customers that come in are generally timewasters. Well, I guess a timewaster is someone who comes in and doesn't actually buy anything. I may be jumping to conclusions but I'd hazard a guess that the majority of visitors to this particular business have received roughly the same experience that I and my colleague received - cool, impersonal and unhelpful. Not to mention their perceptions from their first impressions of this business. I doubt that anyone received an experience that actually made them feel welcome, valued and helped them to buy. So yes, I can see how he might perceive the 95% who leave quickly without making a purchase to be timewasters!
2. He hates customers that come in and who don't know what they want. Errm, hello, Mr. Shopkeeper - you are putting yourself out there as a retailer and you are selling a fairly technical product. There are so many variables: sizes, aesthetics, colours, energy options, efficiency considerations, capital investment, lifetime cost of ownership, safety, environmental aspects, fitting options, fitting processes, compatibility options... And he hates customers who come in and don't know what they want? I would be surprised if any average Joe could work their way through this lot and actually know what they want when they visit. Time to wake up and smell the coffee?
3. He must be doing something right because he sold 20 units last year. I'm not an expert but a typical cost of a complete unit, retail is about £1,500. I would suggest that we need to revisit point 1, above! How many more could he, should he have sold if his attitude to his customers was better?! And how many of those people would have told other people of the great experience they'd had, increasing visits to the shop still further?
I think this is a great example of how to get it wrong in business. If we can deliver to our customers a great first impression, backed up by a warm welcome and a helpful, engaging experience, we're much more likely to help them to buy. And they'll go away delighted, telling others who'll want to come in to enjoy a similar, memorable experience!
If you're not sure how your customers perceive your business, we can help you find out. Find us at www.shopperanonymous.co.uk/contact/kent
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Director of First Impressions?
Director of First Impressions? What is this boy on about? Has he lost his marbles?
Well, no, frankly! First impressions last (last impressions last, too but that's a different story!). And I know all this stuff about "it takes six seconds to make a first impression" is a bit of a cliché, but is it? Really?
When you think about the judgements you make in life, when you first meet someone, look for the first time at a web page, go into a shop or an office for the first time, I reckon six seconds is about right. And that first impression sticks. It's not so easy to change your mind, is it?
At Shopper Anonymous, we bang on about this stuff all the time. 'Cos it's really important! It's a key part of delivering great customer service. There may be a fantastic product or service lurking in that business, served up by brilliant, warm and helpful people, but if I don't like the first impression, I will probably not enter the business and I will never find out.
And where does the first impression start? In your advertising? In your out of hours phone message? On your website? At the office door? Well, it's surely all of these. We've got some fantastic (anonymised!) examples of rotten first impressions created by out of hours messages in significant businesses, because they didn't take care of first impressions. It's fun to see the shock on people's faces when we play back some of these at seminars. Check yours!
So what is the Director of First Impressions? Clearly it's a fictitional job title but why not have a person in your business who takes responsibility for worrying about all this stuff and checking it on a regular basis. As we say at Shopper Anonymous, "Test your own business", "Test your own business", "Test your own business"!
I was at a networking event recently and was discussing this very point with an MD of a reasonably sized business in Tunbridge Wells. He seemed to get it and when I met him again a few weeks later, he made a beeline for me and told me how much he'd changed in his business - at the office door, car park, on the web site, etc., just by thinking about being the Director of First Impressions. It really, really works!
Who is your Director of First Impressions?
Find out more. Need someone to deliver an interesting talk to a business forum?
Well, no, frankly! First impressions last (last impressions last, too but that's a different story!). And I know all this stuff about "it takes six seconds to make a first impression" is a bit of a cliché, but is it? Really?
When you think about the judgements you make in life, when you first meet someone, look for the first time at a web page, go into a shop or an office for the first time, I reckon six seconds is about right. And that first impression sticks. It's not so easy to change your mind, is it?
At Shopper Anonymous, we bang on about this stuff all the time. 'Cos it's really important! It's a key part of delivering great customer service. There may be a fantastic product or service lurking in that business, served up by brilliant, warm and helpful people, but if I don't like the first impression, I will probably not enter the business and I will never find out.
And where does the first impression start? In your advertising? In your out of hours phone message? On your website? At the office door? Well, it's surely all of these. We've got some fantastic (anonymised!) examples of rotten first impressions created by out of hours messages in significant businesses, because they didn't take care of first impressions. It's fun to see the shock on people's faces when we play back some of these at seminars. Check yours!
So what is the Director of First Impressions? Clearly it's a fictitional job title but why not have a person in your business who takes responsibility for worrying about all this stuff and checking it on a regular basis. As we say at Shopper Anonymous, "Test your own business", "Test your own business", "Test your own business"!
I was at a networking event recently and was discussing this very point with an MD of a reasonably sized business in Tunbridge Wells. He seemed to get it and when I met him again a few weeks later, he made a beeline for me and told me how much he'd changed in his business - at the office door, car park, on the web site, etc., just by thinking about being the Director of First Impressions. It really, really works!
Who is your Director of First Impressions?
Find out more. Need someone to deliver an interesting talk to a business forum?
Friday, 15 January 2010
The Complaints Iceberg
For every one person who formally complains to a company, how many others will hear about it?
Well, the first scary fact is that for every one person who does complain, 25 unhappy customers won't bother. They will simply walk away from you, not tell you about their problem or issue with you and will go off and tell other people instead. And they're unlikely to do business with you again!
What happens next? Well, those 25 people will tell 10 people, who in turn will tell 5 others. And many of these people will decide not to do business with you, too.
The answer to the question at the beginning of this post, from research undertaken by TARP Research is that an average of 1,560 people will hear about at least one of these unhappy customers' experiences.
Complaints are a gift. They are a free gift to you in your business from a customer who has the courtesy to bring to your attention some aspect of your business that is not up to scratch or has broken down on this occasion. And if we treat the complaint as a gift, thank our customers for that gift and go the extra mile to look after them and put it right, that customer will usually become more loyal and an advocate of your business.
Of course, the best thing to do is to avoid complaints in the first place. And if we can help you do that by helping you to improve customer service through mystery shopping in your business, then please feel free to get in touch with us.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Well, the first scary fact is that for every one person who does complain, 25 unhappy customers won't bother. They will simply walk away from you, not tell you about their problem or issue with you and will go off and tell other people instead. And they're unlikely to do business with you again!
What happens next? Well, those 25 people will tell 10 people, who in turn will tell 5 others. And many of these people will decide not to do business with you, too.
The answer to the question at the beginning of this post, from research undertaken by TARP Research is that an average of 1,560 people will hear about at least one of these unhappy customers' experiences.
Complaints are a gift. They are a free gift to you in your business from a customer who has the courtesy to bring to your attention some aspect of your business that is not up to scratch or has broken down on this occasion. And if we treat the complaint as a gift, thank our customers for that gift and go the extra mile to look after them and put it right, that customer will usually become more loyal and an advocate of your business.
Of course, the best thing to do is to avoid complaints in the first place. And if we can help you do that by helping you to improve customer service through mystery shopping in your business, then please feel free to get in touch with us.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Thursday, 14 January 2010
How customers remember service experiences
How we remember a service experience hinges on whether the triggering cue for that memory is positive or negative.
If a friend describes a positive customer service experience at the same store, then we may recall our own experience as less offensive than it might actually have been. If our friend describes a negative experience, then we may recall worse treatment than we actually received.
If we have an uneventful dinner at a restaurant, then hear that a friend had an awful experience at the same place, then we may recall our dining experience as below average. If, instead, our friend told us that she had the best meal of her life there, then we might recall our experience as above average.
Not only do we recall our experience differently depending on the triggering cue; we are unaware of the change.
This is an excerpt from 'How Customers Think – Essential insights into the mind of the market’ by Professor Gerald Zaltman.
If a friend describes a positive customer service experience at the same store, then we may recall our own experience as less offensive than it might actually have been. If our friend describes a negative experience, then we may recall worse treatment than we actually received.
If we have an uneventful dinner at a restaurant, then hear that a friend had an awful experience at the same place, then we may recall our dining experience as below average. If, instead, our friend told us that she had the best meal of her life there, then we might recall our experience as above average.
Not only do we recall our experience differently depending on the triggering cue; we are unaware of the change.
This is an excerpt from 'How Customers Think – Essential insights into the mind of the market’ by Professor Gerald Zaltman.
Friday, 8 January 2010
Coffee - a drug of persuasion?
Robert Cialdini has co-authored an amazing book titled 'Yes! 50 secrets from the science of persuasion' which opens up a host of possibilities for coffee shops. Here’s an excerpt:
“There’s a drug called 1,3,7-trimethylxanthin that could make you more persuadable if you take it and more persuasive if you give it to others. Perhaps even more shocking is the fact that this drug is now widely available through ‘tri-meth labs’ that are popping up in neighbourhoods everywhere. The drug is more commonly known as caffeine, and these ‘tri-meth labs’ are more commonly known as coffee shops.”
We’ve all heard – and many of us have experienced – how caffeine can make us feel more alert, but did you realise it make us more persuasive?
The authors claim a good time to make your presentation to people you wish to persuade is earlier in the day, as that’s when your clients may have just had their morning coffee fix. Even if you can’t choose the time of day, heading down to your favourite coffee shop should make your audience more receptive to your message that you make sure your arguments are well reasoned. Yes, the researchers have tested messages with both weak and strong arguments.... and the improved results only occur when you have a strong case!
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Welcome to Shopper Anonymous Kent's Blog!
Hello and thank you for dropping in to have a look at the blog for Shopper Anonymous Kent! I hope to use this in conjunction with Twitter, to share informative articles with our followers.
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