Customer service matters. Anyone who has visited the US always returns raving about the quality of service they received in shops and restaurants. It leaves a lasting impression and keeps customers coming back for more. Here in the UK businesses are upping their efforts and while the service culture doesn’t rival that of the US just yet, it’s certainly moving in the right direction.
So how can a business test out the customer experience and find out what kind of service consumers are experiencing? Well the best way is to employ the services of a mystery shopper. A professional agency will send in seemingly regular customers, however these are plants who will analyse and scrutinise every aspect of the service that they receive.
The secret shopper provides any organisation with invaluable data. It’s vitally important to know what customers think of the service that they receive. If something is lacking then it will be flagged here and the organisation can take steps to address the situation. If they don’t carry out this kind of exercise, businesses run the risk of making the same mistakes over and over again. And that’s going to mean losing customers, market share and revenue.
Customers have a huge amount of choice. If they don’t receive a good service they’ll go elsewhere. It really is that simple. Businesses that don’t take service levels seriously won’t survive. An unhappy customer is far more likely to tell friends and family about their experience than a satisfied one. Food for thought.
