Over the last 10 years the UK has seen an explosion in demand for Customer Satisfaction Programmes. This approach has enabled retailers to capture and analyse vast volumes of real customer data. This shift in customer research preference coincided with a polarisation across the wider retail sector, with retailers identifying an opportunity to combine quantitative programmes with qualitative insights.
Traditional paper-based mystery shopping was originally developed in the 1930’s and has historically provided a targeted insight around service delivery and offers a low cost of entry. Correlating with the increase in demand for customer satisfaction programmes, paper-based programmes have seen a decline in demand. Customer Satisfaction Surveys offer real customer verbatim insights. In addition, retailers have integrated more sophisticated service propositions which has demanded more highly developed approaches. With a lack of validation, paper-based programmes often face credibility challenges with increased levels of appeals and colleague disgruntlement.
In counter to the decline of paper-based mystery shopping, Video Mystery Shopping now represents the most adopted format by volume in the UK. Video utilises the latest technologies that consistently deliver exceptional quality video footage via body worn hidden cameras. The demand for Video Mystery Shopping has increased exponentially, primarily because of the accuracy and validation of results. Furthermore, it can effectively measure the most sophisticated of service propositions, bringing to life the findings through video compilations. This format also has the added advantage of providing a genuine coaching and development tool, allowing featured staff and teams to review and self-evaluate their performance, where real and sustainable improvements in performance are achieved.
Video Mystery Shopping has seen its initial growth in big ticket sales environments where the impact on sales performance & conversion has been highly effective. In recent years video has become a mainstream approach with transactional retailers now investing in programmes. The drive for these retailers is to achieve customer return frequency and maximise lifetime value through consistent customer experience.
PERFORMANCE IN PEOPLE
Performance in People (PiP), have organically grown to become the UK’s largest mystery shopping and customer experience agency, delivering over 15,000 video mystery shopping assessments per quarter. PiP’s programmes are integrated with a transformational innovation enabling clients to measure and develop staff behaviours through the award-winning Behavioural Measurement Score (BMS®). Measuring the 6 key behaviours that influence customer experience, improvements in BMS® have correlated directly with improvements in client CSS/CSAT/VOC programmes alongside key commercial metrics. BMS® is adopted by over 75 major UK and international brands.
