In 2018, we started working for a major furniture company in Italy. Through our Mystery Shopping service, we monitored the performance of the entire network of shops present in Italy and abroad, both franchises and direct shops. We analysed their strengths, and highlighted any critical issues relating to the standards defined in the audit with the customer.
A further Mystery Shopping session, called Wave, was carried out in 2020. The results were compared with the data from the previous sessions carried out in 2018 and 2019. In order to be able to compare the results, the same criteria were used, but a section regarding safety was added (COVID-19 regulations).
The following sections were analysed:
- Evaluation of the shop – inside and outside
- Reception
- Analysis of customer needs
- Sales offer
- Current promotions
- Closing of sales process
- Safety
Shops monitored: 180
Number of visits per shop: 2
Total number of monitoring actions: 360
Total number of questions: 75
The results compared with 2019 were:
- Shop evaluation: -0.9%
- Reception: +2.5%
- Analysis of customer needs: -1.8%
- Sales offer: +1.2%
- Current promotions: +4.6%
- Closing of sales process: + 2.5%
The final evaluations highlighted critical issues that have not yet been resolved and that the customer aims to improve through ad hoc training courses.
The objectives for 2021 are to transform any inadequacies into points of growth and improvements, setting as fundamental objectives:
- Greater attention to the customer in the final stage of the sales process
- Offer of products suitable for the needs of each customer by actively listening to salespeople in order to identify the needs and to draw up personalised quotes
- Recall actions with direct telephone contact of the salesperson in order to finalise the order or suggest alternatives.