Numerous studies show CEO’S are insisting on more accountability from their marketing departments. It’s not that things aren’t getting measured; but there’s much room for improving the quality of these measurements. According to VisionEdge Marketing’s 6th annual Marketing Performance Survey, of 136 executives and marketing professionals surveyed, only 17% said their CEO would reward marketing with an A.
The question then becomes what to measure and what metrics are best. For most companies, marketing metrics focused around business outcomes seems to make the most sense. So how does this apply to mystery shopping? Mystery shopping uses a specific set of metrics to gather data directly from observation of customers and store personnel and IVR web surveys that zero in on the customer’s needs and wants and identifies where store personnel may be missing the mark or doing very well in meeting company policies and objectives. Compared to many of the largest companies’ convoluted marketing strategies, mystery shopping may seem to some like an oversimplified way to gather and report on important data. Actually, its relative simplicity and the targeted data it can provide is the beauty of the entire program.
Another benefit to mystery shopping is program flexibility. Selecting specific metrics to aid a company in making decisions and taking actions that affect both long term and short term business goals can have a direct impact on gaining a competitive advantage.
In the world of retail, the customer remains king. Having the programs, strategies and tactics in place to measure the things that matter – the customer’s level of satisfaction with personnel, products, services, policies and environment ““ is what can make the difference between success and failure.
