IVR Versus Mystery Shopping
A comprehensive mystery shopping program uses a combination of components that work synergistically to develop the vital data store managers need to effect change. One of those components is IVR (interactive voice response).
Unfortunately, some IVR vendors have chosen to position IVR surveys as a replacement for mystery shopping. This is erroneous, since these approaches provide different types of data, one based on subjective recollection and the other based on objective observation.
Six Problems with Customer Experience Management…and What to Do About Them
When it comes to measuring the Customer Experience, many organizations have preconceived ideas about what does and doesn’t work. Let’s look at some of these common Customer Experience Management problems and learn how each one can present a unique set of issues to the retailer.
Mystery Shopping and IVR: A Dynamic Duo
A long-held misconception exists that mystery shoppers supply businesses with information similar to that drawn from ordinary customer feedback. In fact, mystery shoppers provide a much different service, especially to those businesses aiming to be among the “best-in-class” within their industry. When used in combination with customer feedback, mystery shoppers are very powerful in helping businesses achieve their customer service objectives – which ultimately are responsible for driving revenue by keeping customers satisfied and wanting to return.
Customer feedback, typically obtained through customer feedback mechanisms, such as interactive voice response surveys (IVR), allows companies to define their own unique brand of customer services that answers the demands of their markets. Mystery shoppers, on the other hand, help to ensure the proper implementation of these customer service strategies through ongoing self-evaluation and troubleshooting. By taking an unbiased, qualitative measurement of a store’s operational habits, mystery shoppers can pinpoint which revenue-generating behaviors need to be reinforced with employees, allowing the company to respond accordingly – whether it is additional training, policy modification or even employee admonition.
For example, while a regular shopper can tell you whether or not their experience was pleasant, they are not likely to report how quickly the sales associate greeted, whether the sales associate suggested additional merchandise, and if the correct merchandise was displayed. Mystery shoppers are equipped with a pre-determined set of criteria from which to evaluate a store’s ability to execute its own unique customer service model. It is through mystery shopping that a company can find out exactly where it falls short and where it excels.
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