Confero Blog

Customer Satisfaction Research vs. Mystery Shopping: A Dialogue Revisited

by Elaine Buxton

In our current economy, customer retention is at the forefront of good business strategy. Well-run companies know that keeping customers coming back, even in this difficult economic climate, will ensure success down the road. With so many businesses focusing on customer service strategy and so many approaches to customer experience measurement out there, I’m often asked which measurement method works best.

Customer satisfaction research methods include web surveys, phone surveys, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) surveys and the like. Mystery shopping involves sending someone to pose as a customer, interact with products and people at the site, and then report on their observations. Shopper observations are directed by the program’s set up and requirements.

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Confero, Inc. Names Business Development Manager

by Confero Inc.

CARY, N.C. —Elaine Buxton, president of Confero, Inc., (www.conferoinc.com), a national customer experience measurement firm, has announced that Janet Morrison has been named business development manager. Morrison joins Confero with more than 20 years of marketing and sales experience, and 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. Her background includes leading client service and sales initiatives, business development, sales management, marketing research and focus group moderation. Most recently, Morrison served as the regional sales and marketing officer with BB&T, and was responsible for communicating mystery shop goals and results, providing guidance to managers on how to access mystery shop results, encouraging improvement and recognizing employees for superior mystery shop behaviors.

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Confero, Inc. Named To Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Privately-Held Companies in America

by Confero Inc.

CARY, N.C.—Elaine Buxton, president of Confero, Inc., (www.conferoinc.com), has announced that the national customer experience measurement firm has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

The 2009 Inc. 5000 is a list of the nation’s top 5,000 fastest-growing businesses based on revenue growth from 2005 through 2008, and represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. During the three (3) year period beginning in 2005, Confero has experienced

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What is Mystery Shopper Interview Bias?

by Elaine Buxton

Businesses considering mystery shopping services sometimes ask us about “interview bias,” or the concern that the mystery shopper will sway the employee to behave in a certain way or that the mystery shopper will bring opinions to the shop visit which might affect the outcome of the research.

Mystery shopping requires human interactions. Perfection is not possible. However, steps can be taken to ensure that interviewer bias is minimized so that mystery shopping value is maximized.

Decide what to test. Mystery shopping is performance research. In order to compare how each location is performing, it is important to decide what that performance should be. It is impossible to ask a mystery shopper to test performance without telling the shopper what the test is. Thus, the all-important first step is to determine what can and should be tested. Without requiring that each shopper approach the shop the same way, the results will be a hodge-podge of random events, reported on a meaningless survey form.
Here are some examples of how random experiences can be categorized into “tests” so that mystery shop results can be reasonably compared:

  • Banking. Instead of sending in mystery shoppers to inquire about opening “an account”, send in shoppers to ask about opening the same type of account. This allows comparisons of service descriptions when shoppers present the same scenario.
  • Restaurants. Send mystery shoppers during specific meal time windows. Units are more likely to be staffed similar, selling similar product and enjoying about the same amount of customer traffic.
  • Retail stores. Send mystery shoppers to look for specific product categories or departments.
  • Automotive services. Send mystery shoppers for the same type of vehicle service.

Inform mystery shoppers of required observations, not expectations. Mystery shoppers should be given enough information to conduct their visits and gather the appropriate information and observations without biasing them

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Confero, Inc. Adds Communications Manager

by Confero Inc.

CARY, N.C. —Elaine Buxton, president of Confero, Inc., (www.conferoinc.com), a national customer experience measurement firm, has announced that Katie Bean has been named communications manager. In this position, Bean will handle communications with the firm’s shopper community as well as the community at large, maintaining Confero’s presence on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, she will be responsible for client education and survey design. Bean began as an intern at Confero and has more than four years of industry experience. A native of North Carolina, Bean earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history along with her N.C. Teaching Certification from N.C. State University. She resides in Cary and stays involved with the community through coaching softball at both Green Hope High School and Apex Parks and Recreation.

Confero, Inc. offers customer service mystery shopping evaluations, customer brand support services, customer satisfaction research,

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