Have You Listened to Your Company’s Voice Lately?
February 2, 2011
Call centers spend significant amounts of time and money training associates on delivering a friendly and empathetic approach. The Wall Street Journal reports that some companies now go one step further and reevaluate the voicethat initially greets customers. These companies believe that with a friendlier, more inviting voice, they increase the chance that customers will stay within the automated system rather than trying to reach a live operator, which saves companies money. Alflac, for example, recently brought on a new voice with a calm, hometown feel for its initial greeting. The company reports a 7% increase in customer satisfaction with the automated system since implementing the new voice.Employee Dress Codes and Brand Image
February 2, 2011Restaurants, grocery stores and banks all have something in common – an employee dress code. Some companies, such as UBS in Sweden, have traditionally taken dress codes to higher levels. A 44-page guide for employees contains specific directives about employee nail care, glasses and even underwear. Recently, though, UBS announced that it will change its strict policies to more practical dress guidelines. While most companies don’t manage company appearance down to such small details, many have some type of code in place, whether it includes wearing name tags or collared shirts, or directing employees not to wear jeans, nose rings or multiple earrings. The Remains of the Previous Customer Were on the Table, and Other Mystery Shopper Comments
February 2, 2011Back in the 1980’s, one of our early mystery shopping clients was a McDonald’s franchisee. When our CEO, Elaine Buxton, met with him to discuss our quality review process, she explained that all reports would reflect the utmost professional language. She gave the example stating the review team would change a phrase like “She took her sweet time” to something more professional sounding, such as “She was slow in approaching the drive up window.” That wise client taught us an early and valuable lesson: don’t change the tone of what the shopper communicates in verbatim comments. As he so aptly put it, “I can picture exactly what happened when I read “she took her sweet time”, so keep those types of comments in, please. We learned a lot from that client, including how to guide a quality review team to strike a balance between flavor and tone, content and quality. Restaurant Sales Rebounding Slower than Retail and Automotive Sales did in 2010
February 2, 2011Nation's Restaurant News reports that casual restaurants grew sales at 1% in 2010, and projected growth annually for 2011 is not projected to be much higher. Some customers that previously dined out frequently now scale back restaurant visits or limit them to special occasions.Customer Experience Goes Beyond Local or National
February 2, 2011“Buy Local” campaigns communicate convincing reasons why residents should shop or dine at locally-owned stores, including support of the local economy and reduction of environmental footprint, since buyers don’t have to travel as far to make purchases or dine out. The campaigns emphasize that local company employees usually know your name and make shopping or dining at their business a far more personal and satisfying experience.
Call centers spend significant amounts of time and money training associates on delivering a friendly and empathetic approach. The 
Restaurants, grocery stores and banks all have something in common – an employee dress code. Some companies, such as 
Back in the 1980’s, one of our early mystery shopping clients was a McDonald’s franchisee. When our CEO, Elaine Buxton, met with him to discuss our quality review process, she explained that all reports would reflect the utmost professional language. She gave the example stating the review team would change a phrase like “She took her sweet time” to something more professional sounding, such as “She was slow in approaching the drive up window.” That wise client taught us an early and valuable lesson: don’t change the tone of what the shopper communicates in verbatim comments. As he so aptly put it, “I can picture exactly what happened when I read “she took her sweet time”, so keep those types of comments in, please. We learned a lot from that client, including how to guide a quality review team to strike a balance between flavor and tone, content and quality. 
“Buy Local” campaigns communicate convincing reasons why residents should shop or dine at locally-owned stores, including support of the local economy and reduction of environmental footprint, since buyers don’t have to travel as far to make purchases or dine out. The campaigns emphasize that local company employees usually know your name and make shopping or dining at their business a far more personal and satisfying experience.