Tag: secret shopping

A business acquaintance recently asked my opinion on the current state of customer service in this tough economy. The reason? She had just returned from some routine business travel and found the customer service, from beginning to end, to be nothing short of effusive. I could not stop her as she sang the praises of the taxi driver, the airline gate agent, the flight attendants, the bell staff, the concierge, the restaurant servers, and on and on. She reported that she felt an obvious, heartfelt appreciation of her patronage from many employees.

A recent experience in Orlando International Airport clearly reminded me why the phrase “no problem” could easily be associated with the phrase “no service.’
I had just placed an order at a quick service restaurant, and was handed my order in a bag, along with a cup to fill at a self-service station. At this point in the transaction, I said, “Thank you.” The efficient employee then said, “No problem.”

CARY, N.C. March 11, 2009. Elaine Buxton, president of Confero, Inc., (www.conferoinc.com), has announced that the firm has been selected as one of the Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in North Carolina for 2008 by DiversityBusiness.com. DiversityBusiness.com conducted its ninth annual survey of more than 650,000 businesses in the United States for the awards, which are […]

On-the-spot rewards are an effective way to encourage employee participation toward attaining specific behaviors. They are especially effective when put into place for a limited time (to maintain excitement) and are simple to understand. Sometimes, revenue-generating behaviors may not seem natural to your team, but a simple suggestion, backed up by an offer to the customer, can increase revenue dramatically.

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 am often asked which measurement method works best.