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Secret Shoppers and Moments of Truth Build Customer Loyalty
Written by: Leanne Hoagland-SmithArticle Overview: Do you secret shop your organization? Are you shopping where you need to be or where you think you need to be?
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Secret Shoppers and Moments of Truth Build Customer Loyalty
Remember the Beatles song, "Do Wanna Know A Secret?” Many businesses engaged in a practice called Secret Shopper. These establishments from retail to not for profit hire people to secretly shop their organizations. The purpose of this action is to learn the level of customer service being experienced by their clients or what Jon Carlzon, former president of Scandinavian Airlines Systems, defines as moments of truth. These moments can be almost anything and are tied to a customer’s perception of value. “Moments of truth” are invariably woven into the buyer’s decision making process.
I was reminded of this customer service assessment strategy when talking with a local business owner, Jacki Kennedy. She is the co-owner of Riley Real Estate and an entrepreneur with Identity Theft Awareness Group in Northwest IN. Having a 100% referral base real estate business and understanding the importance of professionalism, she knows first hand the importance of delivering authentic moments of truth and how these moments extend outside of the firm’s physical environment.
Jacki was speaking at a local chamber monthly luncheon about changes in privacy laws that are affecting all businesses including health care. A local manager for a well known health care practice challenged the facts within the presentation. Before Jacki could respond to one question, the manager asked another.
Now others present observed the unprofessional behavior of this manager. Some came up to Jacki after the presentation and apologized for the rude treatment she had experienced. Later that day, at another after hours business networking event, several other people expressed their strong feelings about this manager’s poor behavior.
The reason I bring this up is that many times businesses fail to secretly shop their employees outside of their establishment. They are so busy worrying about what is going on inside of their business, as they should, they forget to think about what is going outside. How are their employees’ behaving when it is on the company’s time and dime?
Word of mouth usually travels slow, but negative word of mouth travels at warp speed. This is why it is so important not to have dissatisfied customers or even centers of influence. For they will tell 8-9 times as many people compared to unhappy customers. No business can afford this type of negative advertising.
Of course, you cannot follow your employees home. However, if your employees are engaged on your time and dime, then you can and should make the necessary inquiries to see how their behaviors are perceived.
Take Action Customer Loyalty Coaching Tip: Your internal customers create those moments of truth. Understand how your external customers and centers of influence view your business through their interactions with your employees. For as the business owner or executive, your responsibility does not end at the door if you truly want to build customer loyalty through those magical moments of truth.
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About the Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith RSS for Leanne's articles - Visit Leanne's website  Her book, Be the Red Jacket is a no-nonsense and quick read to help discover potential gaps that may be keeping you from your goal to increase sales. The forward is by Evan Carmichael of EvanCarmichael.com Remember if you think you cannot or you think you can either way you are right. (Henry Ford). Sales Coaching Tip: Change your thoughts; improve your results. Click here to visit Leanne's website   Leadership Audit For Business Leadership Assessment Business Building Check List |
Related Forum Posts
Re: From Sales to Marketing
- Loyalty,
Glad to know a little about you. Yes, this forum holds quite a bit of useful information. We hope you will join into the conversations and get to know us. Welcome!
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT
- Hi David,
To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience".
Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Victoria's Secret - Too Sexy?
- This will be upsetting for some men. I just heard a report about Victoria's Secret and it was interesting. Their sales were down drastically in the 4th quarter of 2007 and the report was about how they are thinking the company has gotten too far away from the heritage that made it the blockbuster company it is. They are thinking the ads etc have become too sexy and the plan (at the moment) is to make the ads more sophisticated. That would be like the Super Bowl commercial which was very tasteful, but very different from any Victoria's Secret I've seen lately.
Who do you all think the current sexy ads are targeting? I think its the men that they hope will buy these items for their female significant others. I hate to give Omarosa any kudos - but most women aren't "sold" on an item by an ad of a near naked sexy woman.
Shri
Re: Success
- I study success intently, and would like to share:
Here's two excellent and nearly identical success-formulas from a couple of the world's masters.
FIRST FORMULA:
1. Passionate Desire
2. Clear, Definite Purpose
3. Committed Decision
4. Take Action In Faith
(Bonus Secret Sauce: 5. Repeat Consistently)
I made a video about this, but am not allowed to link it yet. Google "Ryze Success Steps" for it.
Oh, and this is Napoleon Hill's (Master Of Success Laws)'s Formula.
SECOND FORMULA:
1. Passionate Desire
2. Understand It Is Already Done (Faith)
3. Relax & Allow It To Unfold (Go about your life calmly)
This one is courtesy of Abraham-Hicks (inspiration for the movie The Secret).
Hope that helps!
Re: Great start, but no finish
- My advise is FOCUS on your business.
Focusing is the main factor to succeed on business. If you have a great idea, then follow it only, don't look anywhere else. It is especially essential in an online business. Because there are a lot of mind blowing sales letters promising millions dolllars or overnight success, people find it difficult to concentrate on one business and they lose their energy.
Concept is simple.
1- Have a good idea;
2- Build your business on it;
3- Monetize your business;
4- Promote it;
5- Build list of responsive customers;
6- Maintain You Business.
Focusing and not fearing from competition (instead you can learn from competitiors) are main tips of billionaires ,BTW.
Orxan
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