How mystery shopping can help overcome the epidemic of consumer confidence.

It is a perfect storm for franchisees on the high street. Reduced custom with much diverted online, layers of new regulation, consumer confidence at rock bottom.

How mystery shopping can help overcome the epidemic of consumer confidence.

It is a perfect storm for franchisees on the high street. Reduced custom with much diverted online, layers of new regulation, consumer confidence at rock bottom. Yet whilst franchisees cannot control the multiple headwinds, there are ways to adjust the sails to maintain direction and emerge as a stronger business with deeper understanding of the customer base. 

‘From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction – you must stay at home.’ On March 23rd and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered workplaces to close, the majority of businesses to shut, and all but essential workers to stay at home. Overnight conversations started as to whether lives could ever be the same again and the phrase ‘new normal’ was born.

Five-months on and the first new normal is here. It is defined by a forty-two-page guidance note from the government ‘to keep workers and customers safe during COVID in shops and branches.’ With mandatory face coverings that limit facial expression, sense of smell and verbal exchange; hands to be sanitised with touch discouraged; and social distancing that reduces shop capacity and increases queues, franchisees have been tasked with a seemingly paradoxical challenge. To increase uniformity through safety measures so as to build consumer confidence, whilst maintaining differentiation through brand and delivering an exceptional customer journey so as to retain and grow market share. 

But how can franchisees be sure they are addressing safety concerns in a way that does not negatively impact on the customer journey? How can brands be sure their staff are following COVID guidelines and not placing reputation at risk? How can franchisees play their part in restoring confidence in the high street?

Whilst the process of shopping has changed, mystery shopping has not. It provides genuine, objective insight into how businesses are really adapting to the new world, from customer experience through to staff adherence to government guidelines. Franchisees can evaluate answers, pinpoint service gaps in customer experience, and crucially, do something about it. At a micro level, this means franchisees can earn the consumers’ trust, build consumer confidence and protect their brand. At a macro level, it means that franchisees can contribute to the broader aim of attracting people back to the high street whilst supporting crucial health objectives.

A recent survey undertaken by Proinsight in partnership with the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association highlighted just how important it is to adapt during COVID. Some 3,200 mystery shoppers took part to evaluate the four strands of COVID guidance: sanitation, signage, transmission and personal protective equipment (PPE). Respondents were asked about their feeling of safety to complete the transaction and likelihood to recommend the place they visited.

On sanitation, the research highlighted unsurprisingly that 100% of hospitals provided sanitation, followed by 88% of supermarkets and 85% of food and beverage outlets. In contrast to only 50% of petrol stations and, perhaps surprisingly, 61% of pharmacies. 

Petrol stations also scored lowest when it came to clear signage with some 19% failing to provide it, in contrast to pharmacies, banks, hospitals, and supermarkets which were between 3% and 6%.

On social distancing observed by staff, it was supermarkets who were bottom of the pile with 33% of staff failing to observe social distancing. Automotive dealers, retail stores and petrol stations were next where 27%, 21% and 18% of staff failed to observe social distancing respectively. On average, across all sectors, 26% of staff failed to observe social distancing.

It is easy to see how such insight could benefit those companies who participated in the mystery shopper exercise, enabling them to double-down on efforts to ensure staff maintain social distancing. The importance of improving staff adherence to guidelines increases when placed alongside the startling results of social distancing by customers. 

59% of customers in supermarkets failed to follow social distancing guidelines. This is a standout figure from the survey given that supermarkets provide many essential items. 41% of customers in retail outlets also failed to observe social distancing with these two sectors, pulling the UK average down to 45%.

On the final strand of COVID-19 guidance, it was deemed that 37% of automotive dealers were failing to provide their staff PPE, possibly highlighting that automotive dealers would find PPE obstructive to the sales process. This was followed by 27% of food and beverage outlets. 

The significance of these findings is two-fold. First, it has led to automotive dealers, retail outlets and supermarkets being perceived as being the least safe places to visit with 10-12% of customers feeling unsafe. Second, and crucial to the bottom-line, is that if none of the safety measures are in place only 57% of customers would make a recommendation for others to visit, in contrast to 92% if all criteria are met. 

It is a time of great uncertainty for all franchisees and the truth is, it is difficult to know precisely where consumer confidence will be in 12 days let alone 12 weeks or 12 months. But we do know that at some point in the future a new ‘new normal’ will appear. 

The key thing for franchisees until that time is agility. To understand the symbiotic relationship between customer experience, new societal safety expectations, and broader consumer confidence. Then to invest in gathering information so as to be able to take data-led decisions to protect brand value and maintain levels of customer experience based on identified gaps. The more franchisees who do this, the more franchisees will help define what the next ‘new normal’ will be, whilst helping overcome the epidemic of consumer confidence currently gripping the UK.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Hopkins
David Hopkins
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