Retail Reality Check
Introducing a highly evolved method of evaluating your store operations; a method that will provide you with all of the relevant data you’ve been missing… all of the information you need to improve revenues, profitability, customer loyalty and individual productivity!
Now that DMSRetail Premier Store Operations Evaluation Services are available you can expect accurate, credible, truly meaningful feedback following covert evaluations performed in your stores.
It’s just not good enough to send in an inexperienced, low wage earner who was hired the day before your shopping was to be done.
These individuals do not have the knowledge to properly evaluate the experience they have in your stores.
There are many details an inexperienced ‘shopper’ will not notice.
Your associates didn’t learn your service standards in a day or two…the inexperienced ‘shopper’ can’t either.
In fact, it’s likely that your newest part-timer would know more about what is supposed to happen in your stores, and be able to produce a much better critique, than a brand new ‘shopper’ would.
And, believe me, the majority of ‘shoppers’ are new!
Take a look at the postings on the internet claiming “Anyone can be a Mystery Shopper” and “Earn up to $40.00 an hour just doing what you love…shopping”.
How can anyone responding to these ads be taken seriously as consultants for your business? And that is what an evaluation service should be – a consultant.
At DMSRetail your business is never handed over to inexperienced ‘shoppers’.
Your business deserves a lot more than that and that is why DMSRetail offers their Premier Store Operations Evaluation Services.
We give you more…much more. It’s that simple.
The evaluation must be credible.
Do you know why many Store Managers willingly accept the report, make the appropriate apologies and excuses and promise to ensure that ‘next time will be much better’… and then immediately dismiss it, privately of course, as being without merit or credibility?
Here is why you don’t get the bang for your buck with mediocre shopping services:
We have seen hundreds of mystery shopper reports and without a doubt, the majority of them are lacking.
The reasons are many…
The shopper was not properly informed of, or did not clearly understand, what to look for.
The shopper lacks retail management experience.
The shopper is just that….a shopper, not a person who is necessarily capable of providing meaningful feedback on the execution of your particular service standards and who is not completely aware of the impact their comments may have.
The shopper does not engage the associates in meaningful conversation – which, in the absence of approach by the associate, means you do not get the biggest bang for your buck!
All you learn is that the associates didn’t do what they were supposed to do. Wouldn’t it be more helpful to have a few more details?
For instance, even if an associate does not greet or approach, by engaging the associate in conversation you would at least find out whether he/she knows how to sell; whether he/she is pleasant and helpful or unpleasant and indifferent.
This information will help you to target specific behaviors.
The shopper does not know what ‘other information’ may be relevant. If it’s not on your shopper’s questionnaire you are not likely to hear about it.
The shopper is being paid an hourly rate to shop and produce a report; they are not accountable for the thoroughness or accuracy of the report .
They have no investment in the process and no loyalty to your organization.
The shopper is not able to offer concrete advice on how the experience could have been improved.
…and the list goes on.
Customer Testimonial
“Thank you DMSRetail for providing us with comprehensive mystery shop reports on all of the stores at our centre!
The feedback we received was very helpful in determining the level of customer service at our centre and also aiding the managers in analyzing their business and recognizing their areas of opportunity. Your reports were thorough, accurate and in-depth, we were very pleased with your company’s performance!!”
Julie Leblanc, Operations Manager
Windsor Crossing Premium Outlets
Certainly any person who goes shopping would be able to recap their experience…you know, “oh, the ladies were really nice and helpful” or “the staff were too pushy” or “the associates were so rude, they didn’t even say hi to me”.
You get the picture. But that person is not likely able to provide you with a thorough evaluation of the shopping experience in your stores.
In order for you to realize a Return on Your Investment – a really fast payback – you need a lot more than that.
And you need to hear it from someone who has a lot of know-how; someone who has lived in that environment and knows what you need in order to get the most out of the exercise!
The return on your investment can be calculated as follows…average sale x # of missed opportunities during one evaluation x the number of store operating hours included in the calculation period.
Naturally, it is assumed that you will act on the information and recommendations provided in the evaluation and will, therefore, reduce the number of missed opportunities significantly.
Average Payback Example:
The average sale for your organization is $45.00. During one evaluation, one missed opportunity was noted. So, one missed opportunity = $45.00.
If one evaluation equals one hour, and regular operating hours for one week were 70, then the dollar value of missed opportunities could potentially be $45.00 x 70 … $3,150.00… in one week!
The Return on Investment calculation is simple.
Try it with your own organizations statistics and see what your result would be.
Remember, this calculation is based on one single evaluation, which means it only covers one store for one week.
If you have 75 stores, then missed opportunities could potentially be …
Are you ready?
75 x $3,150.00…that equals $236,250.00 in one week!
Even if you decide that the number of missed opportunities in one week, in one store would be only half …no, one quarter of what I have suggested…the revenue lost to missed opportunities would be $59,063.00.
Based on this example DMSRetail Premier Shopping Services could help you realize an additional $59,063.00 per week in revenue.
Your investment in DMSRetail Premier Store Operations Evaluation Services will be recovered almost instantly and many times over …with an additional benefit of tremendous insight into your store operations.
Customer Testimonial
“DMSRetail has provided specialized mystery shopping services for The Shoe Company since October 2003.
We found the reports to be well written, comprehensive and insightful. In addition to the actual shopping reports, DMSRetail has provided an excellent executive summary outlining specific areas for improvement in the overall shopping experience at The Shoe Company.
As a result of the information provided by DMSRetail, we have been able to identify and subsequently improve some key components of customer service.
I would highly recommend DMSRetail to any organization that wants to evaluate and improve the service experience to their clients.”
Lewis Feinstein,
Vice President, Store Operations
The Shoe Company
All of our evaluations are done by the senior consultants of DMSRetail Premier Store Operations Evaluation Services.
The senior consultants are highly experienced in all aspects of retail management with a very strong sales and customer service orientation (as well as with many years of senior retail management experience).
Our evaluations include, but are not limited to:
Customer service
Sales skills
Product knowledge
Visual presentation
Merchandising
Maintenance
Housekeeping
Loss prevention
Dress code and grooming
Cash desk and telephone etiquette
Fitting room assistance
Together, we will customize our standard reporting format to suit your needs.
You can choose to receive a detailed, essay style report or one that is set up in chart format for the purpose of scoring against a pre-determined scale- yours or ours.
We offer both options and are capable of delivering equally valuable, truly meaningful information using either format, standard or customized.
For a proposal and a quotation contact DMSRetail at (312) 239-0919 or info@dmsretail.com today.
