March 2019 - 26

Management
features 12 questions in this section with a total of 20
possible points awarded.
Purchases: This is the area where you get to see
what your cashier area looks like to the customer.
How is the cashiering experience? It can cover how
long the process took, if the cashier was wellgroomed
and wearing a company uniform or name
tag, did they receive courteous service, talk about
your loyalty program or email lists, did they give the
shopper a receipt without asking and if they thanked
the shopper and invited them back.
All of this lays the foundation for the final
impression while in your store. The Group's Shop
Report features 16 questions in this section and a
total of 20 possible points awarded.
Departments: We also want to know what
departments the shopper visited and ask for a brief
description of their experience in each, although
there are no points awarded in this section.
Overall: This is an area we have enhanced in
recent years to learn more about the shopper such as
gender, age range, do they own or rent their home, do
they frequent garden centers on a regular basis and
other questions such as if they would recommend
this store to friends and plan to return on their own.
We ask what type of marketing would be best
to reach them, as well as ideas to help make their
shopping experience more enjoyable. The Group's
Shop Report features 13 questions in this section, has
a photo of the receipt from the purchase, and there
are no points awarded in this section.
When the Shop Report Arrives: The Mystery
Shopper's Report is a snapshot of what your store's
experience was like at that time. It provides an
opportunity to share the results with the staff,
celebrate high marks and refine efforts to improve
lower score areas.
The stores that leverage Mystery Shops to the
max reward their staff with small incentives for
improvements. Something as simple and low cost as
hosting a staff pizza lunch can be a team-building
tool while improving customer experience.
Tracking Improvement: You need to decide
how you will compare your scores each time you
receive a Shop Report. Obviously, you can compare
your internal scores but comparing against others
(benchmarking) gives you a much broader view of
your progress.
The Garden Center Group members can compare
their scores to shops of fellow members. Figure 1
shows details of The Group's scores over 17 years as
well as the last individual three years.
The Bottom Line: Engaging in a mystery shopper
program and creating a training program with staff
creates a culture for better customer experience in
your store.
Staff never know who the mystery shopper is
going to be, what day they will shop or who will be
working when he or she arrives. No matter who the
customer is you want them to be getting the same
great service.
I believe you need to have several shops per month
during your spring season and a few scattered the
rest of the year for the best analysis of your center.
We all know EVERY customer that calls or walks
through the door is very important to your business.
How will you build customer experience in your store?
To receive a sample Mystery Shop Report or for
more information about The Garden Center Group
and our programs and services for garden retailers,
call or send an email.
Until next time... In an upcoming issue, we will
explore how social reviews are becoming increasingly
important (and more complex to manage) as you work
to connect with new customers! And, we'll cover some
ideas on how to make your life simpler as you continue
to add more to your marketing toolbox.
Danny Summers is managing director of The
Garden Center Group. He can be reached at danny@
thegardencentergroup.com or 678.909.7770.
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26 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | MARCH 2019
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March 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2019
