Mystery shopping for Convenience Stores

When looking at customer experience and service at convenience stores, the importance of the signature greeting or closing can’t be overlooked. 

For convenience stores, it’s the little things that make a difference. We know that first impressions are lasting and in this case, a simple greeting by a store clerk can subconsciously determine the customer’s 1) satisfaction level with the location and 2) chances of returning. Video mystery shopping for convenience stores has proven this. 

For many stores the easiest way to handle that challenge is to have a “Signature Greeting” or “Signature Closing”. This means standardized way that your staff addresses customers to provide that connection and sense of rapport. A great example is Chick-Fil-A’s “My Pleasure” signature greeting.  Secret shopping for convenience stores is an efficient way of improving in this area.

The “little things” make the difference in customer experience at convenience stores

Managers, owners, or franchise operators who dismiss this very important but fairly simple factor can be missing out on a lot of customer loyalty. In our next blog we’ll prepare some stats about some of these other “little things that make a difference”.

Studies show the data on mystery shopping for convenience stores

Although this article dives deeper into the benefits of mystery shopping for convenience stores, it also explains the study that breaks down how and why first impressions are made so quickly. This applies to the person as well as the business, and we’re all aware of how much much less patience customers have in mass form than on a one-on-one basis. The signature greeting or closing could be the most important factor in step one of brand awareness and customer experience.

Visuals and how information is displayed and explained also play a big part of a customer’s first impression, which we will dive into deeper in our next segment, as outlined in this study on first impressions based on design. Overall, having a mystery shopping program in place to manage your customer experience and satisfaction can make or break a customer’s decision to return. 

Would you like more information about having a video mystery shopper at your location? Click here.