The Realise Group

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The Serve to Conquer - Herald Sun 26 April, 2012

Affordable fashion outlets are matching the high-end service of some boutique rivals.

But, overall, top-end stores are still the best at rolling out the red carpet, a "mystery" shopping survey has found.

There may be hundreds of dollars' difference in the clothes they flog but a Public Defender investigation has found that Calvin Klein and Jeans West are on a par for customer service.

Carla Zampatti and Alannah Hill were next best while more affordable chains Bardot and Supre also scored well.

Long-time fashion favourite Katies had the worst service, the survey found, with busy staff failing to greet customers and one unhelpful when asked.

Mystery shopper Carlie Huppatz said too many shop assistants were absorbed in housekeeping duties such as unpacking stock.

Some greeted customers with blank looks, didn't know their own product and failed to offer assistance in the changing rooms.

"I got the impression it was in the too-hard basket to help me," Ms Huppatz said.

Public Defender tested five high-end and five value-based Melbourne fashion outlets.

Each was scored on criteria including whether shoppers were made welcome, offered assistance and had their needs met.

Higher-end retailers received an overall score of 81 per cent compared with 55 per cent for more affordable stores.

The Realise Group managing director Katie Miles, whose market research company conducted the mystery shop, said customer service was the biggest advantage that traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers had over their competitors on the internet.

Social media meant word of mouth was more powerful than ever: "Retailers really need to be on their game. It's a huge opportunity if they get it right but it can also be a big downside if they get it wrong."

Specialty Fashion Group chief executive Gary Perlstein said staff were expected to make eye or verbal contact within 10 seconds of shoppers entering a store.

Posted 30 April 2012 by Katie Miles0comment

News

New App Uses Makes Retail Data Collection Faster & Cheaper - ARA Feb 12, Article

In an Australian first, customer experience and research organisation The Realise Group has revolutionised traditional field marketing and mystery shopping with the launch of Field Agent, the iPhone App that pays everyday shoppers to collect data and information for retail clients.

Field Agent Australia embraces the concept of 'crowdsourcing' where instead of deploying a dedicated team, information is gathered by everyday Australian shoppers (know as 'agents') who have an iPhone and are already in the area and have been given a time limit to complete a task.

For the retailer, this means receiving accurate data from across Australia faster and more effectively than ever before, all while driving shoppers into the store.

Field Agent Australia has a simple website interface www.fieldagent.net.au for clients to add 'jobs'. Clients can ask seven types of questions: yes/no, free form, price check, count, multiple choice, five-point scale and photo request, and there is no maximum limit.

Globally, Field Agent is already used by brands including Coca-Cola, 7-Eleven, Walmart, Philips and Heinz. And what's in it for 'agents'? Cold hard cash. Anyone with an iPhone can download the App for free, carry out a task or answer survey questions then 'cash out' via PayPal as soon as the job is accurately completed.

Agents receive nearby job information based on their location via the app which is downloaded for free from the Apple App Store. Job pricing, timescales and detailed task information are provided and the Agents get paid via PayPal on accurate completion of the job. There is no minimum order, no contract and clients only pay for accurately completed jobs.

Australian Managing Director, The Realise Group, Katie Miles said, 'Collecting data, whatever your needs, is now easier, faster and more affordable with the launch of Field Agent across every state in Australia.

The possibilities for this app are endless - from market research in Goondiwindi, data audits and collection in Perth, instore photos in Cairns and opinion polls and surveys in every Australian location you do business. Every person, company and agency from every industry can benefit from this revolutionary app.

The launch of Field Agent Australia, with roll out in New Zealand over the next six months, has created a dynamic where information is now user-determined and user supplied. This affordable service providing cash to the individual is the way of the future for data collection and a powerful business tool.

Australian Managing Director of The Realise Group, Katie Miles said, "...put simply, The Field Agent App connects people who need information with people who want to be paid for providing that information. Information can be as simple as answering questions on a survey or more complicated like taking a photo or reporting the facts of a particular product at a local store".

With over 10,000 Agents already 'signed up' and shopping Field Agent Australia is already seeing shoppers take advantage of this NEW revolutionary way to collect fast and easy cash out and about on their daily routines. 

For more information visit www.fieldagent.net.au

 

Posted 27 April 2012 by Kate Gorman0comment

News

Aussie Shoppers Rude Staff Bugbear

A recent Australian survey undertaken by Synovate Research has found that rude staff is the most loathed thing about the Australian shopping experience.  24% of those asked, stated that bad-mannered or pushy staff put them off shopping and a further 22% complained about staff who 'just couldn't be bothered'.  One shopper said; "The service in Australian shops is awful.  Often the shop assistants are talking to each other or completely ignore customers or there just aren't enough to assist."

There were also calls for separate shopping times for children and teenagers, and in some cases, calls for all children and teenagers not to be allowed in shops at weekends or in the afternoons!

A recent Realise Group survey of over 35,000 mystery shops conducted between July 2009 and 2010 also showed that just over 15% of shoppers felt that shop assistants were not making customer service their first priority.

These types of surveys and feedback can give Australian retailers a good feel for what they need to consider when better understanding their own customers experiences or creating future ones that keep their customers coming back.

"Creating a customer experience that keeps customers coming back requires an understanding of what is actually happening rather than what you think is happening at the coal face of your business", says Kate Gorman, Business Development Manager.  "As a business grows it becomes increasingly difficult to know exactly what it is your customers are experiencing particularly if you have stores that are a long way away from management staff.  If staff are pushy or bad-mannered most customers will walk away and never come back.  Very few let you know of their experience."

"At The Realise Group we work with many of Australia's leading retailers, small and large, to better understand their customer experience by pulling from the many tools we have to check on what's actually happening in your stores" says Gorman.

 

Posted 5 December 2011 by Jason Cook0comment