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24 February 2010 10:53
 The banana is the nation’s favourite throwaway food – and young single men have been identified as the biggest culprits for food wastage – according to a new survey.Fruit, salad and veg are the most wasted items with the banana skidding into top place – closely followed by fresh milk. And single men, aged between 25 and 35, living in cities, waste food worth an average of £17.43 a month. People living in cities generally wasted the most food.  The poll, by Britain’s leading business intelligence company, Retail Active, says the South East of England has the highest food waste tally, second is the North West and the area with the least wastage is Scotland. It says a family of four throws away an average of £15.70 worth of food every month. People aged over 57 are the least wasteful, throwing away an average Read More
04 February 2010 11:16
A new survey says the recession has sharpened consumer’s demands for better customer service and retailers who haven’t learned lessons could lose out in the recovery. It’s a customer service time bomb for stores which fail to shape up. The survey says poor service could cost High Street stores millions of pounds and drive customers away for ever. Research by Retail Active, Britain’s leading mystery shopping company, says a record number of British consumers are now prepared to complain about poor service. Seventy one per cent of shoppers say they wouldn’t suffer shoddy service in silence – the highest figure ever recorded. More than half the shoppers surveyed believe customer service has declined in the past year. Eight out of ten wouldn’t shop again at stores giving poor service. Almost as many said they would spend more on products at stores with good service and more than a quarter said they complain more than they did before the start of the credit crunch. Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Stores will be having to deal with a customer service time bomb. “The recession has sharpened customers’ demands and more than ever Read More
04 January 2010 05:07
 At Retail Active we conduct thousands of assignments to assess the best and worst in Hospitality, Leisure and Retail. However If we were to select one retailer for consistently superior customer service in 2009 it would be American Apparel.When we visited the store we were immediately approached by staff in a helpful, friendly and competent way. Another great plus point of this store is that American Apparel is “Sweatshop Free” you can buy in the confidence that their workers are cared for. As you would expect there are no drab winter colours here, a full array of rainbow colours to brighten any rainy winter’s day. This brand is bright, fun and funky, helping to banish the winter blues. Above all this is a brand implemented with flawless execution, enabling us to acknowledge American Apparel, Camden as our January 2010 service heroes. Julian Chamberlain, Managing Director of Retail Active Mystery Shopping said: “When Retail Week contacted us for our thoughts on a good retail shopping experience we didn’t hesitate to Read More
16 December 2009 03:21
Its no longer good enough for Santa to deliver his gift with a Ho,ho,ho – customer service will be high on everyone’s shopping list this Christmas. A new survey says poor service could cost High Street stores millions of pounds and drive customers away for ever. Research by Retail Active, Britain’s leading shopping intelligence company, says more than half the shoppers surveyed beleive customer service has declined in the past year. Eight out of ten wouldn’t shop again at stores giving poor service. Almost as many said they would spend more on products at stores with good service and more than a quarter said they complain more than they did before the start of the credit crunch.  Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Stores will be having to deal with a customer service time bomb this Christmas. “The recession has sharpened customers’ demands and more than ever before – seven out of ten - say they are prepared to complain about poor service. Retail Active has identified Read More
10 December 2009 01:51
 HAPLESS MALE CONSUMERS SPEND 15% MORE ON GIFTS AS THEY LEAVE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TO LAST MINUTEMen who loathe shopping and only venture out to buy presents on Christmas Eve rarely get a bargain, retail experts said today. Dubbed 'Last Minute Man' by sales assistants, he can apparently be spotted sweating profusely as he scrambles through the leftovers of the Christmas shopping rush on December 24th. In the end he is usually pounced on by a crafty salesman who will convince him to spend hundreds of pounds on gifts never to be seen again after Christmas Day.  The research was carried out by analysts Retail Active, which has been called in by a leading supermarket to train staff to spot the stereotypical Last Minute Man and make him buy something.It surveyed 2,000 shoppers across the country and found men are 22 per cent more Read More
27 November 2009 11:11
 It pays to complain – that’s the message from hundreds of dissatisfied customers who are cashing in on compensation from embarrassed companies.Brits are learning that they can pick up thousands of pounds in cash, new goods and other benefits just by complaining about sloppy service or faulty products. Terry-Anne Gulko, from Norwich, is the self-confessed Queen of Complainers. She says she’s made more money from compensation claims than from her day job. She discovered her talent for complaining ten years ago and decided to cash in on it. Since then she says she has made tens of thousands of pounds a year – more than she does from her job as a PR consultant. She has complained to dozens of companies large and small after things have gone wrong and she says the secret of success is “Take your complaint straight to the top.” It started when she booked rooms for her wedding guests with a top hotel chain. She says: “They mixed up nearly every room and Read More
19 November 2009 04:41
 When Optomen Television were looking for a company to supply Mystery Shoppers for their flagship TV series ‘MARY Queen of Shops’ they chose Retail Active, Britain’s leading Mystery Shopping Company. Optomen Television were looking for a partner to supply experienced Mystery Shoppers who could be available at very short notice at undisclosed locations at opposite ends of the country. It was also essential that Retail Active could provide specific demographically profiled people to mirror the customer type of the outlets being helped by Mary Portas. Mary is one of the UK's foremost authorities on retail and brand communication and is credited with turning Harvey Nichols into the modern fashion powerhouse that it is. What she doesn’t know about retail isn’t worth knowing. Retail Active met the brief by supplying mystery shoppers to conduct a specific assignment as part of the filming schedule. The shoppers included Faye Blundred. Faye is a ‘Premier’ rated shopper having conducted special assignments here in the UK and overseas. Fay said, working with the Optomen TV production team was Read More
04 November 2009 05:21
When 25 year old Jay Cox gets home after a day’s shopping – he counts up how much he’s earned. Jay, from Exeter in Devon, is a full-time Mystery Shopper, carrying out undercover assignments all over the country, to assess standards of customer service. He can appear unannounced in businesses ranging from High street retailers to posh South Coast Marinas - with a brief to buy a mooring for a luxury yacht. There’s a James Bond touch too. He often carries a concealed digital camera with a pin-head sized lens hidden in his lapel or under his cap. Jay, who left school with just a handful of c and d grade GCSEs, says Mystery Shopping can bring in up to £25,000 year. He started part time six years ago – and went “professional” two years ago. He says; “Employment prospects in Exeter are not good if you don’t have any qualifications – so Mystery Shopping is an ideal career choice. “I enjoy being my own boss, I like working with people and I have a flair for technology. “You have to be very organised and make careful plans to maximise the Read More
30 October 2009 12:52
The BBC2 Business programme Working Lunch went undercover in Robin Hood’s old lair in the heart of Sherwood Forest – for a modern-day mystery shopping expedition to the popular holiday resort of Center Parcs. BBC TV reporter Rob Pittam joined a “secret service” team from Britain’s leading mystery shopping company Retail Active – as they checked on the standard of customer service at the resort. Retail Active mystery shopping carries out undercover surveys for a wide variety of businesses across the UK, to help employers improve service levels and reward examples of excellent service. Rob said: “There is a secret army of undercover shoppers at work across the country. Posing as genuine customers, they compile reports on the kind of service they receive. It helps companies to keep their customers loyal – especially during a recession. “Center Parcs is one of Retail Active’s clients and we were invited to join them on one of their secret missions.” Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Companies like Center Parcs, who are keen to maintain the highest standards, come to us looking for ways to get feedback about their customers and ways to make a real Read More
27 October 2009 03:44
This article appeared in The Sun newspaper, Thursday 22nd October 2009  Earn extra dosh working as a mystery shopperJoin the secret service! Fancy being paid to eat in top restaurants, go on holiday or test luxury yachts? You could do all these things as a mystery shopper. The job is an increasingly popular way of topping up your income and enjoying valuable perks. It also fits around your lifestyle. Paul Prowse, from financial advice website Moneymagpie.com, says almost anyone can be a mystery shopper. He says: “All you have to do is be an actual customer in a shop or restaurant or hotel then say what you think of them afterwards. “You don’t need any qualifications but you do need excellent observation skills, a good memory and strong opinions.” “Typically, you’ll be given a brief and a checklist of things to look out for. You need to follow your instructions (without letting anybody know you are testing them), evaluate the response Read More
08 October 2009 11:17
More than half of High Street shoppers say customer service has declined since the recession began to bite a year ago. A major new survey by the Customer Intelligence company Retail Active says 59 per cent of shoppers polled think service in the UK has worsened over the past year. Eight out of ten shoppers went on to say they would refuse to shop again at stores with poor service. However an astonishing seventy-eight per cent said they were prepared to spend more in businesses where they receive great service.  Retail Active’s director, Julian Chamberlain said: “This remarkable survey has given us a highly revealing snapshot of the effect of the recession on customer service and shoppers’ reactions. “One very interesting factor is that 71 per cent said they would complain about bad service. This is the highest figure we have ever recorded and it shows British shoppers are no longer prepared to suffer shoddy service in silence. “We are becoming more like the Americans and Continental Europeans Read More
01 October 2009 03:05
Lexus the luxury car manufacturer has won the prestigious J.D. Power Award for a remarkable 9th time. The 2009 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS) is the successor study to the UK Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI). It is based on the evaluations of over 15,700 online interviews from UK car owners after an average of two years of ownership. The study included 101 models and 29 brands. The survey covers four measurements of satisfaction and 67individual attributes; owners provide detailed evaluations of the dealerships and their vehicles. 'Lexus consistently delivers an exceptional ownership experience for customers in the UK,' said Susan Barnes, European automotive director at J.D. Power and Associates. Julian Chamberlain, managing director of Retail Active Mystery Shopping, one of Britain’s leading business intelligence agencies, said: “We are very proud to work with such a highly acclaimed brand that delivers such consistent excellence. “Retail Active has supported the Lexus network for the past two years, working with them to raise the standards of the retail network. Retail Active operates at the forefront of excellence and we are delighted to work closely with Lexus GB, this award is testimony to the excellence they deliver.” Read More
21 September 2009 11:11
 Retail Active Mystery Shopping has attained the prestigious European membership of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA).The MSPA is the professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality using Mystery Shopping and Customer Experience measurement strategies. To become a member of such a highly regarded organisation Retail Active had to demonstrate its professional standards and ethical approach to business. Members span the globe with only a handful of carefully selected companies representing mystery shopping for the United Kingdom. On the achieving membership Managing Director, Julian Chamberlain commented “Being accepted by MSPA is a huge privilege and one we take very seriously indeed. We recognise the importance and professional standing of MSPA. This is an association who tirelessly works to raise ever higher standards in our industry. Retail Active aim to be at the forefront of excellence and we are delighted to be endorsed by them.” Retail Active, Start Electron, Fermi Avenue, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Harwell, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QR +44 (0)1235 438413 www.retailactive.com Press inquiries: John Read More
15 September 2009 03:20
 BOURNEMOUTH has been voted the UK’s top ‘staycation’ destination after undercover researchers found that Basil Fawlty-style hotels have been banished. While the worst excesses of the hopeless hotelier, immortalised by John Cleese, are being repeated at holiday accommodation up and down Britain, there are signs that in Bournemouth Basil has been given his marching orders. Julian Chamberlain, managing director of Retail Active Mystery Shopping, one of Britain’s leading business intelligence agencies, said: “We didn’t have a single negative report from any of the Bournemouth hotels we visited. “We did hear plenty of horror stories from many other areas but it would seem that Bournemouth has truly banished Basil.” While Bournemouth triumphed, Fawlty Towers’ horror stories were uncovered in other resorts including its rival Blackpool. At one B&B in Devon guests were astonished when the elderly woman owner shut the bar at 10.30 pm, announcing: “If you want your breakfasts in the morning, you will have to go to bed now.” Mr Chamberlain added: “This year has been particularly important Read More
04 September 2009 04:37
The spirit of Basil Fawlty lives on: British 'staycationers' reveal their holiday horror stories The spirit of Basil Fawlty lives on: British 'staycationers' reveal their holiday horror stories It's more than 30 years since he first graced our TV screens, but it seems Basil Fawlty is alive and well. The worst excesses of the hopeless hotelier immortalised by John Cleese are still being repeated in holiday accommodation up and down Britain, undercover researchers found. In one bed-and-breakfast establishment in Devon, guests were astonished when the elderly woman owner shut the bar at 10.30pm announcing: 'If you want your breakfasts in the morning, you'll have to go to bed now.' In Blackpool, a couple were puzzled when another pair kept asking them up to their room for late-night drinks. They finally lost their patience when they were sent a note via room service saying rooms 3, 24 and 38 would like to join them. When they complained to reception they were told they had booked on a swingers' weekend, but nobody had told them. In another case uncovered by researchers, a couple who booked a 'romantic weekend break' at a country house hotel were Read More
04 September 2009 04:32
We are complaining more about shoddy service – thanks to the Recession. A record number of shoppers say they are prepared to complain about shoddy service. Three out of four shoppers polled in a recent survey say they won’t suffer in silence any more – and will stand up to sloppy staff. A major new survey by the Business Intelligence company Retail Active says 59 per cent of shoppers think service in the UK has worsened over the past year. Retail Active’s director, Julian Chamberlain said: “This remarkable survey has given us a highly revealing snapshot of the effect of the recession on customer service and shoppers’ reactions. “One very interesting factor is that 71 per cent said they would complain about bad service. This is the highest figure we have ever recorded and it shows British shoppers are no longer prepared to suffer shoddy service in silence. “We are becoming more like the Americans and Continental Europeans in speaking out about the quality of service. “More than a quarter, 27 per cent, of those polled said they complain more now than they did before the recession hit! “A significant majority Read More
04 September 2009 04:28
What’s your top hate when you check in to a British hotel? Researchers from the leading UK Mystery Shopping company Retail Active monitor standards in hundreds of hotels every year. They’ve compiled the top ten pet hates – based on their extensive findings: 1. DIRTY ROOM : linen, carpets, bedding , other peoples belongings etc 2. NOISE : roads, banging doors, antisocial guests 3. UNWELCOMING CHECK IN : knowledgeable, miserable, uncaring staff 4. BEDROOM HEATING : too hot or too cold 5. BROKEN EQUPMENT : remote controls, hair dryers, mini-bar fridges 6. POOR FOOD : cold, not as described, poorly prepared, low quality 7. PARKING : dirty, poorly illuminated, unsafe/ not secure, away from the hotel 8. UNCOMFORABLE BEDS & PILLOWS 9. QUEUES, checkout and restaurants 10. POOR VALUE FOR MONEY And just for good measure there’s a close runner-up at number 11 - Leisure facilities being closed for maintenance or due to no staff cover Retail Active’s director, Julian Chamberlain said: “With the British hotel industry poised to enjoy its biggest boom in home-grown tourism for many years – there are still too many examples of poor service. “The standard Read More
30 January 2009 12:44
Compliance auditing allows your company to test the strengths of your business management system as they relate to your current responsibilities. Compliance auditing also checks on the implementation of your companys written procedures. Compliance auditing is a robust process that generates impartial, accurate and independent feedback which verifys and evaluates whether the specified criteria is followed and met. By taking part in compliance auditing, it can add strategic value to your business as well as growth in your profits. Compliance auditing makes a lasting improvement to your business. When compliance auditing is taking place, all of the results are recorded in many different ways from digital photos to online reportage. These reports produce detailed action plans and informs you as a company what measures and actions are needed to take to improve any areas that need attention. Retail Active are one company that undertakes Compliance auditing. Their Compliance auditing programme is second to none and is designed to be completely unique for each of their clients. All of their Compliance auditing team are trained to the highest level and their experience in compliance auditing has enabled them to improve value and profit to many Read More
21 January 2009 09:54
"I work in retail and my company realised we needed to improve our customer service and the way we were treating our customers, we just didn’t know how to go about it. I did a search on the internet and found a mystery shopping company called Retail Active. Retail Active specialise in using customer research as the basis of their mystery shopping training. They are based in Oxfordshire in the UK and knew exactly how we could improve the way we treated and looked after our customers. In this economic climate it is more important than ever to be fully aware of what our customers were thinking. Our customer’s satisfaction is very important to us, we wanted to act on their feedback straight away to avoid losing those precious pennies and customers. Retail Active not only offered us a Mystery Shopping Training programme, they also offered us an award winning Customer Service Training Read More
19 January 2009 11:32
Where are your customers going once they have visited your store? Just imagine for one moment the horror of having no customers in your store. Would you be satisfied that you have a successful business? The answer is absolutely not! Customers are critical to the success of every business, so it makes complete sense that the better you make the customer's experience, the more successful your business will be. This is especially true in demanding times when all businesses are competing for every penny and every customer. The unfortunate business reality is that your competitors are very similar to you. They have a good location, good product range, smart premises, easy parking and good staff. So the key to winning the loyalty of your customers is determining how can you persuade customers to come to your business rather than your competitors. One of the best secret shopping companies called Retail Active develops world class Secret Shopping programmes. Their programmes help determine the key reasons why shoppers are satisfied or dissatisfied with the service and experience Read More
13 January 2009 11:09
What is Mystery Shopping? Many companies contract market research companies to evaluate the quality of service within their business; these mystery shopping companies use mystery shoppers to obtain the information anonymously. They brief a mystery shopper to use the services or facilities in a shop or restaurant, for example, and then report back on the experience. Usually the mystery shopper is then reimbursed, and often can keep the product or service. If you love to shop or eat out you may have been tempted by websites and unsolicited emails claiming that you can earn money as a mystery shopper. Sometimes unscrupulous mystery shopping promoters try to tempt people by offering meals at prestigious restaurants, shopping at luxury shops or staying at five star hotels. Unfortunately the reality is that most marketing companies fail to live up to the hype and do not deliver great mystery shopper opportunities. According to Retail Active (a leading Mystery Shopping Company) mystery shopping is best considered as a part-time activity. Retail Active offer mystery shopping opportunities online at www.retailactive.com this enables their carefully selected and registered mystery shoppers to select the assignments they Read More
11 December 2008 11:53
Mystery Shopping is a service offered by market research companies to measure the quality of customer service. Mystery Shopping began in the Today companies are using Mystery Shopping programmes to help improve their business and to get a more in depth view of how their staff interact with their customers. Any company wanting to learn more about customer satisfaction, advocacy and operational execution can use a Mystery Shopping programme. Typical businesses using this type of consumer insight information are: * Petrol Stations * Restaurants * Travel Companies * Supermarkets * Leisure Operators * Automotive Companies * Spas * Banks * Cruise Lines * Many more Customer service is an important aspect in any business as Read More
09 December 2008 11:15
Exceptional levels of customer service are vital to the success of any leading hotel brand. Hotels need to continually monitor and evaluate the service their staff offer their customers and are turning to Retail Active Mystery Guest programmes as a means to measure that service. The benefits of Mystery Guest Programmes within hotels are endless. Not only do the programmes measure and monitor the levels of service the hotel provides, but helps to improve sales and customer retention. Continual measurement ensures standards are constantly achieved. As the hospitality industry moves toward achieving higher standards than ever, the measuring and defining of customer service standards is essential. The customer journey can start months ahead of a visit and the initial contact is vital to set the right impression. Mystery Guest Programmes tend to cover every aspect of the hotel visit from a customers perspective. This can be from the reservation process right through to check out and in some cases after sales follow up. Advanced Mystery Guest Programmes also review the hotels website and advertised features and offers. Increasing staff awareness about the importance of customer service Read More
26 November 2008 09:21
Restaurant Mystery Shopping can help turn complaints into opportunities, accelerate sales and motivate both customers and staff. Using the right Restaurant Mystery Shopping Company is essential and can really take your business to the next level of success. Restaurant Mystery Shopping programmes are applicable to all types of restaurants whether it is a sit down meal, Family style meal, or a pub meal. In fact Restaurant Mystery shopping programmes can be used for any food and beverage business in the hospitality industry, especially those that depend and rely on their customer’s happiness for them to succeed. For any restaurant business the most important job of all is to make sure that customers are getting the best service that they can get. This will not only keep existing guests happy but can often generate additional business for them. Word of mouth is one of the best means of advertising, by keeping your existing customers happy you are guaranteed to get a lot more business. Remember every satisfied customer will become an advocate, they can tell up to three people all about the fantastic service and experience they have had! Retail Active is Read More
20 November 2008 09:16
Video Mystery Shopping is a specialist market research technique using trained Mystery Shoppers equipped with hidden camera equipment to assess the experience of company’s products and services. Mystery shoppers pose as normal customers to perform specific tasks such as purchasing a product, asking questions or to make a complaint. For Video Mystery Shopping to work effectively it is essential that they are trained video mystery shoppers and they are fully prepared and briefed on the projects business objectives. It is also crucial that quality covert recording equipment is used to avoid poor visual and sound recordings. Video Mystery Shopping is a very powerful method of accurately recording what is happening within an organisation. It follows an agreed scenario to measure the performance of the business. Video Mystery Shopping covers aspects such as business compliance, sales and service as well as business performance, where it is tested against the measures set by the organisation or company. This type of marketing research can take your business to new levels of success. There are several Mystery Shopping companies that offer Video Mystery Shopping. One of the most notable providers of Video Read More |
