Issue: Low clothing sales despite a significant number of visitors to the boutiques;
Objectives
Identify the reasons for poor sales performance;
Verify compliance with standards by service point employees;
Analyse the validity of adopted procedures, taking into account customer needs and expectations;
Potential modification or improvement of service standards, if deemed necessary.
Execution
The first stage of the study involved consultations with the client, during which the focus was on the company's vision and mission, as well as the details of the standards previously applied:
It turned out that the boutiques were intended to adopt an almost "self-service" character. Therefore, employees were not required to approach customers to provide assistance in selecting clothing.
The boutique was aimed at customers with high financial status who were familiar with the latest fashion trends.
A customer satisfaction study was then conducted to determine if the approach to the vision and standards creation aligned with the expectations of actual customers.
The boutique was visually perceived as intended for a mass customer base looking to purchase affordable clothing;
Most customers expected assistance from service staff in selecting clothing, and the lack thereof caused significant dissatisfaction;
Reservations were also associated with the low level of personal culture displayed by staff, who often forgot to greet and bid farewell to customers visiting the boutique.
Mystery Shopper Studies
Conclusions from customer satisfaction studies were used to modify the previously applied service standards to align them with customer expectations;
Newly created procedures were subject to continuous monitoring by BioStat auditors, who were selected for the study considering the profile of a typical customer;
Visits were conducted at regular intervals, with each mystery shopper able to visit a specific boutique only once every 3 months;
The course of visits was recorded using mobile devices, and documentation took the form of photographs, audio recordings, and videos;
The client utilized the option of automatically generating charts with measurement results, which could be tracked through an electronic application;
Results
A 20% increase in the number of customers leaving the store with purchased clothing;
Adjustment of service standards to the actual needs of customers
The boutique owner decided to make changes to the interior and exterior decor of the boutiques, as well as modifications to the clothing display.
