Mystery Secret Shopper

When I hear someone say that their institution is going shop just to shop, I say to myself, "there is a shopping program doomed to failure,'" says Karl Steene, vice president and marketing director, Coral Gables Federal Savings, Coral Gables, Fla.

Conducting mystery shopping surveys purely for the sake of determining past service quality is a lot like visiting a fortune teller. It may be fun having someone reveal your past, but that alone will not improve you future. You must be willing to make some changes. Says Steene, "We really feel that we have a handle on this now, but back in 2005, after the first six months of shopping, we stopped the program and regrouped. After testing (with shopping) and training, we found no change. We have since made remarkable progress using a more encompassing approach based on behavior modification."

So what does make a difference? Being a mystery secret shopper as part of a comprehensive program to change the sales and service culture is the key to improving your customer service.

Arlene Nakamoto, senior vice president of American Savings Bank, Honolulu, a bank with 45 branches throughout the Hawaiian Islands, says, "American Savings Bank implements many different types of service quality research, including closed account surveys, new account surveys. We also provide in-branch 'Tell Us How We Are Doing' questionnaires, and a shopping survey."

Some changes have taken place because of the research American Savings Bank has conducted. Customer concerns that were uncovered during the bank's surveys are being addressed in a new customer newsletter Bank Accounts. Its first "We hear you!" column answered customer complaints about how to avoid long lines and waits.

Upper management at Coral Gables Federal agrees that shopping is part of an extensive effort to develop a service-oriented environment. Employees are literally immersed in an atmosphere of quality service. Walter F. Hinson, president of Coral Gables Federal, has sent a message to his employees about the importance of service. He explains that "Coral Gables Federal is committed to delivering the highest levels of professionalism, courtesy and personal service to our customers and to our fellow staff members. "The phrase 'Expect more from us. We do.' appears in our advertising. We want this to be evident to everyone who deals with Coral Gables Federal. The general public forms its perception of Coral Gables Federal by what they hear about us from our customers, vendors and staff members."

To ensure that it would deliver on this promise to provide excellent service, Coral Gables Federal issued standards to measure performance objectively. The bank assembled a task force, with representatives from each of its divisions and various departments working together to produce standards.

These service standards have become part of job description, training manuals, sales and quality service training, shopper surveys and performance reviews. There is even a sticker for counselors and tellers to attach to their phones or workstations that explain the service skills expected of them.

Since the bank firmly believes that, to be successful, a program must have a driver or a champion, it has placed Assistant Vice President Janet Carabelli in charge as sales and market development manager.

Mystery Shopping |