SMG News

Bowling Alley Test Visits

2014-11-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

October 2014

Every leisure business needs to be able to maximise their revenues in the cut throat world that is capturing a part of consumers leisure pound - and bowling alleys are no different. That is why the Original Bowling Company asked us to asses their team member responses to a customer asking about booking a party - a highly lucrative and important part of their business.

At SMG we were able to utilise our mystery customer database to provide visits to every site and make a party enquiry. The feedback from this research was extremely valuable to the Original Bowling Company and has been utilised to influence on-going training and short term process changes.

Shopping Centre Experts!

2014-11-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

September

Following on from the success of the initial mystery customer programme within the new London Designer Outlet at Wembley a number of other outlet centres within the Realm business have now applied our mystery customer activity to their service excellence programmes.

Realm own and operate 11 separate outlet shopping centres and currently SMG are delivering/designing programmes for 5 of these...

London Designer Outlet
Freeport Fleetwood
Freeport Talke
Freeport Braintree
Junction 32

The foundations for these programmes has been comprehensive communication at all stages of the project.

The complexity of providing a consistent programme for a shopping centre that incorporates many different retailers and food & beverage operators is high. To ensure all involved are fully on board the SMG team spend as much time as necessary meeting with and presenting too the branch Managers to provide all the relevant information they require.

This has meant that the programmes have been received very positively both by Realm and all the outlet Managers involved.

Cocktails Anyone?

2014-11-21T08:28:00.001-08:00

August 2014

Building on our expertise in the club and bar arena we are now providing targeted and consistent customer feedback via mystery customers to the cocktail experts - Be At One!

Finding profiled customers and targeting specific session times has been the focus for the research within this growing group of bars and ensuring the feedback focuses on the high levels of service and fun which is synonymous with all of the bars run by Be At One.

I would say more but it is Friday and we are off for a Japanese Slipper and a few Undercover Squirrels!

2014-08-22T06:01:00.002-07:00

A Golf Video Tells a Story...

July 2014

Having conducted mystery customer visits for American Golf for over 3 years SMG were asked to conduct a small number of video visits to be used as soundbites within the business.

However the video's were such a hit that they have now become part of the main ongoing programme for this national golf retailer. Conducting over 100 video mystery customer visits every other month is providing American Golf with enhanced feedback and unrivaled training feedback for their in-store teams.

2014-08-14T03:57:00.002-07:00

Provenance Inns - Food in Focus
July 2014

Prior to the opening of their fantastic new hotel in Harrogate there was a desire to understand if the proposed menu for the West Park Hotel was going to be inspiring and enticing to prospective customers. In order to get some genuine customer feedback SMG were commissioned to conduct focus groups with local consumers - the results were fascinating!

2014-08-14T03:51:00.001-07:00

London Designer Outlet
May 2014

The fantastic new Designer Outlet shopping centre in the shadow of Wembley Stadium was the setting for SMG's latest mystery customer activity - commissioned to create a programme that will provide Realm, the centre management team - with customer based feedback on the service across both retail and catering facilities SMG sent a variety of customers in to test the service provided in stores as varied as Adidas to Denby.

An initial pilot programme has been implemented with a plan to roll out to regular activity to provide feedback to all stakeholders.

2014-08-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

Network Rail - Internal NPS
April 2014

SMG have just completed a major survey across users of Network Rail Asset Information. The feedback will allow Asset Information to fine tune its offer to the various audiences within Network Rail and provides them with a stake in the group NPS from which to track performance.

Don't let variety get in the way of a good online survey - Occasions!

2014-03-31T05:57:00.001-07:00

March 2014

TCG - the pub company with a fantastic variety of pubs (including Henry's and the Tattershall Castle) are always looking at how they can measure and compare service standards across their very eclectic estate.

They moved their mystery customer programme to SMG several years ago based on our ability to provide core measurement metrics side by side with metrics specific to what the customer is looking for - essential for their business.

We have now replicated this for their online customer feedback programme - now known as 'Occasions'

This is a unique survey that alters the feedback questions depending on the venue and customer occasion - so not only does the pub get feedback on exactly what matters to them, it is also specific to whether the customer is in watching the football, or having a quiet meal with their partner. TCG know that these two occasions do not require the same service style so why on earth should we ask the customers the same questions to find out if they enjoyed themselves!

The TCG online Occasions survey is real leap forward in the ever crowded online customer feedback arena.

SMG appointed by the best known pub in the world...

2014-03-31T04:47:00.002-07:00

March 2014

….the Rovers Return!

If you are on our mystery customer database then there is a chance you could pop a long and see the Rovers Return in the flesh - along with the rest of the Coronation Street set.

Our client Continuum (Spinnaker Tower, Oxford Castle Tour, York's Chocolate Story etc.) have just opened a new experience tour of the Granada Studios set following the transfer of the filming to shiny new studios.

SMG will be providing mystery customer based feedback on the experience and all aspects of service, enjoyment and probably genuine northern accents too!

Mark Marshall said, "This is a great new project for SMG, an iconic show and an iconic pub. I don't think Betty's hot pots will be part of the research unfortunately but making sure the millions of Coronation Street fans who visit this amazing venue have a good time will be"

All can now be revealed...

2014-03-31T04:42:00.002-07:00

March 2014

After last months rather cagey news post about our latest work with Eclectic Bars we can now reveal our involvement with the brand new concept bar in Brighton….

Dirty Blonde!

SMG conducted customer focus groups to provide the Eclectic team feedback on the proposed concept and how customers would react to what is a very new and exclusive concept for Brighton.

The opening was this weekend and initially reviews are hugely positive - go take a look for yourself…if you can find it!

European adventure

2014-03-31T04:38:00.003-07:00

February 2014
SMG have once again developed a European mystery customer programme - this time for the fashion retailer American Apparel.

Providing feedback on all of their stores now in the UK and 8 other European countries means that we can provide a centralised and consistent feedback programme for American Apparels store managers and head office alike.

Shhhhhh you ain't seen us, right

2014-02-06T07:15:00.002-08:00

February 2014

SMG have working closely with long-time client and friend Eclectic Bars on the development of an amazing new bar / restaurant concept. But if we told you any more we’d have to kill you!

Nationwide Building Society

2014-02-06T07:05:00.003-08:00

February 2014

Nationwide has chosen SMG to pilot for them two new methodologies of in branch feedback. Firstly a standalone touch screen for all customers in the branch to quickly feedback their experiences. Secondly, a roaming member of staff with a handheld tablet interviewing customers in a little more detail.

Both methodologies will be reviewed at the conclusion of the pilot before any further action is taken.

G'day for a Walkabout

2014-02-06T07:04:00.003-08:00

February 2014

Walkabout along with the other venues owned by iNTERTAIN, have moved their mystery guest programme to SMG in order to benefit from our utilisation of real, profiled customers and our experience in the late night / club sector.

Who are St Austell Brewery customers?

2014-02-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

December 2013

SMG client St Austell Brewery, has engaged SMG to run a comprehensive study of their customer demographics, needs and wants. This involves face to face interviews with customers across their managed estate of 24 pubs in South West England.