Canada Ranked Second For Smiling

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How Did Canada Rank?

In a global customer service study on ‘smiling’, Canada ranked #2 (with 94%).  This was second to Georgia, which scored 99%.  Moreover, Canada ranked #1 in North America for offering customers 'friendly greetings' with 89% (16^th overall position).  These results are no surprise to many. Canada ranked the second-best country in the world in 2020 as well.  The smiling report has not had Canadian data contributed for a few years.  Therefore, we do not have yearly comparative statistics the Smiling Report created for other countries.  However, we intend to change that next year when we contribute again.

What Is The Smiling Report?

For over 16 years MSPA Europe/Africa has been conducting this study on smiling, greetings, and upselling all around the world with Legitimate Mystery Shopping Companies. They have analyzed over 28 million mystery shop reports since its inception in 2004.  This 2020 study on 2019 results aggregated over 5 million responses from over 68 countries around the world.  The Smiling report goes further to break down these results into specific industries as well.  You can find out more details and deeper breakdowns at www.smilingreport.com

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Where Can Canada Improve?

Canada has some room for improvement in the upselling/add on sales category.  Noting only 52% of mystery shops reporting this offering.  This report includes upselling/add-on sales because they do more than increase the businesses' bottom line.  Upselling/Add-on sales, cross-selling are also customer satisfaction metrics.  Cross-selling or add-on sales create relationships with customers and improve brand satisfaction.  Alex Turnbull phrased this concept well in his post “How to use upselling to increase customer happiness, retention and revenue”  noting upselling should not be a dirty word.

How Can Customer Service Be Improved From This?

We can learn the impact that these metrics have on customer engagement.  In fact, it sets the tone for the future of the customers’ transactions.  Creating a company policy that emphasizes smiling and greeting your customers in a friendly tone is one method.  But what about empowering your employees and measuring their satisfaction to create a culture where employees cannot help but smile?  Likewise, can be said for add-on sales.  Training front line employees, measuring if key phrases were said, or if customers were offered an additional product (e.g. ‘would you like an apple pie today?’) is a standardized method.  But what if ground floor employees were invested in the happiness of the customer?  What if they offered a customized add-on that would enhance the specific purchase?  Surely this would make the customer feel valued and understood far more than a canned product suggestion.  Increasing the reported levels of smiling, friendly greetings, or add-on sales would have a definitive impact on not just your bottom line.  This means employees are engaged and customers are feeling it. Customers are then likely to promote your brand and be loyal to your company.

How Can We Help?

Improving these three contact points in your customer journey will have lasting, measurable effects. Benchmarking the status of the customer experience now by implementing a mystery shopping program.  Continue to monitor results through an ongoing maintenance program and see trends to implement strategies amongst your team.  Comparing the mystery shop results to each other and again back to your ROI or social media feedback (or both) and you will be able to highlight your successes.   When properly applied, the data from a well-constructed mystery shop program will pay for the program in dividends.  We can help.  Contact us today for a free quote and a chat about your goals.