OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -

NCM Associates recently developed a mystery shopping program to help its clients objectively assess and measure customer experience and implement a road map for improvement. 

NCM chose Reality Based Group, a leader in the customer experience measurement and management space, as its mystery shopping provider partner. Officials stressed the strategic alliance was formed to provide NCM clients with a proven, cost-effective customer experience assessment tool while also providing them with neutral third-party comparative performance data and benchmark targets to assess strengths and find opportunities to drive increases in customer loyalty, sales and revenue.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association explained the mystery shopping process as using a pool of pre-selected, pre-qualified consumers acting as “secret shoppers” and measuring the extent to which a customer’s interactions with a business mirrors the experiences the business intends.

Reasons for using mystery shoppers include evaluating customer service, ensuring processes maximize every selling and service opportunity and assessing to what extent the company’s brand promises are being carried out in the customer experience environment.

Reality Based Group offers a wide variety of mystery shopping services from telephone and Web shopping to in-person written and GameFilm video shops. 

According the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer, 78 percent of consumers have abandoned a purchase due to a poor customer experience, and 59 percent stated they would try a new brand or company to get better service.

NCM pointed out manufacturers and retailers alike recognize the importance of evaluating and measuring the customer experience in an objective, quantifiable way, yet they often disagree on the focus of the assessment.

In response, NCM reached out to Reality Based Group to develop a third-party customer experience measurement program that would target the interests of its automotive dealer clients by helping them identify and improve the processes that enhance customer experience and loyalty, while consistently employing sales techniques proven to increase current and future sales and revenues.   

NCM highlighted Reality Based Group has provided custom research and evaluations to some of the largest companies in the world. President Renee DeSantis served on the MSPA board of directors and is a strong advocate for companies to inspect what they expect.

“We’ve led the industry in customer experience management over the last 19 years in 15 vertical industries — gathering data and compiling information that is accurate is a cornerstone of our mission,” DeSantis stated.

“This philosophy and method of doing business has not only garnered us great respect with our clients, but among our peers, as well,” she continued.
“We are excited to be complementing the mission of NCM Associates, another pioneer in data compilation, analysis and best practices, in assisting its members to find and address their greatest customer experience opportunities,” DeSantis went on to say.

According to NCM president and chief executive officer Paul Faletti Jr., Reality Based Group’s mystery shopping services are a perfect complement to NCM’s strategic focus.

“A key feature of our program is the identification of opportunities to increase sales and improve operating efficiencies to maximize dealership profitability,” Faletti said.

“Whether the products are automobiles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, heavy trucks, bottled water or limousine services, the initial customer experience and maintaining strong customer relationships are critical to the viability of any retail business,” he emphasized.

“Mystery shopping is a convenient, cost-effective way to get a critical eye on the business from the customer’s perspective, and to objectively identify the recurring issues that could be impacting the dealership’s success,” Faletti insisted.

David Kain, president of Kain Automotive, assisted in the development of the Internet shopping scorecard used in the NCM mystery shopping program.

An advocate for the ongoing use of mystery shopping, Kain asserted, “Mystery shopping drives awareness and awareness drives positive process change.

“It’s important to have a continuous process in place so you can validate whether a good or bad reply was just a blip in the system or the usual course of action,” Kain added.

Dealers interested in learning more about the NCM Mystery Shopping Program may contact NCM directly at www.ncm20.com or call (800) 756-2620. Or dealers can call Heath Tull, of Reality Based Group, at (877) 990-3456, ext. 1362.