Transcript of interview segment with John Stanley

Jonathan Winchester, Managing Director of Shopper Anonymous UK, talks about the importance of mystery shopping during a recession in an inteview with Retail Community Membersite’s John Stanley.

John Stanley: “Now, one other situation we both know. Economy’s tight, people are cutting back. I came across a situation where somebody last week was saying: ‘well, can I afford to train, can I afford to mystery shop?’”

Jonathan Winchester: “Businesses actually, are far more pro-active than we give them credit for. I think if businesses haven’t made staff redundant, they’re looking for things to motivate their staff. Businesses that have made a few redundancies are looking to stretch their staff—so they’re more multi-skilled.

“At the end of the day, the businesses that are going to survive through a recession are those that serve well and if you’re not serving well, and not measuring it, and you’re not getting feedback, then you’re doing yourself a bit of a disservice really.

“Mystery shopping is not an expensive tool at all. Mystery shopping and training is absolutely crucial in a downturn and also when we come out of the recession you’re going to be so ready to make the most of when the sun shines as well.”

Listen to Jonathan’s full interview (14mins) with Retail Community Membersite’s John Stanley (MP3, 10mb).

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