Articles
See what the press are saying about GAPbuster and the engaging world of customer experience management.
GAPbuster Worldwide is seen as an expert in the field of customer experience management and has been approached by those in print, electronic and television media for comment on the state of customer service today.
To read about GAPbuster's role in customer experience management, see the list of articles below:
Are you being served?
www.BizThinkTank.com.au,
July 2008, Sydney, Australia
"Other interesting findings from GAPbuster's work were that customer expectations of service were highest in Japan and that the United States' renowned service philosophy was faltering.
On the home front, staff friendliness, staff knowledge, and efficiency of service remain the top three of Australian customer expectations."
Learn about the importance of the customer experience to all businesses, great or small, and how GAPbuster can help, here.
Mystery Shoppers Out In
Force
Today Tonight, Channel 7, March 11, 2008, Melbourne,
Australia
"GAPbuster Worldwide employs 200,000 mystery shoppers globally and
has access to more than 470 000.
"The price is important to getting them in, but getting them back
does come back to friendly staff providing great experience,"
"Bad news in customer service spreads fast and it spreads a lot
faster than good news. "A bad experience can result in one customer
telling nine other people about that experience, whereas when it is
a great experience, they are likely to tell five other
people."
To read the news article accompanying the investigative report,
please click
here.
Super Struggle
Epicure Magazine, The Age, July 2007, Melbourne
Australia
"Australian supermarkets might be feeling a bit vexed just about
now. On the back of a recent report by Melbourne-based
international research group GAPbuster, they've been copping a
pasting in the press. Our supermarkets have been canned for poor
product range and freshness, unfriendly service and long queues,
which compare unfavorably with their counterparts in
Britain."
Read the full article about GAPbuster's International Research
Project investigating supermarket choice in Australia and Europe,
here.
Supermarkets Checkout Poorly
The Age, June 2007, Melbourne, Australia
"GAPbuster sent an army of mystery shoppers into more than 600
Woolworths, Coles, ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury supermarkets.
Each shopper was required to browse the aisles, inquire about the
location of a product, visit a service department, such as a
delicatessen or bakery, and finally pass through the
checkout.
As well as highlighting the gap between local and international
standards, the study also provides a possible explanation for the
recent deterioration of Coles Group. Sales momentum in its
supermarkets has slowed in recent years and it has lost market
share - and the coveted title of Australia's No. 1 retailer - to
its rival."
Read the story about GAPbuster's comparative research study into
Australian supermarket giants Woolworth's and Coles
here.
Man of Mystery
Unlimited Magazine, March 2007, Wellington, New
Zealand
"...for a company that lists as clients some of the world's biggest
brands - McDonald's, Shell, Starbucks, for starters - not much is
known about GAPbuster. It's the nature of the business that it
operates by stealth; there's no such thing as a company uniform
emblazoned with advertising. Anytime, anywhere, a GAPbuster shopper
could be secretly queuing ahead of you.
Working for mega-brands is one of GAPbuster's biggest advantages.
Its international reach and global contracts make it the biggest
mystery shopping company in the world."
Read the story of GAPbuster's rise to become the world's largest customer experience company, published by Unlimited Magazine, here.
Shop till you Drop your Cover
The Age, November 2006, Melbourne, Australia
"Shoppers get to keep the merchandise purchased as part of the job - be it a shopping trolley of groceries, a tank of petrol or a DVD player. But it can also mean a free movie or stay in a hotel, with other service sectors such as cinemas, restaurants, hotels and airlines keen to pin down that elusive thing called customer experience. And they are willing to pay for it - for good reason."
What is Mystery Shopping? How prevalent is it? Who are its major players? Read about the exciting world of Mystery Shopping, and GAPbuster's role within it here.
Customer Experience Challenge: The Lottery
Experience
Talking Retail, December 2006, London, United Kingdom
"GAPbuster shoppers are asked to rank their levels of satisfaction, based on their own experience from that individual in-store evaluation. Customer satisfaction is measured on a five-point rating scale as is level of speed of service. What these results show is that speed of service is a key driver of customer satisfaction"
Talking Retail is a retail industry publication, and wrote about the importance of customer service to customers Worldwide, to read about how GAPbuster is helping the Retail Industry, click here.
Friendliness Pips Price for Customer Loyalty
ABC news Australia, October 2004, Sydney, Australia
"A survey for National Customer Service Week has found that friendliness is more important than price.
The GAPbuster survey of 9,000 customers found that 94 per cent would stay loyal to an outlet with friendly staff, rather than stores with cheaper prices.
Efficiency of service was the second most important criteria, while value for money was ranked eighth."
Read all about what customers really want from companies, and how GAPbuster helps bring these issues to light as part of Customer Service Week here.
M&S Shines on Service
The Telegraph, August 2004, United Kingdom
"Marks & Spencer has better customer service than two chains in
Philip Green's BHS and Arcadia Empire, according to a survey by
GAPbuster, a brand experience agency."
Read all about the GAPbuster Survey here.
To find out more about how we could help to improve your business
profitability, sales revenue and customers' experiences click on
any of the above links or contact us.
