In a recent episode of Undercover Boss, Rick Tigner, president of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, goes undercover as a lower level employee from four different departments and gains insights into his company. The experiment proves to be very rewarding as Rick discovers various issues throughout his business and is able to implement programs for improving internal customer service.
The Experiment at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates
After receiving a makeover and the new name Jake Williams, Rick went undercover to engage at various levels of his company. He did everything from counting crops at the vineyard and bottling wine in the factory to working in customer service as a wine distributor and at a wine-tasting event.
Throughout his experience, he got to know four of his employees on a more personal level and learn aspects about Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates that he otherwise may have overlooked.
Through the implementation of this internal customer service program, Rick was able to gain a different perspective about his company as well as his employees. He discovered a serious language barrier at the vineyard, underappreciated employees throughout his company and customer service issues at the distribution center.
It’s because of this unique undercover experience that Rick was able to improve his business. He implemented a language and management training program, reinstated his company’s 401-K plan and put more of a focus into the customer service exchange and delivery and teamwork of his employees.
How Mystery Shopping Can Help You
Customer experience measurement and solutions providers can help your company achieve results similar to the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates. Improving customer service begins with evaluating your company as an outsider, and that’s exactly what partnering with a mystery shopping company can do.
Mystery shoppers are customers that evaluate a company’s customer service delivery. They go beyond what surveys can do by observing and listening objectively as an expert at every step of the experience, providing feedback to help measure best practices and lead to improved sales and customer loyalty.
Here are two unexpected benefits of engaging with a mystery shopping provider:
Improving Internal Customer Service: Mystery shopping allows you to measure, manage and improve not only customer experience, but also your team’s attitude, performance and your bottom line. Undercover shoppers can help focus your team on delivering the best customer experiences every day.
Aligning Your Vision with Customer Expectations: The best mystery shopping program measures compliance to your operational standards and best practices. It is a powerful research tool that not only provides information but also helps to seamlessly integrate that knowledge into your total company culture.
This episode of Undercover Boss highlighted the benefits of implementing an internal customer experience program. Improving internal customer service begins with proper research and ends with the implementation of actionable results. Mystery shopping companies can help you achieve the results you need to improve your customer experience delivery.