My mystery shop took place in Maidstone on a bright sunny day. I was set the task of finding out what stores could give me the best phone to use instead of in car Satellite Navigation. The sun had brought the shoppers out in droves and the high street was awash with the hustle and bustle of mid summer excitement.
Sim 3 ( 5th )
I found this small independent store in an old back alley just off the high street. The store was lit-up by bright cheap looking fluorescent signs that highlighted the unlocking of mobile phones. I entered the shop and found it very dirty and with very little organisation. There was a member of staff attacking a mobile with a screwdriver at the tills and he barely looked up to acknowledge me.
I asked him what are the best phones to use instead of the in car sat nav and he replied “I’m not sure mate, think Nokia have sat nav”. I asked him what Nokia phones he had and he said “Whatever is on display”. With this lack of interest in my enquiry and the reluctance to engage with me, I decided to leave the store. I left the salesman busy tinkering away with screwdriver.
As I left the store, I noticed another member of staff; smoking and joking with two females.
My experience of this store was really disappointing and I got the distinct impression that the store was more interested in un-locking phones and selling accessories than actually selling phones.
Product Range **
Product Knowledge *
Airtime Knowledge *
Questioning Ability *
Sales Ability *
Shop Appearance **
Score 8
Carphone Warehouse (4th)
I entered the store with a hint of excitement, but, this instantly dissolved when I saw the size of the queue at the till. The store had only three members of staff working and about fifteen customers to deal with.
I decided to walk around and take in the Carphone Warehouse experience but was disappointed with the quality of the store. The floor was dirty and there were a number of dummy phones missing from display. Finally, I saw my chance to my chance to get served and approached a sales assistant named Brett. Although very helpful, his impression of the ‘all-in-one phone with sat nav’ was that they did not deliver as well as true Sat Nav device. He showed me the Nokia E71 and Blackberry Bold, but said the iPhone would be the best for sat nav.
He then took time to go through the Carphone £100.00 cash back offer and told me to buy a cheap TomTom from EBay. I felt he sold the TomTom idea better than any of the phones on offer. I left the store disappointed.
Product Range ****
Product Knowledge ***
Airtime Knowledge ***
Questioning Ability ****
Sales Ability ***
Shop Appearance ***
Score 20
Vodafone (3rd)
I entered the Vodafone shop in the Chequers Centre and was surprised by its size. It felt small and cramped but on the upside very clean and tidy. There were a few customers waiting, so I decided to have a look at the phones on offer. All the POS in-store seemed to be aimed at the Nokia N97; however, it was disappointing that there was no live handset to play with.
Whilst I waited, a sales assistant made sure everyone who was waiting was ok and assured us that he wouldn’t be too long. When I finally got my chance and asked what phone would be the best device for me instead of in-car sat nav. It came as no surprise to be told the Nokia N97.
I asked what other phones would be good and was told the Blackberry units have sat nav but the Nokia N97 is brand new. I decided to have a look at the Nokia and then spent about 15 minutes going through various tariffs and prices. I was really impressed with the details that I was given; however, there was no consultative sell, needs assessment or alternatives identified. The result was that I left the store feeling put off by the restricted choice and only having one phone suggested to me.
It would appear that the N97 is ‘the’ hero handset offer and a key priority sales push in Vodafone.
Product Range ****
Product Knowledge ****
Airtime Knowledge ****
Questioning Ability ***
Sales Ability ***
Shop Appearance *****
Score 23
O2 (2nd)
The O2 store was fairly quiet when I entered but the sales assistants seemed to hide behind the tills and computers. I was able to play with live demonstration phones on the iPhone table and there were a number of Blackberry models on display.
The store layout was very good and I was finally approached by a female sales assistant. She was very friendly and very helpful but the chewing gum rolling around her mouth seemed to detract from the in-store experience.
I got down to business and asked what phone would be best instead of in car sat nav. She took me through the iPhone and competently explained how it worked but said her preference was the Blackberry Bold. She told me how it worked and advised that she had also chosen the Bold because it is a smaller device. She informed me that the Voice Guidance costs £30 per year and showed me the tariffs. I was really impressed by her knowledge and liked the demonstration.
The store was nice, clean and modern and I left happily with a brochure. The overall experience was good; it was just a shame about the chewing gum.
Product Range ****
Product Knowledge *****
Airtime Knowledge ****
Questioning Ability ***
Sales Ability ****
Shop Appearance *****
Score 25
3 Store (1st )
The 3 store was very bright, clean and tidy, there were two sales staff waiting to help and I was approached immediately.I asked what phone would be the best to use instead of in-car sat nav and was pleased to be shown a number of different options.
The sales person took time to ask what I did for a living and how much I would be using the sat nav. I told her I was a Sales Rep and I would use it every day. After this ‘needs assessment’, she then took me to the Nokia E71 and explained that the 3 reps all use this phone because of the screen size. She explained that I would have to pay for voice guidance, but, if you don’t want it then the sat nav is just as good. I was given a full demonstration of the phone and how the sat nav works.
Throughout the visit, I felt that I was not being pressured into going for the Nokia E71; instead, I thought the sales person was really helpful and she got me to use the phone and play with it by myself.
The whole experience made me feel as though I had a better understanding of the phone and actually really liked it.
I left the store believing that if I had made a purchase, it would have been the right one for me, as the sales representative had listened to my requirements, identified a solution and then physically shown me what the handset could do; including giving me the opportunity to experience it.
Product Range ****
Product Knowledge *****
Airtime Knowledge *****
Questioning Ability ****
Sales Ability *****
Shop Appearance *****
Score 28
Conclusion
I thought the service from 3 was really impressive and with the whole atmosphere in the store it made for a good shopping experience. The 3 store was a worthy winner on the day and I really like the Nokia E71. The demonstration that I was given was the key to sale so well done to 3 for the time they spend on training.
Winner
Name: Hannah Wood
Age: 23
Tenure: 3 for three years
Best Handset: Sony Ericsson W995
Best Tariff is £20 internet and texter
Hobbies: Phones, computers and radio controlled cars.
Mobile News Mystery Shopper – Best Handset for Car Sat-Nav