Client Day 2023 Recap

New Features at Secret View

After the lunch reception, Niek Koning, founder of Secret View, kicked things off. Niek briefly reflected on the past year, a year that saw a successful Series A investment, the acquisition of many new clients, team expansion and restructuring, and the introduction of new features.

Secret View has ambitious plans for international growth, and to achieve this, many new team members have joined the company. This has led to a different organizational structure, with the establishment of commercial departments, a Research & Quality division, and the allocation of developer teams to various stakeholders.

Following the introduction of the new teams, Niek presented the audience with the figures from the past year, showcasing significant growth in the number of clients and an increase in the number of mystery shoppers in our community.

Finally, Niek updated the attendees on the latest developments within our platform. The new features were introduced to the audience. Within our platform, a new Survey Tool has been built, allowing us to create and edit questionnaires directly in our platform in collaboration with clients.

In addition, we have implemented some convenient improvements in the dashboard, including an even easier way to compare store locations and the ability to view results on both a round and time-based level.

Furthermore, we have integrated ChatGPT into our platform, enabling our customers to receive customized advice based on their situation and results. These are our first steps with AI, but certainly not the last, Niek shared.

"It is one of the most promising innovations, with endless possibilities envisioned within our platform. Expect more soon!" - Niek Koning, Secret View

Back to Basics with Customer Experience Research at Termeer Group

Niek handed over the floor to Kim Visser and Matthijs Groen, both Retail Area Managers at Termeer Group, the parent company of Sacha, Manfield, and Sissy-Boy. It was clear that these two not only had a professional connection but also a healthy dose of humor that the entire audience enjoyed.

Matthijs began the presentation by sharing the backstory of their decision to conduct mystery shopping research. In 2020, the management team of Termeer Group felt the need to return to basics. They wanted clarity on their core values, objectives, and how to achieve them. What do we stand for? What do we want to achieve? How do we reach these goals? And how do we monitor progress?

Kim brought up the idea of customer experience research, but she had to work a bit to convince her colleagues. Matthijs laughed and admitted he was somewhat skeptical due to past experiences. "Someone with a beard and a hat walks in, and you immediately know there's a mystery shopper in the store," Kim interrupted him, saying, "A bit skeptical? More like very much! But fortunately, I managed to convince you." Matthijs added, "That's true, but Secret View's approach is fundamentally different from what I was used to."

Kim promptly contacted Niek. The process proceeded quickly, and before they knew it, the first mystery shoppers were already in action. Kim explained, "The insights we gain from the mystery shopping results are incorporated into our employee training. This has a positive impact on their performance, and we can really see it." Matthijs added, "The results show us that the training needs vary from store to store. This allows us to train in a much more targeted manner."

Termeer Group regularly acknowledges the efforts of their employees and expresses their appreciation. As Matthijs mentioned, different store locations even set up a competition to achieve the highest scores. Each location has a "party fund" where money is deposited if the score is 7 or higher. At the end of the year, the teams from these locations gather for a celebration.

"The insights we gain from the mystery shopping results are incorporated into our employee training. This has a positive impact on their performance, and we can really see it." - Matthijs Groen, Termeer Group

AMI Kappers Measures Faster with Secret View

After Matthijs and Kim's presentation, the stage was handed over to Gerben ter Avest, the founder of AMI Kappers. Although AMI Kappers is not a typical retail company in terms of its services, they derive just as much benefit from mystery shopping research. They use these insights to provide better service to both customers and employees.

What stands out about AMI Kappers is their strong data-driven decision-making. They measure as much as possible and base their actions on data. Gerben explained, "We've always measured whether customers come back, where they do so, and when, but this process is slow. In a hair salon, you only notice after a few months if someone doesn't return. By then, you're behind the curve. So, we need to measure faster, and that's where Secret View comes in." At AMI Kappers, they use various customer profiles for their research.

Thanks to the comprehensive questionnaires provided by Secret View, they can uncover the reasons for these differences and adjust their approach based on the results. Whenever new results come in, employees rush to their computers to see if their names are mentioned. "It has become a kind of game that we play together with our employees, and it's still enjoyable," Gerben said.

"Secret View is indispensable now; their data has become an integral part of our business formula." - Gerben ter Avest, AMI Kappers

Secret View Dashboard as the Homepage for Patagonia

After a brief break with popcorn in the VIP area of Tuschinski, Tom Vangeneugden, Retail Manager EMEA at Patagonia, stood before the audience. Patagonia specializes in outdoor clothing but is primarily known for its activism.

Tom emphasized that Patagonia is not a retail company but rather a group of activists with a mission to protect our planet, drive change, and raise awareness among consumers about their purchasing behavior and its impact on the environment. It was a thought-provoking statement, as expected from Patagonia, that got the audience thinking.

What sets Patagonia apart is its strong commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation. The company aims to create products that do minimal harm to the environment. As Tom put it, they want to be part of the solution. To continue their activism, they need money. That's why they have a clothing collection. They strive to minimize their ecological footprint by using sustainable materials and production processes.

Patagonia has 13 stores in Europe, but their goal in these stores is not just to sell their clothing. They aim to connect with people and make them aware of their mission. As Tom expressed it, "We want to share a lot with our customers, but we also understand that we're telling a complex story. It's about what our customers see, what sticks with them, and what message they pick up. In this regard, mystery shopping research is of great value."

Patagonia wants to understand how people experience the customer journey. They want to step out of their "Patagonia bubble" and gain insight into how customers perceive them, so they can respond accordingly. Tom explained that training employees is important to them so they can convey the right message to customers. Through mystery shopping, Patagonia learns about their employees' skills.

"We highly value these investigations; the Secret View dashboard is everyone's homepage for the day." - Tom Vangeneugden, Patagonia

From Transaction to Relationship in Modern Retail

The final speaker was Rupert Parker Brady. With over 25 years of experience as a publicist, speaker, and strategist for retailers and brands, and several management books to his name, he is an expert in the field of retail.

During his presentation, he shared insights into various strategies and predictions within the retail world and provided valuable tips on how to reach the right consumers. One of the central themes in his presentation was sustainability. Rupert presented interesting statistics showing how important sustainability is for consumers, how it influences their choices, and how various stores are responding to and communicating about it.

In the retail world, there are many awards and rankings that reward sustainability. While winning awards and topping lists is enjoyable, Rupert emphasized the importance of the actual consumer experience. As he put it, "It's all about understanding the customer, and that's exactly what Secret View measures with mystery shopping research."

"The ultimate goal for every retailer is to evolve from a one-time transaction to a long-lasting relationship with each customer, and for that, you need to understand your target audience." - Rupert Parker Brady

Networking and Socializing

After a day filled with insights, we concluded the day with a cocktail reception and networking. It was enjoyable to see everyone enthusiastically discussing the presentations with a drink and a snack in hand. In the same room, our developers were ready to walk through the dashboard with clients once again to demonstrate the new ChatGPT feature live. This provided valuable input for further development.

Over the past few years, we have worked on growth, innovation, and creating value for our clients. The presentations by Kim Visser, Matthijs Groen, Gerben ter Avest, Tom Vangeneugden, and Rupert Parker Brady have inspired us and shown how measuring customer experience plays a significant role in achieving success in multiple aspects.

In short, Client Day 2023 was a day filled with inspiration, connection, and growth. We look back on this day with pride and enthusiasm and are filled with new ideas and energy as we head into the weekend. We want to thank all the attendees for their contributions, and we look forward to the next Client Day!

Interested in the after movie of the Client Day 2023? Watch it here!

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