Secret View Experience of the Month October: Dirck3 Nieuwegein
4/12/2024
Dirck3 Nieuwegein won our Experience of the Month Award for October! Every month, our mystery shoppers carry out assignments in thousands of stores, and from all these results, we select the most remarkable, customer-friendly, or best experiences! This month, liquor store Dirck3 Nieuwegein topped the list with their outstanding service and customer-focused approach.
Patient and committed
Our mystery shopper gave Maurice de Ruiter, liquor store manager-in-training at Dirck3 Nieuwegein, a 10 for his helpfulness and expertise in selecting a wine gift: “The staff member was friendly, professional, and genuinely committed in helping me as a customer. He was patient and made me feel that my needs were taken seriously. I also appreciated the thoughtful extra touch of having the wines wrapped on the spot. This showed me that he truly listened, making the experience complete.”
Maurice was left speechless. After 14 years at another liquor store, he made the switch to Dirck3 last year.
“This is truly a highlight in my career."
"Giving the best advice is a two-way street, and the customer plays a role in this as well. I remember that this shopper was very open to my suggestions,” said a modest Maurice.
He was quick to highlight the efforts of the rest of the Nieuwegein team, especially his mentor, liquor store manager Joke Groenendijk.
“If someone else doesn’t step in to take over my work, I can’t dedicate enough time to giving detailed advice. It’s really a team effort; together, we strive for the best customer experience.”
Becoming stronger as a team
Danny Vlok, regional manager at Dirck3, has a positive view of the mystery shopping research: “At the start of the program, there was some initial unease, as having someone come in to evaluate you can take some getting used to. But we see it as a positive opportunity to learn, a clear starting point for meaningful conversations.” Danny reviews every score and makes it a personal challenge to better understand his employees' customer interactions and coach them constructively. “I try to guess in advance who earned the score, and I’m usually right. What I see with Maurice is that he prioritizes helping customers over restocking or organizing shelves. A happy customer always comes first for him. The results often show happy customers who appreciate his helpfulness and patience.”
Maurice uses the research results as learning points for himself and his team. “As a store manager, you’re a role model for the team. By acting on learning points yourself, you inspire your team to do the same. If you don’t greet customers when they enter, you can’t expect your team to do it either.” And it’s clearly working, seeing the enthusiasm of our shopper. You’ve truly earned this award!
About the Secret View Experience of the Month Award
This award is designed to recognize and reward our clients for their outstanding customer experiences. We view feedback as something positive, and that’s what we want to promote through our Experience of the Month Award. We hope it also motivates others to go the extra mile for every customer.
