– I can quickly see how we’re doing. Good feedback seems to motivate everyone, she says.
Before they began using Maze, Akademibokhandeln depended on a Mystery Shopper.
– Usually the same person, 1-2 times a month. By the time the results were delivered they were history. And they weren’t easy to apply to see how we had done, says Andersson.
Akademibokhandeln has been using Maze for six months, and feedback is now from genuine customers. The staff were initially hesitant about the tool. But when they saw how it worked in practice, they were all smiles!
On average, the store gets 20 answers a week. The answers generally come from people who are either extra satisfied or have some issue. The feedback is fresh and the store manager gets right onto it.
– We look at the dates for the feedback that we want to analyse more closely. And we often find a cause – what was special about that day. When there’s a lot of input, we check what might explain it, says Andersson.
For example, it can be that temporary staff are working in the store, or that staff were extra busy with campaign material.
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Johan Junehed has been sales manager for Bokhandelsgruppen, which is part of Akademibokhandeln, for over ten years. He has experience from Cervera, where he was CEO for four years, and from Ica and Hakon. He has seen how important it is to have good communication with customers.
– Working with customer contact and the customer journey has become vital in recent years. It’s about doing the right thing through different channels and getting the whole thing to work. We’ve raised our sights and moved on from the old tools and systems that didn’t always capture customer satisfaction, he says.
Junehed cites Mystery Shopper as an example. The method provides insights, but according to him, they are no longer the right kind.
– Mystery Shopper did not deliver individual comments in every store from real customers that could be put to practical use, he explains.
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Implementing Maze was a natural progression for Akademibokhandeln, says Junehed.
The chain had come far in training sales staff but something was lacking – namely, a tool like Maze.
– If we do the right thing in customer contact and reach a good ambassador level, turnover and other key figures will follow, says Junehed.
The entire organisation – sales staff, store managers and upper management – is focused on customer contact and customer service.
Focus areas vary. At times, management wants all outlets to work on the same area. But individual stores also have their own focus areas where they need to improve. These are often decided on in dialogue with the regional manager.
The roll-out of Maze in Akademibokhandeln started at about the same time as the pandemic broke out but could be implemented despite lower staff levels in the following months.
– We’ve had valuable feedback from customers and it’s allowed us to put things right. It’s been confirmed that we’ve been able to keep a constantly high level throughout the pandemic, points out Junehed.
Among other things, it was confirmed that the book store chain had not cut back too far on staff levels. The quality of customer interaction has stayed at a good level.
– It’s been established that the measures we introduced were the right ones. Customer feedback tells us that, and that’s satisfying, says the sales manager.
Akademibokhandeln can see the differences between stores now.
– Feedback direct from customers is best and most targeted. We hear things directly. Whether the curve rises or falls, it’s easier to relate it to what has happened in the store – for example, sales campaigns or refitting in the store, says the sales manager.
Management can also deliver the most relevant comments back to the stores.
The goal for ambassador level at Akademibokhandeln is 85 across the chain. The base figure has been stable at over 80, at times higher.
A store manager’s bonus is partly dependent on the ambassador level.
The chain can clearly see which stores need to improve. Comparisons are most often made between outlets on a regional basis, but there’s also the possibility to compare stores in different regions.
– There’s an advantage in finding outlets where the store managers can be sounding boards for each other and share experiences. We want to do more benchmarking like this going forward, concludes Johan Junehed.
Our e-guide filled with useful tips based on research and includes the following:
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