CHICAGO -- Overall, convenience stores saw improved scores year over year in the overt audit.
The pump island, exterior and restrooms were the only overall categories that saw a decrease in year-over-year scores. Cameron Watt of Intouch Insight points to an increase in customer data collection as one reason for c-stores’ success, but he wonders if that technology couldn’t also be used to help employees.
“We have all this tech for collecting data, all this measurement capability,” he says. “But where’s the tech that’s helping people in the front lines to improve their customer experience? What are we giving front-line employees to engage them in that customer-experience process?”
Brian Trout of Yesway says, “We have shift routines that periodically get employees out of the store and into the lot. Empty the trash, make sure the receipt paper is working, get cigarette butts off the floor that customers throw out, make sure that we don’t have weeds growing, etc.”
The mystery shop is not the only yardstick Yesway uses. “We have processes and procedures, and district managers follow up with our managers,” Trout says. “They review their business planning activities to make sure it’s incorporating how the store looks from the customer’s point of view.”
- Click here to view the complete mystery shop report.
Photograph by Matt Roth
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