In addition to evaluating sales and service quality of front-line staffers, Service Intelligence also monitors mortgage lenders for potential discrimination. Among its banking clients are Norwest Corp., Banc One, Northern Trust, California Bancshares and Sumitomo Bank. The firm also recently began a customer-service evaluation for Seafirst Bank, confirms a bank spokesman. Banks are among the largest users of mystery shoppers because they face stiff competition from other financial companies and need to improve their product sales. Some are in transition.
Many bankers agree.
Gurney emphasizes that mystery shopping works best as a positive coaching tool, not as ammunition to fire employees. It has a full-time staff of 17. For some of its clients, Service Intelligence works for several departments or customer groups, which helps it avoid being easily slashed from a company's budget during a downturn. Despite what you read, Gurney says, customer service overall in this country is strong and getting better. But the bar has been raised too.