Versace. Elevating CX through Mystery Shopping Audits.

Context, Approach & Methodology

‍We approached each visit with the intent to assess critical journey stages, from planning to departure, determining how effectively Versace stores aligned with customer expectations. The purpose was to uncover areas where operational excellence could be achieved, ensuring the brand’s success in delivering a premium experience. Our analysis focused on enhancing products, services, decision-making, and customer retention through a mystery shopping framework.

Groundwork‍

During each visit, we meticulously defined dates, scenarios, and timings. We analyzed the journey stages to identify and understand both pain points and successes across planning, arrival, exploration, selection, trial, and departure. The mystery shopping process provided invaluable insights, including:

• Improved decision-making through real-time store data.
• Streamlined operations and recommendations tailored to each store’s specific needs.
• Increased customer retention by identifying opportunities to enhance the in-store experience.
• Resolved brand crises before they escalated, ensuring Versace’s image remained intact.

Throughout the three visits, each journey stage was graded on a scale of 100%. Our audit revealed critical areas where significant improvements could be made, particularly in staff engagement, product presentation, and customer service delivery.

• Planning Stage: Improvement opportunities in pre-visit communication and customer expectations.
• Arrival Stage: Pain points included welcoming standards and first impressions upon store entry.
• Exploration & Selection: The store layout and ease of navigation were evaluated, highlighting areas where product categorization could be clearer.
• Trial Stage: Staff engagement in offering assistance during product trials was graded.
• Departure Stage: Pain points were found in checkout and farewell practices, emphasizing the need for improved customer exit interactions.

Results

‍Following the audit, we crafted detailed actionable recommendations tailored specifically to Versace’s customer journey. The recommendations addressed the following:

1. ‍Grooming Standards: Ensuring staff appearance aligned with luxury brand expectations.‍
2. Staff Proactivity & Assistance: Encouraging team members to take an active role in customer engagement.
3. ‍Product Knowledge & Choice Assistance: Training staff to provide expert advice and personalized recommendations.‍
4. Product Presentation: Improving the in-store display to enhance the customer’s experience and ease of product discovery.