Mystery Shopper: London

Mystery Shopper is looking for his first smartphone on contract. He wants a good, data-heavy tariff and a free, easy-to-use phone for between £20 and £25 per month

5: T-Mobile

Product range – 3/5
Product knowledge – 3/5
Airtime knowledge – 3/5
Questioning ability – 2/5
Sales ability – 3/5
Shop appearance – 1/5 
Total – 15/30

4: Orange

Product range – 5/5
Product knowledge – 3/5
Airtime knowledge – 3/5
Questioning ability – 2/5
Sales ability – 2/5
Shop appearance – 4/5
Total – 19/30

3: Vodafone

Product range – 5/5
Product knowledge – 4/5
Airtime knowledge – 4/5
Questioning ability – 2/5
Sales ability – 1/5
Shop appearance – 5/5
Total – 21/30

2: Three

Product range – 5/5
Product knowledge – 4/5
Airtime knowledge – 4/5
Questioning ability – 4/5
Sales ability – 5/5
Shop appearance – 2/5
Total – 24/30

1: O2

Product range – 5/5
Product knowledge – 4/5
Airtime knowledge – 4/5
Questioning ability – 4/5
Sales ability – 5/5
Shop appearance – 5/5
Total – 27/30

Summary

HTC phones seemed to be the flavour of the month with the stores in the under £25 segment, although most of the shop assistants ignored my price range and only two offered good options below budget.

Of these O2 offered an excellent all-round customer experience with Three only let down by the confusing store layout and technological failure.

Vodafone and Orange couldn’t have been more different, with the salesman at Orange trying to rush me out and the one at Vodafone trying his best to make sure I couldn’t leave.

T-Mobile really had an off-day with sparse shelves and sales assistants ignoring customers  contributing to its poor score.

Full article in Mobile News issue 518 (July 16, 2012).

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