Toyota is Kuwait’s leading car brand, enjoying customer trust and loyalty. However, with a keen focus on continuous improvement, Toyota recognized the need to elevate the customer experience even further.
Toyota’s stakeholders in Kuwait were intrigued in 2022 by a peculiar observation: a significant gap between customer visits and actual purchases. This discovery sparked curiosity and led to a dedicated effort to discover the underlying reasons.
Stakeholders’ Hypothesis
Following a thorough investigation of the showrooms, concerns were raised concerning the employees’ performance as a potential contributing factor to the low purchase rate. As Toyota recognized the need for solid evidence to support its hypothesis, responsible tried to validate this hypothesis prior to implementing any necessary changes.
Strategy
To effectively uncover the underlying issues and validate our hypothesis, our approach involved crafting a well-defined strategy. This strategy was designed to address the two key components critical to our investigation:
Stakeholders’ Vision
To uncover the secrets behind Toyota's success and address any hidden pain points, we embarked on a journey of discovery. Through stakeholders interviews, we communicated with the brilliant minds behind the brand's business sales, marketing, and assistant marketing teams. We delved deep into their perspectives. Through these captivating interviews, we unraveled the essence of Toyota's value proposition, explored its unique sales process, and unveiled Kuwaiti culture's powerful impact. Their valuable insights paved the way for a comprehensive assessment of the customer experience, guiding us toward a brighter future for Toyota.
Shoppers’ Expectations
Through comprehensive desk research, we delved into industry standards, setting the foundation for elevated and remarkable customer experience.
An effective evaluation of the customer experience
The need for mystery shopping in Kuwaiti showrooms became evident. Through mystery shopping, we will gain valuable insight into showroom sales performance, evaluate customer interactions, and identify areas for improvement. By using this strategic approach, the underlying factors behind the disparity between visits and purchases can be identified. This will enable Toyota to make informed decisions and implement meaningful actions.
Adapted evaluation parameters
The showrooms (cleanliness, signage, clarity, display, parking)
The salesmen (knowledge, performance, explanation, behavior)
The inquiry (response time, confirmation, information)
The visit (welcome, service quality, convincingness, experience)
The follow-up (time, information, accuracy)
The test drive (appointment, experience, explanation, behavior)
Methodology
During our eight-month mystery shopping exercise, we adopted an iterative methodology that allowed us to continuously improve and adapt to evolving objectives. With each passing month, we explored new chapters and scenarios, building upon previous discoveries. This dynamic approach maximized efficiency and ensured an ever-evolving customer experience, as we fine-tuned our strategies based on feedback and incorporated fresh parameters into captivating scenarios.
Scenarios
Recruitment
Mystery Shopping
Report
Scenarios Creation
We developed a mix-and-match system to generate tailored scenarios that covered the majority of localized and realistic sales cases.
To get to sensitive points during the visit and experiment with our salespeople even more, we explored the personas and characteristics of the main customer types deeper.
Recruitment and Training
Our recruitment criteria considered a wide range of factors, including age, education, marital status, and individual concerns. For each cycle, we carefully selected diverse candidates, encompassing various age groups, locals and ex-pats, men and women, with different job titles and marital statuses. Additionally, we established specific patterns, such as fathers and sons, husbands and wives, to capture comprehensive perspectives.
To ensure effective execution, every mystery shopper underwent a personalized briefing and training session. These sessions equipped them with a deep understanding of the assigned scenarios, enabling them to act in alignment with the objectives. Each training session lasted approximately 30 minutes, followed by a quick rehearsal to ensure readiness before mystery shopping visits.
Mystery Shopping Process
01 . Pre-visit
In anticipation of their visits, shoppers utilized various methods such as phone calls, social media messages, or website visits to engage with the showrooms. Their interactions included requesting information or scheduling appointments, all meticulously recorded and tracked throughout the process.
02 . Visit
Throughout showroom visits, test drives, and trade-in evaluations, every conversation and interaction was meticulously tracked and recorded for thorough analysis. In order to ensure comprehensive evaluation, we occasionally intervened during the visits to ask questions and provide guidance, ensuring that none of the evaluation parameters were overlooked by the shoppers.
Activities performed
03 . Post-visit
Evaluation
Following the visit, we engaged in a comprehensive evaluation process with the shoppers, where they provided feedback based on the evaluation criteria. This involved completing a post-visit survey encompassing a holistic review of the visit, along with a meticulous assessment and grading of various aspects such as the showroom, sales process, test drive, trade-in, and the salesperson. Additionally, an overall grade was assigned to each visit. By meticulously collecting and analyzing the individual data, we extracted valuable insights and identified specific pain points highlighted in these evaluations.
Customer Journey
Consequently, we meticulously crafted customer journey maps that encompassed all touchpoints for each shopper. These comprehensive maps depict the entire customer experience journey, highlighting crucial actions, pain points, user feelings, and opportunities at each touchpoint. The following diagram visually illustrates the intricate details captured within each touchpoint, providing a comprehensive overview of the shopper’s experience.
Report
01 . Findings and Insights
Pain points of varying severity and levels were examined in-depth. Through this comprehensive approach, Toyota stakeholders were able to visualize the results, draw insightful conclusions, and make informed decisions. Key insights unveiled:
It was due to poor employee performance that the purchase rate was low. [Validation of the initial hypothesis was achieved]
Unexpected weaknesses and pain points have emerged in the customer experience of the showrooms
Some of the reported findings
The monthly reports feature insightful diagrams that showcase a diverse range of evaluation parameters and types. These visual representations provide a comprehensive overview of the analysis conducted and offer valuable insights into various aspects of the research.
Inquiry
4 shoppers had a phone contact before the visit
Welcome
The Showroom
Quality of vehicle display, branding, and advertising materials
02 . Pain Points
The feedback was collected, analyzed, and pain points were identified and clustered to identify the customers’ problems.
03 . Recommendations
Building upon extensive research, meticulous analysis, and derived conclusions, we have taken the exercise to the next level. We have proposed a comprehensive set of actionable recommendations and improvements. These proposed actions aim to effectively address the identified gaps and enhance the overall customer experience.
Takeaway
Providing a positive customer experience is one of the most important aspects of a business’s evolution and improvement
An in-depth understanding of customers journeys and feedback is one of the most effective ways to test, evaluate, and upgrade customer experience
Hypotheses should always be supported by evidence and a thorough analysis
Businesses, especially those involving direct contact with customers, should conduct a yearly checkup and address pain points to keep a high level of customer experience and keep customers engaged
"Mindflares breathed life into our vision and exceeded all expectations!
They blend creativity and science to deliver a delightful experience on all levels. Unsurprisingly, we continue to collaborate with them on numerous projects."
Joseph Abou Jawdeh
IT and Web Manager at Al Joumhouria
"An excellent team to work with, extremely creative and professional. Through their deep understanding of our business and client needs, they have offered effective and high-quality UX design services. They offer the right level of support in every aspect of the project."
Carole Alsharabati
Founding Partner of Siren Analytics and Siren Associates
"Mindflares is one of those companies that makes magic happen for your products. It starts with a three-word request and ends up with a solidly grounded UX/UI design that conquers and charms the users. Their agility, commitment, and creativity are impressive. They are the kind of partner you need to ace your objectives and succeed in your business."
Wissam Youssef
Co-Founder and General Manager of CME Offshore
"Partnering with Mindflares has been an inspiring and fruitful journey and still is. Mindflares’ approach to business combines high ethics, transparency, and communication skills which were keys to our success."
