Welcome back to the second edition of The Stocklists’ Mystery Shopper feature, which sees our partners at ProInsight visit independent flooring retailers across the country, posing as prospective customers while using a set of objective criteria to evaluate the shops’ performance from a customer experience perspective. Throughout this year-long feature we aim to highlight the many strengths of UK carpet retail and – where applicable – show where some aspects might be improved.
This month, our shopper visited Chester, a cathedral city in the county of Cheshire, famous for its Grade I listed city walls, along with a number of other fascinating historical buildings. The city’s carpet shops impressed just as much as its cultural attractions though, with this month’s highest-ranked retailer becoming the first recipient of ProInsight’s coveted Gold rating.
The Little Carpet Shop
Describing itself as “Chester’s local family run carpet shop,” The Little Carpet Shop opened back in 2008 and has since supplied flooring to over 30,000 homes in the area. Thankfully, our shopper found it to be just as inviting as its name and tagline suggest!
“My first impression of the outside of the store was that it had very clear branding,” they said. “I particularly liked that it had carpet on the outside – that was a fun detail.” Upon entering the store, the shopper was immediately greeted by a member of staff standing near the entrance, who asked how he could help right away. The shopper noticed there was another staff member standing just behind the till, and all employees were well-presented and attentive. Additionally, the interior of the store was uncluttered, making it easy to walk around and see the samples on the walls.
Once they began their interaction with the member of staff, their experience improved even further. “He was very knowledgeable about the product, and when I made an objection about the price, another member of staff jumped in to provide me with other cheaper options I might be interested in. They were good alternatives and overcame my objection well.”
After settling on an option, the shopper received a quote which also incorporated the price of fitting and underlay. “They provided this to me on the back of a business card and said I could contact them if I had any further queries or wanted to book an installation. I was thanked for my time and both assistants bid me goodbye as I left the shop.”
This friendly, relaxed sales approach certainly made an impression on our shopper, who said they “really liked attending this shop”, and would seriously consider using it for their real-life needs in the future.
Maltby’s of Chester
A family business which opened its doors in 1947, Maltby’s of Chester offers a range of floorcoverings alongside carpet, stocking brands like Victoria, Cormar as well as Amtico. Our Mystery Shopper was impressed by many aspects of this shop, although as they visited during a busy period, their service was a little slower than would ordinarily be the case.
Upon arriving, the outside of the shop was clean and tidy, and the windows looked inviting. Walking inside, our shopper noticed the store was very busy, with all members of staff engaged by other customers. “After five minutes, I was approached by a member of staff who asked if he could help,” they said. The shopper described this employee as very informative, but perhaps not as enthusiastic as they could have been.
“When I explained that I was looking for a carpet for my daughter’s bedroom, the assistant took steps to ask questions relevant to my needs. They asked if my priority was for a wool carpet, which would be harder-wearing, or synthetic, which would be easier to clean.”
After figuring out which type of carpet would suit our shopper’s needs, the member of staff took them to the relevant displays. “I objected to the colour as I did not want a grey carpet, and the assistant proceeded to show me some different options based on what I wanted.” Fitting and underlay were also addressed by the member of staff, who offered to send over a quote via email after the appointment.
Unfortunately, despite the prompt and efficient service in-store, our shopper says, the price given on the quote was slightly higher than originally discussed. Other than this, however, the customer experience at Maltby’s left little to be desired!
Carpet Factory – GOLD RATED
This month’s highest-rated visit was The Carpet Factory, another family-run business which opened nearly 40 years ago. According to its website, The Carpet Factory is Cheshire’s largest independent supplier of flooring, and will always ensure customers get “the very best selection, service and advice”. Bold claims, but according to our Mystery Shopper, the store was able to back them up!
On entering the store, all the visible staff were busy working, while the shopfloor itself was clean, tidy and well laid out. “As I wandered around the store, a member of staff who was seated at a nearby desk looked across and greeted me with a friendly: Hello, how are you today?” explains our shopper.
This positive first impression carried through the entire visit, with the assistant asking in-depth questions to determine which products would suit the shopper’s needs, such as the dimensions of the room to be carpeted and the status of the existing underlay. After clarifying these details, the assistant suggested “a thick, luxurious carpet” which would be ready to fit in the shopper’s hypothetical timeframe. The member of staff proactively offered a quote, including the price of fitting, without pushing aggressively for the shopper to make a decision there and then. “As I got up to leave, they smiled, thanked me for my visit, and said they hoped to see me soon.”
The Carpet Factory’s attentive yet relaxed service impressed our shopper a great deal, who stated that they would definitely recommend the location to a friend or colleague. “The assistant was so nice and easy to get along with,” they concluded. “I didn’t feel pressured into making a purchase. The layout of the shop made it easy to walk around, and you could see everything at a glance. Everything was priced, which was a great help.”
With this glowing report, The Carpet Factory earns our very first Gold Rating, representing near-perfect performance across ProInsight’s Mystery Shopper criteria, and making it this month’s well-deserved winner!
IN THIS SECTION
The Little Carpet Shop – www.littlecarpetshop.co.uk
Maltby’s of Chester – www.maltbysofchester.co.uk
The Carpet Factory – www.carpetfactorychester.co.uk