This month, we’re continuing our tour around the South with a visit to Bristol, one of the UK’s cultural centres and our first city to be named European Green Capital, back in 2015. Bristol is well known for its thriving food and arts scenes, but how do its flooring retailers stack up? Our Mystery Shopper investigates…
Hanham Flooring Centre
This month’s first stop was Hanham Flooring Centre. Managing Director Emmitt Bradstock has owned and operated various flooring retailers for more than eight years, while he has spent more than 20 as a fitter himself. The shop says it strives to provide customers with “a fantastic experience you would want to tell your friends about,” and happily, our shopper found much to recommend!
Their initial impressions were positive: “The outside of the shop looks clean and tidy – it’s on the corner and so is easily visible as you drive past. The displays look attractive from the outside, and the inside was tidy and well-organised with plenty of choice.” Upon entering, the shopper was immediately greeted by a sales advisor, however they did note that pricing information wasn’t as instantly visible as they would have liked.
The sales advisor quickly set to work establishing what our shopper needed and showing off different product options based on those requirements. They compared factors such as price per square metre, pile length and how soft the carpet felt to the touch. Importantly, the member of staff continuously consulted the shopper on their views, using their responses to make additional suggestions, such as showing a carpet with a “very soft, velvety touch”. The shopper raised a concern about price per square metre, at which point the assistant confirmed exactly what their budget was, before revisiting all of the options within the specified price range.
After narrowing down the options, the assistant suggested our shopper take home the sample book so they could check the colours. While they weren’t able to provide a quote in-store, they did take our shopper’s details, including room measurements, and phoned back later, leaving a voicemail with the final quote.
While this slight hiccup with the quote wasn’t an ideal experience for our shopper, their assessment of the overall visit was extremely positive. The shopper had particularly positive feedback for the sales advisor: “They were very friendly and helpful, and made me feel immediately comfortable in the store.”
Red Lion Carpets
The next location in Bristol was Red Lion Carpets, a family-run retailer in business since 1978. Red Lion says it takes “immense pride” in its personal touch, putting customer relationships at the heart of its business.
Although it’s largely outside the business’ direct control, its location on a busy main road and no obvious nearby parking meant actually getting inside was the first hurdle our shopper had to overcome. Once they did, they unfortunately had to wait without acknowledgement from staff for a few minutes while the assistant spoke with a tradesperson, however once that conversation ended the member of staff immediately approached.
Assistance was offered in a “friendly, polite manner”. The member of staff helpfully showed our shopper several options, recommending PP ranges when the shopper raised the concern that wool might be too difficult to clean. The properties and qualities of different ranges were discussed in depth. “They discussed the different pile lengths and how, along with pile density, this affected how easily the carpet would be crushed,” our shopper recounts.
As the conversation came to an end, our shopper asked for a price and the member of staff “immediately” worked it out, factoring in variations such as new door bars and disposing of old carpet, also recommending a specific underlay. The shopper was given an itemised quote and told that the shop would be happy to send fitters by to measure up the room.
While our shopper’s initial impressions left a little to be desired at Red Lion Carpets, the member of staff was “friendly and knowledgeable,” providing helpful service and immediate information about the price of a prospective fitting.
The Carpet Barn
Finally, we visited The Carpet Barn, which boasts “one of the largest selections of carpets, laminate, vinyl and Karndean flooring in Bristol and the South West region” at its showroom in Longwell Green. On entering the showroom, our shopper noticed a carpet in the middle of the floor “that appeared to be in the process of being measured and cut, with no staff member attending to it”. Tools were also scattered around the floor, which made it difficult to walk around the shop floor, they said.
The displays inside were well-stocked, neat and tidy, including the offcuts section, which was clearly labelled and organised. Unfortunately though, our shopper was not actively approached for assistance, and had to approach the front desk to ask for help, waiting several moments before receiving any response. Once a member of staff did arrive, they were able to offer helpful guidance, first ascertaining our shopper’s needs before explaining what types of product might be suitable.
After running through several options, our shopper chose a specific carpet that was available in two thicknesses. The assistant was able to provide an estimate there and then, asking for room measurements and whether the customer wanted underlay. “When I was advised of the price,” our shopper said, “I commented it was more expensive than expected.” The assistant was able to address this concern however by suggesting the thinner variant of the carpet or choosing an option from the rolls or offcuts.
“Overall, it was a very positive experience,” our shopper concluded. “The member of staff responded positively to my request for help as a first-time carpet buyer and explained everything clearly and in easy-to-understand terms. He appeared engaged, knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic, and was happy to answer all questions. The level of customer service I received would encourage me to return and make a purchase, as he made what I usually find a daunting process feel straightforward and manageable.”
And the winner is…
While all three of our visits in Bristol impressed our Mystery Shopper with their universally knowledgeable and friendly service, Hanham Flooring Centre offered the most consistently positive experience from start to finish, meaning it just clinched the win this month. Congratulations to all three!
Next month, The Stocklists Mystery Shopper visits Coventry – stay tuned!
IN THIS SECTION
Hanham Flooring Centre – www.hanhamflooringcentre.co.uk
Red Lion Carpets – www.redlioncarpets.co.uk
The Carpet Barn – www.thecarpetbarn.co.uk
As always, the Mystery Shopper feature is facilitated by the excellent work of ProInsight, which organises and carries out campaigns for businesses of all types, helping them to evaluate and ultimately improve their customer experience metrics.