This month took our Mystery Shopper to Bath, a city located in Somerset known (and named) for its Roman baths. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987, Bath draws in over 6 million visitors a year, making it one of the UK’s most popular destinations for tourists. Fortunately, its residents are also well catered for, with a bevy of high-quality flooring retailers in the town.
Capitol Carpets
Our first port of call this month was Capitol Carpets, located in the heart of Bath’s Artisan Quarter in Walcot Street, and reportedly surrounded by established independent shops and interior design specialists. Capitol Carpets describes itself as “a trusted name in the South West and beyond for over 17 years,” and prides itself on the service it provides to customers in helping select the right carpet for their home.
On first impression, our shopper found the location to be well-maintained. From the outside, “the store looked premium,” they said. “On entering, there were lots of different displays, all neatly arranged by type and colour.” After just a few moments inside, our shopper was promptly approached by an assistant who began the conversation with a friendly, light-hearted tone.
The experience continued in this positive fashion, with the shop assistant asking several detailed questions regarding precisely what the shopper would need from their carpet. In this scenario, the shopper was looking for a carpet for their home office, and the assistant raised useful questions about what kind of furniture was in the room, whether the shopper used a wheeled office chair, and if they drank coffee in the room, tailoring their carpet suggestion based on the answers. “When they made their recommendation, they linked back to the hardwearing nature of the product and mentioned that the product would be good for hiding any obvious marks, as well as being washable,” the shopper says.
Our shopper raised one objection to the carpet, querying if it might be too light to avoid showing dirt, and the assistant was able to offer the same range in a darker variation. They also highlighted that the original carpet was easily washable however, encouraging the shopper to go ahead with their first preference.
Although the quality of service at Capitol Carpets was high, with prompt, attentive and friendly staff, our shopper notes, they were not as proactive as they could have been in actually procuring the sale. A written quote was not provided on this occasion, although a verbal estimate was given, and the customer was encouraged to take a picture of the carpet to refer back to. The shopper was also not asked to provide their contact details for a follow-up.
Interior Harmony
Located on Chelsea Road, Interior Harmony has been trading for 31 years and offers a wide range of floorcoverings including LVT and wood, in addition to carpet from “world-class suppliers”. This store also made a good impression on our Mystery Shopper, with both the interior and the exterior of the location appearing clean and tidy. Although they couldn’t see any staff members on immediate entry, the shopper was greeted very quickly by an assistant after walking in.
After explaining their requirements, the shopper was shown a range of samples. The member of staff at Interior Harmony seemed “very knowledgeable and engaged,” explaining the difference between various carpet materials as well as how the percentages of man-made material compared to wool in each carpet makes a difference to its overall feel. He also explained useful details about the fitting process, including the fact that with the shopper’s current living room floor, carpet could be laid directly on top rather than requiring anything to be taken up.
In this case, our shopper once again objected to the colour of the carpet, asking for a darker colour option. The assistant immediately brought over a selection of samples in other colours more suited to the shopper’s needs. “He seemed happy to help when I had questions.” Ultimately, although the store itself was relatively standard, our shopper said they would definitely consider using Interior Harmony for their flooring needs in the future, demonstrating the value that customer experience brings to a carpet retailer.
Avonvale Carpets
Our final stop in Bath was Avonvale Carpets. Now a second-generation family-owned business, Avonvale says: “more than just one of the most-respected carpet shops in Bath, we’re hands-on experts in all types of quality flooring”. The store offers several types of floorcovering, as well as rugs and even a bespoke, tailored carpet service.
Coincidentally, when our shopper visited, Avonvale was in the middle of a renovation in its showroom, which led to a rather peculiar scenario requiring prospective customers to ring a bell and wait for the door to be unlocked. Once inside however, service was prompt and despite a note on the exterior of the shop warning customers of the potential mess, our shopper noted that everything still looked clean and tidy.
After browsing for a moment, our shopper was approached by a staff member who asked several questions about what they were looking for. The assistant brought over a range of samples at varying prices. “I objected to one of the colours,” our shopper notes, describing a vivid yellow carpet, “and the assistant explained it was from a European brand that favoured brighter colours.”
Although not every option was to our shopper’s taste, the assistant helped them decide from a range, encouraging them to feel the carpet to get an idea of the texture. Once the carpet was decided, the assistant immediately began enquiring about the practical details of fitting. The member of staff was unable to provide a written quote then and there, but she did ask for contact details and sent a very detailed breakdown within a few hours of the visit via email, including underlay options.
While the initial entrance to Avonvale Carpets was a little unusual and set our shopper off on an unfamiliar foot, they were reassured by the warm and helpful service they received inside. This experience contributed to Avonvale’s high rating against ProInsight’s Mystery Shopper criteria, making it the joint winner this month along with Capitol Carpets. All the shops we visited this month achieved very high scores however, so congratulations all round!
IN THIS SECTION
Capitol Carpets – www.thecarpet.co.uk
Interior Harmony – www.interiorharmony.co.uk
Avonvale Carpets – www.avonvalecarpets.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.