The Client

Paychex^® is a premier provider of payroll, human resources, and benefits outsourcing services, catering to small to medium-sized businesses across the country. They offer an extensive array of services, including: payroll processing, retirement services, insurance, and comprehensive human resources solutions.

The Ask

Recent data indicated a concerning trend: many clients were switching to local competitors who touted greater accessibility and a more personalized approach to client relationships. Our client needed to understand how these competitors were positioning themselves, including insights into their pricing strategies, service offerings, and technological advantages.

The Strategy

To address this challenge, we designed a mystery shopping pilot program targeting four key competitors. This initiative aimed to dissect:

1. The overall buyer psychology driving client decisions.
2. The efficiency and effectiveness of competitors’ sales representatives.
3. The management and execution strategies within competitors’ sales processes.
4. The nature of services and pricing structures offered by the competition.
5. A comparative analysis of our client’s offerings versus the competition.

The Result

The mystery shopping pilot program provided invaluable insights, revealing critical information that our client could not have obtained elsewhere. By closely examining the competitive landscape, our client gained a deep understanding of the factors influencing client loyalty and decision-making processes. The results of the program were overwhelmingly positive, confirming that our client now possesses the necessary data to propel their business forward successfully.