Were We Smiling More in 2023 – What Insights Does the "Smiling Report" Reveal?
Why is the smile one of the most frequently measured criteria in evaluating customer experience? Because it reflects attitude and is one of the simplest and most effective components of customer service. A smile is an invitation—it puts people at ease, signals confidence, and shows a willingness to help. Best of all, a smile is contagious! When someone smiles, they often receive a proportional reaction from the other side. And what business wouldn’t want their customers smiling and satisfied?
Of course, a smile alone isn’t enough—there should also be a greeting, careful assessment of the customer’s needs, and offering the most suitable product or service, along with complementary options.
Together with our colleagues from other mystery shopping companies around the world, and with the support of MSPA Europe/Africa—the trade association for mystery shopping professionals—we once again contributed to the data compilation for the Smiling Report.
The report is based on a vast sample of 608 325 mystery shopper evaluations conducted throughout the past year in 32 countries worldwide. It examines key aspects of customer service and sales—smile, greeting, and additional offer—highlighting trends and performance levels across industries and regions.
This is the 20th year the report has been published, and for the past 13 years, Client X has been providing data for Bulgaria. The study covers a broad spectrum of industries.
The data shows that post-mask and post-COVID, smiles continue to increase more than greetings, although both indicators remain relatively stable. The third criterion, however—offering an additional product or service—shows significant progress. This jump is particularly important, as it has a direct impact on the financial performance of companies using mystery shopping services.
In times when the focus is increasingly on personalized service and meeting individual needs, upselling becomes a crucial factor in creating added value for customers, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.
What do the numbers say about Bulgaria? It turns out that in Bulgaria, smiling and greeting are more frequent than the global average, but there is still room for improvement when it comes to upselling:
At Client X, we’re here to support this process for all our clients, working together to create happier customers and better business results.