Bulgaria – Smiles, Greetings, and Upselling: Where Do We Stand on the Global Customer Service Map?

Imagine the following situation: You walk into a store to buy a new coffee machine because your old one has stopped working. The sales consultant greets you with a smile and asks how they can help. You explain your problem, and they not only suggest suitable models but also tell you about different types of coffee, the production process, share tips for brewing, and even let you try a few varieties to find what suits your personal taste. In the end, you leave not only with a coffee machine but also with a pack of aromatic coffee beans, a new filter, and a wonderful mood!

What did this consultant do? They didn’t just do their job—they created a positive experience that won you over as a loyal customer. And it all started with a smile, a sincere greeting, and a desire to help you make the best choice!

This is the power of good customer service - something often underestimated, but crucial for any business’ success. This is also where mystery shoppers and studies like the Smiling Report come into play.

What is the Smiling Report?

The Smiling Report is a global study measuring three key aspects of customer service:

• Smile: Do employees smile at customers?
• Greeting: Do they greet customers when they enter the store?
• Upselling: Do they try to offer additional products or services?

The latest study includes 663,768 individual evaluations from mystery shoppers across 27 countries. Client X has been actively contributing data for Bulgaria for 14 years, helping to map the country’s service level compared to other European nations.

What do the results show?

According to the latest Smiling Report, global customer service levels are improving. Smiles are more frequent, greetings more sincere, and employees are more likely to offer additional products.




The leading countries in the ranking - Latvia, Estonia, and Cyprus - stand out with the highest scores for “Smile”, demonstrating a strong emphasis on employees’ positive facial expressions.



Italy, on the other hand, is the leader in the “Greeting” category, followed by Latvia and Slovakia, indicating a welcoming atmosphere in stores. The UK remains at the bottom of the ranking with a noticeably lower score.



In terms of upselling, Poland shows the best results, followed by Latvia and Italy. Here too, the UK remains in last place with a significantly lower score.



Interesting trends also emerge across different economic sectors. The automotive sector stands out as a leader in all measured categories – "Smile", "Greeting", and "Upselling" - setting a benchmark for excellent service. It is no coincidence that the number of inspections in this sector has increased significantly compared to previous years. Following it are the finance, transportation, and retail sectors, which also show strong performance.

At the same time, some sectors, such as public administration and the B2B sector, have lower results and potential for improvement, indicating that special attention is needed for employee training and enhancing the customer experience in these areas.

Bulgaria in comparison with other countries: Where are our strengths and where is there room for improvement?

It is always interesting to compare Bulgaria with other countries:

• Smiles: Bulgaria ranks fifth in smiles among all 27 countries. A great performance, consistent with previous years.
  
  
• Greeting: Verbal greetings or farewells in stores have been less common in Bulgaria - we rank tenth in this category, but still above the average for all countries.
  
  
   
• Upselling: How successful are Bulgarian employees at offering additional products and services? It turns out that we are slightly below the average for all surveyed countries, ranking seventh.
  
  

Why is all of this important?

Because good customer service is an investment in the future of your business. Smiling and courteous employees not only create a pleasant experience for customers, but also:

• Increase loyalty: Satisfied customers return again and again.
• Boost sales: Customers are more likely to buy from employees they trust.
• Enhance company image: Positive reviews spread quickly.

Client X – Your Partner for Perfect Customer Service

At Client X, we believe that every business can achieve excellent customer service results. We help companies in various industries to:

• Assess the current level of service: Through mystery shoppers and data analysis.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses: Where employees perform well and where there is room for improvement.
• Support the development of personalized training programs: To enhance employees’ customer service skills.

With Client X, achieving perfect customer service is easy. Contact us today and find out how we can help you turn every customer into a loyal fan of your brand!