What We Do

We are a market research consultancy, specialising in the measurement of customer experience. Based in the UK, and part of the Lodge Service International group of companies, we work with our clients to help them understand and measure what happens when their customers come into contact with their brand.

Acknowledged experts in the field of customer experience, we not only work to develop the most effective research programmes for our clients, we seek to help make the fullest use of the information we generate.

Testimonials

Having worked with Amy, Jill and the team over the last 12 months I have found them to be absolute first-class partners to our business. The insight and reporting delivered all we asked for and more, supported by a positive and ‘can do’ approach that has created a truly collaborative approach and relationship. Experts in their field and a pleasure to work with!

Michael Hargreaves, Marks & Spencer

React helps us measure each cinema’s performance and identify areas for further improvement. It’s very useful in managing the business; we can focus on areas where we need to improve, whether it’s an issue of compliance, an operational process or a specific area of customer skills for cinema staff.

Kelly Drew, Regional Manager of Cineworld Cinemas

React represents a very useful tool to help mitigate risks in the retail process that might otherwise go undiscovered. The audits ensure staff are conscious of how they come across to customers. We can also quickly target stores or specific retail processes for attention if we need too. As a result of the success of our retail operations, we’ve opened 16 new shops last year and grown the business by over 7 per cent annually.

Patricia Cook, Retail Support Manager of the Children’s Society

React’s mystery shopping programme provides Cash Converters with highly valuable data for customer service performance analysis. Jill and her team are dedicated to understanding our business, how we work, and the standards we set. Since working with them, we’ve consistently seen positive outputs, including increased customer loyalty across the UK. React CX adds genuine value to our everyday operations, and we’d certainly recommend their services.

Cash Converters

Jill and Amy were great from the start of the project understanding the brief and adding their expertise to shape the programme. Results were presented promptly and clearly throughout enabling swift action where necessary. Really great engagement and a pleasure to work with.

Marstons

React’s service is very good; we’ve had lots of support in setting up the programme and the work has been completed quickly, sometimes at very short notice. React is responsive and helps to clarify what can be a complex operation at times, developing a detailed survey and reporting programme aross so many outlets.

Morrisons Supermarket

React are a key partner of Seasalt working alongside us to evolve our service proposition across our sales channels in a considered and supportive manner. Jill is collaborative, an expert in her field and really understands our strategic objectives. The React team work closely with our area and store managers to drive improvement and consistency in our service model. The quality of feedback provided by the React field team is excellent and their reporting gives us the insight we need to drive continual improvements.

Director of Retail, Seasalt

Latest News from React

2023 CX Trends

2023 is already shaping up to be transformative, with the decisions made by brands during this pivotal period determining whether they will dominate or diminish in the coming years. What is clear is that the consistent delivery of excellent customer experiences will...

ReactCX sets course for sustainability and growth

We are delighted to be able to let you know that ReactCX has joined forces with Proinsight Research Ltd, one of the most dynamic and fastest growing mystery customer services businesses in the UK. Together, we will apply our collective expertise in the measurement of...

6 Trends for a Very Merry (C)Xmas

Switched-on brands know that Christmas presents the perfect opportunity to attract and retain customers for the year ahead. And the savvier retailers have already identified that consumer behaviour will play out differently than it did last year, given the financial...

Poor Service Limits impact of Christmas Advertising Campaigns

The UK retail sector is again investing more than £7 billion on advertising this Christmas, according to the Advertising Association and Warc Data, so it's critical that retailers ensure that the in-store customer experience lives up to the brand promise. “Retail...

2022 CX Trends

In today's rapidly-evolving marketplace, the need for brands to focus on their customer experience strategy cannot be overstated. React’s Jill Spencer and Amy Morgans explore the CX trends that should be on every business's radar in 2022 – how can organisations gain...

Robot arm VS human arm: Hybrid Style of Customer Experience

Man vs. Machine: Customer Experience 2022

Since the pandemic hit, the world has moved from a period of disruption to one of evolution. Operational strategies that were forced to change purely from a safety perspective have become the norm, and brands must understand - and invest in – a hybrid style of...

Image of Staff Member to show service basics VS innovation

Back to Basics: The Politeness Problem

Fierce competition is driving a retail revolution, with brands relentlessly pursuing new ways to differentiate their offering and capitalise on today’s experience economy. However, whilst this innovation arms race is undoubtedly exciting, the unfortunate consequence...

Christmas High Street for Discussion on Retail Trends

It’s a Wrap! 5 Retail Trends to Give You a Competitive Advantage this Festive Season

Christmas is always an exciting time of year for retailers across the UK, presenting opportunities for brands to attract and retain customers for the year ahead. The more switched-on retailers have already identified that consumer behaviour will play out differently...

Red to Green Smiley Face Chart for CSat Programmes

CSat: Mainstay or Cliché?

As I sit here, drinking what is my third coffee of the day (black, no sugar, if you're asking), my eye falls upon a bland-looking customer survey link printed at the bottom of my receipt. These feedback requests have become ubiquitous, with everyone from my dentist,...

Christmas Lights in Shopping Centre Showing Xmas Sales through Service

Brits to spend big this Christmas: Is your business ready?

According to research from Future PLC Brits will spend big on the run up to Christmas this year. With nearly £200bn in accumulated lockdown savings, the majority of consumers plan to splash the cash on Black Friday purchases and Christmas gifts. The research...

The React Management Team

Our strength is our people; their knowledge and experience, and their dedication towards delivering
the highest levels of customer care.

Nicky Barrell

Managing Director

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Jill Spencer

Associate Director

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Nicky Barrell

Managing Director

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Jill Spencer

Director

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Karen Webber

Nicky Dover-Johnston

Rachel Norris

Amy Morgan

Jules Gray-Steele

Diane Morgan

Sophie Stokes

Nicky Barrell

Nicky set up React over 25 years ago, as a Division of Lodge Service International, and today we are the longest established provider of Mystery Shopping operating in the UK. Nicky built React on the principles of sound ethics, strong client relationships, and high standards of quality control which all lead to the delivery of highly credible programmes with actionable outputs. Nicky is a much respected voice across the industry, and regularly acts as an industry spokesperson when called upon to do so by the UK media (TV, radio and press).

Nicky and Jill head a team of extremely capable and passionate Account Managers, Executives and Administrators, all of whom are dedicated to providing our clients with the information they require to move their service delivery forward and help support business growth. The team are extremely proud to be the only UK Mystery Shopping provider to receive Elite Member status from MSPA in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Jill Spencer

Jill was President of MSPA (Mystery Shopping Professionals Association) Europe/Africa from 2017-19, and now sits as Chair of the Global Board. She has worked as a mystery shopping service provider at senior level since 2000, having previously earned a strong reputation for expertise in the Customer Experience arena whilst working in varied and challenging roles for blue chip retailers. Over the past 20 years, her core objective has been to raise the profile of customer service in business. It is a testament to her passion and commitment for the subject that the companies Jill has worked for, and in partnership with, now place customer service at the very top of their boardroom agenda.

Her more recent work focused largely on the engagement and education of frontline workers. By raising the level of understanding that the frontline has – and providing clear leadership and direction relating to individual and team goals – a more engaged work force has evolved, as well as a clear movement from a ‘task focused’ to ‘customer centric’ work ethic. Of specific interest at board level, the work also identified clear correlations between higher engagement levels and stronger sales performance across the client organisations that Jill worked with during this study.

Jill has written a series of case studies on the value of mystery shopping, including some high profile return on investment work, and has had several articles published on this subject. She is widely acknowledged as an industry expert, and has spoken at conferences throughout the world on the topic of Customer Experience.

Away from work, Jill has a passion for sports and travel, and her Fantasy Football prowess is legendary!

Nicky and Jill head a team of extremely capable and passionate Account Managers, Executives and Administrators, all of whom are dedicated to providing our clients with the information they require to move their service delivery forward and help support business growth. The team are extremely proud to be the only UK Mystery Shopping provider to receive Elite Member status from MSPA in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Over 20 years of experience…

Established in 1994, React has gone from strength to strength, with our reputation as a leading provider of high quality Mystery Customer Services resulting in referrals that have served to increase our client base in the UK and expand into the global marketplace.

Unlike most of our competitors, everything that React does is tailored to the individual needs of each client. Our business has grown largely through referral, with clients happy to recommend us to others on the basis of their positive experience. We are extremely proud of our success, but we will never rest on our laurels. We have been awarded Elite Status of MSPA Europe, the only independent UK supplier to have been granted this accolade.

React operates internationally…

We are able to offer full global coverage, and regularly manage Mystery Shopping programmes spanning several continents.

Case Studies

Shopping & Leisure Estate ‘Knowledge is Power’

ReactCX designed a mystery shopping CX programme to measure the customer experience against agreed criteria and standards; GAP analysis of CX performance and delivery against targets; and then design of customer service and sales training programmes to promote optimal...

Mystery Diners support Morrisons Supermarket Café Experience

Morrisons supermarkets have commissioned React CX for a series of independent reviews to assess its 399 in-store cafés, to support the standards of customer service which helped it win the 2015 UK Quality Food and Drink Awards. The survey and reporting process has...

Surveys give Cineworld Cinemas the Big Picture on Customer Service

‘Mystery shopping’ and on-line surveys for mobile devices – which generate over 400 responses from customers daily – have helped Cineworld Cinemas’ expansion programme, with the number of cinemas increasing to 82 from 71 when the programme started in 2005. Cineworld...

Mystery Shoppers go Undercover at Heathrow Airport

Caterer Eurest Aviation is using ‘mystery shopping’ to monitor and drive service standards within the 22 catering concessions that it operates at Heathrow Airport. The company serves some 76,000 airport and airline staff and contractors and has achieved a 7 per cent...

Trusted Partners

Based in the UK, REACT operates internationally by using our network of trusted partners across the globe. All of our partners are known to us personally, and have been selected from MSPA member companies.