Methodology
Every Above Board audit follows the same disciplined process, regardless of store, brand, or market. Consistency is what makes an audit meaningful. A one of observation is an opinion. A repeatable standardized evaluation is data.
How an Audit Works
Each audit is conducted by a shopper trained in Above Boards evaluation framework, operating under a defined persona designed to reflect a real customer profile. The shopper enters the store or initiates cotact exactly as an ordinary customer would, with no advance notice to staff and no deviation from the assigned persona.
The visit is documented immediately afterward, while the experience is fresh, using a structured format that captures both what happened and how it compares to the standard. Findings are then scores and compiled into a scorecard and written report.
Step 1
Assign Shopper
A real customer profile is matched to the evaluation goal.
step 2
Conduct visit
unannounced, in character, exactly as an ordinary customer.
Step 3
Document
Captured immediately, while the experience is still fresh.
Step 4
Score & Report
Rated against the standard and compiled into written reports.
Standardized Scoring
Each audit is scored on a 1-5 scale across a defined set of evaluation categories. The same categories and the same scale are applied on every visit, which means results are comparable across stores, across time and across audit types. A score is not an impression. Rather, it reflects a aconsistent standard applied the same way every time.
The specific criteria behind each score are proprietary to Above Board and shared directly with clients. We do not publish the underlying rublic.
Personas
Audits are conducted under standardized shopper personas each designed to reflect a distinct real world customer type and use case. Using defined personas rather than a generic visit we are able to test something specific: how staff handle a first time buyer differently from a returning connoisseur, or how a phone inquiry is handled differently from a walk in. This is what makes findings actionable rather than anecdotal.
Audit Formats
Above Board evaluates the full customer journey, not just the storefront.
In Store Audits
The complete floor experience, entry to checkout.
Phone Audits
The first touch many customers have before ever visiting.
Delivery Audits
The experience delivered outside the store, for retailers who fulfill it.
Timing
Audits can be conducted 7 days a week during rush and lull periods depending on what a client needs. A store or brand that performs well on a quiet tuesday afternoon may look very different during a Friday evening rush. Timing is deliberate.
Patterns, not snapshots
Repeat visits reveal whether an issue is a one off or a trend and whether performance is improving, declining, or holding steady.
Why we dont publish the full framework
The specific criteria, weighting, and scoring language behind an Above Board audit are teh product. Publishing them would let anyone replicate the evaluation withiout the training, discipline, or objectivity behind it.
Clients receive the full framework as part of their agreement. Everyone else receives the results.