About the Company
Sales Quality Research Group, Inc. is a Tempe, Arizona-based research firm founded in 1993 and incorporated in 1997 by Jim Rensel, the principal owner and President, and Dr. Kenneth Kehrer, a part owner. Sales Quality Group is one of the nation’s leading providers of research services for banks, thrifts and credit unions, as well as their brokerage firm and insurance company partners. Since 1993, Sales Quality Group has conducted well over 100,000 in-person and telephone shops of retail bank employees, bank investment and insurance sales personnel (both brokers and licensed branch employees), as well as all types of bank and investment program customers.
Clients: Sales Quality Group has conducted in-person mystery shops and telephone studies for more than 80 major banks and thrifts throughout the United States, including AmericanWest Bank, Arvest Bank, Banco Popular, BankAtlantic, Bank of New York, Bank of the West, Commerce Bank (St. Louis), East West Bank, First Hawaiian Bank, FirstMerit Bank, First Bank (St. Louis), First Tennessee Bank, Hancock Bank, HSBC, PacTrust Bank, Popular Community Bank, Provident Bank of New York, PSCU (the nation's leading Credit Union Service Organization), UBS, Union Bank of California, Territorial Savings, TCF National Bank, and Wilmington Savings Fund Society, plus a dozen smaller banks and thrifts. Sales Quality Group has also conducted research studies for several major credit unions, including Golden 1, Lockheed, Kinecta, Patelco, and Partners (Disney).
Retail Bank Research: While Sales Quality Group initially specialized in investment shops, its retail bank research has expanded significantly over the past decade, and today represents over one-half its annual business. Since 1999, Sales Quality Group has conducted over 70,000 retail bank shops and surveys and has developed an extensive normative database for the most common sales and service quality criteria (stand, greet, smile, ask name, use name, explore needs, test for acceptance, ask for commitment, etc.) Sales Quality Group also conducts “competitor” shops in several markets each year since 1999 and shares those results with its clients.
Investment Program Research: Sales Quality Group’s investment program mystery shopping studies are designed to address all relevant OCC, FDIC, FRB, OTS, NCUA and NASD/SEC guidelines and regulations dealing with “oral” sales presentations made in a bank setting. Sales and service quality issues measured include a combination of relating, discovering and advocating skills typically used in the counselor approach to selling. The study results will also help the organization to identify the specific skills, activities and behaviors that drive the success of their top producing Sales Representatives. Sales Quality Group also conducts Customer Callback studies for investment sales programs to generate valuable customer attitude and opinion data on the performance of the investment sales program.
Other Research: Sales Quality Group conducts Branch Referral Studies, Customer Satisfaction Studies and Focus Groups for banks throughout the U.S. In addition, we conduct Call Center shops and e-mail inquiry shops for several banks and credit unions. Our experience in these areas will help us design an effective study of your Call Center operations. For additional information on Sales Quality Group's products and services, see the Services section of this website.