DSG Associates, Inc. began in 1981 as a communications and consulting company, founded
by Donna S. Guido. In 1983 DSG designed an employee performance/motivation program
for retail chain businesses based on the principles of Total Quality Management,
using mystery shopping as the monitoring/measuring technique.
An employee incentive program for 1,200 Taco Bell restaurants was its first customer, but DSG soon learned
that the mystery shopping providers it had contracted could not meet its specifications
for short shopping windows, fast turnaround and 100% coverage. As a result, DSG
began managing mystery shoppers directly, developing innovative procedures to provide
better control of the mystery shopping process and more reliable results for its
clients.
By the late 1980s, in addition to the incentive programs, DSG offered a
unique approach to stand alone mystery shopping contracts with quality, coverage
and turnaround speed far ahead of the industry.
Throughout the 1990s, DSG continued
to develop its field services business, specializing in both on-site and telephone
mystery shopping as well as related services, such as pricing studies, Intercept
Interviews, and a variety of audits -- all based on using the more 200,000 independent
contractors in our database.
During the same period, DSG expanded into a wide range
of industries including retail, financial services, real estate, travel and entertainment
and automotive sales and service. DSG continues to offer special expertise in working
with large franchise or dealer based clients, but also serves mid-size and smaller
clients, including both consumer businesses and associations.
Our philosophy continues
to be rooted in the Total Quality Management Model. We strive to create processes
that will identify and allow us to overcome most of the problems created by inevitable,
individual human error.
An important part of those processes is The DSG Personal
Touch, which simply means that we believe in frequent, direct and hassle-free communication
with shoppers, interviewers and clients.
On a practical level, the DSG Operating
Objectives are simple:
- Work done right
- The first time
- On time
- On budget
- With a smile
The result of this philosophy, and the processes it drives, is that we are one of
the most reliable, highest quality field service providers in the country. More
than 99.99% of our visits and reports are completed and sent to clients in the time
frame promised. Many of our special projects are completed early and the turnaround
time on dispute resolution and re-shops is excellent.
Today, with its broad background
and in-depth knowledge of multi-unit operations and field management relationships,
DSG offers both the capability and capacity to work as an active partner in creating
and managing successful, respected field service programs for large and small clients
who demand integrity, reliability and responsiveness.