Would you do these hotel scenarios? Have you been asked to do something similar? Or some scenario you thought was harder/difficult to do? (Or silly calls to the front desk, for your scenario problem)

1.Call the front desk and say the toilet is stopped up. When the maintenance guy appears, act upset. Raise your voice a little. Create a small scene. Your goal is to see if you can distract/deter the maintenance man from his duties. Report back how he treats you as a guest and if he keeps his cool.

2.Go to the dining room, eat all your entrée, then place a dead cockroach on your plate. Refuse to pay for dinner. Report back what happens.

3.Go to the front desk at check-in. Raise an objection. Get louder. See how the hotel staff handles your dilemma. Report back how the staff treats you and if they remain calm.

4.Remove one bottle from the mini-bar. Hide it in your luggage. Tell the front desk you did not remove anything from the mini-bar. See if they charge you for the item.

5.Go to the pool in your cut-off shorts, as opposed to swim-wear. See if the hotel staff asks you to leave the pool and put on appropriate swim-wear.

Holy crap! They sure expect shoppers to have a lot of balls, with these scenarios! They're basically paying you to be a complete ass. ha!

Although, I have heard of some people who actually do some of those kinds of things, in real life, and they're not shoppers. :/

Does the MSC (or client) send you the dead cockroach to use? Or do you have to hunt down and kill your own? Does the client just have cockroaches freely running around the premises for you to capture & kill during your shop? Sheesh! Thankfully, in this area, I've rarely seen a cockroach {knock on wood!}

I have yet to do a hotel shop... and I would have to think really hard ~ and be paid really well (NOT just reimbursed) to do scenarios such as these. I mean, I can and will embarrass myself, at least somewhat; and possibly even act like an ass, for the right amount of money.

Do they allow alcohol consumption on these shops? That might make it easier to embarrass yourself and be an ass, too. Along with the right pay. Ha!

Is this 5 scenarios for 5 different shops or is this one shop with 5 scenarios? What is the shop fee? I am surprise they aren't asking you to "come on" to the repairmen when he comes to fix the toilet or is that the next scenario.

Hilarious Stormcloud!!

I think you buy a bag of dead cockroaches at Petsmart! ( I don't know, lol)

All kidding aside, the thing I DO NOT like is when they ask you to check the mattress, lift the blanket and look at the sheets. Do you see bed bugs? Or blood? Or the real gross one for me is imagining why the sheet has funny stains? (ewww) Horrors for me because if I did see a bed bug, I would not want to sleep in the bed!

sojo917 Wrote:
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> Is this 5 scenarios for 5 different shops or is
> this one shop with 5 scenarios? What is the
> shop fee? I am surprise they aren't asking you to
> "come on" to the repairmen when he comes to fix
> the toilet or is that the next scenario.

These were odd scenarios for different shops over the years, mostly raising objections to see how the hotel would respond.

I've rarely stayed in hotels during my life, but one of the last times I did, was with my cousin. She made me help her lift the mattresses (we each had our own bed) to not only check for stains and bugs and whatnot, but to make sure a body hadn't been hidden underneath.

We watch too much Discovery ID channel stuff!

After retiring from a career as a Hotel Manager, the last thing I want to do is do a hotel shop.

I've done the mini-bar one. It was no biggie at all (I removed a fairly expensive bottle of wine). I would not do any of the others... nor have I ever seen them before.

No one's answered the important question. Where do you get a cockroach? (Obviously, I've led a sheltered life.)

I have never been asked to raise my voice or "act upset" on any hotel shop. I've been doing hotels regularly since 2006.

The cut off shorts one wouldn't bother me but I don't know that I could do the rest of them.

I could handle the missing mini bottle of booze, but I am not one to make a scene. Dead cockroaches are past the line! LOL

Do you actually have to take a dump in the toilet to stop it up? Do they pay you for the cut-off shorts and the cockroach?

SunnyDays2 Wrote:
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> These were odd scenarios for different shops over
> the years, mostly raising objections to see how
> the hotel would respond.


Were these low-end or mid-range motels/hotels? I usually perform high-end hotels, resorts and spas but I have never been asked to bring my own pet cockroach or steal from the hotel. Yes, I have to perform certain tasks for maintenance, housekeeping and security. Sometimes there are pool/beach umbrella rental, concierge and bar/food requirements. I have never been told to "make a scene." In fact, quite the opposite; we are supposed to "blend in" and act like pretentious snobs.

{Just kidding about the snob part.}

are these "for real" scenario requests?

As my children found out when they were growing up, you can buy a (fake) "dead" cockroach at a joke shop.

Oversized spiders, too.

Sandra Sue Wrote:
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> As my children found out when they were growing
> up, you can buy a (fake) "dead" cockroach at a
> joke shop.

Spencer Gifts sells these. Maybe you could get lucky and do an assignment for them.

I don't know if I could carry a scene off like that without cracking up with laughter. I'm not that great an actor! I have done two hotel shops. The first just to see what a hotel shop was about and the second at a very high end one to see what staying at the hotel was like. It was so much work I had no fun staying in a hotel overnight. The only good thing was the feedback I got from the editor of the second one. She called with one question and we had a great conversation. I asked her what I could do better and she was amazed I would ask that. She could not believe this was only my second hotel shop and said she wished all her reports could be this easy. I was thrilled to get good feedback and also got some very good information from the conversation. My advice for doing hotel shops is this--get there early and try to get as much done as possible right away. Then you can relax and enjoy the amenities of the hotel. In addition, if the food in the restaurant (as part of the shop) is a problem--DON"T COMPLAIN--or they will comp your meal and you won't have a receipt! I had to practically beg to pay for the meal after being overcome by an extreme hot sauce put on my eggs benedict. LOLOL!

The last hotel I stayed in cost $94 after taxes and fees. The woods were cleaner. The floor was sticky and when I took off my shoes to take a shower, I noticed the bottoms were a weird shade of brown almost black (I thought I was on a rug). I took a piece of toilet paper and scraped off a bit. It was old blood! In disbelief I went to the bed and opened the covers. I found a body print on the mattress and the one pillow was stiff and stained. The others were stained with one actually having a print of a head marred into it. I kicked off the mattress and found the box spring also had the body print so I kicked that out of the way. Yep, it was a messy party in that room with clueless cleaners. Out of curiosity I opened the shower curtain and found a ring that would put the grand canyon to shame. At this point I grabbed my luggage and noticed the air fresheners. I looked at the clock and it was 3 am. I had arrived around midnight and had been on the phone with the insurance company, tow company and police about my truck. I had also spoken with a friend to see if I could go to them while the issue with the truck settled so when I had arrived in the room, I was busy with my life and not paying attention to my surroundings. It was a hotel and I just hadn't thought it could be so awful. Anyway the shopper in me kicked in and I went camera happy. I then went to the front counter and tried to get the staff to help me. There was no one on staff. I had to wait until 10 am before someone showed up. When they opened the door, they found me sitting on the stoop really upset. I had just lost my truck, got a room from CSI, and then was forced to avoid the police who thought I was prowling since I had no where to sleep except the small wooded area behind the hotel. Yes it was cleaner back there and I had my tent with me. It wasn't ideal but I didn't want the police thinking I made the mess in the room. Also the reason why I didn't just get a different hotel was because there was no other hotel for 10 miles and with it being Memorial Day weekend, there were no other rooms available anyway.

I did get my money back thanks to Capital One. That was one Memorial Day weekend I will never forget and for all the wrong reasons.

Oh, I can act and it would actually be fun! I even wanted to try out for a local talent company and my fellow mystery shopper friend encouraged me to do so because I act all the time in shops! I even got a contract for something else due to my mystery shopping experience. While other people she interviewed or hired didn't feel comfortable "lying," my supervisor called it "acting," as that's what it really is.

I was recently offered some hotel shops but have declined. They are only doing reimbursement for the cost of these hotels AND asking you to raise some kind of stink (ie, clogged toilet). It's not worth the hassle to me.

I actually had a real life scenerio like this a few years ago. I was up in San Fran with my family and we found a hotel near the SF airport...mid range chain. We arrived at close to midnight and were really tired. One of my kids used the bathroom toilet and it overflowed including the contents. I called the desk and after a few calls and about an hour they sent someone. A guy comes knocking at the door and hands me an ancient plunger and walks away. The plunger had obviously been well used before and there were obvious stains on it. I could not believe I had just paid quite a lot of money and had to plunge my own toilet. In addition there was a huge bar sticking up in the middle of the mattress on the pull out bed but fortunately it was the boys night, my husband and son, to share the pull out bed. We were woken up at 6 AM to the livliest and loudest mexican music coming out of the radio. Now I know it is my responsibiity and not the maids to make sure the clock radio alarm is not set! At a very nice breakfast the next morning in the lobby I went over to the desk and mentioned all of this. I did not make a scene but I was pretty insistent they listen to me. I was surprised when they offered to comp the room but silly me, I insisted on paying half as we all had eaten a hearty and good breakfast and I felt bad about gettting that for free. As upset as I was I did not make a scene and cannot imagine having to stage one like some of these scenerios...the pool one would be fine and possibly the bar as it does not require a scene. I do get very insistent sometimes but a scene? not unless I get sag rates.

sandyf Wrote:
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> Now I know
> it is my responsibiity and not the maids to make
> sure the clock radio alarm is not set!


Au contraire mon frere

Cute. SAG rates!

At the time I must have told the story to everyone I came across and was surprised to find they all check the clock radio when they arrive at a hotel. I never before thought I should have to do that!!!


bgriffin Wrote:
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> sandyf Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Now I know
> > it is my responsibiity and not the maids to
> make
> > sure the clock radio alarm is not set!
>
>
> Au contraire mon frere

If I read guidelines requiring me to make a scene, I would cancel the shop. What if I liked the place and wanted stop there again with my family? I'd be remembered by someone for sure. Also, I don't know who the client is. What if one hotel was hiring me, through a mystery shop company, to send a cockroach to a competitor's kitchen? That would be sabotage.

heartlandcanuck Wrote:
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> What if one hotel was hiring
> me, through a mystery shop company, to send a
> cockroach to a competitor's kitchen? That would be
> sabotage.

*Some* MSCs will tell you who the client is. Others treat this like it's a huge secret and some don't even tell you the exact location until after you take the shop.

Personally, I often wish they would tell us at least if it's a client self-shop, a competitor shop, or a third-party shop. On the latter two reports are much less likely to be disputed.

IF these are real scenarios 4 & 5 are very doable and even 2 doesn't require you to be an a**hole. The other two I would never do.

I've not done these, but I've done dual-party ones where I've had to leave the premises, go to the front desk during the late shift, and request a key to be made to my room. Mind you, the hotel was booked in my husband's name, and we have different last names. I was then to report if they made the key for me, asked for identification, gave it anyway, confirmed with him that I was who I said I was, etc. This one was a little hard because we had to work out a scenario where we'd arrived in the same car, gone out in the same car, in a town we weren't from, and I somehow returned without him. My scenario for that one was that we'd gone out to the movies, and I'd developed a headache and returned to nap for a bit before going back to pick him up.

I've also had to do the "locked out of my room" in the hallways, and observed whether the housekeepers let me into my room if I only pointed at my door or gave them my room number, no name.

Done the restaurant dine-ins, and recorded whether they allowed me to charge my meal to my room without asking for my name.

Done room-service orders charged to the room, and disputed the charges when I checked out, as I was not the one who placed the order, did not authorize the room charge. (My guidelines were to bring a young adult with me, and they'd place the order)... I brought my little sister who was 15 at the time.

My favorites are also dual-party compliance ones, ordering wine or champagne through room service, and recording whether I'm asked for ID.