.... Your report was rejected because you didn't follow the instructions listed in your guidelines. Just because you think it would help McDonald's to do the shop your way doesn't give you the right to vary from your assignment guidelines and expect the MSC to accept it.

BetteL Wrote:
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> My last McD was rejected. It was an awful shop.
> The drive-thru associate did not give me my drink,
> short change me by $1, and did not give me a
> receipt. He distracted me by talking about my
> car. After I drove off, I walked back to the
> window to get the dollar he owed me. As soon as
> he saw me, he asked if he owed me a dollar.
> Wonder why he knew that before I said anything?
> My guess is he knew he did it. I also asked for
> the receipt. He said it was in the bag. Nope.
>
> Then after I drove off the parking lot I realized
> he did not give me my drink. The reason I did not
> miss it was because I was still drinking from the
> Dine In drink. I drove back and instead of
> walking over to the window, I just stayed in line
> and waited until I got to the window. Again, the
> associate knew that he did not give me my drink.
>
>
> My report was rejected because the editor claimed
> I should not drive back through the drive thru.
> How am I supposed to know that? I cannot park and
> walk to the window again because I almost got ran
> over the first time.
>

It's your responsibility to check that you have at least your entree, fries and drink BEFORE you leave the drive-thru. If you weren't provided your drink, you'd ask them to get it to and then report it accordingly in your report.

BetteL Wrote:
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> The previous reject was because I waited for the
> cashier to see if she will upgrade or try to sell
> me something to add to my sandwich. This is the
> scenario in most restaurant shops, not fast food.
> I have done lots of restaurant shops and it was
> important to see if the cashier tried to upsell.
> Not so at McDonalds. Not only don't they care,
> but they rejected the report altogether. Two
> trips with no pay? That's $24 and I don' even
> like the food. Most of it ended up in the
> garbage.
>
> Yes, I am done with McD. I will no longer accept
> shops even when they call and offer bonuses.

The guideline specifically states to order the value meal of your sandwich. Basically, you'd state, "Big Mac Value Meal," or "6 Piece Chicken McNuggets Value Meal." Sounds like you just ordered the sandwich, and then waited for the employee to suggest the value meal.

Think they're going to call and offer bonuses?

BetteL, you have had two McD shops rejected for different reasons. The first shop was rejected because you did not order as required by the guidelines. This second shop was rejected because you did not follow the guidelines and you left the drive-thru window with an incomplete order and then returned to the window. The guidelines state: "Check your order before you pull away from the DT window or walk away from the WI counter." Did you save a copy of the guidelines? If so, I suggest you go back and read them so that you will understand. If you did not, I suggest you contact the MSC and ask for a copy of the guidelines so that you can read them and understand the difference between the requirements in the guidelines and how you performed the shop.

Understanding that you made a mistake that resulted in rejection of the shop and owning up to it is the first step in using it as a learning experience. This is very important if you want to be successful as a mystery shopper.

As dspeakes says, all shops are different. They all have specific guidelines. If you do not read and understand the guidelines for *each* shop you perform, you will probably have many more shops rejected. You were lucky when your Buckelew shop was rejected because you were still paid and given full reimbursement, although they did deactivate you. Other MSCs, including the one who services McD, will simply reject your shop with no pay or reimbursement.

I'm still not understanding how the Buckalew shop was rejected.

I've been with Buckalew for a number of years, and my husband started shopping for them about two years ago. He's only done 2 Buckalew shops, but his first, he was very worried. I'd briefed him a bit on the level of thoroughness required, and the fact that your reporting needs to be flawless. Buckalew considers themselves the best (I tend to agree) and they expect the best from their shoppers. They accept no less. There's no such thing as sending a report back multiple times for clarification. It's either acceptable or it's not.

Now, I think I'd gotten him hyped up, when explaining, to the point that he was in panic attack mode. Rather than coming back to me (I'd have probably terrified him further)... he contacted the editor. They went back and forth on this section, that section, etc... for hours until his report was done. Then he submitted it. Yes, the editor was Aimee and no, she's not horrible, as Bette has mentioned. I've found her wonderful to work with, and he was amazed that there was that much support from a company contact. She didn't write his report or tell him what to write, but she corrected his grammar, spelling, and pointed out obvious deficits in his report. I believe they were small things, but the small things add up.

I take exception to the mentions that they don't provide shopper support, are unprofessional, uncaring, etc. We've both witnessed strong support, complete professionalism, and the utmost in care for their shoppers and their shops.

I have learned not to mention things that are not asked about. They ask about what they care about. Just because I care about something else doesn't mean that I should report it as part of the mystery shop. I have on occasion contacted the scheduler and told them, but in 99-44/100 % of the time, my advice to myself and others is to read what you are supposed to do, and then do it.

I messed up at a sandwich store chain in the winter when they were out of a key but very common and required ingredient due to the weather. I forgot what I was supposed to do if they were out of stock (equivalent to McD being out of stock of hamburgers, I assumed it couldn't happen!), and improvised. I admited what was happened, and was given a chance to go back. I did. I learned a lot from that mistake.

I have no problem with the TV-It has not been loud when I have gone. Today I had more issue with the screaming child at the table across the room. People were moving to other areas, because some mother decided that it was OK to let the child pitch a fit with no consequences. She just sat and ate her meal while the child screamed. Did not phase her. It was almost 10 minutes constant. I can understand a child having a tantrum, but there is a point where you have to take pity on the other customers. She made no effort at all to reprimand or remove him. CNN or Fox sounds would have been great!

I don't do McDonald shops, but how can your timing be right if you had to go back to the window for the missing drink?

I totally agree. That just points to shopper!!!! Go inside do your shop. Wait the 5 minutes in the parking lot opps got a phone call from my kids and they want something go through the drive thru makes perfect sense.

I've noticed that around here the trend at McDonald's seems to be to remove the playgrounds. Some of the McDonald's are replacing the playgrounds with TVs. Isn't that just great for the kids? Just what they need. More fattening food and less exercise. And more screen time as though they can't possibly occupy themselves.

Then, too, as some others have mentioned, what is being shown on the TV isn't always what children should be hearing and seeing. I remember getting the news in small doses when I was six or seven years old. People were shooting each other in a place that sounded like the name of a sweater (Kashmir) and some mayor was in big trouble (Later found out this was Meyer Lansky, a gangster.). Now kids get bombarded by this sort of news all the time. This can't be good.

I drove 23 miles today, for a nicely bonused McDs. At the walk-in, I was behind a female ordering the $10 family box, or whatever it's called. She special ordered all four sandwiches, in ridiculous detail. Truth is stranger than fiction. My first timing was over eight minutes.

Mc Donald's shops are wired. They don't even pay attention to the results. I have been reporting the same problem at one store as long as I have been shopping the. They still have the same problem. Read the rules, do the shop, get the money. You get reimbursed, you don't have to eat it, just taste it. Get paid. Simple. I'm glad we don't have TVs in ours. I don't go to food places with cnn or sports on. I like catsup with my meat, not blood and guts.

Talk about blood and guts--a father and son were at a local McD's (apparently both were wasted) and didn't leave the drive thru lane after getting their order. They just sat there and started eating. The guy in line behind them started honking to get them to move ahead. So instead of just driving away, they both get out of the car to walk back and beat the crap out of the guy who honked at them. I wonder if there's some way McD's can block that when it shows on the news on their TVs.