I know that many of you do the drive through of McD last to avoid questions inside. I always do it first but put on sunglasses, tie my hair back, and sit up high enough so that my face is partially concealed when I get my food.

Tonight there was what I believe was a re-shop listed of a McD in town - today, tomorrow or the next day only for any meal time, which is unusual. It was obvious they needed it done by the end of the month.

The drive through was packed - six minutes from ordering to pay. When I was given my food bag, there was no receipt in it so I asked for one. I received a smirk and was quickly given my receipt by the young cashier. At that point I felt that they had purposely not put on the receipt - huge flag when one is asked for at the drive through. I just had a gut feeling based on the reaction I received.

I waited, went in to a massive crowd. Sunglasses off, hair now down. The manager handed me my food and when he did he said, "Didn't I just serve you in the drive through?" Well, he hadn't - it was a younger male, so I shook my head, looked puzzled and said "no". He said, "Are you sure? Is everything okay with your food? Are you the mystery shopper?" I said, "Am I the what?" He walked away at that point.

I am super irritated. I really really feel like they intentionally left the receipt out of the bag as a method of calling out the shoppers.

I haven't done the report yet. I will not be returning to that location.

Hi Shopping,

I don't think it is remotely unusual to ask for a receipt at any establishment that serves food. I will ask for one for a 99 cent cup of coffee. There are countless people out there who are reimbursed expenses through their employer and I never hesitated to submit any receipt, no matter how small, for reimbursement.

As far as the smirk, we shoppers always think that the targets think we are the shopper, and any perceived unusual behavior they exhibit we immediately think it is because they know we are the shopper. The smirk was probably just a smile from an employee who made a mistake and knew it was a big one. It may have entered their mind you were a shopper, but they serve so many people per day it probably isn't really the first thing they think about with every customer that comes through the drive-thru. And I doubt that the employee was not giving a receipt to every customer who came through the drive thru to see if they could out the shopper. If they knew the shopper was coming, wouldn't they just do everything perfectly, so they get a good report, not intentionally give themselves a bad report?

As far as the inside employee, I probably would have responded yes, I was just in the drive thru and forgot to order food to take home to a family member. I would have mentioned I sat so outrageously long in the drive thru that you decided to come in instead. At least you could stretch your legs and use the restroom. I think sometimes it is best to just own up to unusual behavior, and if you seem normal about it, they don't give it a second thought.

Right, but the manager who asked me if he just served me at the drive through, had not served me. It was someone else. He hadn't seen me nor had he served me.

This is the first time that I have been confronted. I had always planned to say something like you suggested above, but he completely caught me off guard. If I had two more seconds to think I would have changed my answer.

To add as well - this same location checked me on camera over a year ago and I was emailed to confirm my timings. After that happened I vowed not to go back to this location because I knew they were hyper sensitive about shoppers. This is the first time I have been back, and this happened. So, I really think that this location is on the look out.

The drive through part is positively on instant reviewable video. I know that from an employee who told me on a double lane how they know who ordered what lane.... so if they thought you were a shopper the manager could have pulled that video in a second to remember you.

Ah okay that makes sense. And that is likely then, what happened. And, this was a double lane drive through.

At any rate, I won't be visiting that location again (as I said last year - but I was in the area so bit the bullet and picked it up!)

When I go inside and place the order I may get questioned. I just say while shaking my head "I must be getting old, I knew I forgot something" Usually they smile and say something along the lines of "good thing you remembered before you drove away"

I remember a thread here (last year I think) called something like shopper paranoia.

I have it big time and it's crazy, huh? It's like we have the word SHOPPER stamped on our forehead.

If they figured you were a shopper, they should've done everything perfectly. That makes sense.

Oh, yes. Go with your instincts. They knew it was you. I would not be visiting this location again either.

Unless the manager stays the same, too, those employees have such short times working for companies that they may be gone before the year is up. You might be able to go back. The only way you would know is to go to the restroom and look around at the employees on your way.

Last couple of times I did a McD's I went through the drive through with my sunglasses on and my uniform on. People see the uniform not the face. Then I change shirts and go through as a normal person.

A few things to ponder:

1. Your demeanor says everything.... If you are going to great lengths to disguise yourself (I don't) and one thing goes awry, you automatically start thinking they are "on" to you. Tip: Relax. Do your shop without feeling nervous and YOU will be the one that is wiser.

2. Asking for your receipt: It seems rare that you would not be handed a receipt but in such a case, just ask for one. Do NOT look at their face when you ask. I ask and then look away. (like other things are on my mind) This is that critical moment that they might be trying to gauge you as a shopper or they are just a forgetful employee, who forgot to give you a receipt. I do not think it was planned to set you up in some way. They just don't always remember to give receipts because most customers never wait around/ or want the receipt....

3. The manager might have viewed the drive thru video as a way to monitor the cars and how well things were going...You were in that drive-thru. He was thinking maybe you had a problem OR you were a mystery shopper. If they ask you directly, just shrug and say your husband wanted some burgers and you came back inside. Remember: You are NEVER the mystery shopper, even on your death bed

When I do the walk-in, I always bring my tablet and read Kindle books. Sitting there for 15-20 minutes, I sometimes get employees cleaning the dining area who make conversation. I tell them I needed to take a Mom-break and get away from my kids for a bit.

When I do the drive-thru, I've sometimes gotten the same employee who took my order inside, or one who was cleaning the dining area, and they recognize me. I tell them I had my Mom-break inside and feel sane again, but need to grab stuff for the kid in order to keep my new-found sanity.

They normally just laugh and wish me luck. I've never had a "mystery shopper" remark thrown at me.

SunnyDays2 Wrote:
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> A few things to ponder:
>
> 1. Your demeanor says everything.... If you are
> going to great lengths to disguise yourself (I
> don't) and one thing goes awry, you automatically
> start thinking they are "on" to you. Tip: Relax.
> Do your shop without feeling nervous and YOU will
> be the one that is wiser.

Yeah, I don't do that. If they even for a second suspected me of being a mystery shopper, disguising myself would sure confirm it. How is that explained away, really? "Oh, I'm just grabbing something for someone else, but for some reason changed my shirt, put on sunglasses, and changed my hair style. And by the way, I do need my receipt."

This is not a McD's shop, but I do a lot of shops that involve presenting a scenario, listening to the agent's presentation, providing an objection to something to see how they respond, and at the very end, thank them and identify yourself as a MS. 99% go well. I had one last year that asked me right from the beginning if I were a MS. I responded indignantly, "No," that I was just wanting...and repeated my scenario. The rest of the conversation went well, and the agent scored high on everything. Then, I revealed myself. OOOHHH!!! Such LANGUAGE coming from that unhappy woman to this lying so-and-so that took her up time for nothing. I hung up on her. I had done my job. I got a 10 on the report!

I always have a cover story ready....Yes I went through the drive through to pick up food for my sick child at home....hadn't planned on getting something for myself....but after dropping the food off couldn't resist....so i came back for myself..

May I just add that I am real life shopper who has frequented a local McD with an unusual order with only 50 % success--- and never as a "shopper".

[Quarter with cheese meal, no pickle or ketchup on burger, diet coke, medium fries and drink, ketchup in the bag ----- (2 or 3 times a week, I have the hips to match)--and the fools still mess up]

Whew! I'm lucky I live in NYC where I couldn't do a drive through if I wanted to.

Oh, but SunnyDays, my obituary is going to say I am a certified Mystery Shopper. A couple of locals have guessed, but it would surprise the rest of the community, considering that they know me through other work. In fact, I have already written a draft. Neither my husband nor my mother knows everything about me. I quit telling my mother about my work when she walked up to a greeting cards merchandiser in her town and asked if she was a mystery shopper. I've found that it is a small world. In Alaska, I met a soldier who grew up in the very small town in Virginia where my cousin has lived her entire life. I don't want my mother's words to reach me through a stranger. In fact, when my grandmother (my father's mother) died when I was in my 20's, my great aunt (her sister) told me that my grandmother used to call all her friends and relatives to read my letters to them. Think what she would have been able to do with texting, ha.

BackwoodsBC, I've been wondering if you have a parrot.

I always do the in store first then the drive thru, I just say that I got a text for more food and figured I would just do the drive thru, receipts I always say it is for business.

I went through a drive through in rural Kentucky, left the location and came back 45 minutes later after doing another shop. When I went to the counter and ordered a Big Mac meal, the manager turned around and announced, "The mystery shopper is here!" to her crew!!!! I had never been to that town before. Couldn't have been more surprised. I sat in the dining room and ate my meal. When I stood up to leave, three employees told me goodbye and come again. That NEVER happens in real life. Lololol. Sure shocked the heck out of me. Now I go through the drive thru, wait my five minutes, take off my hat and sunglasses and try to stay out of the way of the drive thru. Have not had any trouble. I sit in the dining room and write the report using their WiFi and hit the submit button on the way out. Lol. I sit in McDonalds around the Phoenix area all the time working on reports with unlimited iced tea to enjoy and no easy chair in which to fall asleep. Lol. They are all used to seeing me there working and I don't think I've raised any suspicions.

shopsuey Wrote:
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> Whew! I'm lucky I live in NYC where I couldn't do
> a drive through if I wanted to.


Why not? Doesn't McDonalds have drive-thrus in New York City?

I saw a McDonalds in Phoenix that had two drive thrus. One on each side of the building like a Checkers. No dining room. First one of those I've seen. Guess that is the "drive thru only" option on the report. I did a non-traditional sonic the other day too in Maricopa, AZ. Boy you have to mean to go to Maricopa. I had five shops there so drove 50 miles through the reservation. You can't get there from here. Lol. Anyway, the Sonic had tables outside but no carhop drive in lanes. You could order at outside tables or an inside dining room. Inside, there were also tables with phones for which to order. No counter orders. It was so strange it wouldn't even fit the questions in the report. Had to cal the MSC to ask how to fill it in.

I recently did a Sonic that was inside a Big Box store. Strange to me, and it mentioned, there may be phones to call your order up to the front, at the tables...odd....but it felt like a McD shop (Wal-mart style)...

The poster who described the Sonic with double sided DT's, does remind me of Checkers or Rally's, where you can eat at tables outside, but I don't think there is a dining room.

I live in los angeles now but i am from NYC....yes we have no drive thrus, or at least not usually in places that were built up at the beginning of last century. The buildings are so closely packed in much of the city there is no room for a parking lot or a drive thru. I remember the first (i think) McD that was built in Brooklyn when I was very young. No drive thru, just a golden arch sandwiched between two "hamburger buns" made out of 6 story apartment buildings. People actually walk places in NY. Most of Los Angeles is much younger so there was still some open space when fast food places came around. We do have drive thru's here but in my area very few big chain restaurants that require a parking lot as part of their signature buildings.

I have been worried that I have been tagged as a shopper at McD because they recognize me in the drive through after doing the inside part. I now wear very boring clothes and keep a coat and hat in my car and put those on before going through the drive through. The funny thing is--by the time they would suspect anything the shop is almost done so what good does it do?

It's never made sense to me to do the drive-thru portion of the shop first. If you're recognized, you still have to spend 15 minutes in the restaurant. Sounds uncomfortable to me. And normal people don't go through the drive-thru before dining in. Mystery shoppers and perhaps binge eaters do.

Dining in and then going through the drive-thru is explainable (not that I'd ever bother to explain myself). You've eaten, and you just received a call from someone asking you to pick up something for them. Reasonable. And once I get my food, I'm leaving, without having to spend 15 minutes feeling self-conscious about being outed.

I just had a shop at a uniform store where I usually buy chef shirts which I then convert for video shopping. This time they were out of the shirts so I bought a lab coat to wear while oil painting to keep my clothes clean. Going to buy a second one on my next shop there, then I can do the drive through sans lab coat, slip on a tie and the lab coat for the walk-in and a complete change in appearance.

I always do the dine in first. That way I just have to have to stinky food in my car for a short while.

I also always do the dine in first. I don't change my routine and always order the same thing so there's no hesitation or reason for them to be suspicious. If they ask why you need a receipt, just say you itemize on your tax return.