Besides doing mystery shopping, I do audits, merchandising and promotions.

Now sometimes I want to mystery shop a store, but I've been there in another capacity for another company that I work as an IC for.

I don't know which client to talk to about this conflict. Since while I feel I can always judge things as they are when I am working. However I realize people the other side might not feel I have that ability.

I am wondering, how would you handle it? Don't ask, don't tell? Talk with the company I am on more open terms with?

I was always under the impression that as long as you don't work for the company itself it is fine. For example if you are visiting "Mr Yummy's" grocery store as a mystery shopper, auditor, and to stock 3 different types of pretzels it is not a conflict of interest. If you had a part time job working as a produce associate for "Mr. Yummy" there would be.

A lot depends on your personal integrity, and the relationship you've established with the companies in question. I had a shop years ago where I was shopping a senior living facility. At the end of the shop [she was walking me to the door], the representative I'm with asks me what I do for a living. I replied with my day job--professional photographer. She asks me back into the office to talk about my possibly doing some work for the facility--family pictures, etc. during Christmas.

When I get home, I emailed the scheduler and asked her to call me. I started on the report while I waited for the call. To make a long story short, I ended up on a 4-way conference call with the scheduler, the president of the MSC, and a representative from the client. Everyone wanted to be sure that my being offered a possible job at the facility had no effect on my reporting what happened--and I wanted to assure them that it had no effect either. My report ended up being accepted, and the client's representative told the MSC that I was free to shop any of their locations.

I had mentioned the day job, not in an attempt to get work, but simply as the reply to the question. Now I have a different "day job" that I mention at places where the photography could possibly result in getting work.

Reading this sent me back to the MSPA pages....


[www.mysteryshop.org]

"I will not accept a mystery shopping assignment for a business that I, my family or friends work
for;"


The next statement is,

"I will not list any shopping company I work for as an “employee” on any forms (especially
unemployment forms) if I am hired strictly as an independent contractor for that company."


So... based on these two statements, the question to answer is this.... would you list that company as an employer? No. You are an independent contractor at that location. I think you can do the shop with a clear conscience.

I think it's pretty subjective. To what degree do they know you / have a personal rapport with you as merchandiser? Will that skew their interactions with you? Are they more (or less) likely to greet you, spend time answering your questions, engage in additional conversation, or offer a pleasant farewell?
FWIW, I'm pretty sure that one MSC that specializes in theatres does not allow an individual to do a mystery shop at a location where that person has set up displays or has previously conducted revealed audits. Ditto for another company that has a huge tire client.

I would love to do a local restaurant shop where the owner is someone who used to play soccer with me. I have not seen her for 15 years and when we did know each other it was only on the field but I mentioned it to the msc owner and asked what he thought. My issue is that she may approach me and start a conversation with me about our past. For all I know she is rarely there during dinner but I think a long conversation and perhaps an offer of something on the house or some special handling might affect the service I would get as an unknown person or even a semi regular customer where the chat is about mundane things such as weather.
I can see how this might happen even at a retail store where you might come in on some regular basis to do an audit and you end up having a rapport with the manager or owner through that contact. So as elcarev68 mentioned it could be very subjective based on your relationship with the store staff. A more personal relationship could make a mystery shop job a difficult proposition as they may not treat you the same way as someone who they just say hello to when they come into the store to shop. You could be objective but you may not get the same level of service to evaluate. I would pass it by the msc if you feel you know them on a more personal basis thru your other jobs there.

If you talk to any company, it would be the MSC for whom you are contemplating the mystery shop. They are the only one who has any reason to be concerned about your other relationships with the store. You certainly don't want to discuss this with anyone at the store in question. And the company for whom you do the merchandising or promotions has no reason to care if you also mystery shop them.