Today I attempted to do a drug screening test. The instructions stated if they required me to tell them my social security number, I was to decline, leave and call the scheduler. The employee stated I needed to give them my social security number or my employee ID number. Since this was for a PRE-employment test, I told them I didn't have an employee number. They said I would have to call my future employer and get a number. Well--how was I going to do that? The employee even called the boss and this information was repeated. At this point they would not go forward without a number so I left. I called the mystery shopping company and the person who answered the phone could not connect me with either scheduler that was in the office. I left a voice mail with one of them. This was near the end of the work day so I was worried they would not hear the message before they left and I think that happened. I then emailed the scheduler but have not gotten a reply. I have to assume at 9:40PM, they are not going to respond tonight.

The problem is I cannot complete the report. It doesn't have a place to say the shop was stopped. I started to fill it in and realized it wasn't going to work. I also emailed the general help desk but I'm sure no one is reading email this time of night. I don't want to get a bad score or worse since I didn't complete the report but I don't know what else to do.

Any words of advice or suggestions? Thanks in advance.

If you were supposed to leave if they asked for your SSN, then it seems that there must be a place to say that the shop ended. Sometimes there is a very early question something to the effect of "Where you able to complete this shop?" Answer no, and then provide an explanation somewhere.

It sounds like you followed the shop instructions to the letter.

Back up your phone call with an email to the scheduler tonight with a return receipt and expect an email tommorow at the least. Sounds like you took one of those Quest Diagnostic offers I have been hitting the delete button on. They would not sit on the job board like they do if there was not a reason.

Unfortunately there was no "stopper". The questions started with greeting and dove right into the blue tint in the toilet, did they explain the entire process, did they make me wash my hands, etc.

If it was Quest, I had a problem maybe two years ago. It was a blood draw. The receptionist refused to tell me her name and there was no name tag, business card, or anything else. I reported what happened. Without her name, they rejected the shop. In my opinion, I had identified a problem and they should have wanted to know about it. I had proof of the blood draw and the name of the phlebomist. I literally gave blood for that one. Never again.

I thought that there was paperwork that the MSC was to send to the shopper that provided the information that the clinic was asking for.

There was a form filled out but it did not include my name and other personal information. It had the company name, the doctor info and the testing to be done. There was a blank space for donor SSN or employee ID.

I wonder if you could have just made up an SSN. Anything with three zeroes in the middle is a fake SSN.

Myst4au, that would really tick me off. It kinda makes me think we should all be taking a 4-year-old child with us on every shop. Their job would be to ask every person they see, "what's your name?" Who can resist a kid?

Could you just use a fake social security number? I'm just wondering how you would get around that question.

The instructions stated DO NOT give a social security number. It was part of the protocol to not require the patient to give their social security number. The instructions said if they required the number that you should politely decline and leave.

siamese5555,

I think you handled the situation perfectly. You should not be penalized due to the report not letting you complete it. Just follow up with the msc. Is it Second To None? They sometimes take several days to respond.

Well, I got an email from the scheduler today. They said to just fill out the form and explain at the end about them requiring a social security number. I didn't look closely to see what happens in this case. Not sure if I will get paid or not.

I just gotta say it is THAT kind of week. After that mess yesterday, today I hit another problem. The shop didn't have the flavor of drink I was supposed to get and then I accidentally closed the questionnaire without answering the questions. The scheduler had to open it again for me.

I think I should take the rest of the week off. The way I'm going, someone is going to go "postal" at my Thursday shop! LOL

I have a new mantra to use to deal with problems. Today it was "96 days until my Caribbean cruise". Tomorrow it will be "95 days until my Caribbean cruise". Just like the old song 100 bottles of beer but much better.

Some MSCs (including the one I think is involved here) have a space for a required narrative the end. If what happens just doesn't fit the form, I score everything in such a way as to require the least input. If there is a small dialog box, I type in the box that they should read the narrative at the end. If there is enough room, I repeat in each box something like, "SSN required. Aborted shop as per instructions. See narrative at end."

I have always gotten paid when I have followed instructions such as the ones you got.

I put a statement in each text box that the shop was stopped after they required the SS#. I'm glad to hear you got paid. It gives me hope that I will also.

Don't hit me with rocks but I thought the title of your post was: "Need Fast Advice about an Abortion Shop" and I thought: 'We do those TOO??

LOL! Well, why not? There are other kinds of medical shops. Maybe there could be a shop involving evaluating whether a potential abortion client was told about alternatives to consider such as adoption?

myst4au that is smart to note in the dialog box to "read narrative at end"! I have been going bonkers with irritation over those surveys that want you to detail after every section, then give a full explaination. A few days ago I got so pissed, I wrote in the "comments for scheduler" box where you can state your concerns, that they survey set up sucks and it's unnessessary to ask for so much detail when a full narrative is required. I said it's just causes repeat information and wasted time. The next day I thought for sure my report was going to be rejected, but I got a thank you note instead. LOL I think from now on, when I get those annoying surveys, I will just type, "see final narrative".

I am really tempted to try that on some of those PAINFUL ServiceCheck surveys that are so repetitive but I'm kind of chicken. Anyone tried something like that and had the shop rejected, or received a nasty note from an editor?

I guess I'm still too new to want to rock the boat, but man, is it annoying to keep trying to come up with 7 different ways to say,
"The sales associated did not hand me a brochure regarding the Extended Warranty."

Just keep in mind that we don't really know how the reports will be used. some here have said the purpose of the narrative comments required after each "no" answer is to ensure that you didn't tick "no" by mistake.

Was the clerk friendly?

No

the clerk smiled and asked how my day was going.

Those answers contradict, meaning the "no" response should have been yes. Tired people up late working on reports can easily misread a question, tick the wrong bubble, and render any answers meaningless. By asking for a short narrative confirmation, the editor knows you really meant "no."

the narratives at the end, the step-by-step ones, are usually split off and sent to another department whereas the yes/no section goes to generate statistics.

So I wouldn't try to blow off all the question by question responses with a reference to the narrative at the end because they don't necessarily stay together.