Just out of curiosity because I am trying to understand, why is it that we can not name clients and MSC? I work in advertising and it is no secret who has what clients. Yes everyone is trying to pitch against each other, but it isn't a secret...Like MSC, some clients are at numerous agencies...

I would think that if we were allowed to name the MSC and the client together it would help that MSC get a great push of shoppers. If anything I would think that we couldn't call out what clients are being shopped. So you couldn't say McDonalds, Five Guys, Aveda, Honeybaked Ham, Pandora, etc...

I am just trying to comprehend and wrap my head around why we can't name them both together?

Thanks!

OK. Besides MSC policy, it is against forum rules. It that enough head wrapping?...

i know it is the MSC policy and the forum policy...I completely comprehend that. I am just trying to understand the rationale of why that is the case.

Go back and read some of your contracts with the MSCs. Many have a non-disclosure agreement with us. The contract they have with the clients is different and may allow for them to use the client's name in advertising and promotion. Even if the forum did not have that one rule, it is easier for me to err on the side of caution rather than make notes on which MSC allows disseminating the information and which do not.

We cross-posted. If you want the answer to that question why don't you ask the MSCs? They made the decision and their lawyers wrote the contracts.

mysteryshoppingurl I completely agree with you. I think it would be wonderful for us if we could name them and probably help the MSC increase their pool of shoppers.

I know that if you go to their facebook page, many MSC's list their clients there. Market Force has the clients all over theirs. What they do is their business.

Hope this helps you.

It's easy enough to respect the rule, but like mysteryshoppinggurl, I wonder why the mystery shopping companies have that rule.

I'm sure a lot of us are curious as to why. Maybe the question can be asked next time there is a company interview for the magazine.

YES YES YES! It would be great if this can be researched and discovered. Maybe it can finally change the rule. Maybe even a scheduler who reads these can maybe provide some insight since they are that much closer to the MSC and contracts!

There are 2 main reasons I know why MSCs don't want their clients revealed:

1 - Shopped employees would more easily be able to easily sign up with the MSCs in order to figure out information about evaluations.

2 - Other MSCs would have an easier time poaching clients from one another.

The shop is supposed to be a mystery. Not something that's public information. Don't hold your breath expecting that rule to change.

Some MSCs may choose to post their client list, but they maintain the right to redact that at their choosing. If the same information was posted here, that would not be possible.

Lastly, it somewhat defeats the purpose of the shop if shoppers are drawn to the program for a specific client. MSCs want shoppers that are committed overall to shopping so they can continue to utilize their shoppers as they change clients. If you start shopping because you just live Cinabon and want to know who shops them, your shops will most likely by colored by that. Similarly, if you join a MSC because you have a grudge with one of their clients, your reports will be colored by that.

while those could be valid points, stevesocal, there are discussions about clients that are shopped. Knowing that a client is shopped would be enough information for the MSC's to attempt to poach the client because they know they have a existing shopping program.

In regards to the employees trying to sign up, there are waivers that have to be signed saying that you do not have affiliation with that company. That would put a lot of legal liability on the employee. Furthermore, I would like to think that most employees know what to expect. For example, I used to work at starbucks when I was in college. We knew we were shopped, but we also figured out really quickly that a shopper was not allowed to customize a drink (change pumps of syrup or a add shot, no whip, custom milk, etc...) so if a customer came through and ordered a grade mocha, we knew the chances of them being a shopper were higher as a large percentage of customers do make some sort of customization to the shop. So from a former employee perspective of being shopped, we had insight into what was being shopped of us. Similarly to Arbys when I was in High School (over 10 years ago), we knew they were looking to see if we offered a combo, so you were always on guard and offered a combo and it became habit.

A good MS program should be targeted for a specific reason and be able to provide feedback to the employee. We are looking to see if they offer a drink or fries at the 5g shop because obviously they want to make sure they are attempting to provide full revenue maximization, they want the timings to make sure that they are running a efficient kitchen that is per the standards. For the WS shop, we have scenarios to test on knowledge of a division the store is trying to ensure the associates are fully educated on and determine areas that they can improve. If the shop is designed well, the store manager will get the report and be able to successfully coach the employee/team to being better if there were faults or offer praise and keep rolling with what they are doing well to maintain a high level of service.

I don't think shoppers start shopping because they LOVE a certain brand, or maybe they do. I know I became aware of it back in HS and always thought it would be cool to be a part of. I kept looking and looking until I found the information (for several years I was finding a lot of "pay to be a mystery shopper" programs and just didn't go for that. Do I have some brands I love...ABSOLUTLY! Do I get excited about when I see and find their shops, definitely! Do I have some brands I dislike, yes...do I shop them, potentially, however as a mystery shopper it is our job to remain neutral and a lot of the reports are built to ensure that. How long did you wait before your food was ready, you enter a time. If you falsify the time, most shops will likely look into it. I know I had a planet fitness shop that the crew came back and battled a statement of her not asking me to sign in, I obviously know you are filmed so I told them to check the tapes and the sign in board was not presented, etc...do I love planet fitness, nope...not my cup of tea for a gym, but even if I hated it and was trying to sabotage, they can always check the tapes. Not to mention, if I am livid with a brand (example: Burger king) I will reach out to corporate naturally to express my frustration and make my voice heard. Full disclosure: I have yet to figure out if BK is shopped.

I think it could be good for MSCs to be able to be paired with the clients. For example if I am rocking the 5g shop, and I know there is a smashburger shop...why not tell me who shops smashburger? (yes I know who does smashburger). I think it would also allow shoppers who naturally shop in that market to be introduced to scenarios that fit their lifestyle naturally. I shop at Lululemon regularly and have for a few years, when I found their shops, I was elated because it was a natural shop for me. I know the lingo I know the products and I feel it makes the scenarios easier to rock out. I see shoppers on the hunt for certain shops and it is just heartbreaking that we can not announce who does it.

mysteryshoppinggurl, your points may be valid. I was simply telling you the basic reasoning that MSCs use for keeping the info secret. The more time you spend in the MS world, the more you will see that little ever changes, so I don't expect the rule to change no matter how strong an argument against it is.

That said, as far as poaching goes, there can be a lot more to it. MSC A may have notoriously high pricing for evaluations and MSC B may be making an attempt to undercut them, so having a specific list of MSC A's clients posted would indeed make said poaching easier for them. It's not a cold call. It's a targeted call with a selling point about cutting costs. Not only does MSC A lose out, but so do the shoppers, since MSC B is probably going to pay shoppers less to facilitate the lower price point.

As far as employee knowledge goes, an employee does not have to complete shops for the MSC in oder to be able to log in and see assignment details. They may get access to special questions of the month, preferred shopping days, etc. without ever completing a shop for the MSC. Having the legal liability on the employee with not stop this from happening. It happens all of the time and publishing a list of who-shops-who will just increase that. When that happens, stores will start spotting the shoppers easier, potentially getting perfect scores and the client will end up either dismantling the MS program or moving to a new MSC because the results of the shops are no longer valid. Once more, a losing proposition for existing shoppers.

In the case of a client like Chipotle, the program is set up so that it would be very difficult for a employee to get access, and the client/MSC relationship is very strong, so they feel comfortable making the information public. That's a rare situation in the MS world, however.

Not to disagree with your post, but want to point out that all employees know what questions are on the mystery shops ahead of time. As a manager, we were always made aware what the mystery shoppers would be looking for. We also knew the frequency of the shops. The only thing we did not know ahead of time was exactly when the shop would be. But we always knew what details they would be looking for.
Many people think companies do shops to catch their employees doing wrong. But in reality, one of the main purposes of a mystery shopping program is to proactively get your managers and employees in compliance and reinforcing standards because they don't want to look bad on a shop. Its the same reason executives visit stores. They know the stores will tighten things up if they may get visited.

I am not saying that employees don't know the standards that they are expected to uphold. Some shops have specific scenarios that vary monthly, however.

If I work at a particular grocery store and have access to the job board that offers the monthly shop at that store, I could potentially log in before work and have a reasonable expectation that I will not be shopped that day if the shop has not been assigned. Some job boards even list the date the shop has been assigned for. In addition, if the job board assigned a particular question for the shop that month (Is this salmon wild or farm raised?), I would have a pretty good idea who the shopper is when I see them, and potentially be doing my employer a disservice by learning only the answers to the questions of the month, and not being well versed about the store products in general. If I was having a bad day, I could feel safe blowing off every question not related to salmon and still know that I would score well if I was shopped.

What I really don't understand is why this forum cares whether or not we, as mystery shoppers, honor our contracts. Or, heck, even if we're not mystery shoppers, or don't have an ICA with the particular company we're talking about. Many people post on this forum anonymously, and while a few companies have been able to identify me based off of things I've said (not that I try to hide my identity), I don't really see why that's this forum's business. If someone asks, say, "what mystery shopping company shops McDonalds", let those mystery shopping companies find out who posted the answer and let them face the consequences.

I don't personally care if someone keeps their agreements or not, as long as I am not a party to it. If someone wants to break ICAs, it's fine with me ........ but not in front of me. I think of our forum as being professional and I think out behavior should be professional and honest.

For example, if I were in the breakroom of my day job, I would feel that laws and company rules still applied even if I was "off duty." If I saw a co-worker doing something expressly against policy or illegal (say I saw some one steal from a handbag) in front of me, I would not feel comfortable watching without speaking. Observing without protest would make me part of it. JMHO.

Roxy,

I understand what you're saying, but I've done enough shops where the standars are NOT there. Those employees obviously have not been told the details.

roxy1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not to disagree with your post, but want to point
> out that all employees know what questions are on
> the mystery shops ahead of time. As a manager, we
> were always made aware what the mystery shoppers
> would be looking for. We also knew the frequency
> of the shops. The only thing we did not know ahead
> of time was exactly when the shop would be. But we
> always knew what details they would be looking
> for.
> Many people think companies do shops to catch
> their employees doing wrong. But in reality, one
> of the main purposes of a mystery shopping program
> is to proactively get your managers and employees
> in compliance and reinforcing standards because
> they don't want to look bad on a shop. Its the
> same reason executives visit stores. They know the
> stores will tighten things up if they may get
> visited.

Misanthrope Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What I really don't understand is why this forum
> cares whether or not we, as mystery shoppers,
> honor our contracts.

So you would feel comfortable hanging out in the company break room by the water cooler if you knew there were drug deals going on in there?…I mean, as long as you weren't the one buying the drugs?

Don't you think that if the forum was known for that sort of behavior it may some trouble getting MSCs to participate in it?

One of the companies I shop use my attorney. Sure it's always supposed to be confidential, but I have very little cash and I don't need to part with it foolishly. My attorney does not need to know.

There's a saying in the Navy and it goes something like this

Loose lips sink ships

Blabing will get you booted faster than a cherry popsicle can melt in your cloth upholstered car on a 95 degree day in Texas.

People put out clues. I'm fairly sure if it hasn't popped for you, it's not available in your area.

After a while it is pretty easy to figure out who shops who. It was just part of the learning curve and there is a little research involved. I don't reveal the company and shop because it was part of the contract that I signed as an IC and the forum asks that we do not reveal both in the same thread so I respect that rule. For me it was like a little game to find out what MSC's shopped certain clients and with the forum and google I have never had a problem. I think trying to change that rule that MSC's would be futile - they have been doing this a long time.

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Misanthrope Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What I really don't understand is why this
> forum
> > cares whether or not we, as mystery shoppers,
> > honor our contracts.
>
> So you would feel comfortable hanging out in the
> company break room by the water cooler if you knew
> there were drug deals going on in there?…I mean,
> as long as you weren't the one buying the drugs?
>
> Don't you think that if the forum was known for
> that sort of behavior it may some trouble getting
> MSCs to participate in it?

How charmingly parochial of you.

Drug dealing is illegal (usually, depending on local statute), breaking a contract isn't. Breech of contract endangers no one and is solely between the contractor and signatory. If I were to reveal the client of a mystery shopping company, breaking my ICE or NDA, the police will not come after me. Someone who tried to report me to the police would be laughed at. The company whose contract I breeched would have to issue a legal motion and we would be the only two parties involved.

That's what confuses me about this forum's policy. They are essentially butting in and becoming a third party to a two-party contract. Now, it is within this site's rights, but I wonder about their logic and reasoning.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2014 01:51AM by Misanthrope.

If you don't like the rules of this forum, go start your own forum and break all the ICAs you want.

And I don't understand why some of you are so eager to share all your contacts with unknown screen names in a forum. Many of them will become your competition depending on where you live and take jobs away from you thus taking money away from you. I'd rather donate my money to a charity.

The rule is we can't link MSCs with clients. That's in our contracts and in the forum rules and it's only right we honor it.

There's no rule we can't otherwise share information, and sharing information is what we're all about here. I frequently recommend that new shoppers sign up with Maritz, Market Force, Bare, Expert Solutions, and Best Mark. They are all widely discussed on the forum on a daily basis. So, not much of a secret I'm broadcasting there. If we don't want anyone to find out anything, we need to close up shop and go home.

Misanthrope Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> How charmingly parochial of you.

Please...I think you are taking the analogy to literally. The point was that they are both are against the rules, and I think it's been pointed out that breaking that rule can specifically be to the detriment of shoppers, so you are just being argumentative at this point.

The forum rule is not there so that you will uphold your ICA. It's there because Jacob does not want the forum to be known as a place where that type of activity takes place. That's all. His forum…his rules. Why is that so difficult to understand?

Canuck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know that if you go to their facebook page, many
> MSC's list their clients there. Market Force has
> the clients all over theirs. What they do is their
> business.
>
> Hope this helps you.

This raises an interesting question. Is it against forum policy to post client/company connections that are plainly accesible to the general public online? What about when the name of the client is clearly stated in the shop listing on volition, etc?

It is against forum policy to publish client/company connections. It makes no difference what someone else does somewhere else.

Agreed! We are ALL guests on this Forum. Everyone needs to abide by the rules.

MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is against forum policy to publish
> client/company connections. It makes no
> difference what someone else does somewhere else.


So, for instance, A Closer Look has a small list of clients on their homepage. Am I disclosing their clients by posting this link and telling you that it contains a list of their clients?

[www.a-closer-look.com]

Yes, you are.