I figured most companies knew that they were being shopped, but I was hoping that they did not know the actual MSC. I was doing a fast food shop where you have to do the drive thru AND the dine in. I did the drive thru first because your contact with the employee is so short. I waited the five minutes and went inside. Just as I sat down with my 2nd meal... The woman at the drive thru took her break and brought her snack into the dining room... She pulls out her phone and types... Suddenly, employees appear from all directions, smiling, sweeping, wiping tables, clean the restroom... As I was leaving, at least 5 people said goodbye and have a nice day...
Second time I was made: At a drive in shop. I guess they recognized my car - they make you park as close to the entrance as possible so it's hard to stay incognito... They brought my order. They checked back again and again, the car hop did all the right things... AND! A woman who had not been on skates, suddenly had a 1960's model strap on skates suddenly on her feet. And worse! At the top of my receipt, it said HOT SHOT!!!!
It just seems, to me, that if you make the shopper, you should not advertise it... That way, the next time they shop you, you already know who they are. A lot of MSCs let you shop the same location many times a week, so it's not hard to get made.