Bad experience this weekend... Complain to management?

I've been mystery shopping for a long time... Probably about 10 years on & off and I just found this forum.

I have never had such a bad experience as I did this weekend at a local movie theater. EVERYTHING went wrong & I'm not sure my report will be accepted due to various problems I had.

Here's my question: When you're performing a mystery shop, can you complain to management about an issue? Of course, I would never reveal that I was a mystery shopper (unless the requirement was to do so). But should I alert a manager to a problem or wait for it to be revealed in my report?

Thanks!

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I'd put everything in the report and would not mention anything to the manager. That way, your identity as a mystery shopper would remain a secret, while the management would still learn about the issues you encountered. An added benefit is that once the issues are written on paper, there are usually measures taken to correct them since a degree of accountability is involved.

Sorry about your bad experience!

I would say that if the toilet is overflowing, you tell the manager. If the cashier did not issue you a new ticket, but picked up a stub from the counter, then you put it in your report and do not tell the manager. I think it depends on the situation (unless you guidelines say do not complain if something is wrong).

There are some companies that want you to behave as a normal customer and send food back if there is a problem and some that want you to report and do not draw any attention to yourself. You need to ask yourself if you want to shop this restaurant again. When you complain and have a manager table visit, you can become VERY memorable.

I have gone both ways with this. If I really like the restaurant and don't want to out myself, I will wait till the report to vent about the problem. If it is a common problem, like an undercooked steak, I would report it and have it corrected.
If the issue is very unusual and is not a danger like contamination in the food, you may want to bite your tongue and save it for the report.

I have had a manager do a table check and my dining companion who is not aware they are on a shop decided to complain about something trivial. Now I'm fumbling to get the managers name and description and additional timings. Then the report took an additional 30 minutes and the manager comped a desert and that had to be reported.

I now tell my dining companion that unless they can't eat it, to wait until we are in the car to complain about a soggy baked potato or some other minor issue.

Read your guidelines thoroughly. I've had guidelines that specifically tell me to not report the issue to an employee and just include it in the report. Other times, it was an optional thing. Then there are those times when there isn't anything in the guidelines.

As others have said, you do your best to not make yourself memorable and reveal yourself.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

I agree that it depends on what the problem is, also on whether it's something so egregious that likely another patron will do the complaining. Also on whether it is an immediate safety issue or just an annoyance.

Some things are worth blowing a shop over -- stopping a robbery or rape or assault, putting out a fire, preventing damage from a plumbing break. Some things are not -- volume too loud or quiet, picture flickering or pixilating, someone in the theater yakking on a cell phone, a couple making out in the corner, a baby crying that isn't being carried out.

You have to use your judgment. But never complain just to let management know you aren't happy about something (popcorn stale, drinks watered down) even if you would have if you weren't on a shop.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

This is a touchy subject. One time I had a restaurant shop in which I asked if mushrooms were in the stir-fry, as I am allergic. I was told no, but when my plate arrived the stir-fry had several large pieces of mushrooms, along with other veggies that were not supposed to be there (cauliflower in an Asian stir-fry?).

I mentioned it to the server, who offered to make me another dish. I said it was okay, I would just pick out the mushrooms. She then brought out the manager who in turn brought out the actual CHEF who apologized profusely. It was very awkward, to say the least.

The msc was not pleased that I mentioned it to the server, and I'm now forbidden from doing this particular restaurant, as I'm now "memorable."

If you see a crime report it ASAP. Otherwise report it in the report. That is the reason you are there.

That's my biggest complaint for dining shops where the food is expected to be our pay. If you can't eat it or even if it's edible but cooked so poorly you can't enjoy the food where is the benefit to anyone but the MSC and client?

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

Again, it's a tough decision. If I am a regular customer, and I spend $20 on a stir-fry that is supposed to have carrots, water chesnuts and broccoli, and instead it has mushrooms, cauliflower and peas (and I am allergic to mushrooms)...heck, yes I would bring it up. Would a normal customer pay for something like that? The msc wants us to portray a realistic customer, so....?

I think the only reason I was memorable was because the manager brought out the friggin' chef who looked close to tears!

And yet ... you said you could pick the mushrooms out. Which takes it out of the life-threatening emergency category and into the category of "say nothing but put it in the report."

Tough call sometimes, but if you can manage the shop without making yourself memorable, that's usually the way to go.

What I hate is a recent shop I did where the manager is supposed to be working the room, stopping by tables, but if he doesn't, I have to ask for him and make up some reason for it. No way he won't remember me later; we had quite the conversation over the recipe for the dessert I had and he told us the waitress (who largely ignored us after bringing out our meal) was his sister and his girlfriend was a bartender. I would have much preferred to simply report that the manager did not come into the dining room and not had to have the waitress summon him (she looked stricken when I asked her to fetch him, no doubt expecting a complaint; when he got there we just started complimenting the food and asked if they would share the recipe; unfortunately the report will tell the tale of her lapses).

Probably won't do that shop again for a year or more after that. And will probably change my appearance and speak with an accent if I do go in again.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

I had to really shut my mouth at a movie theatre shop, where numerous red ants (or some type of bug) BIT my legs over and over again...

I got outside and I was supposed to snap a photo of the box office, I reach down and scratch a bite. I pull up my pant leg and there were at least "8" bites on my legs. I had just left the building so it wasn't like I was outside, sitting on the grass.

It took everything I had in me, to keep quiet and not go back inside and show the manager that welts on my legs. I DID mention in the report. But you have to figure, those kids with the dust pans, just sweep, they don't mop and clean after every show. Which is likely why some bugs feasted on my legs....

Ouch. Not sure I could have kept my mouth shut about that. I admire your restraint.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

@scanman1 wrote:

I have gone both ways with this. If I really like the restaurant and don't want to out myself, I will wait till the report to vent about the problem. If it is a common problem, like an undercooked steak, I would report it and have it corrected.

There's no such thing as an undercooked steak.

@Phoebe70 wrote:

This is a touchy subject. One time I had a restaurant shop in which I asked if mushrooms were in the stir-fry, as I am allergic. I was told no, but when my plate arrived the stir-fry had several large pieces of mushrooms, along with other veggies that were not supposed to be there (cauliflower in an Asian stir-fry?).

I mentioned it to the server, who offered to make me another dish. I said it was okay, I would just pick out the mushrooms. She then brought out the manager who in turn brought out the actual CHEF who apologized profusely. It was very awkward, to say the least.

The msc was not pleased that I mentioned it to the server, and I'm now forbidden from doing this particular restaurant, as I'm now "memorable."

I had something similar happen to me on a restaurant shop where I asked the server a question about an ingredient which did not seem to be the one on the menu description. This was in a job where it was okay to do so and it was a major ingredient. The server was surprised when I pointed it out and taste tested the ingredient herself only to discover it was definitely not as advertised and she (not me) decided to call the manager who ended up sitting in my booth and telling me all about his rise from entry level to manager, how he loved his job etc etc. He quickly became my new "best friend" of the moment. It was a late lunch shop so the place was not very busy but after that I was banned from the entire chain. I guess my "best friend" could not help me keep the job. So beware dealing with the manager. I should have hid in the restroom when she said she was going to call the manager over.

@Mantis wrote:

@There's no such thing as an undercooked steak.[/quote wrote:

My Dad used to say that a good vet could have saved the cow if it wasn't on his plate.

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

I had to really shut my mouth at a movie theatre shop, where numerous red ants (or some type of bug) BIT my legs over and over again...

I got outside and I was supposed to snap a photo of the box office, I reach down and scratch a bite. I pull up my pant leg and there were at least "8" bites on my legs. I had just left the building so it wasn't like I was outside, sitting on the grass.

It took everything I had in me, to keep quiet and not go back inside and show the manager that welts on my legs. I DID mention in the report. But you have to figure, those kids with the dust pans, just sweep, they don't mop and clean after every show. Which is likely why some bugs feasted on my legs....

Those bugs sound like bedbugs to me, not ants. Ants don't leave welts or itchy bites. And movie theaters are very common places to pick up bed bugs. I really hope you described the bites and bugs in your report because that's a health hazard.
Spray your purse and shoes with rubbing alchohol and put the clothes you wore in a dryer on the highest setting for 5 minutes.

@N-TownShopper: In Florida, fire ants do leave welts and itchy bites.

(heart)

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

@stilllearning wrote:

@N-TownShopper: In Florida, fire ants do leave welts and itchy bites.

(heart)

They do????? ZOMG! I'm glad I don't live in Florida! :-0

Fire Ants aren't restricted to Florida. They are as far north as North Carolina and as far west as Texas. On the other hand, if they were Fire Ants, I don't think you would have gotten away with only 8 bites.

.
Have PV-500 & willing to travel.
"Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions which is hard." (The Fourth Doctor, The Face of Evil, 1977)

"Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.” J. Andrew Taylor

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." Galileo Galilei

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2015 05:10PM by James Bond 007.5.

If they were fire ants, you wouldn't have kept your mouth shut, either.

Yes, I have heard about bedbug infestations in movie theaters. Yuck.

My policy is to never contact the manager (client) unless it's a life threatening situation that can't wait.

When I encounter real problems and there is no place for them in the report I send an email to the scheduler tell them of the issue. I did a sandwich shop once where the emphasis was on speed and quality, no on the location conditions. There was no where on the report or in the narratives to address the fact that the front door had a huge crack in the glass and had been there for several months.

Requirements get blurry sometimes and it isn't always easy to tell when to escalate an issue. I had a shop where I had a specific target to evaluate. My target did a spectacular job, however his sales manager was there also. He was pushy and wanted to close the deal without me walking away. He showed me paperwork from another customer with confidential information visible and had a messy work area, spilling over onto other unrelated merchandise. He said some not so nice things when I said I couldn't make the decision alone. My paperwork was target specific. I was unsure on how to complete the report. In this case there was a hotline to call to report problems as the argue t's were guests in the store. But I filled in the report on the target but listed the issues with his manager in the comments.

~~*~~*~~*~~ kal ~~*~~*~~*~~
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just forget to load the film.

I once threw up after eating food at a restaurant I was mystery shopping. Were I not a shopper I would've complained to the manager but they always do that "try not to be memorable" thing. Thankfully I was eating there with a guest, who isn't a mystery shopper. So I had them call the manager for me.

I did a burger shop for the first time last week and there was no information in the guidelines about letting the associates know if there were any problems. I started on the report and it asked if the drink machine was working. Not all of the drinks were working so I said "no". The report said I had to mark it as if they were working since I didn't tell the associate anything was wrong. Apparently they couldn't' be expected to fix it if a customer didn't let them know anything was wrong. I thought it was very odd. That is typically the purpose of a shop, to see what the employees are taking care of. Oh well.

Reveal in your report.

A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.

WillShop...if it's the burger place I'm thinking of, the guidelines do not state that you are to tell the employee if there is a problem, but it is inferred as you are to tell them because of the statement to "note if the problem is corrected while you are there." Having worked fast food in a past life, I can tell you that it's impossible for employees to be on top of the status of the drink machine, or the restrooms, or the condiments, or the...well you get the idea, every minute the store is open.

@Mantis wrote:

There's no such thing as an undercooked steak.

I chuckled when I read your comment, Mantis.

My dad (gone more than 20 years now) liked his meat very rare and used to instruct the server, "Tell the cook to throw my steak on the grill. When it stops skidding, it's time to flip it."

I order mine medium to medium-well done; I like knowing my steak's not going to get up and try to make a break for it. I simply couldn't sit across from my dad when he ate steak; I couldn't handle seeing him eat raw meat so I'd sit as far away from him at the table as I could get.

Thanks for the memory. I hadn't thought about that in years...

I always hesitate to rest my head back in the movie theatre seats, because I always think there are bed bugs in those seats (I heard about this on the news) so I am kind of leery about movie theater shops.

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