Question about California Pizza Kitchen

I have never taken one of these shops because of, "You must get the manager's name, even if you have to ask the host at the podium for it." It just seems like I would be advertising myself as the shopper if I were to ask around for the manager's name.
So, my question is.....Can people who have done these shops tell me if the manager is usually in the dining area, making table visits, wearing a name tag? Or, nine times out of ten, will I be asking the host for their name?

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We used to do them fairly frequently before the location near us closed. The manager was usually visible and wore a name tag. If he didn't visit the table and we were getting close to the end of the meal my glad handing significant other would ask our server if the manager was around. When the manager came he would ask him some kind of question while I read the nametag. Some nights it was all I could do to keep from howling since significant other would ask questions such as the name of the contractor who did their random rock wall because it was 'exactly the look' we wanted for the family room. Or he would ask if the sausage on the pizzas was from a local source. Or whether they could do delivery for events such as the rehearsal dinner for his niece's wedding. I don't think we ever had to ask the host at the podium.

Your SO sounds like a gem.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

I have not encountered a manager who wore a name tag. I just ask the host for the name of the manger on duty on my way out. By then the shop is over, even if the host suspects anything, I am out the door!

Flash your SO sounds like a blessing. My SO is not nearly as helpful. He sometimes asks questions out loud that definitely give me away, but luckily I don't think any employee ever heard him. He will ask what we are allowed to order, what the reimbursement cap is, etc.

a-scho I hate having to ask for a name for any shop. I truly prefer those shops that ask for a name or description if a name tag isn't visible. At the CPK shops I have been lucky and most of the time the managers visit my table and it was easy to ask for their name since they initiated conversation. Only once did I have to ask for the manager's name at the host podium on my way out like the PP mentioned.

At least half of the game is training your guest. Part of our routine is going over the order requirements in the car on our way to the restaurant. Then I let him know what I need his help with and what I may need his help with. He does need to be reminded that he needs to make the server do her job, so let her suggest beverages before you order, let her suggest an appetizer before you put in an order for what you want, let her tell you about the specials. We are a perpetual 'work in progress' but have it down well enough that there rarely is an 'oops'.

A lot of times my fella and I are meeting at the restaurant, so we can't do the prep in the car. He's getting better at following my lead but he still sometimes asks awkward questions about what to order.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

Pick up a birthday card on a shop. Inside put a piece of paper with key notes for this meal. Don't seal the envelope but get him trained to look for the note, thank you for the card and slide it all back into the envelope. Heck, if the server sees a birthday card the crew may even sing to him

I solved the issue of my boyfriend wanting to sit where he wanted and order what he wanted (after all, how would they ever know otherwise, he asked) by introducing him to mystery shopping. He did a few guy type shops himself like some Buffalo Wild Wings and Five Guys. He now knows from doing those (even though they were easy ones!) that shops have guidelines for ordering and times and such and they need to be followed. From doing the Buffalo Wild Wings shops, he knows what a basic restaurant shop is like and he only needs to be told if there is something special (like if I need to get pictures of the food or overall storefront, or if he needs to order something specific like steak, etc. or if I need to get a manager's name so he can help me watch for it).

Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.

I do prep my boyfriend ahead of time and in the car. He's either forgetful or doesn't pay attention to me or both. Luckily if he messes up with the ordering I'll correct it and he just goes with it. One time I asked him to get a cashiers name because the counter was in the way and I was too short to see above it. He said the name was Mario. The cashier later came me to our table and his name was David. ?? He just ain't cut out for it

Unfortunately, I had to stop bringing my 75 year old father to restaurant shops with me because, no matter how many times I told him how to behave, he would mess it up. Not completely obliterate the shop, but enough to make him a liability.

Back to the OP..at.every cpk shop I have done in various locations, the manager has come to the table and chatted for long enough I felt comfortable sticking out my hand and introducing myself and asking his/her name. I was sad to find out the msc that I do them for will no longer have them after this month. So enjoy your last shop. I need to go and return the gift cards I just purchased recently!

How do you know November is the last month the MSC will have them? Will another company do them or is CPK dropping the program entirely?

I've done the shop only once and the manager came to the table. it was weekend evening.

Shopping Santa Barbara and Goleta, CA.

It is a company that comes and goes. I see none posted for December and my understanding is that they are taking time off.

@Flash wrote:

It is a company that comes and goes. I see none posted for December and my understanding is that they are taking time off.

I am not sure if everyone does these for only one company but our local scheduler sent out multiple emails telling us this is the last month and they will not have them anymore. Now, it is possible that not anymore does not mean forever. I remember when I did my first one several years ago it must have been the end of the contract as they stopped for over a year and then they were back. So they may be back in the future but not soon enough for me to hang on to my gift cards since they are untouched and I can return them for a full refund.

I certainly would not hang onto gift card I could return for full refund. When they came back here the one most local to me had already closed.

Hopefully if and when they do return the options for ordering will be greater. The emails advertising these jobs always tried to entice us by listing all sorts of wonderful sounding entrees on the menu but we could not order most of them as we were required to order for dinner..one from the seasonal (only one entree each quarter)or new plates and one pizza. And for lunch it had to be one lunch combo and one of the above...the 2 new plates were $24 and $26 where I live. Add to that a combo and the other requirements, tax and tip and no wonder they had trouble filling those lunch jobs with the current reimbursement limits.

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