Yesterday I went to the P.O. to do a "box job". I first had to ask the clerk to weigh my box. It was over my limit. Even though I attempted to thank her and turn away, the clerk kept telling me the different rates for different ways to send the box. After I had declined 3 times, a customer at the next window offered to pay for my costs. I almost laughed. I declined. She insisted. I walked away from the windows. Before I could get all the way out of the place she caught up with me and offered again. I started to laugh and told her that I was working a mystery shop. Well, she said, you'll have a funny story to tell. So, I said, will she. Hard to pay it forward sometimes.

Oh the funny things that happen while mystery shopping. I might have said that I had remembered I needed to add something to the package and didn't want to mail it now. If I could have thought quickly enough, that is. I am sure I would have been flustered with that persistent of an offer. I don't like telling people I am a mystery shopper.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2015 04:10PM by prince.

I don't like telling anyone that I'm on a shop either. I just couldn't get past the humor. Like the boy scout helping the old lady across the street that she didn't want to cross.

I once had to do a valet shop at an upscale mall. They were short-staffed and there was a line of about 15 customers waiting to retrieve their vehicles. I walked up and began to wait. A woman saw me and told me that there was free parking a little further down. I declined. She kept trying to offer ideas to avoid using the valet, to the point that I was really getting irritated. I finally whispered to her that it was a mystery shop and that I had to stand there and wait. She meant well, but after a while I was losing patience with her and with the assignment!

Just be glad it wasn't a valet assignment from Intelli-shop. If you are turned away from the valet stand for any reason, despite the information that you provide could be priceless to the valet parking company, you will not get paid. Period!

One of my very first shops, I was doing a grocery shop that has certain approved questions you can ask in certain departments. One of the questions is - I have a recipe that calls for fresh ginger, how do you use it?

So I ask the produce girl, who had been conveniently working near the fresh ginger. She asks what the recipe is. I hadn't thought about that, so I panic and say it was for cookies. Produce girl lets me know it would probably be better if I used dried ginger for cookies. Am I sure the recipe calls for fresh ginger?

A customer then runs over and proceeds to inform us that she is a professional baker and she would never use fresh ginger in cookies. She plants herself on the other side of me so I have to turn away from the produce girl and gives me a good 30-60 second lecture about what you would use ginger for in baking, all the different types of ginger there are, and how I should use the produce girl's suggestion of using dried ginger. You can also use crystallized ginger in cookies. She makes some amazing cookies using both dried and crystallized ginger. It's great for this time of year. Etc etc etc. I am getting so ready for this conversation to be over so I ask her for her card for her bakery lol. She gives me her card and walks away. I turn around to the produce girl and say "Hmm, actually this is my husband's recipe so I will have to just have him shop for the ginger. Maybe he got it wrong."

Love it Cecelia. I am no professional but I like fresh ginger in cookies!

My last grocery shop had me ask about fresh ginger. Another customer had to point it out to the associate, and by the time all that was done I had a cramp in my brain. Such a deal!

@Marj1912 wrote:

My last grocery shop had me ask about fresh ginger. Another customer had to point it out to the associate, and by the time all that was done I had a cramp in my brain. Such a deal!

The ones I have been doing have a variety of questions you can ask so I try to choose the question based on how close the associate is standing to the stuff. Then I walk up to the stuff (fresh ginger or whatever) and stand there to see if they notice me....

Overall I find those grocery shops to be a bit tedious with a lot to remember and report back on, but at the same time, I need groceries and money. LOL

Yup. Me, too.

@CeciliaM wrote:

Overall I find those grocery shops to be a bit tedious with a lot to remember and report back on, but at the same time, I need groceries and money. LOL

My sentiments exactly!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2015 07:19AM by RedRose22.