Same exact mystery shop, two different MCS's

First off, I have only been doing this since this past April, so maybe this is common. I did a mystery shop at a big box store on an appliance 5 days ago. I will admit my report was not exactly a five star report but there were issues and I reported them.

Today I received an email from a different MSC to do the same appliance shop for the same company at t.he exact same big box store on the exact same appliance.

Do some companies go to different MSC's and have the exact item shopped at the exact same store?

Could it be that the company went to a different MSC to maybe get a different perspective because of my report?

Since the shop is self assigned, if I assigned it to myself and did it again, would the end company know the same shopper did the shop twice?

Just curious

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

Yes I have noticed different companies with same shops. The second company probably would not know you've done it before but I believe that it's part of our etiquette as shoppers to be true towards what we do. The key as a shopper is to remain anonymous so by going back to the same place for the same thing within a short period of time is most likely going to give you away. I've had a scheduler almost beg me to do a shop and it was for such a specific item I had shopped before with someone else, I could not possibly put myself in that situation. After explaining I couldn't do it because I had done it before, the scheduler even said all I needed to do was to make sure I was served by someone else. I insisted by judging it not to be possible. In this case it was a small high end store with very few employees. I had also spent enough time with them to be remembered. Maybe there are other similar situations where other factors would permit that you cheat but in general I would assume that it can't be done.

I would ask the scheduler what they think before applying for it or assigning it to yourself. I feel somewhat differently than Mystique in that if the scheduler says it is OK, I will do it. But it's definitely something to ask about.

I'd say the client is trying out different MSCs to see whose reports are more timely and detailed before making a bigger commitment to one of them.

"The future ain't what it used to be." --Yogi Berra

It happens all the time. When I see it at a second MSC, I always email the scheduler to tell them when I was there. Interestingly, most tell me to go for it. I usually consider the store size and number of employees. Fortunately, it has always worked out. There is one store, though, where I would not think of doing another shop for quite a while. On the day I was there, it was empty. I mean, this was a huge honkin' store and I was the only customer. I probably met every employee, simply because they were hanging around the front and then listening in to keep from being bored. Nope, not a good idea to go back there for quite a while.

The contract for the 2nd shop would have been in the works long ago. Sometimes companies use 2 different MSCs for various reasons (different perspectives, assessing quality of the MSC, etc). Sometimes it is actually a competitor asking for the shop (another appliance dealer).

They might find out you did both. You might end up with the same employee...consider going at a completely different time of day if you can to try to get someone else.

I would also contact the MSC and run it by them right away.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2015 05:32AM by jmitw.

I do my best to stay away from shops for a certain amount of time after I have done one. I did have an MSC call me up and ask me to do a shop for them at a place I went to the month before. I told them I could not do it with a good conscience, since I was just there for the same type of shop last month. The scheduler did not like it and said, "But you were not there for our company. There is no issue here." I told them I was sorry but I couldn't do it. I threw my personal rotation and conscience out the window when they replied that the bonus was 3 times more than the shop. ☺

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2015 05:53PM by SouthernCharm.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Same exact mystery shop, two different MCS's

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine