accidentally running into acquaintances on shops

I was on a shop today, and noticed a current student of mine (I teach at the local University) walking through the dining room of the restaurant. I quickly realized that she was actually there for a job interview. It got me thinking, what would I do if I ran into a current or former student working at a place I'm shopping. I certainly don't know about or keep track of where they all work and I have thousands of former students at this point in my career.

I'm sure that some of you have run into situations like this before. I'm curious to hear how you've handled it.

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This has happened to me once in the past. I did the shop as usual. I gave her the grade I would have given anyone. I did not shop her again.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2016 10:53PM by shopper8.

Did you tell the MSC about it?

Yes, I was doing one of the movie theater shops and the ticket taker was a friend of my daughter's from high school. I hadn't seen her in about six years. She recognized me, though I didn't recognize her initially (my memory was triggered when I saw her name tag). I had no idea she worked there. I quit taking shops at that location. Several months later, I was doing a different location in a nearby town. Guess who was at the ticket counter? Yup. Same girl. I haven't taken any of them since.

The smaller the area the more likely you will be to run into people you know at least superficially. I would not be concerned about a school friend of my kids unless that person had spent lots and lots of time at my house. I would not be concerned about former students or clients as long as we are not close friends. In general the criteria we are observing are specific enough that the individual will do it or won't do it. I think that I am objective enough to not prompt folks I know to do what they are supposed to do or make excuses for them if they don't. For me the biggest issue with an acquaintance is that they are distracting. I hate to be counting seconds and be interrupted by someone who wants to 'catch up' on what has been going on in our respective lives for the past 3-4 years. Obviously we are not to shop folks with whom we have a vested interest like close friends or family and it is best not to shop someone for whom we have a history of personal animosity. So if I run into someone from my past who I now need to observe for a shop, I won't avoid them and I probably won't mention it to the MSC because it is unlikely to taint my findings.

If it was a current student employed there, I would be inclined to not do the shop. But, if it was a former student that I had a standard classroom relationship with (no problems), then I would be inclined to do the shop as long as they were not a major target of the shop (only something like the produce clerk I ask the location of an item for). If it were something like a cell phone shop, where I was extensively evaluating them, I would be inclined to not do the shop.

@jmitw wrote:

If it was a current student employed there, I would be inclined to not do the shop. But, if it was a former student that I had a standard classroom relationship with (no problems), then I would be inclined to do the shop as long as they were not a major target of the shop (only something like the produce clerk I ask the location of an item for). If it were something like a cell phone shop, where I was extensively evaluating them, I would be inclined to not do the shop.

I tend to agree. Of course the thought that triggered this was the idea that a student could be my server on a restaurant shop. I wouldn't worry about my ability to be objective. Rather, I'd worry that the distraction for *them* of having a professor at their table might throw them off their game a bit.

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accidentally running into acquaintances on shops

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