BUSTED!!!

Anyone ever get busted and outed as a shopper? I just want to hear how people have been caught. Did the person you were shopping call you out? I have only been outed once and it wasnt that I was called out it was just noted that I shopped for a lot of cars and that one company had a huge database and saw that I had been to multiple dealers.

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There are many times that I have shopped people who knew I was shopping them. They play their role, I play my role. In the end it's all about them knowing what to do usually. Knowing I'm shopping them isn't changing their knowledgebase.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

It's hard when your assigned scenario doesn't really ever change; it makes it painfully obvious that you're a shopper and you're so much more likely to get "called out" (unless the business being shopped is smart--then they have it made, knowing that you're their shopper, lol).

At a gas station that is 100% mystery shop, I had the owner come out venting all of his frustrations about the shop (he didn't even bother asking me, and told me he always knows). Small station in a small town and the owner has been in business 30+ years. He had changed the station over to its current brand from another brand that I know does revealed audits and his main gripe was why this brand doesn't do it like that too. So far, that's the only calling out I have had and I want to keep it that way!

I never been called out specifically, but I had many times when the employees clearly knew what was going on.

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

I have been straight up asked one time. In that case I really think the target believed my wide eyed, innocent response

I have also been sure some at least suspected and proceeded to give picture perfect presentations. Out of thousands of shops, my guess would be that has happened maybe a dozen times.

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.

There have been several times when I am sure the employee knew but they just did everything perfectly and didn't say anything. But the other day I got asked for the first time. The employee was like, "You're not from that company that sends people to test us, are you?" I'm pretty sure he bought my clueless response and he explained to me that they get tested. I'm pretty sure he'll remember me when he sees the report though...

I did an Italian restaurant shop and when the dish came out of the oven, the manager checked it and it was missing a topping. He yelled at the person who prepared the dish, "I can't serve that to the shopper! You left off the (*****)."

He then quickly re-made the item and put it in the oven. He then walked the 12 feet from the oven to my table with garlic knots another customer ordered that were just coming out of the oven and apologized for the wait and refilled my wine glass for free.

It took all I could muster to not turn my head and stare at him when he said that. I pretended I didn't hear him. The free wine and garlic knots went into the report as well as the long timing and the second entree suffering under the heat lamp.

The manager would have scored better to just serve it with the missing ingredient than to do all the other things I had to report. I would have rather just reported the missing topping than all the other things that went along with him trying to fix it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2016 04:07PM by scanman1.

At a Sonic shop, a manager was ridiculous every time I shopped there. I was asked at least 9 times if I needed anything and he almost broke his neck trying to rollerskate.
Another Sonic manager pulled a 4 year old hissy fit when I pulled up (never shopped there before) saying, "I can't believe that they would send someone when we have construction going on."

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☻/ღ˚ * ˚ ˚˚ ˛* ღ˛° * ° ˚˚ღ
/▌ ☆Happy Shopping☆
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✿¸¸.•*´¯`✿ ✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿

During a follow up call to a shop I was totally outed. The associate asked me outright if I was the "secret shopper". I just laughed and said "what's that" but we both knew.

I wonder how they know, I have felt that vibe before also, when you get like 2-3 check backs...

If I was asked if I was the mystery shopper I would simply say "What's a mystery shopper?" Watch them try to explain it to you and then say "COOL!! I want to be a mystery shopper!!"

I seriously think that there is some suspicion but the restaurant have not said anything. There was only one client who actually outed me when I was a rookie after I submitted a negative report. I have cancelled that MSC from my list but continue to shop the same restaurant under another MSC and I don't think they have a clue.

I shopped a liquor store once and two weeks later when i went in the associate said hey thanks for the good review, I tried to appear clueless and said review? she smiled and said thanks, I answered totally honest when I said I didn't GIVE U anything, She had been great on her recommendation. I think the only reason she suspected was that the company put her word verbatim in the report.

I was recently carded at a store buying wine, and I am 57. I asked why are you carding me, and the cashier said he was worried that I was a mystery shopper. I had just finished three mystery shops that day, but I was not mystery shopping that store. This also happened to me at major department store where I had just finished a mystery shop, and stopped to buy a sweater, and the cashier recited everything about the credit card, and added "just in case you are a secret shopper".

It is very obvious to me that several places know the days the shoppers will be there. The service gets stepped up and the greetings, parting remarks and smiles are in abundance. Other days I go in and a happy employee isn't to be found anywhere! The customer service is non existent and the employees are playing on their phones. I'm not sure I've been made as a shopper though. I used to work at JCP a million years ago and they always told us the shopper days so we could recommend the credit card.

@lisak6 wrote:

I was recently carded at a store buying wine, and I am 57. I asked why are you carding me, and the cashier said he was worried that I was a mystery shopper. I had just finished three mystery shops that day, but I was not mystery shopping that store. This also happened to me at major department store where I had just finished a mystery shop, and stopped to buy a sweater, and the cashier recited everything about the credit card, and added "just in case you are a secret shopper".

Why? Do you look like a mystery shopper?

I shopped a hotel a while ago where I chatted a bit with the manager when I checked in. I then saw the manager the next morning during breakfast, when I reported my 'problem' and again at check out.

The next day, I had just out of a hotel a few blocks away. I walked out the front door and heard, "Hello, miss W." Looked up and saw the manager from the other hotel.

He didn't say anything, but I won't be shopping his hotel for quite a while.

Oh no lol no communication needed haha

I know for a fact I've been outed.

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!

@lisak6 wrote:

I was recently carded at a store buying wine, and I am 57.

Oh, I need the name of that store. I would feel so great if someone, anyone would card me. Someone actually offered me a seat in the bus the other day. I liked it better when I was on the other end of the spectrum!

You are perfect just the way you are, sandy.

I was actually asked if I was the shopper at a high end dealership once several years ago, of which I flat out denied. It was small talk made well afterbthe shop had been completed. After informing my scheduler about it, she asked for mr to put it in the report. What I didnt know a year later is that when talking to the MSC client rep a year later, she indicated that she came down a little hard on the dealer rep that asked if I was the shopper. She had indicated that part of the dealer protocol was to never ask that question.

My friends and family all do that now to be sure they get good service. lol

@Bubbabubba wrote:

Again I remind everybody.
ACT a little bit like a shopper EVERYWHERE you go. It makes the job easier for all !
To the editors did you notice? I remembered to space behind my periods.

My friends and family all do that now to be sure they get good service. lol

Or the bank shops where you have to make a deposit, and they ask you not to deposit mystery shopping checks... Hey that is how they pay my ducats!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2016 08:07AM by sbobgal.

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