Tonight I was on a fine dining assignment. I took pictures of the entrees before eating my meal. The restaurant was fairly empty. About half way through my meal the gentleman seated at the table next to me leaned over and asked me out loud if I was a food critic. I was very glad none of the staff were in hearing distance. I laughed and said I was not and he said he thought I was because I was taking pictures of the food. Then I told him I wish I was a food critic because then I would not have had to pay for my meal. He got a laugh out of that comment. So I was busted (well not really, I told him all about yelp and posting pics of food) but not by the place itself but by another customer!

Are these the Meijer shops with the stupid questions? Or are there other grocery shops with these questions too?

@sandyf wrote:

So I was busted (well not really, I told him all about yelp and posting pics of food) but not by the place itself but by another customer!

Did you ever see the South Park episode making fun of Yelpers? Pretty funny

I'm sure I was busted today. I was doing the first out of 8 Kroger grocery shops that I had for today. They were all acting very strange. The one associate in the grocery department that looks like she would rather slit her wrists than work there smiled, faced me body and all, and walked me to the chips, making conversation about types of chips the whole way! I didn't think she was actually capable of smiling! She never looks at me when I ask her 'where are the chips?' or whatever. And she always mumbles I never know what she says.

On the first round there were two people at the deli, one at meat/seafood, NONE in grocery (there never is), one stocking dairy and, of course, the pharmacy people. On the second round, you would think I was a 'Lady' on Downton Abbey! Everyone trying not to stare, smiling like I just gave them a million dollars and absolutely everyone asking me if I'm finding everything ok. I must have seen 12 non front-end associates.
The store director was there, maybe that's why?! Hopefully!

Freaked me out pretty good. Maybe they thought I was stealing. It was too late to mention all the associates because I was already done with phase one. I'm going to impose a 2 month no-shop on that location.

I'm not mentioning it in the report. Should I? Am I supposed to? Would you?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2016 12:06AM by spicy1.

@Nataliekorn wrote:

@sillysister74 wrote:

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."

Did you shop that sonic several times? I've done a few and it seems almost impossible to be spotted as a shopper.

The first one, frequently. The other, it was my first time going as a shopper.

@sbobgal wrote:

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!

Some people open a bank account somewhere else to get around that. It's really funny---the one bank where I DO deposit mystery shop payments now gives me the royal treatment whenever I walk in. I wouldn't ever shop them unless 1) the MSC were offering me a ridiculous amount of money and/or 2) I was shopping someplace REALLY far away from where I usually do and was not required to show any ID.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2016 08:34PM by OceanGirl.

yes. asked by the msc the color of my hair, car, if I glasses on. and, the infamous Little Caesar's way off the beaten path for me.. oh well, can't win em all

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

Bestmark is a culprit for that..... bank shops with checks clearly marked as such....

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

Why would you take your mystery shopping checks to a bank shop, where the shop can clearly define the obvious? Why not take your mystery shopping checks to your personal bank, cash them, and then use at your bank shop?

There are several other MSCs that are not smart enough to have Mystery Shopper or Shopping not as there name on the checks.

I think Papa Johns must pay their employees a bonus to out mystery shoppers. I was outed to two different MSC that shop them, at two locations geographically far apart, to the MSCs. That precluded me from doing the shops for those companies. The ridiculous part is neither shop had anything negative happen, so the reports were glowing. I guess the employees were afraid they'd get another good report. . . I have on a couple other occasions thought I was outed, but since they didn't say or do the things I was looking for, one didn't even provide marginally good customer service, I guess not. I did get outed on a card store shop, the associate fell all over me. I called the MSC and asked if I could go back, went a different day, different time and had a different associate. I have laughed thinking of that employee wondering where her report was.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2016 05:36PM by Sportsfamily1215.

Papa Johns positively marks the address shoppers. I have this confirmed many times by a young man who is a driver. I do not shop them since I have a friendship with his family. They clearly know who the shoppers are.

I believe my local store knows I am the mystery shopper, because the associates swarm and offer assistance even when I am not on a mystery shop. The questions they have shoppers ask out us as the shopper I believe, I think it would be better if we asked for product to purchase then ask questions about purchase. I think I am going to have to forgo this shop for awhile now.

I change the hours I go, I wear a baseball cap and try to change anything I can. One day I'll be prim and proper, next visit I'll be a little gangsta. I always approach the 'question' with a story. i.e. I hate tomatoes, but I'm cooking for my neighbor, is this the right one? and I'll show them Romas. My apts won't let us have grills but they'll let us have an electric smoker, can I use "the same meat I always buy from you guys?" One time I'll use my note sheet like a shopping list with a regular large basket and the next visit I'll turn on my video on my phone and carry it around with a hand basket.

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

Papa Johns positively marks the address shoppers. I have this confirmed many times by a young man who is a driver. I do not shop them since I have a friendship with his family. They clearly know who the shoppers are.

If they know who I am, then why don't they do what they are supposed to? LOL If the delivery driver about 4 months ago knew I was the shopper, he must have s**t his pants when he realized he had the wrong order and had to go back to the store to get my order. That was painful and the pizza was "aged".

I haven't been outed, but back in the day when I worked at a dept store, I realized that a customer I was helping was a shopper.

I was working in the shoe dept (lots of running around) heavily pregnant, swollen like the stay puff marshmallow woman, sick as a dog, and walked in a slow waddle. I treated her just like I would any other customer (as I actually do my job!) to the best of my ability in my 'condition.'

My manager came over and started to yell at me about being 'slow' and other things then stormed off. The shopper commented on it and I said "She's always like that to me." I should note that there were 2 other employees in the dept who were basically just sitting on their thumbs leaving ME to do all the grunt work. Manager said nothing to them. She never did, she was a real *&%$#@

Shopper gave me a glowing report saying that I worked harder being pregnant and ill than just about anyone else she ever saw, and ripped on my manager. Said manager was *PISSED* when she saw it.

Serves her right!

Did you figure out she was a shopper when you helped her? Or did you recall her when you read the shop report? Hopefully that manager shaped up!

@Sportsfamily1215 wrote:

I think Papa Johns must pay their employees a bonus to out mystery shoppers. I was outed to two different MSC that shop them, at two locations geographically far apart, to the MSCs. That precluded me from doing the shops for those companies. The ridiculous part is neither shop had anything negative happen, so the reports were glowing. I guess the employees were afraid they'd get another good report. . . I have on a couple other occasions thought I was outed, but since they didn't say or do the things I was looking for, one didn't even provide marginally good customer service, I guess not. I did get outed on a card store shop, the associate fell all over me. I called the MSC and asked if I could go back, went a different day, different time and had a different associate. I have laughed thinking of that employee wondering where her report was.

I don't know how I continue to not be outed by my local location. I turn down the larger size even when it's cheaper. At times I order once/ week and sometimes more to a second address. And I've had odd experiences that I've reported but still, nothing. I even add my paranoia into the "comments for the editors" section because I just don't believe they don't know. I wish I liked the pizza more.

Yes, but only once that I know of. It is an apartment complex in my area that I had shopped multiple times and the agent is always the same person. I don't know why she outed me because she had done everything right and she would have gotten a great if not perfect rating. Oh well....

@OceanGirl wrote:

@sbobgal wrote:

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!

Some people open a bank account somewhere else to get around that. It's really funny---the one bank where I DO deposit mystery shop payments now gives me the royal treatment whenever I walk in. I wouldn't ever shop them unless 1) the MSC were offering me a ridiculous amount of money and/or 2) I was shopping someplace REALLY far away from where I usually do and was not required to show any ID.

I shop the bank where I have my main accounts. The checks from that MSC go to my Crappy Credit Union.

@Threemom wrote:

Did you figure out she was a shopper when you helped her? Or did you recall her when you read the shop report? Hopefully that manager shaped up!

I kinda figured it out while I was helping her. She was a little *too* observant, IYKWIM.

The manager never got her act together. She just didn't like me for whatever reason she created in her head. I was a hard worker (unlike everyone else) polite, and never did anything to her. But whatever. Evil me saw a golden opportunity and planted a seed.

Shortly after this, I was ordered off work by my doctor because of the complications I was having. Wound up with a preemie, but she's doing well...almost 14! Time flies!