I did a high-end make-up shop yesterday. I was required to spend at least ten minutes with the associate and was supposed to allow them the opportunity to show me additional products apart from the one I was shopping for. Well, I guess my scenario was too good because the associate took it and ran with it. She established rapport, chatted me up while showing me product after product, demonstrating each application technique with care and I walked out of there with a full makeover that I hadn't even quite realized I was getting.

I checked my timer as I departed and my heavily made-up eyes just about popped out of my head. It had been an hour and 51 minutes since I had walked into the department store. Yikes! Subtract the few minutes it took for me to get to the counter, the 10 minutes I waited at the empty counter to be acknowledged, and the 10 minutes I spent with the wrong associate (who had stepped in from another counter and then turned me over to the correct associate once she showed up) and you get.....an eternity.

I didn't look at the time during the shop but I knew at some point that it had to have been at least half an hour. I should have called it then. I feel really badly that I wasted that much of her time, and mine. And I'll feel even worse if the MSC rejects my report due to the excessive amount of time I spent there. (There is no maximum listed in the guidelines, so they probably won't, but I wouldn't be shocked if they did).

Lesson learned--next time I'll go in with a set departure time as part of my scenario.

I suspect you enjoyed being fussed over and I suspect that the associate was delighted for the opportunity. I also suspect you were 'good advertising' in terms of other customers going by. So not for a moment would I feel guilty or unhappy about the amount of time spent--whether it was hers or yours.

I suspect that the associate will get a glowing report and the MSC won't worry about the time spent--yours or the associate's.

That sounds like the hours I normally spend in the hardware store shop. Last time I did one I ended up with a new chainsaw.

I have never had a shop refused for spending too much time. I have had MSC complain if a shop as as little as 3 min under the time they wanted me to spend...and btw dear MSC The enormous time requirements often make us as mystery shoppers.

@Cettie wrote:

That sounds like the hours I normally spend in the hardware store shop. Last time I did one I ended up with a new chainsaw.

And with that one dollar reimbursement, that was a real bargain!

But with the $125 bonus for that location it was still a win-win.

Oh man, I think I need to raise my minimum for the hardware store shops!

I was once asked why my time in the store was so long. I reported that I did all my real grocery shopping during the shop. They had no problem with that.