I filled out a report today for MF and I felt sort of bad at the end of it because I put that I was unlikely to shop at the store even after all the positive remarks I made on the service, but I was honest. I hope they do not ding or alter the report. The sales associate was doing great at giving me information, showing me sale items, giving me data, and just having a casual conversation about all of the product options and budget options for me.. until another customer walked in the store and she told a coworker she was "not -it", sighed/puffed air loudly, and rolled her eyes.

A woman came into the store to get her cell phone from the free chargers . She was dressed nicely enough and simply asked if her phone was done charging. As she was walking in the associate talking to me immediately stopped smiling, did the pssssttttt noise to another sales associate, rolled her eyes, nodded to the way of the customer walking in, and said "Not it, not it" twice through gritted teeth. The other associate sighed and said "Fine, I'll deal with IT " but she said "it" as if the person were a dog or a thing. I felt this was just rude. I dunno, maybe the woman was a total wretch of a customer earlier... but it seemed innocent enough that she was getting her phone off of the free charging bases in the store. I may have thought it was just a crappy customer, but then another member of her party walked in and I heard the sales associate huff again from behind me. What's even more odd is the sales associate had full tattoos neck to navel, shoulder cap to wrist and several facial piercings. I don't mind the piercings, but it seemed out of place at this type of business because I think corporate policy probably asks that they cover as much as possible and leave the facial piercings out. And this could be unrelated entirely and my imagination but both customers who walked in had a dark complexion. It just felt--wrong that they were showing themselves this way. They were acting 5 instead of 25-30.

I kind of helped end the interaction after that. I kept thinking... I could have easily been that customer charging their phone who no one wanted to deal with -_- Before the incident, the two associates were nothing short of amazing... and after the incident, the associate must of have noticed my face because she said something to the tune of "people just use us all the time to charge phones"... to explain away her behavior. Well, if they are a customer, they're supposed to be able to do that as often as they please per policy. -_- ah well. I'm done ranting about this odd experience. It seems they get more and more weird as I grow and try new shop types.

I've noticed more and more companies let tattoos and piercings slide. It used to be a "you'll never get hired looking like that" ideology but now its no big deal I guess. Anyway, I think that the way you explained it here makes sense why you wouldn't return. Though they provided you with great customer service, the rude remarks and sound effects pretty much negates everything. I would certainly think that was said prior to my arrival about me and then who knows what would be said about me the second I leave the location. No thanks!

I used to work in a dinner theatre. The actors also waited tables. Behind the scenes the actors often complained if a customer was difficult. They at least knew better than to vent where customers could hear them. The associates you observed on your shop need to "act" appropriately in front of customers and keep their judgments private.

Part of providing great customer service requires knowing how to "act."

IMO, MF is not the company you want to put extra narrative into the reports. If they have questions, they will send you an email.

I did one where a customer was pissed because her phone was taking shots of almost pure light. The rep was really offensive to her and screaming and calling her nasty names, it was going both ways though. They both tried to get me involved, I think I may have stopped a fist fight. I had my phone video recorder going at the time so if I ever stop mystery shopping that bad boy is going on youtube (I have a channel with a small following).

To me, the guidelines are asking about my interaction with the rep so I report according to that. My interaction doesn't start until the rep is with me. I leave shenanigans to the franchise owner to level out.

I'm still wondering what "not it, not it" means.

Not my turn to deal with the perceived unruly customers.

@ceasesmith wrote:

I'm still wondering what "not it, not it" means.

"It" refers to the customer as in "not gonna deal with it (the customer)." The associate is de-personalizing (spelling?) the customer.

You can send extra data to MF's help desk and if they think it's appropriate, they will append it to your report. Only once have they told me they couldn't attach the material and suggested that I contact the customer directly (as a customer, with no mention of mystery shopping) to give them the praise I was offering. When I comment on something that isn't required by the survey form but seems relevant, they always pass it along to the customer.

That's exactly what they were doing. She was saying that she was not going to the be the one who dealt with this customer. The interaction on the customers part seemed perfectly harmless. I was immediately turned off to this particular store. This is about the tenth one of these shops I've done as it's my phone company but this store is now off my list of places to go should something happen.