I did forget to Geoverify ONCE and was paid anyway. It's just one of many things which the MSCs and clients could potentially take into consideration.
The thing about a lot of the POVs (and the MSCs know it) is that especially without checking video footage (and sometimes, even this is not available), there are all kinds of ways that 'proof' could be faked. Someone else could Geoverify, go back for a receipt, or hypothetically even do the shop FOR someone. In all of the time that mystery shopping that's been going on, I'm sure that all of these have occurred. The MSCs and clients would have learned by now to weigh the lack of certain types of POVs against all kinds of other things which would support or discredit the shop having been done. There is all kinds of evidence which could be used instead of or in addition to Geoverifying:
-Video footage from the client. Not only will this often record you getting a POV, it can help when other aspects of the shop are challenged. (I have read on this forum that some shoppers even keep records of what they were wearing that day have started doing this, as well. Could be useful if there is a case of mistaken identity or the employee lied about who you were or whether or not you were there.)
-The shopper having provided slightly different form of documentation, like someone else's receipt that the shopper found outside
-A handwriting sample from the employee which could be checked against previous ones.
-Any photos taken of the location, especially if they are timestamped.
-interaction with other employees, either openly telling them that they need to know certain details or by asking an innocent-seeming question like, "Hey, so-and-so...? Did you talk to so-and-so about such-and-such?", "Do you remember dealing with an angry customer about such-and-such on such and such a day?", or "Did that person who took a tour/took a test drive/was interested in our services last week ever get back to you...?" Sometimes, one employee will accidentally incriminate another, or the employee who challenged you will initially confirm that something happened and change their story.
-Call records from the shopper's phone number TO the location. (Try not to do this unless asked to do it, though. There are commonly rules against it, and the less of a trail we leave for unrevealed shops, the better.)
-knowledge of obscure and/or sensitive details about certain employees or situations, "The employee mentioned 'my daughter' or 'my son', or 'my kids' in a conversation. " "The employee had multiple piercings. These are where they were, and this is what the jewelry looked like" "This is what they were wearing in addition to the uniform." "The employee had such-and such a tattoo---it was mostly covered by clothing, but I still could see it on their [insert name of body part]." ""A company vehicle parked outside had a large scratch on the side and/or a flat tire." "One of the customers was unhappy about such-and-such, and they complained to such-and-such an employee." "I heard an employee mention [insert something about which the employers would probably know, but most shoppers wouldn't]."
-Whether or not the shopper is MSPA certified, and how long they've held the certification
- known behavior on past shops, especially if the other shops were done for the same client
-either high praise or citations on the shopper's record, if any
-Occasionally, positive or negative references from other MSCs
-whether or not the shopper has developed a suspicious pattern of missing or canceling shops
-Other shoppers reporting being unable to get the same POV at around the same time and/or from the same employee, especially for similar reasons
-another mystery shopper seeing the shop and including the details in the report (I'm sure this doesn't happen as much, but I've done this myself when I saw a shop done incorrectly or was concerned that the project was being compromised by too many shoppers doing the same thing in the same place at once.) I tend to throw in a vague but accurate description of the shopper's physical appearance. If we were sent by the same MSC, that's probably all they'll need to know, and it could potentially also tip off my own MSC if someone they didn't schedule is performing the same shop. That could be information that would be useful to know.)
-Someone from or hired by the MSC actually being present at the shop to confirm certain things
-An owner and/or manager having known ahead of time that the shop was happening in a specific period of time, potentially being given the opportunity to supervise it. If we have provided any personal photographs to the MSC, these are sometimes shared with the clients, so some of the people present for the shop may know what we look like BEFORE we walk in. (I once saw a store manager looking around the store like he was trying to find someone, look at me before looking away, then heard him whisper, "She's here," into a cell phone. I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to overhear this, but I did. I didn't really care because I had already signed off on this client having access to my photo.)
-Someone from the MSC actually having been there
-One of the employees or business locations in question having a reputation for dishonesty, poor performance, forgetting certain things, or slacking off on the job
-MSC recorded calls (if any) giving away certain details.
-what the manager or other employees say about what happened or what they think happened, plus whether or how much they trust these individuals
-If you do use a false address or phone number, be sure to note which one(s) you used that day. This could potentially also be checked against company records.
-This might not be for everyone, especially those who shop in smaller towns, but I will sometimes repeat an OLD alias when I visit new clients who probably don't have access to my old one. I do try to change them up a bit, but it gives my schedulers a chance to establish a pattern, and the names could potentially be checked against clients' databases. Even just mentioning your alias and it checking out later will help do this, but "Yes, it looks like someone who was there that day DID say that their name was such-and-such" could ring some familiar bells in the minds of the MSCs." It's just a little touch I use, and I've sometimes employed it if the shop has gone badly and I wasn't asked for a name until towards the end. Don't know if it's ever been useful, but in the regions where I shop, there's an extremely low chance that one client will have learned something about me from another client's shop. A scheduler or reviewer with whom I've worked might learn to recognize it, though.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble, but the basic point is:
I would not sweat it unless it becomes a habit. A lot of the checks the MSCs use will not be revealed to the shopper, but the important thing is that the MSCs and clients know about them, and they'll take those into consideration.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2015 05:56AM by OceanGirl.