This was an email I received today announcing their program on 12/15 and during the week on FoodNetwork. This should be interesting.

I saw that. I'm kind of bummed since it's sure to increase competition a lot in my small town if it takes off.

Kind of like when the show Extreme Couponing came out. It totally ruined it for a lot of coupon shoppers because the companies and stores changed their rules on them after seeing the show and how people were getting so much for free.

Likely this show will increase the competition for all of us.

I hope it's like the coupon show recruits, many of whom abandon heavy use when they see the time involved.

It's personally made me rethink doing work for the company in question. I have done some on a limited basis, but really? A reality show, ugh.

I'm very curious to see what kind of spin will be put on this. Will they make it seem like being a mystery shopper is very simple, thereby increasing the number of newbies looking to make a quick & easy buck? I'd hate to be an editor or scheduler after the show comes out. Can you imagine how much handholding, flakes and horrible reports they'll have to deal with?

I hope this show doesn't make MSers look bad. I also hope it doesn't make us look too good, making everyone and their brother sign up for a chance at our millions (or $3 shops, depending on your market)

Then again, if enough of these bozos sign up, won't that make us look really good by comparison? lol

Just based on what I read on the Food Network website the show is nothing like real mystery shopping. More of a hidden camera show, where the owner of a restaurant is worried employees are stealing so they set up hidden cameras and have a whole team of actors to try and catch the employees stealing. So I will be curious if they make any mention of legit MS because otherwise most people probably won't make the connection and will still think its a scam.

I received that email as well, and seems they are showing a more negative side of msing, so maybe that will keep them away. I think people will try, and few will remain, in populated cities like L.A. where Foodnetwork is highly watched,
we'll be hit the most, everyone here has cable T.V. I'm a little gripped that the company that offered it to me didn't get it......sour grapes.

Irene - any idea what bar? Haha

ahmaynard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kind of like when the show Extreme Couponing came
> out. It totally ruined it for a lot of coupon
> shoppers because the companies and stores changed
> their rules on them after seeing the show and how
> people were getting so much for free.
>
> Likely this show will increase the competition for
> all of us.


+1

Rule 1 of Fight Club: We do not talk about Fight Club

Explain please, I don't get what you mean?
dkk5685 Wrote:
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> Irene - any idea what bar? Haha

I googled it, and found a ton of "audition" videos on Youtube.... The show must have wanted shoppers who were interesting and looked good on TV. They are real mystery shoppers (or at least claim to be)...

e.g. [www.youtube.com] he says he's done over 5000 mystery shops, is he a member of this forum?

Can't wait to see the show.

Having looked at some of the other auditions, it looks like a lot of them aren't long term shoppers. Lots are just people who want to be on TV (eg aspiring actors!)

Check out this one:
[youtu.be]


skip ahead to 3:10 where he talks about his "experience" mystery shopping for Subway, because he "has a friend who owned a bunch of stores". He goes on to talk briefly about the report, etc....

Ummm,, if his friend owns the store, shouldn't he NOT be mystery shopping them? Does he even know what he's talking about?

This show is going to give such a distorted view of what mystery shoppers really are like...

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2011 06:33PM by Athena34.

I hope these people who are publicly putting their faces out there for these auditions aren't going to remain a mystery much longer.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I can see it now. A surge of new mystery shoppers will enter the field.

Just saw the show and it was more about video camera shopping for loss prevention. Not the run of the mill mystery shopping. Poor bartender got caught.....

Don't see how this will encourage a bunch of new shoppers.

lbarlbar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just saw the show and it was more about video
> camera shopping for loss prevention. Not the run
> of the mill mystery shopping. Poor bartender got
> caught.....
>
> Don't see how this will encourage a bunch of new
> shoppers.

Just watched the episode. You are correct. The extent of the show, at least at this point, is on LP investigations. It had nothing to do with mystery shopping.

/noob here.
//dozen or so years in retail and retail management

I just saw the show, no idea and no bar I've ever done...
Not impressed, and not worried that anyone would run
out and join up to MS.....so, phoney, can't believe it.
Would any shopper really wear those clothes for drinks,
just asking...
dkk5685 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Irene - any idea what bar? Haha

I watched the show this morning. It seemed very scripted. If it was real, I feel sorry for the bar owner.

MtlShopper Wrote:
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Can you imagine how
> much handholding, flakes and horrible reports
> they'll have to deal with?

Believe me, this is already the case! We have to deal with handholding, flakes and horrible reports all the time.

Luckily, we DO have some great shoppers who almost never need help, don't flake and write great reports....it helps even things out a bit!

JGiles,
From your post it appears that you represent an MSC. Please add your company affiliation in a sig line, as that has been the standard on these forums for postings by MSC representatives, schedulers and editors. Always glad to see you here on that basis, of course.

I watched last night. What a set-up!

I was laughing though when they were pouring their drinks out. How did none of the other customers notice this?

What about the shopper actually going into the back and confronting the bartender,funny I missed that action in all my instructions, how but you!!

I watched the show last night. It was interesting. I am not aware of companies that record on video cameras. That is why we are called mystery shopers because we are the ones doing it, not cameras. The show has several repeat episodes of the same thing, The man mentions the name of his company toeard the end of the episode, but I didn't catch it. I will record it again to catch the name, just for curiousity. I might even apply to it just to see what happens. By the way, the bar was called Maeve's, but I didn't catch what city it was in. I think it was L.A. but I'm not sure. As to the question about wheter this will increase the number of mystery shoppers, I don't know. It didn' seem to paint a very pleasant picture of mystery shoppers, though

P.S. I will get back to this thread after I watch it again..

I have to disagree that it paints a pleasant picture of mystery shoppers. We aren't there to flirt. Sending in two attrative femals to flirt with the guy isn't being objective. Send in a couple, two guys, or any other combination, and there wouldn't be a TV show. We aren't there to catch someone doing something wrong, just to report what happens.

eltonj,
Video and audio recorded shops have been going on for more than 20 years. If I understand correctly, the show had shoppers using a camera mounted in eye gasses. None of the major v-shopping companies would accept the video quality produced by those devices unless we used the high grade ones that undercover law enforcement uses, at several thousand $$$ a pop. Not bloody likely. If you wish to know about this very real, and growing part of the MS industry, please search here and on the other forums for "video." From what I have read, here and elsewhere, the show does no more realistically portray video shopping than it does skydiving. BTW, if it purports to be in California, did they mention that CA is a "two party consent" state for audio recording? That means that the bar staff must all have signed waivers stating that they knew that they could be recorded at any time on the job.

You will find, if you care to read, that video shoppers would be highly insulted by your remark, BTW. The sheer length of the interactions and the complexity of the scenarios for long format video and audio recorded shops take a high degree of skill to carry off. It is NOT the camera that is doing the shop! And, the shopper must be in top form because, of course, the recording tells the MSC and the client whether or not the shopper performed exactly as required by the shop instructions. No v-shopper I know (and I know most of the most active ones, and most of the v-shopping company personnel and trainers) has ever gotten instructions that included the type of behavior that I understand was portrayed in the show.

I am a new kid on the block with the mystery shopping industry, so I don't know about the details associated with v-shops. As I had said, I will watch the show again with a "new eye" to your observations and after I have done so I will get back in this thread. No offense was meant. Hang in there.

Gives viewers a tainted view of mystery shoppers and of what really goes on, makes us look like idiots.....I think BES should not want that kind of publicity, but, making $$ helps!!

eltonj,
The important thing is that you will learn nothing about video shopping from that show. If you have any desire to understand v-shopping and avoid giving offence concerning v-shoppers please do some research on credible threads (not including reality TV) before venturing opinions on the subject. I do recognize that you are a newbie; that is why I made a rather gentle suggestion concerning self-education.

walesmaven

I also believ in education, self and otherwise. I'm still going to watch the mestery shoppers rerun like I had mentioned before, but with an eye to your observations. I will also search through the forum for v-shoppers, etc. Thanks for the headsup.



Shopping San Antonio, Texas and the surrounding areas.