I may just be paranoid, but oftentimes (even when I'm not shopping) I feel as if the personnel think that I AM a shopper.

Maybe it is just me, idk.

Sometimes I play it up, like when I went to a restaurant and "snuck" a look at her name tag...lol, I had tremendous service the rest of the time.

Anyways, do you think we all fit a specific profile? For example, walking in the store differently or phrase questions differently than a regular customer. That is what I am referring to.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2012 10:34AM by Chix.

Sometimes, if I am asked to pose a question that activates the flashing neon sign on my baseball cap that says "Shopper".

What exactly do you think a 'shopper profile' might be that we all might 'fit'?

We are single and married, young and old, male and female, skinny and 'pleasingly plump', GED to PhD, doing this as an income supplement to doing this to pay the bills, shy and gregarious, short haired and long haired, glasses wearing (or contacts) and 20/20 vision. By our diversity we don't fit a profile. Now what we need to do and what questions we need to ask we may fit a 'profile', but as to ourselves, we are just normal customers.

As for name tags . . . they don't wear them just for us. I note other people staring at them, using servers' and associates' names etc. What really sets us apart is that we ask questions and we need to have those questions seem in character with our own personalities.

I'm deleting my post.. because I'm completely off topic! LOL!

Methinks I need a nap! (and better reading comprehension skills!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2012 11:31PM by r@inyDayZ3.

The only thing that unites us is the fact we shop and like a good deal and a chance to supplement our incomes. This forum of shoppers differ like the sun and the moon, living in different parts of the county, having different lifestyles, various ages, single, married, etc. Fit a profile, no, we are who we are, with the tie being our profession. I'm sure most approach shopping in their own way. Would you say all lawyers, salesmen, businesspeople fit a profile. They bring their own personalities to there work, as we do.

I think the MSC companies think we fit a profile.

Suckers.

Sorry,

Just discovered I've been suckered by a MSC ------- again.

P.T. Barnum said there's one born every minute.

AustinMom Wrote:
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> P.T. Barnum said there's one born every minute.

Hey Texas !

That's not comforting

AustinMom Wrote:
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> P.T. Barnum said there's one born every minute.


No, he didn't. =)

[www.google.com]

The shoppers I've met did not fit the profile I had for them! But I definitely know what you mean about feeling uncomfortable at times.

This brings to mind something that happened awhile ago that I always think about. I did a reveal shop once at the airport. After the reveal, the employee told me she had a feeling because I walked in alone and carried a big purse. She said shoppers always carry big purses. That's true of me, but what about the guys?? That was many years ago and now huge purses are in style, so everyone has one...not as obvious anymore I guess.

Chix, I suspect it takes a shopper to know a shopper, but even then, you cannot be certain. I sold Fine Jewelry at a department store for five years. The last two years with the store, I was mystery shopping. It gave me great comfort to realize that not every customer who left their driver's license in the car and never came back had a stolen credit card. It was lovely knowing that some of the customers who returned their merchandise might have been shopping us.

I believe I identified three shoppers, but never said a word to anyone. One was a young man who did not study his guidelines or was doing his first assignment. I was good at qualifying people, determining what would fit their needs and showing them the merchandise that worked. When he wanted to get a diamond ring for his sister's birthday and could not answer basic questions about his sister's style. . . . When his price range was around $500.00. . . . Poor guy stuttered when I asked the date of the birthday.

Then there was the woman that never kept anything in five years. I like to think she was a shopper rather than just getting jewelry to wear at special events and returning the purchase after showing it off to her friends. Rotation is important, if people know you by name and you go through the same drill too often, you begin to be known by all the help. We worked on commission, and my co-workers did not want to help her. That louses up the results if you do not have someone like me who would rather help her and role play than futz around polishing gemstones.

Then there was the pro! She never shopped our counter, but I am certain she was mystery shopping. I would see her on my way to the food court or waiting in line at a customer service counter in our store. She would visit the mall every second or third month. She always entered with a set of shopping bags and left with different ones. She would sit in the mall, I just know she was waiting to return things. I never saw her take a single note. She would walk purposefully and then pause before entering a store, glancing at her watch and changing her body language before going inside. I wanted to introduce myself and chat but I never did. It would not be fair to eliminate her from shopping our customer service, we needed the input!

I learned that I had to know the scenario and make it my own so I can smoothly answer questions without stuttering. I will not do purchase and returns at the same store until I am certain I will be dealing with different people. I will not dash purposefully between mall shops, then shift into shopper gear, I try to keep the same rhythm and demeanor during my mall circuits in hopes that a secret shopper will not identify me and my ulterior motives for the visit.

If we are identified, I suspect it is because of our behavior and our state of mind. Of course, there is the manager that gets out the receipt and reviews surveillance tapes, but that's another topic.

Only when we ask stupid questions like: Is there a benefit to using XX ink in my XX printer?

I have trained myself to look at everyone's nametag regardless of where I go and try to use it or comment on it, especially when it is a unique name. When not shopping and I get good service I now ask for names and if a manager is present so they get acknowledged. I ask employees for their name and thank them for their help.

With practice the name thing becomes easier and natural.
Unfortunately I also find myself timimg everything as well and getting impatient when they are not up to standards and I can't report it!

It's like an actor playing a role, if he/she really knows their lines and can play the part naturally then they can really go into character and stay there while doing their shop. You should have seen me the day I had to be both a biker chick then go straight to a Babies R Us to be a pregnant over-40 who needed a gift registry. No way would I have been pegged as a shopper, a weirdo maybe, but not a shopper.

I was in an office supply store that I routinely shop at both personally and for mystery shopping. This happened to be a personal visit, but (subconsciously) I wound up walking down the printer aisle. I happened to notice another guest that was looking at a printer, then making a quick note and putting the paper back in her purse. I glanced at her purse as I passed her, and noticed some familiar looking forms.

This is a perfect example of why a retail location shouldn't try to profile a shopper. The fellow shopper that I spotted was an older woman, probably 60s/70s and dressed casually. I'm a 30 year old male that shops this location on my lunch break, which means I'm dressed in business casual/semi-professional (long sleeve button down/slacks and a jacket/blazer half the time).

Yep, try and profile that one.

OH NO! Zline nailed me at the office supply!

I was in Coffee Bean working and next to me was a man around 40ish. He turns and says (to me), I need to get timings on a video and this reception isn't
working...I ask, oh are you a Mystery shopper, and he says yes.
This was in my town, so now I know who's getting my jobs not really, I doubt we are doing the same jobs. He was so obvious, first hint, never admit it....self confidence goes a long way, as does acting.

MDavisnowell Wrote:
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> OH NO! Zline nailed me at the office supply!


Yep. I routinely drive 1800 miles on my lunch break to do an office supply shop.

I have a couple places within walking distance from where I live that I make a point to go into and act completely differently than before just to throw them off because I want to keep doing shops there. I even tell the staff I live walking distance if I get a chance so they know why I am always in there!

If that's their criteria then I'm golden. My purses are small and often on video shops I don't carry one at all

MsJudi Wrote:
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> This brings to mind something that happened awhile
> ago that I always think about. I did a reveal shop
> once at the airport. After the reveal, the
> employee told me she had a feeling because I
> walked in alone and carried a big purse. She said
> shoppers always carry big purses. That's true of
> me, but what about the guys?? That was many years
> ago and now huge purses are in style, so everyone
> has one...not as obvious anymore I guess.

I actually saw a shopper at a popular department store last year with a magnifying glass and notes, completely oblivious to the fact that Ray Charles could have seen that she was a shopper. She was actually outed by an employee that asked if she was a shopper, to which she said something I couldn't understand and practically ran out of the store, embarrassed.

And they wonder why the rest of us think we deserve more money, LOL!

I don't think that there is a shopper profile, however, I DO think that I often look like a mystery shopper. I live in a very rural/vacation area where 90+% of shoppers dress in jeans or other very casual clothes. When I dress in the required "business casual" to perform shops, I automatically stand out like a sore thumb amidst almost all other shoppers at the location. It's unfortunate that MSC's don't recognize that visually "representing our company" and "mystery shopping" are sometimes mutually exclusive. You either want me to represent your company by dressing like I work in your front office, or you want me to blend in to my shopping demographic. There are geographic areas - like the one in which I live and shop - where you can't have it both ways.

I think the way some shoppers act, especially when there's a specific question that has to be asked, makes it obvious. This would be partly the responsibility of how well a shopper can play the part. I had one for a report that requires no odd questions, just looking for a cell phone, and the associate wrote "SHOPPER" twice on the business card. I have no idea what this shopper did or said but the associate definitely guessed...and tried to get the report thrown out.

Associates who do that are idiots, too. If I knew someone was a shopper, I'd give the best service I could and pat myself on the back when my perfect score came in.

There are certain scenarios that outs a shopper. Like hotels, when you have one night, but have to shop 5 food/drink venues, call frint desk 7 times-they are going to figure it out!!!

cubbiecat Wrote:
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> There are certain scenarios that outs a shopper.
> Like hotels, when you have one night, but have to
> shop 5 food/drink venues, call frint desk 7
> times-they are going to figure it out!!!

Hi. I'm an idiot. Do you have a toothbrush? I didn't bring mine. Or my toothpaste or hairbrush or deoderant. And do you have a razor? No, I'm not a shopper. Why do you ask?

My husband often tells me I will go to hell for lying (he hears me on the phone, setting up appointments for location shops or when doing phone shops). I tell him that I'm acting. Like a good actor, we need to know our part and be able to improvise. We need to know our motivation for our role and our back story.

The main difference, imho, is that as a shopper, we must also be discrete.

MsJudi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This brings to mind something that happened awhile
> ago that I always think about. I did a reveal shop
> once at the airport. After the reveal, the
> employee told me she had a feeling because I
> walked in alone and carried a big purse. She said
> shoppers always carry big purses. That's true of
> me, but what about the guys?? That was many years
> ago and now huge purses are in style, so everyone
> has one...not as obvious anymore I guess.

She was right. I always carried a big purse. But I gave up on the four inch high heels --- they hurt my feet.
Asking the clerk to speak into your top button on your shirt can be a give away. And I used to do a shop that had a "required question" that was supposed to be asked "exactly" as given. Talk about a tell! ("Does the build-it-yourself hamburger come with mayonnaise?"
I have always thought the clerk thought I was a shopper when I stood there staring at her chest (whoo, whoo) trying to read her nametag (which, of course, was "Zymnialia" and handwritten). Oy, the angst!

shopperinmn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
... When I dress in the
> required "business casual" to perform shops, I
> automatically stand out like a sore thumb amidst
> almost all other shoppers at the location. It's
> unfortunate that MSC's don't recognize that
> visually "representing our company" and "mystery
> shopping" are sometimes mutually exclusive. You
> either want me to represent your company by
> dressing like I work in your front office, or you
> want me to blend in to my shopping demographic.
> There are geographic areas - like the one in which
> I live and shop - where you can't have it both
> ways...

I don't often dress like the rest of the population so I am probably recognised when I visit a location. Just being recognised doesn't mean you are recognised as a shopper though. Just because they know I go to their establishment, gives no indication that I have an ulterior motive.

Chix Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I may just be paranoid, but oftentimes (even when
> I'm not shopping) I feel as if the personnel think
> that I AM a shopper.
>
> Maybe it is just me, idk.
>
> Sometimes I play it up, like when I went to a
> restaurant and "snuck" a look at her name
> tag...lol, I had tremendous service the rest of
> the time.
>
> Anyways, do you think we all fit a specific
> profile? For example, walking in the store
> differently or phrase questions differently than a
> regular customer. That is what I am referring to.

I think I feel the same way sometimes, but what's great is knowing that most of the time they have no clue and are not thinking about it at all!!