I woke up this Monday morning and had all my ducks in a row. Paperwork was in my trusty red 3 ring binder and my day of airport shops was all set. If you've never done these, they're kind of neat. I buy a fully refundable ticket which lets me get past security. I'm scheduled a minimum of 3 hours. Scheduled 6 shops with 4 different MSPs. A credit card kiosk, a gadget place, sports shop, bar, and 2 restaurants, total $110. + $40. reimbursements.
My order of business is determined by daypart and concourse. My highest paying job, the credit card kiosk, is great. No employees showed up to work! Piece of cake report, just notifying the MSP of times, etc. Back and forth to this kiosk watching for employees, I did the bar shop, which required ordering a particular beer. The hard part was trying to drink at least some of it before lunch.
Everything's going great. Next is restaurant #1. Ordered my food and got a table in the food court that was great for observations, and making notes. As I'm enjoying the slight buzz from beer on an empty stomach, and starting to eat my 1st lunch, a man walks toward me with his tray to empty in the trash, which was directly behind me. He coughed, covered his mouth with one hand, at the same time as a child lost control of his bouncy ball, which landed on the man's plate, propelling it upwards off the tray. The next thing I knew, I was wearing barbequed brisket, creamed spinach and blueberry (?) something. Gross doesn't begin to cover it. The left side of my hair! The sleeve and back of my light blue sweater. Apologies and offers of help abound. I'm a mess, I stink, and I still have work to do. I gathered up my purse, stuffed paperwork into my "satchel" and hightailed it to the restroom.
There's just so much I could do. I looked a mess and still smelled. Trying to complete my remaining shops, I'm wondering how to blend in and not be spotted as a shopper. I stuck out like a sore thumb. I got through them, somehow. I'm sure there are morals to the story, and lessons to be learned. After getting home, cleaning up and working on reports, I get one question to be read only by corporate "Is there anything that would make our employees suspect you were a mystery shopper?" . . . My answer could have been phrased many ways. I decided on "No".
I needed to tell my story to those who would understand. Would enjoy reading yours!