I had a HUGE shop that paid $70! It was for a large retail store. I had to go and evaluate just about every department of the store, which included a child's play area and a restaurant. I had to make a purhcase and do a return, inquire about home delivery, and more. Something like 20 different employee interactions. It was a difficult shop to say the least, but because I do like going to this store, and I had to go there anyway, I figured for $70 why not.

After about an hour into the shop, I knew I was going to have a problem. I had to get EVERY employee name, even if it meant asking them for it. All of the employees had name tags, but most were covered with a jacket (it was cold) or turned around. I asked them their names, but due to the area I was in, they either had a heavy accent, or they were from an ethnic area and had a name I had never heard of and could not understand, short of saying "And how do I spell that?" Needless to say, getting every employee's name became a problem for me, so I took notes on very detailed descriptions. I spent 3+ HOURS at this store gathering all the information.

Just for an idea how detailed this shop is, there were about 280 multiple-part (!) questions PLUS narratives.

The guidelines state you can miss a maximum of three names (out of 20 or so) and once I started entering information I realized I had better email the scheduler and let them know what happened before I put more time into it. The reply was they cannot guarantee that I will get paid, but they want me to continue entering the information in hopes that I will.

I feel like a scheduler should know what the general outcome is from a client, or at least have a contact with the company.

I've already spent 4 hours on this shop, and I'm guessing it will take another 2 to put the rest of the information in, with no guarantee of payment.

What would you do?

Finish it. Give descriptives and explanations of how nametags were not visible - under a jacket, obscured by long hair, no nametag worn, etc. I have been scolded a few times for attempting to spell names that were not familiar to me, containing many letters. The explanation was simply that I would have called attention to myself staring at the nametag an inordinate length of time to get every letter correct. If your report is answered fully, you should hope to get paid. I would rather risk not being paid as opposed to being labelled a flake.

This is why I love wearing a good microphone. It gives me a second chance to do the best I can to interpret the growl into something that looks like a proper name.

Seriously, though, you are out no $ so it really becomes a toss up whether you finish entering the report. I would put in names for all of them to the best of my ability with (?) after those where I couldn't tell what the heck the guy/gal said. You do have everything to gain by guessing and you are already heavily time invested in the shop.

It will also prove interesting, now that you have notified the scheduler of the issues and why they existed (name tags under coats, turned over name tags) to see to what extent they work with you. Obviously the client requires name tags. Obviously the client needs to state/restate policy to staff as to how nametags are to be worn. There are a number of MSPs that will go to the limit with you on stuff like this to make sure you get paid even when there were issues obviously beyond your control. There are other MSPs that take an 'up yours' attitude if all requirements are not strictly performed. You probably know already which kind of MSP this is that you are dealing with.

I currently have an issue with an MSP because when I started to fill out my report there was a 'requirement' which was not in the instructions or on the sample questionnaire. Because it was NOT in that information, I am in theory entitled to payment because THAT was what I contracted for. But that is not the way this outfit sees it. So, I put in the date and time of visit and saved and have emailed them because they have not paid me in the past for shops where everything went fine except I was unable to get a name, even though I transcribed exactly what the sales person told me when I asked, "Who should I ask for" and ultimately specifically asked for a name. They have also never paid for a closed location even though I had called the previous day for store hours and there was an overnight disaster that closed the store. When I have in writing that they will honor the shop without the additional requirement, I will enter my findings.

Here lately I have had issues w/ name tags...its winter time, it cold snowy or rainy here...car hops wear jackets so u can't see name tags....yet I got 3 calls after my report was turned in asking for a name. "The tall dark burnette was wearing very lg hoop earings, lots of make-up and had a baseball league jacket on"...hmmm any other suggestions?
dee

Sadly, it's too late. They took the shop away before I could even reply. What a waste that was. Honestly I am really sick this week so I am not up to the fight while I sit here with a fever. Off to to the company forum board I go. Thank you for the replies.

I know what you mean about names, but thankfully I haven't missed one in over 200 shops.I'm older and play the deaf on one ear game really well. I ask what did you say your name was, I'm deaf on my right ear. Or, I go to someone else in the department or area and ask, "I think I know that person from somewhere, what's his/her name? No, I don't recall that name." And as you say, some of the names and nametags are hopeless to read. If covered up, I usually say something like, "you've been very helpful, what is your name?" The old cogger routine helps me alot!

I said "and what is your name?" then "thank you ____, you've been very helpful"

But when their name is Sarentrina (which is a beautiful name that I actually encountered there and got from a name tag) and they speak with a spanish or urban accent,forget it! I coudln't come up with that.

So I was supposed to somehow figure out what the employees' names were without asking them how to spell it. The shop guidelines actually said to discreetly ask for their names, but don't make-up a bogus name.

I never had this problem before in 9 years.

Now I know why they were paying so much and were bonused. What a waste of my time.

I did a shop in Massachusetts for the company that you are describing here. I was told that the company did not accept the shop as the names that I entered were bogus and that one of the names did not work in the department that I had noted.
Of course not, he was passing through the department. It was one that I drove 90 miles to do and I am accused of doing something illegally. I know who you are talking about and the shop is a shop from Hell. It takes three hours to do every department, take all the names, get all the numbers from furniture samples, purchase something and return it and then write up a long detailed report. And then not get paid. I will pass on this Swedish company.

Wow, I feel for you. I agree with the person who said finish it and be descriptive. I use a digital recorder with most of my shops. I have a bad memory and it really helps. There are a shops I do that really require detail and all I do is pretty much enter word for word what is on the recorder. I usually end up getting 9 and 10 out of 10 on my reports.

Your best bet is probably what others have already said, just say it how it was down to the tiniest detail like you could not understand what they said their name was and that you did not ask a second time if that was the case for fear you would reveal yourself as a mystery shopper. They always say don't do anything to reveal your identity.

Wow good luck.

Has anyone here been faulted for getting all the names but spelling some wrong? A DVR helps here, except with the correct spelling.

Totally unrelated: I had amusing grocery shop a few weeks ago. I had a charming, helpful young lady in the fruit dept, but her name tag said "Dennis." She said she had lost her tag, so Dennis had given her his. So I asked her for her name. I suspect they were actually amusing themselves..

I ended up not completing the shop becuase they cancelled it on me. They emailed me in the afternoon and I did not reply immediately (because I was sick I did not check email that afternoon). The next morning I saw both the first email and the cancellation email.

Drlloyd, I know exactly what you mean. Employees are all over the store and I did the same thing you did. I "grabbed one" who was walking through the marketplace section because it was the only employee I could find. I bet they did not work in that department either. I was contemplating what to do, but I now know that this shop would not have been paid, so I am glad I did not finish it.

Susan: They have a standard of ethics for shoppers and God forbid that a miscreant shopper, (like all of us) falls prey to them. Where is the standard of ethics for msc. The answer is forgetit. I did 184 shops for a major msc and then I had a complaint from one client that said that I was not there in the proper time slot. That was 6 months ago and I am de activated until the video of the shop that would prove that I was there is submitted to the msc by the client. After numerous requests and promises to provide it, it has not shown up. Meanwhile, I cannot do shops due to an unhappy client that I wrote a bad report on. The moral of this story is, the client pays the msc and if they are unhappy, the msc does not get them as a client. We as shoppers are expendable even if we have 9 ratings. Remember that we are considered as not important and we are treated as such. Maybe the UAW would take us on and unionize us. Would that not be a hoot.

Having to rely on the video to prove a shopper's position is a double-edged sword. In actuality, clients don't want to expend manpower viewing the video; it's more cost-effective to challenge the shopper's evaluation, which often results in the MSP rejecting it. But, in the event the video would be viewed, the shopper's anonymity is blown, in which case the shopper would be excluded for future shops at that location.

Can you just imagine if we were unionized? OMG!

Not possible; we're not employees.

Mert--good about the video. I had an argument about the time I entered, and watching the video might have proven I was wrong. Instead they argued with me awhile, and then agreed with me that the cash register had the wrong time.

There is actually a union of freelancers, which is basically what we are. Although it is not going to be a union such as the Teamsters negotiating our contracts, there can be insurance coverage and some wider ranging lobbying.

[www.freelancersunion.org]

Am I a member? No. But I do find the notion vaguely interesting.

I'm a member, but the health insurance is more than I'm paying myself.

I don't take a tape recorder unless required to do so. I can't imagine doing the shop twice (once in person and the second time by listening to the recorder).

I just laughed out loud at the thought of doing that shop from hell twice!! It took 3 hours in the store, I just can't imagine...

I still recevie emails that they are looking for someone to do that shop. I guess the word is out how awful it is. Actually, the shop itself wasn't bad for the price, it was the report and the inability for the MSP or their client to "bend" on an impossible situation.