Reporting - Truth of Joke
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I have found 99% of clients/editors/schedulers want to hear the truth about a shop - even all the "gory" details. But there is still that 1% that do NOT care what happened, they want what they want to hear and will downgrade your shopper rating, terminate shopping eligibility or otherwise make life miserable if you stick by your report. I have resolved this issue by sticking by my report and then refusing to complete any further shops for those clients (no matter which MSP they transfer to). I have had personal experience with this situation completing FF/casual dining shops mostly. Although there was one HBA store that is owned by a larger bath company that was problematic in terms of what they "wanted" to hear.
I had one recently I was concerned about reporting. I called/emailed/chatted with the company prior to submitting. I was "Told" how to report it and I did. It did not reflect what actually happened.
Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.
I'm still learning 24/7.
I, too, have had this happen. I wrote a bad report on a company and an assistant manager. She then said that I did not even go to do the shop. I had written a bogus report. I asked the shopping company to look at the video to see if I had been there. They said they had requested this from the client. This was in September and I was deactivated. When I asked if this was justice to be accused without easily found out facts, I was told that when they respond with the video,I will be reinstated. I will not hold my breath on this one. ICCDS.
A challenged report is always a nightmare. I find that the challenge generally originates at the store level. Thus far I have had enough specific information in my notes to nail the coffin nicely. The problem for me happens when the MSP is too frightened of their client to send along a report where the employees just weren't doing what they were supposed to do on request. They would rather take their chances with another shopper who would either luck out or lie.
Challenges to reports I've submitted have, 95% of the time, been negative reports-that is, the employee did not do what he was supposed to do. Product or facility failings do not garner the same attention as an associate not doing things by the book. When I submit a report where there have been problems with the employee, I make darn sure to paint a complete picture, and am able to address any question that comes my way after submitting.
I don't want to put anyone's employment in jeopardy, but I never answer less than honestly.
I don't want to put anyone's employment in jeopardy, but I never answer less than honestly.
My experience has been a tendency to get higher scores on reports that are negative. I would guess this is because when a problem is reported the narrative is more detailed. When they do everything correct or the location is spotless and perfect I feel the client and the MSC wonders if you were really that observant. A side note, if I was not really there why do I have a receipt with the time and date on it? I'm expecting a challenge on a recent shop, it was a shop, reveal and then audit. The employee did not ask the correct questions and when I revealed to the manager and informed her all had not gone well she was not happy with me. She wasn't upset with the employee, she was upset with me. After some unpleasant words from the manager she retreated with the employee to the backroom and I didn't see them for the rest of the audit which lasted about 20 minutes.
That is why on most audits you simply give them a 'success' or 'you were shopped' sheet and keep the downside conversation to no more than, "Better luck next time." It never pays to get into a pissing match with them. I assume they know what they are supposed to do and luckily most of the time they do it. The gentle hints for a good shop next time are usually on the 'you were shopped' sheet so I have no feeling of obligation to explain what they did and did not do and indeed am not supposed to. Certainly on the 'success' shops it is nice to be able to smile really big and say, 'Congratulations, you did exactly what you were supposed to do!' If I sense that the manager is going to give the employee a hard time I am likely to say something like, "She was very sweet and very helpful but she just forgot this month's criteria." Smile, smile, smile, get the rest of the observations done and make tracks.
I had that one too where I handed the 'I was here or you were shopped' sheet. Even I offered no more discussion of the evaluation with all due respect and sorry for the result, the employee/manager was still threatening me. I put that in the report as this went beyond the impolite zone. I vowed to myself I would not go back to this location ever again. This company was good though and appreciated the fact.
The one I posted originally up there; I'm considering to dumb them. The pay was little and the shop was not first request first serve. I got the same location since I've started which was a year ago. I wish they would take turn for other shoppers to visit this one and I get to visit others. The scheduler was ok. They have many editors for different shops in the company. The editor/grader I encountered seem to play politic with the result which is sad as I like their shop.
The one I posted originally up there; I'm considering to dumb them. The pay was little and the shop was not first request first serve. I got the same location since I've started which was a year ago. I wish they would take turn for other shoppers to visit this one and I get to visit others. The scheduler was ok. They have many editors for different shops in the company. The editor/grader I encountered seem to play politic with the result which is sad as I like their shop.
I think ultimately each of us ends up with a reveal that makes us uncomfortable. I had one where the manager was announcing loudly to the customers in the store that I was, "Another one of those Mystery Shoppers sent in to lie about me. Lady, just do your job but this time don't tell lies!" Luckily I got it all on DVR and it was reported verbatim in the report. Photos of the cesspool that was that location don't lie and I understand the guy got a reprimand as he was reasonably polite the next time I was in there on a shop.
Don't know that I would have wanted to go back there, but at least the manager showed improvement - as a result of mystery shopping.
It is part of a quarterly gig that pays reasonably well and he fits in a route of them so it is kind of hard to resist. This location I reported 'unusual' activity in the text on one round with photographs of pretty obviously illegal activity included in the required site photos. Evidently home office didn't pay much attention. The following quarter's report was that the location was closed with links to the news story about the police bust for drugs, weapons and counterfeit merchandise. Still home office isn't getting it because the same turkeys are still there though by now very polite and the place cleaned up some. I wished I was doing a shop there when I drove by the other day and they now have a tent up selling "Sham*Wows" which I feel sure are knock offs and gee, was that boxes of 'Nikes' under the card table again???
Flash my philosophy is "Kill them with kindness", I have been in situations were people have been in my face screaming and I just smile and thank them for the different opinion on the situation. My wife has asked me why didn't you take there head off? Because its more fun to watch them yell while I stand there and smile. When you dont react in the slightest to there anger they get even more frustrated.
The revealed audit was one of those times I congratulated the manager for having a clean well organized store and commented how polite the employee was but she was more fixed on how this would reflect on her and when she asked if I would leave and come back or just "fudge the report" I told her that wouldnt be professional of me. This is the point she started on the rant and I just went about my business complimenting her managerial abilities. The frustration of getting no reaction from me finally got to her and the fact she ran out of things to complain about, she retreated to the backroom and I was left alone in the store for the audit. And yes the DVR was running the entire time. God I love this job!!!!
The revealed audit was one of those times I congratulated the manager for having a clean well organized store and commented how polite the employee was but she was more fixed on how this would reflect on her and when she asked if I would leave and come back or just "fudge the report" I told her that wouldnt be professional of me. This is the point she started on the rant and I just went about my business complimenting her managerial abilities. The frustration of getting no reaction from me finally got to her and the fact she ran out of things to complain about, she retreated to the backroom and I was left alone in the store for the audit. And yes the DVR was running the entire time. God I love this job!!!!
Yup, I'm in the same boat Iowashopper and it is certainly a lot easier to smile with the DVR running 
In my career I often enough dealt with unhappy people who were redirecting their anger at me for things that were not at all my responsibility or fault, so although it can be upsetting it doesn't 'stick' so I know well how to keep from blushing, flushing or responding. I don't go so far as complimenting them on what they do right if they are on a rampage. But generally on a reveal I try to interact as little as possible because I would rather be unremarkable at all.
I am amused because the gas station with the counterfeit goods just showed up on my radar within the past hour and I have requested it.
In my career I often enough dealt with unhappy people who were redirecting their anger at me for things that were not at all my responsibility or fault, so although it can be upsetting it doesn't 'stick' so I know well how to keep from blushing, flushing or responding. I don't go so far as complimenting them on what they do right if they are on a rampage. But generally on a reveal I try to interact as little as possible because I would rather be unremarkable at all.
I am amused because the gas station with the counterfeit goods just showed up on my radar within the past hour and I have requested it.
Unfortunately I did not get them with the "Sham*Wows' tent because I was out of rotation. I still do them every time they show up on my rotation. The 'cast of characters' at the store changed significantly on my last visit. The few remaining folk had made great strides in cleaning up their act. The place no longer had 20s males loitering, 'being too cool' and probably up to something. There was evidence of some elbow grease having been applied, and although it is still not a place where I would use the restroom or purchase foodstuffs except a bottled drink I had examined the screw cap on, there was progress. When I drove by a month or so ago they were filling potholes in the parking lot that have been in my reports for 3-4 years. I get to go visit them again in July.
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