I posted yesterday that an employee who had not done her job properly said that I had said several things that I had not. I had recorded it so I could prove I didn't do it. However, the scheduler said that the company reviewed their tapes of my visit and confirmed what she said but what was really interesting to me was that they identified me as a female wearing a black top with long black hair in a ponytail.

I am a female but that's where it ends. I don't own a black top and I am blonde. I never wear my hair in a ponytail. The scheduler said they confirmed what the employee said and what I had said but no mention was made of my strong accent.... I would have thought that would have been a strong identifier.

In my 6 year mystery shopping career I have been identified twice and both times they identified me by my accent. Can't argue with that...

At any rate I cannot shop the location again because I have been identified but it baffles me how they can clearly have the wrong person even with my receipt...

What did they say when you told them they were wrong? I also do not understand how they would know what was or wasn't said. Most video surveillance in banks, retail stores, etc., is just that, video only. Was discounting the shop so important they hired a lip reader as well?

I agree - you were not identified. You could shop there again and again based on who they think the shopper is.

Liz

i think this is a lousy msc because they should of told
the client that they did not identify the correct person.

Exactly what I was thinking. I also did not think that they had audio. MSC is not fighting it though they just said that the company had reviewed the tapes and confirmed what the employee said.

I'm not naming the MSC because they are a large company that frequents this forum and have posted from time to time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2013 12:53AM by jpgilham.

I know this is an obvious question, but I have to ask....Did you send, or does the MSC have, your picture?

(heart)

no the MSC does not have my picture.... perhaps I should send it.

I have a question....do they review every mystery shop or is random or just the ones that didn't go well?

LisaStl,

Too funny! Lip reader!

I always have voice recorder with me during MS. It helps me to verify exact timing and what an associate told if I do not remember everything, but I see it may also be helpful in potential disputes. This is not a big investment and if you do a lot of MS it may really be helpful.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2013 01:34AM by kevo.

Something definitely sounds shady. Maybe the client is lying to the MSC for some reason?

It's almost like an "open and shut case." The door is shut on you. The client is siding with the "blind" cashier. This really hurts the shoppers credibility, when the client sides with the employee and dismisses the entire report from the honest shopper.

SunnyDays that's exactly how I feel. Of course, if the client doesn't want me back there then the MSC has no choice but to concede but yes, the employee did not ask me something she was supposed to ask me. Apparently she got into trouble for it and made up a story about it and the client has completely accepted her story. I have proof to the contrary and I have sent it to the scheduler but I've heard nothing back as of right now.

1) The manager of the location is lying, or at the very least is turning a blind eye to the outright lie of the employee, so that the manager doesn't catch the crap from corporate for a bad report.
2) jpgilham can prove it, both with a photo of self and with the voice recording.
3) The MSC knows that jpgilham can prove it, and knows that the manager is lying.
4) jpgilham knows (as do the rest of us) that the MSC knows, or else jpgilham would have been deactivated by the MSC for filing a fraudulent report.
5) The MSC is accepting the fabrication of the manager because the MSC can't afford to call out the manager and risk riling and losing the client.
6) The MSC will still get paid by the client for this shop, because the MSC will send another shopper.
7) The only loss to the MSC is the time invested in jpgilham's shop, i.e. the scheduling, the minimal follow-up with jpgilham, and the half hour spent on the phone being lied to by the manager.
8) The MSC will keep 2-4 times what they pay the second shopper as their payment from the client for this shop.
9) The MSC should grow a pair and man up by...
10) Telling jpgilham that they don't want the photo, don't want the voice recording, and aren't going to ask to see or hear the in-store video because they can't afford to stand up to the client, and...
11) The MSC should pay jpgilham from their own "profits" for the shop, thank jpgilham for understanding, and reiterate their assurance that jpgilham is welcome to shop other locations for this client and all other clients that they serve.

I truly hope the MSC does right by this high caliber veteran shopper. What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? The same as an MSC that gains profit while shafting an honest shopper.

I am sorry that you had that experience. The MSC should have backed you up because you have proven they were wrong.
My respect for that MSC would have gone south fast.

One of the reasons I am not too crazy about completing a report where the shopper has to describe her/himself, is
that the report is shown to the employees. What would stop them from saying they recognized a shopper when the
rating is not acceptable since the description is all there on the report? Normally, the MSC has the picture of the shopper and full description on the profile.

In the case of the OP, they gave the wrong description, why are they penalyzing her? I would not do any more shop for
that MSC. Your reputation and work history should be your best defense.

Well I've given it a lot of thought and the MSC cannot afford to risk anything with this large client. Mystery shoppers however are a dime a dozen. Unfortunately, we are completely dispensable. If one of us is gone there is always another to take our place. I'm not upset that I can't shop this location again, although it's nearby so it's an annoyance but I do wonder why the client bothers paying to have their locations mystery shopped when they're simply going to side with the employee when something is found out...

I wish you'd name the MSC.

this reminds me of the girl recently who tells me anytime she
gets a negative report she just challenges it and wins and ends
up with a near or perfect score. Too bad I was there on a revealed
inspection sent in to find out what was going on there because
of the issues.

11) The MSC should pay jpgilham from their own "profits" for the shop, thank jpgilham for understanding, and reiterate their assurance that jpgilham is welcome to shop other locations for this client and all other clients that they serve.


This company should pay you. So sorry this b.s. is going on especially when you are nothing like the woman in the video they claim was the mystery shopper.

It all goes back to contracts. If the MSC wants or needs to kiss ass to keep the client that is certainly their prerogative and between them and their client. Meanwhile, we have the contract between them and their vendor. You have not only fulfilled the contract, you also have the recording to back up your story. There is no reason for them to withhold payment from you. If they try to say you won't be paid because they have to pay another shopper, tough. The reshop is not actually required since they got a solid report from the first shop. If they end up having to send 15 different shoppers in there to satisfy that client, it is their problem.

I recently did a shop, and either the rep I talked to got me mixed up with another customer or just lied to her manager, and my report was challenged. One of points could easily have been verified by reviewing the video tapes, and I think they did after I suggested it. Anyway, after some back and forth with the MSC, which could not have been more wonderful, the client came back with more information. The rep said things that totally did not happen and that I did not say during this shop. I really think she has me confused with someone else--her statements to her manager were so far off base.

Anyway, I stood by my report and gave the reasons why, and the MSC stood by me. I knew the client was giving them a hard time and I felt bad that they had to deal with it, but I wasn't going to change my report when I knew what I had reported was true....

kevo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I always have voice recorder with me during MS. It
> helps me to verify exact timing and what an
> associate told if I do not remember everything,
> but I see it may also be helpful in potential
> disputes. This is not a big investment and if you
> do a lot of MS it may really be helpful.


Do you live in a one-party state? It is illegal in many states.

Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> kevo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I always have voice recorder with me during MS.
> It
> > helps me to verify exact timing and what an
> > associate told if I do not remember everything,
> > but I see it may also be helpful in potential
> > disputes. This is not a big investment and if
> you
> > do a lot of MS it may really be helpful.
>
>
> Do you live in a one-party state? It is illegal
> in many states.

Also, at least one MSC tells shoppers they *cannot* record shops (maybe it is just one particular type of shop) or they risk not getting paid.

DrSquash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Also, at least one MSC tells shoppers they
> *cannot* record shops (maybe it is just one
> particular type of shop) or they risk not getting
> paid.


May I ask what type of shop that is?

Sadly you have a store that is not accepting a fail. There are a few companies along that way that do that and refuse payment if the store says "No we did it correct." Fair- positively not. Perhaps the manager bonus depends on a 100% positive report.

Ishmael Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DrSquash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Also, at least one MSC tells shoppers they
> > *cannot* record shops (maybe it is just one
> > particular type of shop) or they risk not
> getting
> > paid.
>
>
> May I ask what type of shop that is?

One MSC prohibited recording when shopping Morton's Steakhouse. If a recording device was discovered, the shopper would not be paid, and would be terminated.

Mert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ishmael Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------

> >
> >
> > May I ask what type of shop that is?
>
> One MSC prohibited recording when shopping
> Morton's Steakhouse. If a recording device was
> discovered, the shopper would not be paid, and
> would be terminated.

Thank you! I wonder what the reason is. Of course, they wouldn't want to promote breaking the law, in two-party consent states, but other than that, I wonder what objection they'd have to greater accuracy. (Obviously, there must be a reason other than the way I phrased it.)

I'm in a one-party state and if I name the client you will certainly know who the MSC is and vice versa. It's such a huge and popular one.

Perhaps this employee will get what is coming to her when the client's retail shop start costing them money. The employee may be a family member of the clients' and the MSC have no way of knowing that.

I would assume the MSC has not countered negative actions from this client in the past and this is the first. The MSC should put on alert dealings with this client retail shop. If it happens more than once to "US" shoppers than the client is only looking at their bottom line. Then, I would avoid all shops for this client regardless of whom the MSC is. One does not employ the attributes of MS to find something wrong with MS shoppers.

Although you can't "shop" this location again, there is nothing stopping you from patronizing this location on your own dime.(If you want to). I would be surprise to see the action or the character of this employee on a regular basis, afterall, she did not identify you as a shopper.