I signed up for a restaurant shop and I see on the paperwork that they are trained to look for people using their cell phone to take notes?! The instructions said "Do not do this or you will be identified". Should I take this to mean that I am literally forbidden from using my phone to take notes?

Seriously? In this age of cell phones, with everyone texting or checking email or whatever, would I really stand out...???

If I can't use my phone what else can I do to help remember everything? The report is like 10 freakin' pages.

I don't think they have wifi so I'd look pretty silly (and memorable!) setting up my laptop.

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated!

I record my voice with my recorder discreetly.

I know lots play on their cellphones, but if the MSC says don't do it, don't do it. Good luck!

^^ This.. and then the staff will just think your a little bit loopy and talking to yourself silently.. Haha..

Just text yourself notes.. it wouldn't be any different than anything else.. perhaps they are trained to spot the 'note pad' apps that have the yellow page with lines.. that'd be easy to notice

Digital voice recorder tucked in with the girls. I also said certain things to be recognized for prompts when I have to replay to make sure timings are correct. Voice prompts as a part of normal dining experience keep you from looking like a freak talking to yourself. When sitting down, "This table looks good", when drinks are ordered, "I'm so thirsty" remembering waiter name, "What was your name again, ok great, Steven" Food is delivered, "This looks good" and so on...Down side...I have to listen to my boring dinner conversation again.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2014 10:19PM by SecretAgentMom.

Canuck, that only works if you remember the questions, lol.

dbcoop, I don't have an app, just the "memo" thing on my blackberry. It's just a plain white page/screen.

SecretAgentMom, that's good advice but I don't have a recorder small enough, and I don't have time to get one before this shop. I'm looking at some on amazon but I couldn't get anything delivered before next week.

I don't see how I can do this shop without being able to take some kind of notes along the way. I wonder if I can make notes ahead of time on a small notepad, and then call myself and leave a voicemail with the answers? Would that be obvious?

I had a "brilliant" idea and arranged for my DH to text me at a certain time, which would trigger a loud "ring tone", thus allowing me to "realistically" text back my notes.

He forgot.

(heart)

We are independent contractors; as long as our tools don't impact the outcome of the shop, the MSC cannot tell you which tools you can or can't use (that would make you an employee). Just be discrete.

If you really don't want to take notes on your phone, you can 1) write inside a crossword puzzle, or 2) cradle your phone to your ear and take notes on regular paper like someone on the phone is giving you information you need to write down.

peasantgirl Wrote:
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> SecretAgentMom, that's good advice but I don't
> have a recorder small enough, and I don't have
> time to get one before this shop.


I just picked one up at Walmart. I think it was about $30-40 and is about 4" x 2" x 1".

You can always try to remember small bits and go to the restroom and write them down real quick.

>
> SecretAgentMom, that's good advice but I don't
> have a recorder small enough, and I don't have
> time to get one before this shop. I'm looking at
> some on amazon but I couldn't get anything
> delivered before next week.

I have a recorder small enough but I don't have "girls" small enough so I do not tuck it in as when I move it turns the recorder off!!! or worse yet it could push the play button. Be careful if you are so endowed. I really like the recorder and I do have opportunities to speak "into it" when I am at the drink bar facing away from others and such places. I spent less than $20 on it about 10 years ago and it is still working fine. On a fast food I use a crossword puzzle + my recorder. I am not sure what type of dining you do but I do fine dining and even here where I live in one of the capitols of cell phones, using a cell phone at a nice fine dining restaurant does not happen much any more. if you took it out once during dinner you would be okay but multiple times I think not. There is a reverse trend recently where I live against being on the phone constantly.
>

I hope that trend moves across the country and at a rapid pace.

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> I hope that trend moves across the country and at
> a rapid pace.

And I heard this from a much younger demographic than I am in. 20 somethings! I also heard it on the news. It seems some people are finally getting fed up with being "reachable" all the time and are turning their phones off during certain activities. I have always been fed up with people chatting with others who are not with them while they are being fed.

I have been known to take a catalog. I pretend to be circling or browsing and take my notes in it. (Avon, LL Bean, etc..)

I'd just use my cellphone. Like you said, everyone uses their cellphone these days. I'm sure there are other who will disagree with me though..

I often use the old paper and pencil. I can pretend to be making a list or talking about my needs for a party with my dining partner. But I keep it out of sight and record only the most pertinent information.

stilllearning - haha, oops!

jonk - I like both those ideas! thx!

SecretAgentMom - I looked at WM online but didn't see anything appropriate. I might have to cruise through there tomorrow and see what they have in-store.

sandyf - You and SAM have helped me realize how I could disguise it. I was thinking I'd have to get something to go in a shirt pocket but now I think I'll just tuck it in my bra. Much more secure and less "movement" noise. I used a small videocam in my jacket pocket during an oil change shop, just for the audio benefit, for reminders when I was turning in the report. Anyway, I walked around a lot while waiting and all you can hear on the playback is "swish swish swish". LOL

gigishoppper - maybe I could slip my reminder notes into a magazine?

jpgilham - So tempting!!

Insight - Yeah, hopefully I won't have to use it much, but I'm new which means I'm going to be nervous which means I'm gonna forget things like times or names, etc. Simply having it, and knowing I can use it if I need to, will make me less nervous which will (hopefully) make me less likely to screw up

I'm still trying to figure out who the girls are and how you all do McDonald's with them.

If they specifically state no cell phone, you do run the risk of having your report rejected for not following the rules.

The nicer the restaurant, the more likely I think it is to mess up any timings by being on the phone. The staff will have probably been trained to not interrupt you, so may delay a beverage delivery or check back because they see you on the phone.

That said, I often put the phone face down on the table when I sit and record the whole meal without touching my phone. I put it in airplane mode to be sure I don't get calls or texts.

i make my own cheat sheets.. some r small enough to fit into my appointment book. For restaurants, I use my cheat sheet that I use abbreviations from my medical background Also, I can write backwards very well

I haven't done this but couldn't you put your phone or recorder in a small clutch purse and set it on the table to record? I have had my phone recording in my big purse and picked it up and hugged it and talked to it. (Pretty smooth huh?)

Take a magazine with a sodoku or crosswords and pretend to do those and make notes in them.

I think I may know of the shop you are talking about, and at first wondered what would be the big deal in pulling out a cell phone. Many people have one, but when I went to do the shop and observed the other customers, I noticed just about no one had their cell phone out. Most people were eating, and having conversations with their partners. I did the shop again, and noticed just about the same thing except maybe two young people doing something on a cell phone, but most people not. Perhaps this is the reason they are not allowed, and why they think you will be identified if you use one.

Though as I sat at my table munching away, observing both the restaurant staff, and someone else using their phone, I wondered if they suspected that person of being a mystery shopper while the real one was not using one.

I use to use a digital voice recorder, and sometimes still do, that I put in a pocket in my purse (or sweater) with no keys and set it on the booth/seat closest to the server.

I have found that the voice memo recorder on my iPhone records even better though so I have used that many times as well.
But typically I use my cell phone because I honestly think it's ridiculous when they say that workers are trained to look for people on their cell phones. I swear, at least where I live, 90% of the people at casual restaurants are on their cell phones anyways. Especially these days.
There is one location I frequently shop out that states that exact thing (do not take notes on your cell phone) ect. I typically take my iPad mini out and play games or go back and fourth between apps, casually putting in notes or I do it on my phone.

For someone my age, where I live (younger female in Southern California), employees would be suspicious if I was not on my phone.
It's the sad truth.

I generally try to wear something with a pocket in the shirt and put my recorder there. But since my "girls" are all grown up, the pocket needs to be a certain type or else it will look really weird. I also have a small material purse that I sling across my body because I just have trouble finding shirts with pockets for someone my size that look good. I am not heavy but I am endowed. I shortened the cord on the purse so it does not hang so low. I use this when I have to order at a counter and then I put it on the table next to me. The pocket seems to work really well. Sometimes if the place is really noisy, just having the recorder closer to my lips picks everything up.

Well, now you got me worried. If you can tell me which shop you're talking about, and if you're right, then I will definitely think twice (or 3 or 4 times) about using the phone. The problem is not recording but of using a list of reminders of what I'm supposed to be looking for. I'm so new at this and don't want to mess up, so up til now I have always put a "cheat sheet" on my phone's memo pad. There's the obvious stuff you check at every shop, but every shop has it's quirky requirements, and it's those little details that I'm afraid I'll forget.

The thing is, this shop doesn't have locations near me so it's not somewhere I'm real familiar with. I have no idea if the "typical" diner is on the phone much.

I think I'll just have to go with making notes in a Sudoku book. Just hope I don't get carried away with the Sudoku puzzle, lol. They're addictive!

And Snoopy, you reminded me of something....I've done similar work (not MS'ing) for years where I drove around with a clipboard and camera and forms/checklists on the passenger seat, and now I have to wonder about every time I went through a drive-through....was the cashier wondering if I was a mystery shopper? LOL



Snoopy4678 Wrote:
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> I think I may know of the shop you are talking
> about, and at first wondered what would be the big
> deal in pulling out a cell phone. Many people have
> one, but when I went to do the shop and observed
> the other customers, I noticed just about no one
> had their cell phone out. Most people were eating,
> and having conversations with their partners. I
> did the shop again, and noticed just about the
> same thing except maybe two young people doing
> something on a cell phone, but most people not.
> Perhaps this is the reason they are not allowed,
> and why they think you will be identified if you
> use one.
>
> Though as I sat at my table munching away,
> observing both the restaurant staff, and someone
> else using their phone, I wondered if they
> suspected that person of being a mystery shopper
> while the real one was not using one.

Tucking the recorder in between the girls isn't the problem. I found out the underwire can activate the replay button if I turn my torso the wrong way. Luckily no one was near enough to hear it. Had to get a non-underwire just for shopping.

cvb42jeb Wrote:
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> Tucking the recorder in between the girls isn't
> the problem. I found out the underwire can
> activate the replay button if I turn my torso the
> wrong way. Luckily no one was near enough to hear
> it. Had to get a non-underwire just for shopping.


And I bet the guys thought they had all the problems. From what I read their major problem is not getting caught staring at chests in order to read name tags. And I can see where that might be an issue. They must be getting an eyeful reading this discussion of the girls.

Recorders might be a problem in my state when not agreed upon by both parties in advance (regardless of MS company assurances). I take notes inside my really big purse. It looks like I am searching for something. Ducking into the restroom for a few quick notes is helpful. Jotting notes in a magazine/puzzle/ballot also works. Jotting notes on a fake shopping list works too. In these cases, you can also correct names/descriptions/timings/numbers more easily than if you memorialized them on a device. I also use just plain memory..........so good for the brain.

Kathy, I've done about 50 recorded [video w/audio] in two party consent states in 2013. I've had the assurance of the MSC in writing and, so far, I haven't had any problems. If the MSC tells you that the employees have signed a release where they understand that they might be recorded at work, then I believe you're operating in good faith. It's easy enough to ask a lawyer to verify.