Just got back from a one of the new scenario FG shops.

While I was waiting for my meal, the manager walked up to the kitchen and announced to his employees that a Mystery Shop report came in today and how they got a really high score. He told one guy he was included in the report and they cheered and were so excited.

Little did they know who I was. . . . .. . . . . .since I shop that location quite often, I wonder if it was my report??

Hmmmm. . . . . .

Honestly though, I started to panic when I heard the word "mystery shopper" from the managers mouth, thinking I had been "made."
I'll make sure to leave that info off my report

Good idea.

I always like adding someone's name and giving them credit for being awesome. It's nice to hear one got extra congrats.

I tend to report what's relevant myself.

Maybe your report was the one they had.

The next few reports could get interesting- "Hey Joey! This report says that the mystery shopper overheard you telling us about the mystery shopper that was here and that we all did a great job! The mystery shopper thought the camaraderie shown while we were discussing the results of the mystery shop while the mystery shopper was within earshot was exceptional so...Wait... What was I saying?"

I work part time and the other employees will talk about the latest mystery shop. Kinda fun listening to them think they have identified the shopper. I don't if they are correct in identifying the shopper but they just know it was a shopper because "they just asked so many questions". After a shopper has been at the store, the same employees try to figure out who the employee was. Interesting to witness.

When I was doing a reveal shop once, the district manager happened to be standing behind me. He followed me outside and we had a short conversation. He said that many times people tell him they know who the shopper was. If they really did, he said, they would get better grades when shopped.

I shopped with my mom when I was a teenager. We placed an order for a pizza hut shop one time and were sitting and waiting. The manager gathered all the employees together while we were right there watching and told them, "We should be getting our mystery shopper sometime today, so make sure you are on top of your game!" Little did he know....

Lisadanielle Wrote:
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> I shopped with my mom when I was a teenager. We
> placed an order for a pizza hut shop one time and
> were sitting and waiting. The manager gathered
> all the employees together while we were right
> there watching and told them, "We should be
> getting our mystery shopper sometime today, so
> make sure you are on top of your game!"
> Little did he know....

Some of the restaurants I shop, I feel like I can tell that they are expecting a shopper just based on the way the managers interact.
I did a restaurant/bar shop on Monday and there were two managers actively moving around helping out non stop with every little thing. Typically when there are two managers, it's because one is a GM and knows a shopper will be in that day so they are on their top game.
Needless to say, all of the associates got very high scores. Unfortunately all the attention was focused on the dining room that someone forgot to check on the restroom and ALL of the stalls were empty of toilet paper and seat covers! Eeek. Would've been a perfect shop if not for that!

Anyway, ya I can usually tell when they "know" a shopper is supposed to be there.


Well last night, I sat down to write my report about this FG shop. I took out my recorder to get the details and such and straight up heard the part about "On Tuesday there was a mystery shopper.......bla bla report bla bla free lunch now" "really?!?" "Yup!" "Oh wow awesome" "bla bla" lol

I couldn't hear word for word because I was at a table and they were in the kitchen but yup. Interesting.

If the FG crew gets 100% on the shop, they split $350! I was on another non-msc assignment recently and had to go in the back. I saw the reports and asked about them (tee-hee-hee) like I had never heard of shopping. There were a couple of 100s, a 54 and a 70 on the board. The manager was happy to explain it to me!

I wonder if there's any gray area for that 100%. Like on the 1-10 rating of whether or not I'd recommend that location or go back, do they get 100% if I put a 9?

Do they get anything if they get a 95%?

Those FG teams are very aware of MSers. I have one particular manager that I'm sure suspects of me, but I quite don't care, since he is always enthusiastic and very active. I am sure that the motivation on his team is not just temporary every time I go into the restaurant. He usually gets very high grades, to the point in which the MSC had to contact me once and asked me if I had any relation to FG or the manager.

Hoju Wrote:
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> I wonder if there's any gray area for that 100%.
> Like on the 1-10 rating of whether or not I'd
> recommend that location or go back, do they get
> 100% if I put a 9?
>
> Do they get anything if they get a 95%?

From the way she spoke, it didn't sound like it. She said,
"If we get a hundred, the crew splits $350! That's an extra $60
for a shift!"

I'm pretty sure two of the 5 guys I shop know I'm the shopper. And they usually have a good idea when *someone* is coming.

I know when I used to do Exxon for the old MSC, there was one girl that told me that they had been cleaning all morning because they knew that someone was coming that day. I guess it wasn't hard to figure it out with the old MSC because the shops were visible until they were completed, but with 5 guys, I have no idea how they know, but they do.

At apartment shops there are at least two different management companies that have local level managers that give a bonus to leasing agents for OUTING the shopper before the report comes back.
They HATE with a passion the shoppers.

A lot depends on how many shoppers there are in your area. They get shopped twice a week, she said, one lunch and one dinner. What is the rotation on them? If someone can go in every week, they may have a clue.