New Five Guys shop
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I did one. Felt real dumb calling ahead, waiting the 10 minutes, then getting my food and eating it in the restaurant. Why they try and make us look so obvious, I have no clue.
My pointer....hope it's busy and they don't notice you sticking around for those 15 minutes.
My pointer....hope it's busy and they don't notice you sticking around for those 15 minutes.
I do 5 Guys on a regular basis. I have to call ahead to confirm the hours of operation. The only time I have to call ahead for anything else is if it's the late night time frame. They want to make sure they haven't closed the store early. I love the place! The food is great, the atmosphere is fantastic, the workers at all the spots I do have always been great and I get paid PLUS reimbursed for the meal! I'll take a free lunch/dinner anyday!
I plan on NOT doing these because I was already identified as the shopper once and thrown out of the program for a couple of years. Totally stupid to call ahead and then eat in the restaurant. Might as well wear a sign "MYSTERY SHOPPER". Nobody does that in any of the ones I shop, just as their previous notion of standing at pickup until your meal is ready was stupid because nobody does that.
Lawaangel, be careful to look at the guidelines for the next one you pick up, they have changed them to make you call your order in.
I do them on a regular basis too and almost missed the change they made. Stupid change, as I stated earlier.
Flash, yes I always felt like a complete idiot standing there with my empty cup and watching them while everyone else sat done and ate peanuts. Just put a sign on my head already.
I do them on a regular basis too and almost missed the change they made. Stupid change, as I stated earlier.
Flash, yes I always felt like a complete idiot standing there with my empty cup and watching them while everyone else sat done and ate peanuts. Just put a sign on my head already.
I am POSITIVE they review video tapes at 5 guys. Too strange for them to say last time you had pickles, no pickles today?
I just went to check the one I assigned for next weekend... thankfully it's NOT one with that new asinine scenario! 
Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.
And what person with no life watches the food being prepared like a hungry tiger?
Their shops where you visit just before closing are another "I am the mystery shopper" moment.
I actually LOVE the new ones. I did one yesterday and they're so much easier and you cut out all the BS. The way I understand it is you're supposed to call in an order and then arrive at the time it's quoted to be done. That way your shop time is cut down 6-8 minutes AND you don't have to stand at the counter looking like a total moron waiting on your burger. I wish they were ALL call ahead.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
@Bgriffin - Any tips on how to smoothly transition from calling in the order (like take out) to sitting and eating for 15 minutes?
I just signed up for my first call ahead tomorrow and thought it seemed pretty awkward.
I just signed up for my first call ahead tomorrow and thought it seemed pretty awkward.
I just walked in, paid, they immediately handed my bag and drink to me, and I sat down and ate. They didn't ask and if they thought it was weird they didn't act like it.
I honestly thought it seemed awkward too, until I did it and was like OMG I LOVE THESE.
I honestly thought it seemed awkward too, until I did it and was like OMG I LOVE THESE.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
I was in on the pilot for the phone and internet order. At that time we were required to carry it out the door. I complained that there was no place near by to eat, and this is not eat in your car food. Sorry!
~
up, up, down, down, left, right,left,right, B,A, start.
up, up, down, down, left, right,left,right, B,A, start.
This is a location where staff knows me (it's really close to the theatre I work at so I stop in sometimes even when I'm not on a shop), so I'm anticipating that bit will be easy. I'll see tomorrow, I guess!
I just did one the other day. The shop went smoothly and was very easy, but the report is so long! Some short narratives and mostly check boxes, but it took me a while. (But I was multi-tasking at the time. At least I discovered that I like the BLTs!)
I did not feel awkward at all, because
#1--If a customer is in a time crunch, you want your food ready asap.
#2--It took quite a while for customers who ordered at the counter to get their food, which adds
believability to #1.
#3--Everyone in the place was alone and looked suspicious! I was looking around to try and figure
out who the mystery shopper was, and it was ME!
Another thing: Do the employees know that the scenario has changed? If not, they probably aren't
suspicious at all.
I did not feel awkward at all, because
#1--If a customer is in a time crunch, you want your food ready asap.
#2--It took quite a while for customers who ordered at the counter to get their food, which adds
believability to #1.
#3--Everyone in the place was alone and looked suspicious! I was looking around to try and figure
out who the mystery shopper was, and it was ME!
Another thing: Do the employees know that the scenario has changed? If not, they probably aren't
suspicious at all.
*********************
I'm "Sandi" in the Middle!
I'm "Sandi" in the Middle!
I stopped doing those shops last year because of the dumb QC stuff that I got when I did these shops. One of the questions asked if the crew leader engaged me? My answer was usually no because the crew leader never talked to me. The last time I did one of those shops, the QC person asked me if she had acknowledged me in any way ... which he/she defined as, could he/she have seen me at any point during the visit. Well because she called out to the cashier that I was entering the place, and the kitchen is open to the dining area, the answer had to be yes, regardless of whether or not it really happened. Also, another question I kept getting zinged on the last couple of times was were tables clean or being cleaned. Since one rag wipe of a clean table is considered to be being cleaned, the answer had to be yes to that one too. There was other dumb stuff too (including lower bonuses for shops they were desperate to have done) which made me stop doing those shops.
I think only once did a QC contact me. Back in the days before they had the definition of what the perfect fry was supposed to be, the fries were not crisp to my liking and did get marked down from time to time. I learned that if I asked for them 'extra crispy' they came out perfectly for my taste. QC did contact and tell me I was not allowed to order 'extra crispy' long before they ever defined the fries in the instructions.
Went in and did it! Getting ready to open the questionnaire now. Not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
I guess the obvious "calling in your order and eating it there" will replace the previous MS trademark of "standing by the counter, waiting for your order". Enjoy it while it's still a novelty. Sigh...
(heart)
(heart)
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
In the client's defense, years ago when I worked in an office and only had 30 minutes for lunch, I would call ahead to a local restaurant and order my food then go there and eat. I did that so I wouldn't be late getting back from my lunch break. I liked having the extra time to run another errand while I was out.
Maybe if you convince yourself that's what you're doing and keep that scenario in your head, you won't feel like a dufus on the inside and will come off as more believable on the outside.
There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Maybe if you convince yourself that's what you're doing and keep that scenario in your head, you won't feel like a dufus on the inside and will come off as more believable on the outside.
I did the new shop for lunch today. No biggie. I really liked having the sandwich ready when I arrived.
FYI with the old format, they had changed it a couple months ago so you don't have to stand at the counter. You just have to be able to answer the report questions and promptly respond when they call your name.
FYI with the old format, they had changed it a couple months ago so you don't have to stand at the counter. You just have to be able to answer the report questions and promptly respond when they call your name.
Okay, now I'm nervous. Bella, Sandi, Michael, please tell me this is normal. The guidelines say to call ahead and ask to confirm hours or address. I called, asked if they were open for lunch, and when they said yes I placed my order like my CPI said. Now, a couple of screens later, it says "FLAG: why didn't you place your order using the assigned method?" (or something to that effect)
Not only did I use the assigned method, I followed the guideines to the letter. Am I going to get invalidated because they didn't write the instructions clearly enough for their own client?
Not only did I use the assigned method, I followed the guideines to the letter. Am I going to get invalidated because they didn't write the instructions clearly enough for their own client?
Did you have a call in or internet order shop?
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
It sounds like you did it right for a call ahead shop. Check your CPI for the type, like bgriffin memtioned.
To me the dumbest part of the new shop is asking the hours or the address. My thinking is: If I have the phone number where did I get it? If I'm NOT a mystery shopper I most likely got it off their website which also includes the HOURS and the ADDRESS!!!!
Well, websites aren't always up to date, and some people would rather just ask a person, to be sure.
On a side note, here's a conversation I had, a while back.
"How late are you open?"
"I don't know. I just work the morning shift."
On a side note, here's a conversation I had, a while back.
"How late are you open?"
"I don't know. I just work the morning shift."
ninamason Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, now I'm nervous. Bella, Sandi, Michael,
> please tell me this is normal. The guidelines say
> to call ahead and ask to confirm hours or address.
> I called, asked if they were open for lunch, and
> when they said yes I placed my order like my CPI
> said. Now, a couple of screens later, it says
> "FLAG: why didn't you place your order using the
> assigned method?" (or something to that effect)
>
> Not only did I use the assigned method, I followed
> the guideines to the letter. Am I going to get
> invalidated because they didn't write the
> instructions clearly enough for their own client?
Nina--I recall getting a couple of flags during my report input. I can't speak to that particular problem, but go back and make sure that everything is checked correctly and completely. Let us know how it goes.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, now I'm nervous. Bella, Sandi, Michael,
> please tell me this is normal. The guidelines say
> to call ahead and ask to confirm hours or address.
> I called, asked if they were open for lunch, and
> when they said yes I placed my order like my CPI
> said. Now, a couple of screens later, it says
> "FLAG: why didn't you place your order using the
> assigned method?" (or something to that effect)
>
> Not only did I use the assigned method, I followed
> the guideines to the letter. Am I going to get
> invalidated because they didn't write the
> instructions clearly enough for their own client?
Nina--I recall getting a couple of flags during my report input. I can't speak to that particular problem, but go back and make sure that everything is checked correctly and completely. Let us know how it goes.
*********************
I'm "Sandi" in the Middle!
I'm "Sandi" in the Middle!
LJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the client's defense, years ago when I worked
> in an office and only had 30 minutes for lunch, I
> would call ahead to a local restaurant and order
> my food then go there and eat. I did that so I
> wouldn't be late getting back from my lunch break.
> I liked having the extra time to run another
> errand while I was out.
>
> Maybe if you convince yourself that's what you're
> doing and keep that scenario in your head, you
> won't feel like a dufus on the inside and will
> come off as more believable on the outside.
Perhaps that would work for a lunch shop for a working age person. I seriously question whether it would be viable for us older folks as a dinner shop.
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the client's defense, years ago when I worked
> in an office and only had 30 minutes for lunch, I
> would call ahead to a local restaurant and order
> my food then go there and eat. I did that so I
> wouldn't be late getting back from my lunch break.
> I liked having the extra time to run another
> errand while I was out.
>
> Maybe if you convince yourself that's what you're
> doing and keep that scenario in your head, you
> won't feel like a dufus on the inside and will
> come off as more believable on the outside.
Perhaps that would work for a lunch shop for a working age person. I seriously question whether it would be viable for us older folks as a dinner shop.
Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perhaps that would work for a lunch shop for a
> working age person. I seriously question whether
> it would be viable for us older folks as a dinner
> shop.
Grabbing a bite to eat before you go to a movie?
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perhaps that would work for a lunch shop for a
> working age person. I seriously question whether
> it would be viable for us older folks as a dinner
> shop.
Grabbing a bite to eat before you go to a movie?
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