Do you ever feel remorse or sympathy for the employees when you have to write them down for things out of your control?
On one of my recent jobs I was one of two customers in the shop at the time. The manager and a few employees were there. As I was covertly taking mental notes of various details of the shop, I constantly overheard the manager and the employees gossiping and generally cursing at each other. Not in an angry way, but in a joking manner as if they were great friends (which I presume they were).
As a someone who has played a lot of online video games, cursing has not and will not ever take a negative toll on me. Normally, I'd brush this off, continue on with my day. But as a mystery shopper, I still had the duty to write down the unprofessional language being spoken in their establishment.
I would believe their state of mind would be that, "Oh, there's only 1 or 2 customers in here, a little goofing off and conversation wouldn't hurt nobody." While in most cases sure, customers would ignore it, but in this case I was a rather significant customer and I could not let that kind of behavior pass.

For me, it's business. If they're acting inappropriate, I'll report it without feeling anything.

That's how I am when I'm working. Mind you, when I'm not working, watch out. I've been known to ham it up.

If the questionnaire specifically asks about professionalism, that would probably need to be mentioned. If you or the other customers took offence it probably should be mentioned. Otherwise I likely would not mention it.

One that I did report where it was not asked about in the survey was when one employee was obviously uncomfortable with teasing/bullying by both the manager and another employee. As I sat with my sandwich I jotted down offensive remarks verbatim, who had said it and any reaction I noted from the employee being picked on. There was enough gone wrong with this shop that the manager challenged it and some specific comments made by the manager beyond the few listed in the original report were added to my response. I continued being a shopper and the next time I went to the location the manager was gone, as were the worst of the other offensive employees.

They are supposed to be grown ups, who are being paid to reflect the business's corporate image to the world. Unless you were shopping a biker bar, or some other place where less than civilized behavior is accepted as the norm, I do not think this is the image the company would like to show to the world. You just report what you see, it isn't your job to protect them from their own stupidity in front of customers.
You are paid to report honestly and in an unbiased fashion. You have to do your job.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2014 08:32PM by cindy55.

I think I would be fine with it if I was shopping Dick's Last Resort. Otherwise it would go in the report.

But for employees at Dick's Last Resort it is a required behavior

I just did a bar/dinner shop at Capitol Grille. The bartender was a really nice and friendly guy. He was talking to a regular who was sitting next to me, and he referred to someone as a d*****bag. (I am female.) I gave it a lot of thought because, otherwise, he did a great job. The survey did ask about professionalism, and I thought that it's a lot better coming from me in a report with lots of positive remarks than from a customer demanding to see the manager. I'm hoping it helped him for the future rather than hurting him now.

I really do feel bad when I have to tell on someone especially if they were being nice or fixed it at the end. But it's my job and I don't want anything negative reflected on me.
I have to admit though, this one time I did a shop for and had to make an appointment. I called the target once I got there and she had an attitude out this world and was like I'll be there at our scheduled time and I'll call you when I'm ready. I have other things to do than show you an office before your appointment. Then she shows up 20 minutes late and was the cutest politest young lady I've ever met lol. By the end of the interaction I was happy so I only marked her for being late. tsk tsk tsk on my part though. The client may have wanted to know that. But it would have been a total contradiction to the video of how awesome she was. They wouldn't have believed it for a second.

And if she'd been a fat homely old hag with a gravelly voice, but polite, would you have cut her the same slack?

I think "acting professional" is somewhat "objective". If a customer is swearing with "class" (and yes, it is possible to swear in sentences and it be completely professional and acceptable), and a staff member swears in the same way, is it unprofessional, in my opinion, no. Would I make it negatively, probably not, unless the question is "Server used profane language", etc. Of course, if the server swears at someone you can clearly see will have none of it (ex. a priest or nun, wearing clothing that clearly indicated what they do, using God's name in vain) that is unprofessional.

One of the MSCs I shop for, I actually meet with the client on a regular basis to help build shop forms, etc. I can have the mouth of a trucker, but when I am representing a client or company, I am extremely professional and you would never guess that I swear. With that being said, there are many times I'll be in meetings and one of the people from the client will drop and F-bomb across the table, but if I'm the only one not from the client (remember, I'm the angel who has never heard or said those words) I'll sometimes get shot a look and I just respond with "you can say it, it doesn't bother me". One of the questions in their shop forms is "Staff members spoke professionally". So, when I'm shopping their locations, if the staff member and I are both using "those words" (when I know it's not going to be awkward and I know it'll be fine), is the staff member not speaking professionally, no. If the staff member calls another staff member a "f**** b****", umm, yes, that's unprofessional.

I do not presume. If something strikes me as incorrect or unprofessional, I report it. It's not my call, and I let the client make the decision.

There's a person in my office who is well-educated and upper demographic. When she gets stressed or annoyed, she spews expletives. Someone is likely to be offended, whether client or coworker, regardless of the creativity of her profanities. I recognize her triggers, and will position myself directly in her eyesight, staring her down, and if needed, clearing my throat and coughing to head her off at the pass. This should not be necessary in a professional environment. Her work product is good, but she is on thin ice.

If they don't ask, I don't tell, unless an employee has been rude to me personally. I sometimes shop an upscale department store and have seen many of the employees talking or texting on their cell phones on the sales floors while customers are right there. I am surprised this is allowed by management but they have to be aware it's going on. I will usually keep walking if I see an associate engaged with their cell phone and find another department and associate to evaluate. If they start to help me and then tune out on their phones in the middle of an interaction I will report that.

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> But for employees at Dick's Last Resort it is a
> required behavior

So then, if they speak nicely would that be considered "unprofessional"?

(Haven't done one of those since the now-defunct msc had them.....*sigh*)

I'm with NYCRocks on this one. If they don't ask, I don't tell. If the report wants those details, I give it. If not and I wasn't offended, I let it go. If specifically asked, I will tell the truth. I did have a shop recently where the sales person would not get off her phone and was talking about her son being suspended the last week of school for fighting. I got names, details, etc. This was a targeted employee shop and believe me, I figured out why haldway through the assignment.

I did a shop at the airport a long time ago. The salesperson was friendly and polite. I was looking at umbrella's. The salesperson went on and on about how poor the umbrella was and talked me out of it. I did report this. I wouldn't want her working for me. A month or two later she was working in a different store. She pretty much did the same thing over men's clothing. I couldn't believe she was still doing this. I would always report bad behavior that the customer could hear. I owned a business and would want this reported.

A bit of background...on a closed course I have driven a Crown Vic Police Interceptor at 135 on a slalom course and 75 through a cloverleaf. Speed doesn't bother me, but safety does. So I do a BMW shop and the salesperson starts the test drive with "Let's see if we can make you puke." He takes a cloverleaf at 65mph [you can hear the tires squealing in the audio recording], then he proceeds to slalom in and out of traffic on an open interstate at over 100mph.

At this point, he is not only endangering his life and the shopper's life, but potentially every driver on the interstate. The report doesn't ask for this information. Do you report it anyhow? And why or why not?

Long time members know what I did...I'll tell the newer members after there have been some replies.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2014 06:22PM by James Bond 007.5.

James Bond- Of course I would tell! Safety comes first. I may overlook a less than smiley retail employee or a few co-workers gossiping behind a cash wrap but not that!

I reported on a sandwich shop franchise owner who made derogatory comments about the store manager while sitting at the table next to mine. He was rude, overbearing, and pompous. I felt uncomfortable overhearing his conversation and he was too loud to tune out. I couldn't NOT put it in the report.

shopper8 Wrote:
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> I did a shop at the airport a long time ago. The
> salesperson was friendly and polite. I was
> looking at umbrella's. The salesperson went on
> and on about how poor the umbrella was and talked
> me out of it. I did report this. I wouldn't want
> her working for me. A month or two later she was
> working in a different store. She pretty much did
> the same thing over men's clothing. I couldn't
> believe she was still doing this. I would always
> report bad behavior that the customer could hear.
> I owned a business and would want this reported.

I hear you but as a customer you'd appreciate knowing which products were inferior. It's not smart on her part though. Loyalty is always more preferable than honesty to a business owner.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2014 04:25AM by nycrocks.

If there's a circumstance I believe to be out of the EMPLOYEE'S control, I will report accordingly. For example, I did a Five Guys shop on a night when a children's swim team happened to be in there after their last meet of the season--so it was also chock-full of aunties, uncles, proud moms and dads and grandmas, very close to standing room only. It took 19 minutes for me to get to the front of the line, but I clearly noted in my report: "Employees attempted to keep the line running smoothly and quickly. Unfortunately, many of the children in line arrived at the counter not knowing what they wanted, left the counter mid-order to get money from parents, etc." Although I'm sure the location got dinged over my flat-out-burnt fries, I doubt they took much flak over a bunch of kids they couldn't control.


If the employee could have done something about it, though, straight into the report it goes. It's not my job to keep your job when you know what your job requires.

For the record, I did report the salesman's actions. Living in a single party consent state, I was able to provide the audio recording when he denied what I claimed. I ended up getting paid and he ended up flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant.