I am sure I was recognized by a manager wearing a white shirt. I've read here about how the managers can review the video. This was my second time in a month at this location. The first time was a late-dinner shop. On that late-dinner shop, I sat with my back to the kitchen but where I could see the reflection in the window in front of me of the staff in the kitchen behind me. I reported that the staff closed 5 minutes early, and that the manager took his white shirt off and walked around in the kitchen with his wife-beater undershirt before 10pm.

Today I was doing a lunch shop. An employee wearing a gray shirt took my order. It was busy and while I waited at a table with a view of the kitchen, an employee wearing a white shirt who was cooking my burger was talking to the employee wearing the gray shirt, when suddenly the former turned around and looked right at me and shouted: "How ya doing!" Then he turned around and went back to his work.

Then when I left the busy location, as I walked out the door with my back turned to the kitchen, the same person shouted "Thank you, ma'am!"

Am I likely to be banned from Five Guys now? And how do you handle this situation? I will report the slow service, failure to offer me a drink cup, and the small number of fries I was given. I should stay away from this location in the future.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2015 06:55PM by jilummer.

How long was there between the two shops? When they know a shopper is coming they are very loud with all their greetings to everyone. So it could be a coincidence. I wouldn't assume you've been "made" until the MSC tells you so, and in that case they will cut you off from that location themselves.

@Agent 99 wrote:

How long was there between the two shops?

4 weeks and 6 days.

@ wrote:

When they know a shopper is coming they are very loud with all their greetings to everyone. So it could be a coincidence.

I was the only one who was greeted with "How ya doing," and this by a manager wearing a white shirt standing at the grill against the back wall while he was cooking my cheeseburger. No other employee greeted a customer this way. Also, it was busy in the dining area, and I was the only customer who received a "Thank you, ma'am!" from the manager wearing a white shirt. I was the only one who received any interaction from this manager, who, by the way, was not working when I performed the late dinner shop at this location back in March.

I just submitted my report, and will not schedule this location again.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2015 07:35PM by jilummer.

I actually don't think you were outed. I shop them very occasionally when the pay is enough, and go there as a regular customer sometimes, too. The staff ALWAYS says stuff to me like, "Howya doin'?" Or, "How's it goin'?"

I think they just like the staff to engage customers in small talk.

I was doing a shop about a month ago....and the manager did that to another customer and not me or anyone else...unless the other customer sometimes does the shop.....it wasn't because they were pegged as the shopper......

they want to know if the manager interacts with a customer at all...not every customer...so maybe they just through in an interaction every 15 minutes...

it may be possible that they put in extra effort whenever a shopper might be there.

even if you were made....as long as you were not outed to the MSC or corporate office.....it won't make a difference...

some places know who the shoppers are and purposely don't out them....so they know when to put on a good show..


the biggest tip off at the places i go is when you have to stand there looking stupid and holding up the line waiting for the cashier to ask if you want fries or a drink....i have stood there well over a minute..with NOTHING from the cashier......what real customer would just stand there like that?

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2015 01:46AM by jmitw.

At face value of what you reported, I have the feeling they did catch you. But for next time, think about a disguise. No joke, it works. I had a Starbucks in Tennessee, when I was traveling for other business, tell me when I got up to order my coffee inside: "Are you from California?" I do not have CA plates on my car, so that was not it. Well I am from there, so I was surprised. She said it was the way I carried myself and how I walked. I still do not know what I did to reveal that and people have so many misconceptions about CA, anyway, but it was strange.

They are supposed to say that. Sometimes they even remember to do it. It was a random time they remembered to do it. I don't think they spotted you. As mystery shoppers, we tend to be much too sensitive about this issue.

Ive had that happen many times including at stores that I had never shopped before. They are supposed to engage but rarely do.

It could be just natural shopper paranoia that we all experience from time to time.

Wear a hat, do your hair and makeup different and keep shopping till the MSC tells you not to. I have quite the hat collection.

This is the ONLY thing that I like about Winter -- the multitude of coats hats and natural disguises I can employ. I used to dye my hair often so it was easier in summer (Hard to answer hair color question though when signing up for a new company). You can get free boxes of hair dye from L'Oreal by entering codes online.

If you don't wear glasses, get some cheap "window frame" glasses with no or minimal Rx. Like readers at the dollar store that are a 0.25 in them. These will likely not affect your vision much (just don't go in there stumbling - that's memoriable - LOL). I used to work at an optical place and I inherited a bunch of discontinued display frames. Distinctinve frames and hats and things like that, memorable purses, will be a distracting but powerful focal point on the video that sticks out in their memory. When the see it's different their brains will go "Nah... that's not her."

They may suspect now but be uncertain. Phrase things truthfully without revealing details. Keep a little notepad where you write what you wore; NEVER use the same purse. Video isn't as clear as we think it may be.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2015 11:20PM by Lexxycon.

I'm not 100% positive that you were outed. I've been to Five Guys locations that I've never shopped, on my own dime. A lot of the managers yell out greetings and parting remarks to customers.

Your shop could be thrown out because you did not follow the guidelines.

You are supposed to be very close to the front counter and observe for gloves, cooking methods, fry preparation. You are not supposed to sit with your back to the cook station and looking through a window reflection, as this does not qualify as a valid shop.

The fact that you had your back to the cook station, is grounds to get your shop dismissed.

you only need to stand by the counter while waiting for your order and watch the preparation.....it can be difficult to tell even sitting up close if they are using gloves, cooking right etc once you are seated...

I do not remember seeing anything about observing that after you sit down in the guidelines but its probably been a month since I've done one.....i just always did in case there was anything to be seen..


.. you are supposed to report if the line grows to long at any time and if another register is opened,

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2015 01:25AM by jmitw.

the guideline specifically say "You will observe the cooking process while your food is being made"

That implies that you don't specifically need to be watching the kitchen while you are sitting and eating...there is at least one location I can think of where you can't really see the food prep at all from the dining area....but there have been times I hadn't seen them cook a burger (when I ordered a hot dog) or fries while I was waiting...and had to try to see when other customers came in....

but you do need to be watching for lines and see if someone comes out to clean, address stock, etc.


it also says you are supposed to check your food before leaving the counter....that is when you hang out the MYSTERY SHOPPER sign...who else does that....i actually look on the prep counter as they are making the food and see the condiments on it and make sure they put the right one in the bag so I don't have to make a big scene at the counter.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2015 01:49AM by jmitw.

Thank you for the good advice.

Just to clarify concerning my following the shop guidelines to the letter. In my posts above I referred to two separate shops. At both shops I observed the meal being prepared and sat or stood by the counter. One of the shops was a late-dinner shop. It was dark outside, and after receiving my meal, I chose a seat that faced the window. Because the dining room was well-lit, I could see, from where I sat with my back to the kitchen, the reflections of the employees working in the kitchen. That's when I saw the manager take his shirt off five minutes before 10 p.m.

Because my first report may have resulted in the manager being fired, then, when I visited the same location yesterday, I felt that the manager on-duty had recognized me from the videotape of the first shop. The manager's demeanor was not friendly, but seemed to me to be like "I know you are the mystery shopper, ha ha." I was the only customer that the manager addressed, and he did so only by yelling from the kitchen in a very, very loud voice, directing his voice into a very busy dining room, standing, as he was, in the back of the kitchen, but looking right at me.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2015 03:25PM by jilummer.

jilummer – Your situation sounds like a lot of speculation. I wouldn't worry about being banned by the client. At one point, I was outed by the manager of a particular location. The result? I was temporarily "banned" from that specific location; but was able to shop other Five Guys locations.

@jmitw wrote:

the guideline specifically say "You will observe the cooking process while your food is being made"

That implies that you don't specifically need to be watching the kitchen while you are sitting and eating...there is at least one location I can think of where you can't really see the food prep at all from the dining area....but there have been times I hadn't seen them cook a burger (when I ordered a hot dog) or fries while I was waiting...and had to try to see when other customers came in....

but you do need to be watching for lines and see if someone comes out to clean, address stock, etc.


it also says you are supposed to check your food before leaving the counter....that is when you hang out the MYSTERY SHOPPER sign...who else does that....i actually look on the prep counter as they are making the food and see the condiments on it and make sure they put the right one in the bag so I don't have to make a big scene at the counter.

What's wrong with checking your order at the counter? Even if you watched the crew assemble your burger, there's still a chance you can lose track of your burger after it's wrapped.

Besides, there's also caveat in the guidelines that states that if you don't notice until after sitting down or after you started eating, you can still go back to the counter to get your order corrected, if needed.

jilummer: The managers get to see the video tape of all shoppers. Once they see the video, they know it's "you" that is their shopper.... (if and when you come back to that store, they would likely be able to recognize you).

I was banned from 5 Guys over a year ago and have not seen them since. I am pretty sure that I was outed since I was at the same locations over and over and always ordered the same food. As has said before it is better to not be remembered. I was also banned from Sonic I believe for the same reason. One of the associates recognized me. It was pretty early in my mystery shopping experience now I follow the ten commandments - do not stand out.

@Tarantado wrote:

jilummer – Your situation sounds like a lot of speculation. I wouldn't worry about being banned by the client. At one point, I was outed by the manager of a particular location. The result? I was temporarily "banned" from that specific location; but was able to shop other Five Guys locations.

@jmitw wrote:

the guideline specifically say "You will observe the cooking process while your food is being made"

That implies that you don't specifically need to be watching the kitchen while you are sitting and eating...there is at least one location I can think of where you can't really see the food prep at all from the dining area....but there have been times I hadn't seen them cook a burger (when I ordered a hot dog) or fries while I was waiting...and had to try to see when other customers came in....

but you do need to be watching for lines and see if someone comes out to clean, address stock, etc.


it also says you are supposed to check your food before leaving the counter....that is when you hang out the MYSTERY SHOPPER sign...who else does that....i actually look on the prep counter as they are making the food and see the condiments on it and make sure they put the right one in the bag so I don't have to make a big scene at the counter.

What's wrong with checking your order at the counter? Even if you watched the crew assemble your burger, there's still a chance you can lose track of your burger after it's wrapped.

Besides, there's also caveat in the guidelines that states that if you don't notice until after sitting down or after you started eating, you can still go back to the counter to get your order corrected, if needed.

Have you ever seen anyone else check a sandwich at the counter? It screams mystery shopper..... And the way they cram everythng in the bag, it can be hard to dig out the sandwich without ripping the bag...if they are doing multiple orders at once....i sometimes do have to actually fully open it..but if i see my order on the counter with the right tag..and that is the only one they are moving at that point, i make do with a peak...

I have only done one 5 guys shop and I was heartily greeted by every single employee in the place during my required stay in the store. I certainly was not outed as I had never been to any of their stores before. But, I do a certain other counter order restaurant that has no restrictions on rotation. I purposely do not do it as often as I would like as I do not want to be recognized and lose that shop. Sometimes it is good to place your own rotation restrictions on a location to protect your identity.
As for questions by employees that make you think you are outed I once did a hotel shop and had stopped by to take my pic of the front of the place on my way through the town the day before as I wanted the pic in the sunshine. Actually my husband did the pic for me while I waited in the car far in the corner of the lot. I checked in after dark the next evening and the manager on duty mentioned she had seen me earlier that day taking a picture. I was sure I was outed but I said it must have been someone else who looked like me as I had not been there earlier. Later on while we chatted I asked the manager casually if she worked a daily shift. I work in a hospital so we had been chatting about work schedules in 24/7 facilities when she asked if I was on vacation or a business trip. She volunteered to me she had been off the day before.
Bottomline I think we are way too sensitive to "getting caught" by casual things employees on shops do or say.
I did take another pic of the front of the hotel myself during my stay as the lighting was good.

I have been doing Five Guys, most of them bonused, since my sons acquired the taste for it. I am pretty sure I have been recognized but I have not been banned from any location.

My recent shop could be an 'iffy' and it's actually my least favourite location. So, I would not be too unhappy. I usually accept it when bonused.

It was a lunch shop and as a I pressed the dispenser, ketchup squirted up sideways directly to my jacket, sweater, pants and boots, I knew it was an omen. While wiping the floor as well, I was wondering what else could go wrong. Just by pressing once, I was wearing ketchup 'perfume' no matter how I tried to wash the stains off in that spotless washroom.
Then came the order. The grilled mushroom pieces were missing, the fries were not Cajun! Even my request for the Cajun seasoning aside, was missing. The manager/leader was practically arguing with me (in a nice way) about that as she was the order taker and order-filler as well. Not for the fries, though.

Talk of being recognized...I just wanted to let everything go but the instructions were: check the order/have it corrected if incorrect.

[/quote]Have you ever seen anyone else check a sandwich at the counter? It screams mystery shopper..... And the way they cram everythng in the bag, it can be hard to dig out the sandwich without ripping the bag...if they are doing multiple orders at once....i sometimes do have to actually fully open it..but if i see my order on the counter with the right tag..and that is the only one they are moving at that point, i make do with a peak...[/quote]>>>
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Many, many times I see customers standing there, staring at the food cooking process, more times than I can count.... They are often also on their phones, just bored and watching the cooking. So, to be standing near the front, is not unusual

I don't think that they shop Five Guys out here but I used to do another fast food shop when I first started shopping where you had to order inside the restaurant and then go through the Drive thru. I liked the food but I had to stop doing that shop, I felt too self-conscious when the person at the window would say "Didn't you just order inside?"

Pammie - My standard reply should that happen (and in the really small locations it sometimes almost does - I get that "look" is that my husband just called me and said he was hungry and would I bring something home for him.

It is harder to pull off if you did the DT first - but I have a line for that too. In that case I would say "Hubby just called and he isn't going to be home to get his lunch afterall so I am going to get something for me". Never had to say it, but I think it as I am walking up to the counter so it would be on the tip of my tongue if needed.

I would return to the location for something to eat when NOT doing a shop. Really confuse them and you'll be able to tell from their reaction. If they're really on to you they'll be confused at seeing you so soon

@Cettie wrote:

I would return to the location for something to eat when NOT doing a shop. Really confuse them and you'll be able to tell from their reaction. If they're really on to you they'll be confused at seeing you so soon

How soon are you talking about though? I've been to the same location sometimes as soon as a week or less. Yes; this is with the same MSC.

Cettie, I like that idea! There's one location that I've shopped several times and I'm never sure if they're on to me or if they're just really friendly. I drive through that area all the time, so I could definitely just stop in for an iced tea or something every so often.

Definitely stop and go in, grab a beverage or something that would require you to sit inside for a few moments just like whatever you'd do on a shop. It keeps them guessing.

I've never had anyone say, "Hey, weren't you just inside?" But I have had them give me funny looks, almost like someone turned a light bulb on!

I got that "look" once at the drive through since the same person who served me inside handed me my order at the drive through. Now I do the inside first, drive away and put on a baseball cap and either add or subtract a coat. I also don't wear my glasses inside but wear them when going through outside.