Mystery Shopping Question for the Guys

September 08, 2015 01:31AM

@Documentarian wrote:

@vlade5394 wrote:

I think that is $$$ bias at work. Salespeople often size you up by your appearance to judge how much money may be spent. This is true at jobs where a commission on sales or tips are involved. Like you state in your post, I often dress a bit down for the place and I will sometimes get that kind of perfunctory presentation. In other words, if you don't look like you can pay for the product they choose to not spend much time with you.

Ah, I should have thought of that, thank you. Then it sounds like a good test to see whether they do what they're supposed to.

It is, but there are certain MSCs and clients which want you to dress a certain way to reflect the usual clientele. What we shoppers think that salespeople should do and what the clients have found makes more money are sometimes two different things. If you are requested by an MSC to dress a certain way for a job, it is frequently because the business wants to evaluate not just how you are treated as an individual, but as a member of a demographic. A lot of managers will outright tell their employees, "Give more attention to the people who look like they're about to drop a lot of money. You can let that shabbily-dressed individual looking at fishing lures wait a few extra minutes if you're answering Mr. Moneybags' questions about a powerboat." It's just practical for the businesses, in many cases.

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September 08, 2015 02:11AM

I agree--I'd guess that's nothing to do with gender. If you're dressed shabbily and unshaven, they may be under the impression based on stereotyping you that you're not likely to purchase the product and therefore not worth their time.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2015 02:12AM by Alisonj3.

September 08, 2015 02:11AM

Women normally buy about 5% of Lamborghinis. Every company is much more concerned about the demographic that makes up 95% of their customer base instead of 5%.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

September 08, 2015 02:27AM

That being said....I happen to be female, and in day-to-day life, I give little attention to hair, make-up, or clothing. Danged if I don't get better treatment on days when I step it up, though. I also remember one time, years ago, when I got caught in some weather without access to a working vehicle. I had to walk 2.5 miles in the rain, and I was starting to get dizzy because of a medical issue, so I absolutely had to go into a store soaking wet to get food and some kind of beverage. I probably looked like a homeless person, and I received looks and treatment that matched. Probably should have Yelped it....I was way too embarrassed at the time, but now I can look back on it and realize that they were just being total expletives.

September 08, 2015 02:46AM

Bgriffin, that was exactly my point. Clients are more interested in how their sales associates treat people they perceive to be potential customers, not if they are engaging in some type of profiling.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

September 08, 2015 02:49AM

It amazes me that in this day and age, employees respond differently to customers based on appearance. I am a woman who works in a very male dominated field and I also do a lot of home improvement projects. I could tell you stories for hours about stupid comments and attitudes that I have faced for years.

September 08, 2015 02:55AM

@Documentarian wrote:

@vlade5394 wrote:

I think that is $$$ bias at work. Salespeople often size you up by your appearance to judge how much money may be spent. This is true at jobs where a commission on sales or tips are involved. Like you state in your post, I often dress a bit down for the place and I will sometimes get that kind of perfunctory presentation. In other words, if you don't look like you can pay for the product they choose to not spend much time with you.

Ah, I should have thought of that, thank you. Then it sounds like a good test to see whether they do what they're supposed to.

I should have elaborated more on when I dress down. I often do this when I am ready to buy and not mystery shopping to help identify the better salespeople and reward them. I guess it is a little payback for too many times of being passed over because I wasn't well dressed that day.

For mystery shopping is it a good test to dress down? First, I sometimes dress down a little for mystery shopping because I do not want to stand out. What I'm thinking of is slight things that make you look just a bit down for the place. It can neat, unwrinkled slacks but not crispy pressed slacks, or perhaps jeans instead of slacks. Timex instead of Movado, or perhaps no watch instead of Timex. This look will be different in different places. For example the look for a gas station in a crappy part of town as opposed one in a filthy rich community will be different. It all depends and it can be really subtle. You have to know the place to pull it off well.

Sometimes the type of store matters. For example a sit-down restaurant where the waiter has enough time and every incentive to suggestively sell and upsell to every table it can be a good test. Or in a convenience store the test is for the clerk to make eye contact, smile and say hello and good bye it can be a good test because they should do that to everyone. However, the more upscale the place the more important it is to fit in with the 'normal' customers. Dressing down even slightly there may get you passed over because it is good business to pass over someone who by appearance alone looks like they can't or won't spend.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

September 08, 2015 03:55AM

If I am going into an office environment I will wear slacks and a nice top. For the rest, for my environment, clean shorts, casual top and sandals are the uniform. A few times I have carried a change of clothes because I had both office environment and regular shop type locations on the same outing, but I'm certainly not going to dress up or down otherwise for a bank, gas station, grocery store, investment house or cell phone shop. This is a very casual dress area and if I am served or not served it could be any cause. In real life if I am there and they are profiling they stand the chance of missing the opportunity to see my credit cards. In shopper life the same applies except now it gets reported.

September 08, 2015 04:00AM

@Documentarian wrote:

This discussion came to mind today as I did a shop at a smartphone store. There, and at several recent shops (hardware, mattresses) I've had the expectation, based on the shop guidelines, that the customer rep would be doing an extended spiel where they asked me a bunch of questions that were on the list as things they were supposed to ask me. Instead I got highly contracted presentations where they didn't push for a sale. I've even allowed myself to fall silent to let them fill in space with whatever sales talk they wanted; or I asked, "Is there anything else you want to tell me about ____ product?" to let them talk as they pleased. But they don't.

All the reps were male, as am I. I pose myself as being much less informed than I really am about the products (I ask a stupid question or two). For good measure, I try to dress somewhat shabbily, and may not even shave for the day...! So you'd think they'd spot me as an easy sale.

Do the ladies here ever get THAT sort of treatment? Is this a sexist dynamic at work, or the way things are done for everyone?

I have noticed this, especially at hardware stores. I went to do an assignment regarding a tile purchase. By chance, a woman working with the associate, while I waited, happened to be asking essentially the same things that I needed for my scenario. The associate went through exhaustive detail on how to do it, what tile to buy and additional materials and accessories to help. When it was my turn, I acted like I didn't really know what I was doing and asked several questions for more information. The associate glossed over much of it and gave me vague details and a, "you can look it up on Google" attitude. He may have assumed a man could manage the project easier than a woman and left out a lot of detail, but the woman got better service and will likely make the larger purchase. Needless to say, the associate did poorly on my evaluation. I did mention in my comment that the associate did much more to provide information and additional resources to the woman ahead of me.

Edited to add that I did not dress shabbily. I was pretending to be flipping a house and redoing tile myself. I wanted to give the impression that I could afford to make the purchase, but not essentially an experienced do-it-yourselfer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Could I have a receipt please?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2015 04:02AM by InPlainSight.

September 08, 2015 04:18AM

Telling me to Google something, instead of at least trying to explain would leave their quote as exactly that. Unless it really makes more sense that way.

September 09, 2015 09:16PM

I've never taken on a shop I thought might be easier for a female to perform. Of course, I never gave it a thought until I saw this question on the board. And I have no problem with looking at women's nametags, even (especially?) if it's covering an attractive woman's boobage.

I do a lot of bank shops and avoid most stereotypical guy-centric shops such as car dealerships, auto service shops, hardware stores, etc., due to a number of reasons, mainly low pay and annoyance of performing the shop. I'm also not very knowledgeable about those products and services.

I don't think there are any Russians / And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals\ / Playin' with tanks

September 09, 2015 09:30PM

Did a comic book shop. All the staff in their 20's. The one young lady who was very helpful said "I'd rather not tell you that." when I asked for her name. (No uniforms or nametags there.) I can see her point. Old guy who obviously wasn't part of the regular crowd wanting her name??? Maybe a little on the creepy side for her.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2015 10:07PM by dkpskipper.

September 10, 2015 01:26AM

I don't shy away from much, and minimally try to dress the part. I swing either way, the hood or uptown. My husband, who also shops, and I swap stories of gender/demographic profiling. I dress the same for daytime shops, just add some nice jewelry, maybe swap out my purse, when I'm uptown. My husband, comfortable in his own skin, has never conformed. For us, it has more to do with attitude.

September 10, 2015 06:13PM

I understand your point, but I wonder if you said she reminded you of one of your daughters friends if the ne would have been forthcoming.

@dkpskipper wrote:

Did a comic book shop. All the staff in their 20's. The one young lady who was very helpful said "I'd rather not tell you that." when I asked for her name. (No uniforms or nametags there.) I can see her point. Old guy who obviously wasn't part of the regular crowd wanting her name??? Maybe a little on the creepy side for her.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

September 10, 2015 06:21PM

@retrodaddy wrote:

I have no problem with looking at women's nametags, even (especially?) if it's covering an attractive woman's boobage.

Last time I got busted reading a name tag, it was from a waitress about my age. She was so flattered that I was checking her out that when she took my order, she stooped down to eye level and leaned forward when taking my order and made certain I could look down her dress. She didn't do that for anyone else. And no, I did not put that in the report.

September 10, 2015 09:00PM

Nice.

I did a shop today and was somewhat mesmerized by the employee's nametag as it was fairly big and had what I assumed was swag on it. She wasn't speaking to or looking at me whilst punching up information on her screen, and I was eying the swag. I hope I didn't give her the heebe-jeebes. She seemed unfazed. Given that she was wearing a polo it's not as though I was gonna catch a glimpse of anything.

I don't think there are any Russians / And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals\ / Playin' with tanks

September 11, 2015 08:09PM

I have done the sizing audits, It is no big deal there are always a few men in the store and no one pays any attention to you. Last month one of the categories was Bras, no problem. Also there is always an alternate category, If you really just can't do it.

September 11, 2015 08:15PM

@scanman1 wrote:

@retrodaddy wrote:

I have no problem with looking at women's nametags, even (especially?) if it's covering an attractive woman's boobage.

Last time I got busted reading a name tag, it was from a waitress about my age. She was so flattered that I was checking her out that when she took my order, she stooped down to eye level and leaned forward when taking my order and made certain I could look down her dress. She didn't do that for anyone else. And no, I did not put that in the report.

You must be good looking because girls don't show their assets to just anyone

September 11, 2015 08:24PM

In today's day and age both women and men alike can find it embarrassing to stare at an unclear name on a tag around the chest area of a woman or if it's dangling on some guy's belt.

Men in this line of work have an advantage over women. Why? Fewer men do it so I frequently see shops which require men and I believe I get a bonus for doing them simply because of this. Automobile shops are much easier because there's still a huge bias that women are clueless about vehicles.

September 11, 2015 11:16PM

I live in hipster central; photographing food isn't conspicuous. One time I saw a guy in a wife beater and a porkpie hat stumble out of a bakery, trying to walk, balance a case of mini-cupcakes on his knee, and photograph it all at once. The temptation was to walk up to him, place a comforting hand on his shoulder, and say, "You're better than this, man."

September 15, 2015 04:40AM

I guess the only time I felt it would be better to be female was a baby registry shop. But that could also be an age thing. A 30 year-old solo male could do that convincingly. I had to come up with some clever scenarios being 50-something.

One the sizing womens' undergarments situation.... wouldn't it be less awkward to actually have a list of things your "daughter" might want, and then go to an associate for help locating them? You could even say "I don't want to look like a creepy guy." You'd probably get their help in locating specific items much more quickly.

The other issue I get to deal with is being gay. One of the days, one of these days, I'm going to use as my sales hesitation, "I need to check on this with my husband first."

September 15, 2015 05:48AM

@bluejacket636 wrote:

I guess the only time I felt it would be better to be female was a baby registry shop. But that could also be an age thing. A 30 year-old solo male could do that convincingly. I had to come up with some clever scenarios being 50-something.

One the sizing womens' undergarments situation.... wouldn't it be less awkward to actually have a list of things your "daughter" might want, and then go to an associate for help locating them? You could even say "I don't want to look like a creepy guy." You'd probably get their help in locating specific items much more quickly.

The other issue I get to deal with is being gay. One of the days, one of these days, I'm going to use as my sales hesitation, "I need to check on this with my husband first."

1. I've actually known several men your age to help plan baby showers for their daughters or granddaughters, including by assisting with the baby registry. Being a female, I'd probably be less or no more likely to question a guy your age doing it than a 30-year-old male. It usually is the females who plan these things, but a man your age is 1) less likely to be working, especially full-time 2) statistically less likely to be concerned with what other people think and 3) generally perceived as more honest, sympathetic, or sentimental than a younger man.

2. This is a common technique, apparently.

3. If you ever feel comfortable enough on a shop to mention a male partner, then totally do it.

Personally, I lean more towards sausage than taco, but I have occasionally referenced a wife or girlfriend. Go with your instinct on whether or not it's the right time to do it, though. Some clients and MSCs are more conservative, so it can be a question of personal satisfaction and a much-needed social experiment versus how much you need the money and/or feel the need to be discreet about your sexual orientation. If you live in a conservative area, then I can understand your hesitation even more.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2015 05:55AM by OceanGirl.

September 29, 2015 06:09AM

Sounds like the store that rhymes with roach...ONE display with belts, wallets, etc. everything else, accessories. Did two before I swore them off completely.

September 29, 2015 08:35AM

I was actually talking to my wife about this with a shop that I don't fit the demo but my wife does. Sometimes the client WANTS to test the customer service with a different demographic.

September 29, 2015 02:01PM

@bluejacket636 wrote:

I guess the only time I felt it would be better to be female was a baby registry shop. But that could also be an age thing. A 30 year-old solo male could do that convincingly. I had to come up with some clever scenarios being 50-something.

One the sizing womens' undergarments situation.... wouldn't it be less awkward to actually have a list of things your "daughter" might want, and then go to an associate for help locating them? You could even say "I don't want to look like a creepy guy." You'd probably get their help in locating specific items much more quickly.

The other issue I get to deal with is being gay. One of the days, one of these days, I'm going to use as my sales hesitation, "I need to check on this with my husband first."

I'm gay and I reference my non-existent husband constantly. I don't want to be memorable so I don't reference my real life wife.

September 29, 2015 04:33PM

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

I'm gay and I reference my non-existent husband constantly. I don't want to be memorable so I don't reference my real life wife.

Ha! Me too...only I reference my non-existent wife. Lol

Shopping central Arizona.

September 29, 2015 05:50PM

When I worked retail, I was always told to treat all customers equally as any one of them might be the mystery shopper. I was also told to throw that out the window if it was extremely busy and to "triage" customers if we felt like they were actually going to purchase something.

I have one MSC (one scheduler in particular as i can tell by their phone number) call me every couple months as they struggle to find shoppers in their demographic. They know I can fill one shop, and maybe another if I am in that area (i've done that location before as I was in that area). I told them I would reach out through my contacts to see if I could help them (and they replied that they would pay me a "finders fee" if I did get them to sign up and do a shop).

I have the belief though.. that a mystery shopper should meet the demographic, then have some senarios in which they don't meet the demographic to see if they are treated equally.

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