I was doing a shop at a computer/electric supply store and I am pretty sure they figured out I was a shopper. I was waiting in line to pick up the item (they have a strange system that involves several steps to get your item & pay) and suddenly the manager comes over to me, introduces himself and thanks me for shopping at the store. He doesn't do that with the other 2 people in front of me in line. A few moments later another employee comes over says I can check out with him, he'll get my item from the "hold" area and ring my sale. I look at the people in front of me in line and the guy's like "No, no you, they'll be fine."

The store service was great, except for the fact that the client wasn't the store. I was shopping a coupon app to see if it would send me notifications of coupons while I was in the store. I had to laugh to myself about all their sucking up to me for nothing. I am clearly burned from shopping there in the future because but I don't do the shops for the store anyway because they usually involve large purchase & returns or I have to be well-versed in buying parts for building my own computer.

I do have to say that if I was the guy in front of me in line I would have been pretty annoyed by all my special attention, hopefully he wasn't a shopper.

Odd. Assuming they also got a shopper today can you imagine the grief they will provide in contesting 'your' report and treatment? "That wasn't the time she was here!" "She did speak to the manager! I went out of my way to introduce myself personally to her when she was in line!"

This is also why it's fun to pretend to be mystery shopping for better/faster service.

@quiettime wrote:

This is also why it's fun to pretend to be mystery shopping for better/faster service.

I was at a Burger King outside my territory and don't know if they are shopped. I left my phone running a large stopwatch APP and set it right on the counter and hit the split/second timing button as they totaled my order. The manager almost got whiplash when he saw the phone in stopwatch mode. He then told me to have a seat and he'd personally bring my food out to me. I could hear him yell to someone to put down fresh fries and a chicken patty. All the sudden two employees come out from the back with one going to the mens room to clean it and the other started wiping down everything in the dining room the whole time I was there. It was probably the freshest chicken sandwich and hot fries I ever got from BK with a very generous portion. The manager said he personally made my sandwich and then offered to refill my drink. He plastered a fake smile on his face the whole time he was in front of me.

They must have some sort of shopping program. I sure can't seem to find it.

That's hilarious! It is indeed funny when the "you're being shopped" look pops up on their face. They automatically go into the reading from the script mode and you get a lot of thank you's and is there anything else etc. etc.

I always have to laugh when I see an employee running to clean up the restroom.

@quiettime wrote:

This is also why it's fun to pretend to be mystery shopping for better/faster service.

Bleh. They should be expected to provide efficient service to the customers in the first place. They shouldn't need a mystery shopper to all of a sudden change their work ethic.

I was at a shop at a restaurant some time ago, and another customer was obviously pretending to be on a shop to get special attention. (I suspect she may have been the shopper who usually does that shop. However, I cannot be sure.) As soon as she was seated, she pulled out a stack of papers and plopped them on the table in clear view. The server quickly put on his name tag and plastered a smile on his face. He scurried around to be sure to fulfill her every need. She had multiple plates of rolls and her drink never had more than a few sips out of it before it was refilled. He ran past our table multiple times to check on her without stopping at out table, and ours were the only two occupied tables in that section. One of my guests had been fanning herself with the menu for quite some time because it was uncomfortably stuffy inside. The server saw her and did nothing. When the fake shopper mentioned that it was a little stuffy inside, and the server apologized and rushed to turn on the ceiling fans. The manager and the cook each came out to check on her. Hers was the only table in the restaurant that they visited.

Meanwhile, the server was rude and dismissive to my table. He did not smile at us, and we were brought a total of two rolls even though we had three dining at our table. When one of my guests asked what came with the one menu item, the server said only, "Meat. Vegetables," in a flat tone and would not offer further clarification. Drinks were begrudgingly refilled by the server several minutes after we asked. He scowled when my guest got out of his wheelchair to sit in a regular chair at the table and even mumbled something about the wheelchair being in the away. Had I not been on a shop, I would have most certainly complained to the management and probably would have brought up some of the issues with the company's corporate offices.

I am sure they thought they had aced the shop, because they had fawned all over the customer they thought was their shopper.

I did that assignment at the electronics store and did not notice anything out of the ordinary. I selected an item, got in line, presented it and the coupon on my phone, and checked out the same as the dozen or other so customers there at the time. ;-)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2015 04:36PM by lgo1957.

Too funny!! I always thought the best way for folk to not think you are a shopper is by acting as dumb and indecisive as possible. However one client I shop regularly (never the same location twice) always seems to know Im a shopper. The manager must have emailed my pic to all the other stores because every time I am in a new store, I feel like Queen Elizabeth and see everyone busting their behind to clean, empty trash, and freshen up the bathroom. Hey. Whatever works.

BK is shopped, at least here. The pay isn't worth the hassle of the report. Looks far harder then most FF shops I do.

Really? Wow. I've never seen them shopped anywhere. I wonder if it's regional or just one of the few companies I haven't signed up for.

Popped up last week. Hadn't noticed it before. Had to do timings beyond your own food. Looked like a giant pita.

ewwwwwwww
BK is the grossest of the major FF Burger chains IMO anyway.

@Tarantado wrote:

Bleh. They should be expected to provide efficient service to the customers in the first place. They shouldn't need a mystery shopper to all of a sudden change their work ethic.

Exactly! My part-time "day job" is at a local grocery store and we have most of the mystery shoppers figured out. Every so often my boss will come around with a panicked look and remind everyone that "the mystery shopper is here! Make sure you speak to the guy with the red hair or be on the lookout for the woman in the blue jacket!" My response is always the same: if we do our job right every day, we don't have to worry about who is or isn't the mystery shopper.

**Note: I do not work for the MSC that schedules shops for the store where I work part-time, to avoid conflicts of interest**

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2015 02:20AM by meghan9262.

Interesting stories! I haven't come across anything similar. I don't think I've ever been spotted, or if I have the staff wasn't obvious about it. The service I get is usually the standard (sometimes less) for wherever I'm shopping. I like the idea of placing the stopwatch in plain view, but I probably wouldn't want to place that kind of panic on the employees.

@5ineveryroom wrote:

I was at a shop at a restaurant some time ago, and another customer was obviously pretending to be on a shop to get special attention. (I suspect she may have been the shopper who usually does that shop. However, I cannot be sure.) As soon as she was seated, she pulled out a stack of papers and plopped them on the table in clear view. The server quickly put on his name tag and plastered a smile on his face. He scurried around to be sure to fulfill her every need. She had multiple plates of rolls and her drink never had more than a few sips out of it before it was refilled. He ran past our table multiple times to check on her without stopping at out table, and ours were the only two occupied tables in that section. One of my guests had been fanning herself with the menu for quite some time because it was uncomfortably stuffy inside. The server saw her and did nothing. When the fake shopper mentioned that it was a little stuffy inside, and the server apologized and rushed to turn on the ceiling fans. The manager and the cook each came out to check on her. Hers was the only table in the restaurant that they visited.

Meanwhile, the server was rude and dismissive to my table. He did not smile at us, and we were brought a total of two rolls even though we had three dining at our table. When one of my guests asked what came with the one menu item, the server said only, "Meat. Vegetables," in a flat tone and would not offer further clarification. Drinks were begrudgingly refilled by the server several minutes after we asked. He scowled when my guest got out of his wheelchair to sit in a regular chair at the table and even mumbled something about the wheelchair being in the away. Had I not been on a shop, I would have most certainly complained to the management and probably would have brought up some of the issues with the company's corporate offices.

I am sure they thought they had aced the shop, because they had fawned all over the customer they thought was their shopper.

I wondered if perhaps the person was someone from upper management coming to check out the restaurant. I was on a shop last week and noticed a Manager giving two customers a great deal of attention. When I got close to them, I noticed the visitors had a name badge with the company's logo.

@siamese5555 wrote:

@5ineveryroom wrote:

I was at a shop at a restaurant some time ago, and another customer was obviously pretending to be on a shop to get special attention. (I suspect she may have been the shopper who usually does that shop. However, I cannot be sure.) As soon as she was seated, she pulled out a stack of papers and plopped them on the table in clear view. The server quickly put on his name tag and plastered a smile on his face. He scurried around to be sure to fulfill her every need. She had multiple plates of rolls and her drink never had more than a few sips out of it before it was refilled. He ran past our table multiple times to check on her without stopping at out table, and ours were the only two occupied tables in that section. One of my guests had been fanning herself with the menu for quite some time because it was uncomfortably stuffy inside. The server saw her and did nothing. When the fake shopper mentioned that it was a little stuffy inside, and the server apologized and rushed to turn on the ceiling fans. The manager and the cook each came out to check on her. Hers was the only table in the restaurant that they visited.

Meanwhile, the server was rude and dismissive to my table. He did not smile at us, and we were brought a total of two rolls even though we had three dining at our table. When one of my guests asked what came with the one menu item, the server said only, "Meat. Vegetables," in a flat tone and would not offer further clarification. Drinks were begrudgingly refilled by the server several minutes after we asked. He scowled when my guest got out of his wheelchair to sit in a regular chair at the table and even mumbled something about the wheelchair being in the away. Had I not been on a shop, I would have most certainly complained to the management and probably would have brought up some of the issues with the company's corporate offices.

I am sure they thought they had aced the shop, because they had fawned all over the customer they thought was their shopper.

I wondered if perhaps the person was someone from upper management coming to check out the restaurant. I was on a shop last week and noticed a Manager giving two customers a great deal of attention. When I got close to them, I noticed the visitors had a name badge with the company's logo.

I have seen that sort of thing also on other shops. She was definately just a customer. She did not walk around to assess anything or vist with the staff about anything restaurant related. She just ate, shuffled her papers around, paid and then left with all of her to go goodies. I am nearly positive she was either a completely obvious shopper (which is doubtful because the MSC does not allow more than one shop in the same day) or she was pretending to be a shopper to get good service.