Revealed audit vs mystery shop

I notice that a new-to-me MSC has a revealed audit for Coca Cola Co., at a ubiquitous FF chain which is frequently mystery shopped by another MSC. To my mind, the two are mutually exclusive. I wouldn't be able to successfully mystery shop a location that I had openly audited, because the manager who I spoke with would be likely to recognize me as an auditor.

I had the same thought before doing an open audit for a software company inside a big box electronics store. I would have loved to accept the assignment at the location closest to me, but that felt risky since there are a lot of shops for various companies inside the same location, which require anonymity. After I did that audit at a location I didn't mind not being able to mystery shop, it ended up being so simple that I felt like it would have been fine to overlap the two as long as they weren't in the same department.

Thoughts?

P.S. In case anyone doesn't read sig lines: this is Alisonj3 with a new user name.

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 10/13/2015 06:38PM by Alter_Ego.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More About Revealed Assignments

Certainly doing reveals does limit your ability to mystery shop--whether you call the reveal an 'audit' or anything else. My rule of thumb is that I will do a reveal where regular mystery shops are not available.

As a mystery shopper I create my own 'rotation' even if the MSC does not have one. The exceptions are places I go on a normal basis anyway--such as grocery stores. I won't do any sort of reveal at a grocery store I ever shop because the staff doesn't turn over fast enough.

I take a slightly different approach than Flash. I never do "reveals" because the fast food worker/bank teller for one employer may turn up next month at another that I do want to shop regularly. Even in a large city, folks tend to work certain neighborhoods, so it's more like visiting a bunch of small cities as a shopper.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I only do reveals for gas stations. Too many people knowing I'm a mystery shopper doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

I have another reason for not doing reveals: yucky printer! :}

I saw a huge project for FF photo audits in my area. Those are mystery shops in my area for which I regularly command a nice bonus since they involve travel. There is no way I would ruin future revenue for $12 revealed, photo audits. They are two companies, but what if the employees recognized me next time and my shop was invalidated? nope nope.

nopenope.

I like overt work. I will not jeopardize my favorite and hoped-for mystery shops by performing certain revealed tasks. I want to continue in some overt and some covert work.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

I love revealed audits, its what I seek out now that I've gained some experience. It's fun having that CSR who just gave you terrible service start kissing up after you give the reveal! Probably easier to say this though when you only devote two days a week to mystery shopping for extra spending money! I'm probably 2/3rds revealed audit, 1/3rd mystery shopper now.

@tcurione wrote:

I love revealed audits, its what I seek out now that I've gained some experience. It's fun having that CSR who just gave you terrible service start kissing up after you give the reveal! Probably easier to say this though when you only devote two days a week to mystery shopping for extra spending money! I'm probably 2/3rds revealed audit, 1/3rd mystery shopper now.

I have not had an experience like the one you described above.

I also love merchandising. If I can sufficiently rouse myself from hibernation, I will add some demo work this winter.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

I passed the test they require then realized I didn't want to reveal myself as I do too many bonused mystery shops at the same locations. Since I'm now limiting myself to locations very close to home, I don't want to jeopardize my identity. Plus I don't want to be forced to drink Coke.

Long live the Pepsi Generation. :}

I have found revealed audits to be more lucrative. But, if there was a shop that I loved and did not want to give up, I would not sign up for a reveal there. Revealing myself as an auditor at the store would lead to employees recognizing me and taint any non-revealed shops there.

I much prefer revealed audits over mystery shops. I live in a decent sized city so the audits usually don't interfere with the possibility of doing mystery shops. I get some pretty awesome bonuses auditing and doubt I could make that money mystery shopping unless I started doing the video shops.

I do the occasional revealed audit. I also pick up ones at large blue electronics retailers where you only reveal yourself if pressed by an associate or management. I've never been pressed. I'm lucky if they even approach me once to offer assistance. I also do mystery shops at the same large blue retailer and I don't see a problem unless I am forced to reveal myself.

Silver certified for 11 years and happily shopping Arizona!

I agree with Flash. I have my own rotation, and sometimes won't take a shop more than once, regardless. (Shaving retailer, for example.)

I used to do bonused gas station revealed audits, and even took some non-bonused ones in nicer weather. A scheduled outside audit on a day that ends up cold and rainy, is not good. I also did some bonused cellular revealed audits, and the last one the employees purposely tried to mess me up. I have been taking a break from them, and from all revealed audits, for a very long time.

Plus, it's so much more fun to keep the mystery in mystery shop, I think.

Shaving retailer is an excellent example of having a personal rotation. The one near me is about the size of a bedroom, literally. There's no way you can go through another visit per the guidelines there and not be outed by anyone paying attention.

fFr fun, (and because I have a route somewhere I don't shop too terribly often coming up,) I read the guidelines and took the quiz. In the first part, you snap some photos while in the DT, make a specific purchase, and see if you get a flyer in your bag. Simple enough. Inside, you order a specific order, and once you have your receipt you introduce yourself to the manager before snapping more photos. What happens to the tray of food, I ask myself… Am I supposed to leave it unattended at a table while I take pictures? Am I supposed to balance it one hand and operate my camera with the other? It is not permissible to get the inside meal to-go and there is a beverage involved..

I love revealed audits over mystery shops, mostly because the money has always been much better. Funny though, I have audited just about every (particular grocery store) in the northern NJ area, some twice, and still get calls asking me to mys shop the ones in the less desirable locations. I tried to rationalize with the scheduler calling to let them know I had just audited x location two weeks ago and shopping it wouldn't seem smart to me. She waived the rotation requirement and offered me a huge bonus to shop it anyway. So, of course I did and of course, none of them cared or recognized me as was reflective in the reporting.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Revealed audit vs mystery shop

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine