Have you ever been called by an apartment shop employee?
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Not from an apartment shop, but I was called by the sales manager of a target for a bathroom fixture shop. He was able to make the connection from the sales associate's appointment book and the report ended on a bad note. It was a shame because he had done such a good job until he heard the words "I need to think it over." The guy was as nice as he could be and doubly embarrassed after I told him contacting me was inappropriate.
I was irritated the MSC had provided enough information for the guy to figure it out it was me. I became downright pissed off when a scheduler from the company claimed I didn't know it was actually just a regular follow up call. Yeah, all follow up calls start with, "I read your mystery shop report and want to apologize for the XXX's behavior." Her accusation was actually right here on the forum. At the time the MSC had stopped paying shoppers and there were lots of threads. She had come on to defend them.
Now that I've made a short story long let me say this. Since 2008 I have performed thousands of shops requiring contact information for follow up. That was the one and only time I was ever contacted regarding an actual report. Maybe I'm just lucky.
I was irritated the MSC had provided enough information for the guy to figure it out it was me. I became downright pissed off when a scheduler from the company claimed I didn't know it was actually just a regular follow up call. Yeah, all follow up calls start with, "I read your mystery shop report and want to apologize for the XXX's behavior." Her accusation was actually right here on the forum. At the time the MSC had stopped paying shoppers and there were lots of threads. She had come on to defend them.
Now that I've made a short story long let me say this. Since 2008 I have performed thousands of shops requiring contact information for follow up. That was the one and only time I was ever contacted regarding an actual report. Maybe I'm just lucky.
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"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
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"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.
I performed a shop at a huge gym in my area. Afterwards I received an email from the employee I had interviewed. He wanted to thank me for a great review. When I wrote back asking how he found out it was me he didn't respond. I think he got scared he was going to get in trouble for contacting me. I believe it was just a case of the kid being smart enough to determine who the shopper was. He was such a nice kid I didn't mind at all. BUT it sure made me reconsider the info I might provide while on a shop. I now use fake names and addresses when possible. In the two years I've been shopping, this is the only time I've been contacted.
Never! But I also use Voicenation phone numbers and NEVER give my personal phone number. All calls to Voicenation numbers get recorded and delivered to me via email. Even those numbers have not had anything but legit follow-up calls. I also helps that the outgoing message is in my own voice, not some generic message.
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.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
@ValG wrote:
I performed a shop at a huge gym in my area. Afterwards I received an email from the employee I had interviewed. He wanted to thank me for a great review. When I wrote back asking how he found out it was me he didn't respond. I think he got scared he was going to get in trouble for contacting me. I believe it was just a case of the kid being smart enough to determine who the shopper was. He was such a nice kid I didn't mind at all. BUT it sure made me reconsider the info I might provide while on a shop. I now use fake names and addresses when possible. In the two years I've been shopping, this is the only time I've been contacted.
This same thing happened to me after a car dealership. The salesperson was a young guy who emailed me, "found out it was a mystery shop; thanks for the high marks (or whatever)" I think he was just "fishing" to see if he was right because, for one, he didn't do so well in my evaluation. I didn't answer, because we know the rule is, don't identify yourself as a Mystery Shopper.
I had a shop once where the audited employee's manager called me two weeks after an initially good shop went bad towards the end. I still had the business' number stored in my phone, though, so I avoided the call. The voicemail said the manager was just calling to see if I wanted to buy such-and-such, but two weeks after I turned in the report....? I was supposed to be contacted within 24 hours. Emailed the scheduler, never heard back on it one way or the other.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2016 10:32PM by OceanGirl.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2016 10:32PM by OceanGirl.
yes, one of the first apartment shops that I ever did resulted in the target calling me about a month later extremely upset. She said that I checked that she never called me, which she says that she did. She said it was going to cost her a couple of hundred dollars. I'm guessing a bonus. She said that her boss gave her permission to call me to confirm that it was a mistake on my end. I called the MSC and they took care of it. On my end, I submitted a log of all incoming/outgoing calls from the date that the target said that she followed up with me. I was able to get a pdf copy of my phone bill from my provider's website and I just forwarded to the MSC.
Thanks LisaSTL I would be so angry to get that call. Keeping my identity a mystery has always been a top priority and a deciding factor in accepting a shop. It never occurred to me that it could be jeopardized in this way.
Voicenation. This sounds perfect for shops that you are not required to provide your license and real info. I will be looking into this! Thanks Walesmaven
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2016 01:20AM by ishoparound.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2016 01:20AM by ishoparound.
Oh my. Seems to me protecting the "mystery" should be a two way street. If we are protecting the MSC they in turn should be protecting the shopper.
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