1. Forums
  2. Mystery Shopping Discussion

Throwing receipt in the garbage at restaurant.

October 20, 2016 07:31PM
Interesting post, please, do not go through the trash for receipts without asking the cashier to reprint it first. I had a shop at a fast food restaurant last week and the cashier didn't give it to me. I simply went inside and politely asked for another one. The manager brought up my transaction on the register and printed me a new one. Most cash registers have this function. It's not necessary to go through the trash.
Reply
Log In
x

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.

Already a member? Log In.

More About Restaurants
October 20, 2016 08:15PM
But a large MSC says in their guidelines NOT to ask for a receipt more than once (the first time/at time of purchase.) Many cash registers print the word REPRINT on their receiots so you would be busted right away.
Reply
October 20, 2016 08:25PM
And, also many do not, so it's worth trying before going through the trash; just saying.
Reply
October 20, 2016 08:57PM
@Sybil2 wrote:

But a large MSC says in their guidelines NOT to ask for a receipt more than once (the first time/at time of purchase.) Many cash registers print the word REPRINT on their receiots so you would be busted right away.

My interpretation of the above rule I have seen in many shops is that you can ask for a receipt once and if they do not give it to you do not ask a second time as that might out you. I never interpreted this to mean do not ask for a second receipt but instead do not ask twice for a first receipt.
And the future is probably coming to a store near you...I have been in more and more stores lately that ask me if I want them to send my receipt to me electronically. I have always gotten a paper receipt but as this becomes more commonplace AND if these receipts work well and have the info we need on them it will be a way of having safer storage. I imagine you will be able to look immediately on your phone to see the receipt but again, I have not yet tried it.
Reply
October 20, 2016 10:49PM
I trained myself a long time ago to keep my wallet out and open while any card I might have given to the cashier is still pending. I take my wallet out of my purse, open the wallet and hand the credit card (or ID at a hotel front desk, rental car agency, etc.) to the cashier. When everything that I need is returned to me, then and only then do I close up my wallet and put it back in my purse. This has saved me at least twice from walking away from the counter without my credit card or driver's license.
When I started MSing, I just added "receipt" to the list of things I need before my wallet gets closed up and put back in my purse. Now if I'm ready to walk away, but I notice that my wallet is still open and in my hand, that means I'm still waiting for something, which reminds me to get a receipt. And when I get it, it goes right into its slot in my wallet so it doesn't get thrown away.
It took some time to train myself to do this, but now it's second nature. I don't know if this method would help anyone else, but feel free to use it if you think it will help.

Shopper in California's Bay Area
Reply
October 20, 2016 11:07PM
Cali, I do the same thing. It's a very useful technique to make sure your ID and cards are back where they belong.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Reply
October 20, 2016 11:18PM
@HonnyBrown wrote:

Cali, I do the same thing. It's a very useful technique to make sure your ID and cards are back where they belong.

I agree and I do this most of the time but when I am in a hurry I sometimes put my credit card back in a pocket or somewhere else. This was frustrating once when the next day I made a fairly sizeable purchase and discovered the card with 3% back was at home in a pants pocket so I had to use my measly 1% back credit card. That will teach me a lesson to follow the advice of CaliGirl and Honney Brown.
Reply
October 21, 2016 09:25PM
I lost a receipt a year or so ago. I called the restaurant an hour or two later and explained I needed it for my expense report. The restaurant said it happens all the time and emailed/faxed it to me. I let the MS company know because I was being upfront and because the receipt indicated it was faxed to me. They accepted the shop but admonished me to NEVER do that again, because asking for a duplicate receipt would identify me as a shopper. I really dispute that --- if you go into a restaurant at lunchtime with another individual, both dressed business casual, it's a restaurant that business people frequent and then you call and ask if they could send you the duplicate receipt, I just don't know why that would ID you as a shopper rather than a business person trying to do their expense report. How is this different from asking for the detailed receipt while in a restaurant and they just return the credit card receipt to you? (And if I didn't get the receipt they would most likely not been able to use the shop at all). Sometimes I think the MS companies get a bit too paranoid, imho!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2016 09:27PM by EileenS.
Reply
October 21, 2016 09:35PM
@EileenS wrote:

Sometimes I think the MS companies get a bit too paranoid, imho!

I wish they would worry a little more about things they require that really DO risk outing us. (Pre-visit phone calls and weird scripted questions come to mind.)
Reply
October 21, 2016 10:00PM
sandy, I learned this lesson when I put my debit card in one of the billion pockets of my ski jacket. I had to cancel the card and get a new one. I also had to figure out which bills and merchants were attached to that card. I found it a year later when I went skiing.

@sandyf wrote:

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Cali, I do the same thing. It's a very useful technique to make sure your ID and cards are back where they belong.

I agree and I do this most of the time but when I am in a hurry I sometimes put my credit card back in a pocket or somewhere else. This was frustrating once when the next day I made a fairly sizeable purchase and discovered the card with 3% back was at home in a pants pocket so I had to use my measly 1% back credit card. That will teach me a lesson to follow the advice of CaliGirl and Honney Brown.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Reply
October 21, 2016 10:59PM
In many cases associates in such stores can give you credit card receipt rather than itemised receipt. I tried to explain them the difference but finnaly gave up. For many shops the credit card slip is acceptable.

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009
Reply
October 21, 2016 11:32PM
LOL!!!
Reply
October 22, 2016 12:32AM
A credit card receipt like from the machines the clerks used to manually swipe from left to right and back?

@gene wrote:

In many cases associates in such stores can give you credit card receipt rather than itemised receipt. I tried to explain them the difference but finnaly gave up. For many shops the credit card slip is acceptable.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Reply
October 22, 2016 05:54AM
At one of my old jobs the boss required receipts when we were on Per Diem. According to his boss he wanted to make sure we were not in a bar.
Reply
October 22, 2016 12:03PM
I lost my receipt when doing a restaurant mystery shop. I went back inside and asked if they could give me another receipt and even though it was computerized they did!
Reply
October 23, 2016 09:45PM
i purposely fold and put ALL of them into my wallet.
Reply
October 23, 2016 11:06PM
@gene wrote:

In many cases associates in such stores can give you credit card receipt rather than itemised receipt. I tried to explain them the difference but finnaly gave up. For many shops the credit card slip is acceptable.

I did my bar audit Friday night and didn't get the itemized receipt, just the debit card one. Your not allowed to ask for a receipt, so I sent in what I got, and had to explain, but it was accepted...the Bartender will most likely get his hand slapped. This depends entirely on the company. I have gone back and gotten another receipt when one was lost, I think the company's (on a whole) are good about it. The quicker you go back, the better.

Live consciously....
Reply
October 23, 2016 11:13PM
@Threemom wrote:

@EileenS wrote:

Sometimes I think the MS companies get a bit too paranoid, imho!

I wish they would worry a little more about things they require that really DO risk outing us. (Pre-visit phone calls and weird scripted questions come to mind.)

The scripted questions yes! I did a slew of bank shops lately, and I could pretty much tell that a couple of the bankers knew immediately when I stated my scenario.
Reply
October 23, 2016 11:18PM
When finishing my dinner or bar audit, I go to the restroom and take a pic of receipt...haven't lost one since the gush of wind blew it out of my hand years ago. Things happen and almost everything is correctable.

Live consciously....
Reply
October 24, 2016 09:54PM
@gene wrote:

In many cases associates in such stores can give you credit card receipt rather than itemised receipt. I tried to explain them the difference but finally gave up. For many shops the credit card slip is acceptable.
I got a credit card receipt and, when I was scanning it, noticed it was not itemized. I had to redo the shop. My bad and a lesson learned.

Shopping SoCal and Maui.
Reply
October 25, 2016 05:22PM
@PuaM wrote:

@gene wrote:

In many cases associates in such stores can give you credit card receipt rather than itemised receipt. I tried to explain them the difference but finally gave up. For many shops the credit card slip is acceptable.
I got a credit card receipt and, when I was scanning it, noticed it was not itemized. I had to redo the shop. My bad and a lesson learned.

Yes, 9 times out of 10, they want an itemized receipt...I always check them now. My last bar audit I got a credit card receipt aside from my drink receipt. We were not allowed to ask for receipt so this was accepted, but usually not.

Live consciously....
Reply
November 11, 2016 05:26PM
The girl at Ross with my receipt gave me my return receipt threw the purchase receipt away I looked at her and said may have mercy please???
Reply
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login