Five Guys still around?

I am curious to know where do ya'll live that the food reimbursement isn't covered? I'm always under the $12.

speaking of five guys, I recently did one of their delivery shops and had my shop rejected for the first time. I totally forgot to take a photo of my food. It took almost 2 hours for my food to be delivered, I was so hungry, I just started eating it on the way upstairs to my apartment after my carrier delivered my food. It wasn't until I started reporting that I remembered I needed to have a photo

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@eyelove2shop wrote:

I am curious to know where do ya'll live that the food reimbursement isn't covered? I'm always under the $12.

speaking of five guys, I recently did one of their delivery shops and had my shop rejected for the first time. I totally forgot to take a photo of my food. It took almost 2 hours for my food to be delivered, I was so hungry, I just started eating it on the way upstairs to my apartment after my carrier delivered my food. It wasn't until I started reporting that I remembered I needed to have a photo

It's generally covered if one sticks to the small items and doesn't add cheese or bacon. In our area, a little cheeseburger, little fries and small fountain beverage is $11.96 to $14.04 depending on the location and sales tax. This leaves nothing for a tip, though.

Question: do you tip at Five Guys? If so, how much?

The 5guys around me are $12.6-$13 for a regular burger, little fries and drink, above the $12 reimbursement, so I use the fee to cover.
Never tipped before but am considering it at one location where service is usually excellent.

Tons available in both metro areas I shop.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

Did you just contact the Help Desk and ask why you could no longer see any shops?
I also had all of mine disappear. I am not really sure when I they stopped appearing since I never take them off the board but they called me with bonused offers pretty much on a weekly basis. It struck me I hadn't heard from them in a while and I checked the board.
I am pretty sure they figured me as a shopper at my usual location. I happened to go there one night not on a shop but to satisfy a grilled cheese craving and the manager handing me my order insisted on giving me free fries. But since I can't see any local locations even those I don't frequent I am thinking it may be something else as well.

@sarahshopper wrote:

Did you just contact the Help Desk and ask why you could no longer see any shops?
I also had all of mine disappear. I am not really sure when I they stopped appearing since I never take them off the board but they called me with bonused offers pretty much on a weekly basis. It struck me I hadn't heard from them in a while and I checked the board.
I am pretty sure they figured me as a shopper at my usual location. I happened to go there one night not on a shop but to satisfy a grilled cheese craving and the manager handing me my order insisted on giving me free fries. But since I can't see any local locations even those I don't frequent I am thinking it may be something else as well.

There's been some chatter here or in another thread about images of the mystery shoppers being posted for the staff to see. I am not sure this occurs frequently, but it really would not be hard to capture shopper images given the meticulous timing and receipt data the report requires. Also, the shops seem to be concentrated on just a few days, so that makes it somewhat easier for staff to recognize regular shoppers.

I haven't really noticed the different 5 guys locations acting that differently when i go there. It would be interesting if there was any actual instances people could share that could indicate they've been flagged.

I do the 5 Guys in my area of British Columbia, Canada. I do like their food so try to do one at least once a month & I am willing to do it for the paltry $6 fee. This is because the report is quick and easy, or should I say, was quick. I entered a report last night on their new system and had to wait for each page to load. I have no problem purchasing the required food items for just under the reimbursement costs as I always get the little cheese burger, little fries & a regular soft drink. I guess all it will take is one food item to go up in price and I will be hitting or going the full reimbursement price.

There''s nothing wrong with the $6 fee or even when it gets bonused up a few bucks because you get a full meal and unlimited drinks refills. I just figured out today that difference between a little burger and reg burger is $2 more and all you get is one more patty. There is always one question in the report about the fries where i write a few sentences and then when i review later it doesn't show up. Their reporting format needs a lot of improvement.

I logged on today and didn't see any Five Guys on the job board, which is unheard of in my area. There are ALWAYS locations available where I live. Then I started thinking, and realized that I hadn't received any phone calls from them in a while either, which I usually do two or three times a week. What's going on??

The phone calls have gone down a lot since the Make An Offer button has taken off.
I just did a 5G yesterday and after submitting it I checked the board, same shop was available for today. I didn't take it, but several more were also up and I took one at two different locations. So there are still plenty around here.

I don't see any Make An Offer button on any of the jobs listed. Maybe it's just on the Five Guys locations, and since I'm not seeing any of those, I'm not seeing a Make An Offer button? I personally don't like the new website. It's slower, and when scrolling through the board, the dates available, and reimbursement/fees aren't listed, forcing you to click through. Then when you want to go back to the available shops list, it takes forever! I live in the DC area. Where do you live?

I have been doing it regularly and they do get picked up fast. I have never seen Make an Offer button. Maybe it's not available in my area. I usually get a little under the reimbursement if I ordered the basic Little Burger, Little Fries and regular drink. That's all my son wants. I taste a little here and there for the report.

Who actually tips at a fast casual? Interesting to read that.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

FF "restaurants" provide no service beyond what is necessary to fill my order. I place my own order, carry it to the table, get my own condiments and drinks, and bus my own table. Who would I tip?

I've seen a tip jar and am thinking of tipping at one location where they provide exceptional service.

7star, just curious...what kind of extra service do the employees provide? Is it that they have a pleasant demeanor? Kudos that you recognize and reward their efforts.

They greet me right away when I come in, bring the food to the table to other customers, they are always cleaning the tables and dining area, the restaurant is super clean and they always say goodbye when I leave.

The one I'm doing tomorrow is at a location where the staff is super friendly, they always offer you a free bottle of water while you wait for your food, and if they're not busy, they bring the food out to your table. I throw some $$ in the tip jar times when they really do go "above and beyond."

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

@kensingtonite wrote:

I don't see any Make An Offer button on any of the jobs listed. Maybe it's just on the Five Guys locations, and since I'm not seeing any of those, I'm not seeing a Make An Offer button? I personally don't like the new website. It's slower, and when scrolling through the board, the dates available, and reimbursement/fees aren't listed, forcing you to click through. Then when you want to go back to the available shops list, it takes forever! I live in the DC area. Where do you live?

If you get rid of the map, it will show the dates and rates for each shop up front.

@AnneAshley wrote:

If you get rid of the map, it will show the dates and rates for each shop up front.

Never realized that! Goodbye useless anyway, map!

@7star wrote:

They greet me right away when I come in, bring the food to the table to other customers, they are always cleaning the tables and dining area, the restaurant is super clean and they always say goodbye when I leave.

Good for you, but in over a decade of shopping 5G, I have never seen anyone bring food (or anything else) to the tables. Not even once. If this happens to you, my guess is that the know you are the mystery shopper.

@BirdyC wrote:

The one I'm doing tomorrow is at a location where the staff is super friendly, they always offer you a free bottle of water while you wait for your food, and if they're not busy, they bring the food out to your table. I throw some $$ in the tip jar times when they really do go "above and beyond."

"Free" bottle of water? Do you report that on your shop? On the question inquiring if you were charged for everything?

Why would you need a free bottle of water when one of the shop requirements is to order a beverage?

I like doing these shops for the food. Here in the 4 Corners area they have one location and has been open only two months and these shops are being snapped up for the list pay. I have always watch these shops when I am in and area they are in and have gotten $ 20 plus reimbursement and it is always at the last minute so they can clear the shops.

@gukka wrote:

@BirdyC wrote:

The one I'm doing tomorrow is at a location where the staff is super friendly, they always offer you a free bottle of water while you wait for your food, and if they're not busy, they bring the food out to your table. I throw some $$ in the tip jar times when they really do go "above and beyond."

"Free" bottle of water? Do you report that on your shop? On the question inquiring if you were charged for everything?

Why would you need a free bottle of water when one of the shop requirements is to order a beverage?

I was commenting in general about the staff at this location and why I tip them, since the subject came up in this thread. When I do take-out with them, they offer the water. Of course if I'm on a shop, I order a beverage. Why are you asking such a silly question? They also provide excellent service when I dine in, shop or no shop.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

I don't think you are going to see everything in a decade of shopping at 5guys because in the location I go to the employees bring the food to all customers who are sitting at their table. This is the way they do business there and at other casual fast food type places I see employees do it too.

@gukka wrote:

@7star wrote:

They greet me right away when I come in, bring the food to the table to other customers, they are always cleaning the tables and dining area, the restaurant is super clean and they always say goodbye when I leave.

Good for you, but in over a decade of shopping 5G, I have never seen anyone bring food (or anything else) to the tables. Not even once. If this happens to you, my guess is that the know you are the mystery shopper.

@BirdyC wrote:

@gukka wrote:

@BirdyC wrote:

The one I'm doing tomorrow is at a location where the staff is super friendly, they always offer you a free bottle of water while you wait for your food, and if they're not busy, they bring the food out to your table. I throw some $$ in the tip jar times when they really do go "above and beyond."

"Free" bottle of water? Do you report that on your shop? On the question inquiring if you were charged for everything?

Why would you need a free bottle of water when one of the shop requirements is to order a beverage?

I was commenting in general about the staff at this location and why I tip them, since the subject came up in this thread. When I do take-out with them, they offer the water. Of course if I'm on a shop, I order a beverage. Why are you asking such a silly question? They also provide excellent service when I dine in, shop or no shop.

Because you said "they ALWAYS offer you a free bottle of water." Which, of course, has nothing to do with tipping.

I've never seen a bottle of water priced free at Five Guys.

@ChrisCooper wrote:

FF "restaurants" provide no service beyond what is necessary to fill my order. I place my own order, carry it to the table, get my own condiments and drinks, and bus my own table. Who would I tip?

What's more, the "crew members" are likely getting paid more than you, the shopper, are.

I think restaurants have the ability/leeway to do what they want as long as it benefits the customer. Their own personal touch to please the customer. I don't see anything wrong with that. It's things that Birdy and I remember.

Just started reading this thread, and counted 71 shops in a hundred mile radius of my zip code available for June, not including the one I have scheduled for lunch close to my office. This made me start to think a person could practically eat there twice a day for a month. However, even as much as I like 5 guys, that would get pretty monotonous. BTW, regular cheeseburger, little fries, dink around here are $12.16 including tax. No, I don't tip without table service, an the 5 guys starting pay around here is above $11/hr. Still low, but not bad for starting out, and better than most other similar options.

To the OP getting temporarily banned for low ratings, I don't think this MSC likes to turn over negative reports. I don't cover up things, but I will rate "excellent" if the food was fresh, the order correct, the restaurant clean, and the service timely, friendly, and professional.

proudly shopping in the D.

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