It seems so strange to require the shopper use one specific color for a home decorating shop. If a consultant walked into my house he or she would immediately see gray doesn't fit with my style at all. The choice would require completely redecorating my home.

@weatherman2111 wrote:

I got directly asked by a employee at a Rita's Italian Ice once. It was after the program changes that required more photos.

And that is the #1 reason that I didn't take any this time!!!

I've never been asked outright, but I've seen it in their eyes. I would never, ever, take any part of this business, and the customer service reps., into my home. Imagine the angry responses from the posts above, the car dealership or the parking attendant, having that response in your house.

If bgriff was allowed to choose a color, would it be maroon? LOL.

@LisaSTL wrote:

It seems so strange to require the shopper use one specific color for a home decorating shop. If a consultant walked into my house he or she would immediately see gray doesn't fit with my style at all. The choice would require completely redecorating my home.

@spicy1 wrote:

... I would never, ever, take any part of this business, and the customer service reps., into my home. Imagine the angry responses from the posts above, the car dealership or the parking attendant, having that response in your house.

Agreed!!

I did the carpet cleaning shop a few times years ago. The first time it worked out fine, they did a good job and I got paid. The second time I did it they did a good job but I did not get paid (thanks a lot, Franchise Compliance and Adam Valdez for absconding with a lot of your shoppers money).

Now I am in agreeance with you, guysmom and spicy, not because I am afraid of being out of money, but I just don't feel comfortable with conducting an in-home shop. Too many weirdos out there these days.

First time doing an in house computer shop, 1 hour free, so, naive me needs my sticky keys fixed...can't take longer right, just clean out computer, and done, wrong. One hour 48 minutes later, keys still stick and I owe $48.50. Customer pays for anything over the one hour. I swear they use us to get into our house and know nothing takes one hour, they now have my # and know my computer needs help. Technician was "supposed"
to get an invoice not charging me for first hour, wrong. He tried to collect the entire $148.50 from me and wouldn't leave. I had to call and they told him I was the mystery shopper, not to charge for 1st. hour. The MSC
is now trying to resolve this mess.....never, I say never, will I do an in home job again.

Thanks for the warning, Irene. I had looked at that job when my computer was running low on memory in the hard drive and thought maybe they could clean it up and make some room, but I decided against it. I also had wondered if they would see all of my mystery shopping files and photos. Anyway, you just reinforced my "no" decision. I might just buy a device of some sort from Best Buy (like a small tablet) and get the GeekSquad service for a year. They can go in remotely and clean my desktop up for me. I got that protection about six years ago when the hard drive on my computer was going bad. I bought an inexpensive laptop that I wanted anyway for use in reporting while on the road and out of town. Did you all know that GeekSquad protection covers up to three devices? I was able to get the hard drive on my desktop replaced for free (minus the $60 for the hard drive part) plus get my stepdaughter's computer cleaned up. That would have cost me a lot, lot more if I had taken devices to a computer repair place. I could keep my HP desktop going for a long, long time by doing this every six years or so.

Exact same thing happened to me!

I was still basically a rookie when the pharmacist said, "So, you are our mystery shopper?" Inside, I was so nervous but somehow my strong allergies saved me. I asked him, "Excuse me. What did you say?" And my eyes were watery that I had to look for a tissue in my purse.

I was supposed to look for a pharmacist and ask for an allergy medication. Somehow there was something at the pharmacy that triggered my allergic reaction.

He looked so embarrassed that he did not want to repeat what he said. After he handed me a bottle, I asked what he said at the start. His answer was, "Nevermind." I was forced to purchase the suggested medication.

I hope it worked well.

@LisaSTL wrote:

It seems so strange to require the shopper use one specific color for a home decorating shop. If a consultant walked into my house he or she would immediately see gray doesn't fit with my style at all. The choice would require completely redecorating my home.

This is why I think that too many shops get too specific about the scenario they want used. It's a dead giveaway that you're the mystery shopper. I don't understand why this crops up so much.

A dead giveaway that I'm the mystery shopper is to say word for word "How long should I grill shrimp skewers" at my age and obvious intellect!!!!

I do the revealed tobacco shops on Field Agent when they come up. A cashier at my nearest gas station once asked me if I still do mystery shops (since the reveal script makes you say you are a mystery shopper), while I was doing an unrevealed mystery shop of the gas station. I just said, no I can't shop them again since I had already revealed. Also, I haven't seen him again, and I found out later he doesn't work there anymore.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

never, I say never, will I do an in home job again.

I do a junk-removal one sometimes. Usually I go to my mom's, since she has a lot more than me that would need to be hauled away in a truck. I'm in an apartment so most of what I'm trying to get rid of gets donated to the thrift store.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

@jenniferling wrote:

I was doing a bar shop once and when she went to go ring in my order, I could see her type on her screen "secret shopper" before sending the order to the kitchen.

That's scary. The food could come out looking beautiful but with an undetectable undesired item in it.

So the food did come out beautiful but one half was hot and the other half was cold. I'm guessing it was only partly under a heat lamp. I was so tempted to say, "I guess the kitchen didn't get your message!"

@Maizy wrote:

Sometimes i think the mystery shopping companies don't consider how their specific questions can be a dead giveaway and maybe it is also the client who doesn't realize a specific question can be a tip-off as to your identity.

Especially those MSCs who provide specifically worded questions which are so obviously outside of the way "normal" person normally speaks.

'I wish to purchase a <item>. I see you have both brand A and brand B. Which do you recommend that I purchase, the <item> from brand A or the <item> from brand B and why?'

Really? Who speaks like that? A real person would say:

"So which of these things, do you, um, think is better?"
<salesperson's response>.
"Oh, I see.... Why's that?"

@Maizy wrote:

Sometimes i think the mystery shopping companies don't consider how their specific questions can be a dead giveaway and maybe it is also the client who doesn't realize a specific question can be a tip-off as to your identity.

Most times...especially when the scenarios rarely, if ever, change.

And, of course, most places one shops have video cameras capturing everything, so your report and receipt can easily be used to identify you -- usually with a very clear facial image. Some stores post images of known mystery shoppers. I've seen one, but it wasn't me.

About a year ago, I accepted a shop. The objective was to visit a cafeteria located within a specific banking company. The site was located within an industrial park and in order to get onto the premises, you had to go through a security stop. I had been told that a visitor's pass would be there for me. Well, there was no pass. The security guard tried his best to help me by asking who I was there to see and offered to call the individual in order to secure access. I got flustered and said that I had not been told the name of the person in "Human Resources" and would return later. Once off the premises, I tried without success to contact the scheduler. About an hour passed by and I considered my options. This shop was not close to home, I did not want to try to reschedule and finally decided to return to the site. Fortunately, a different security guard was on duty, a pass that was issued to my name was waiting and I was granted access. I entered the correct building, a place where only staff members were present and approached the employee entrance. I asked the woman behind the counter where the cafeteria was located and she smiled kindly and said, "Are you the mystery shopper?" My nerves were totally frayed by this point and I looked bewildered. She pointed me to a staircase leading to the cafeteria which was very lovely and quite deluxe. An employee quickly greeted me and gave me an overview of all the meal selections; pointing out his particular favorites. As I glanced around, it was evident that I was the only non-employee in the dining area. Another staff member approached me and offered to escort me around the dining area and mentioned that he had made the lemonade. I made my selections, found a table to sit at and was immediately joined by a gentleman who introduced himself as the head chef. He sat and chatted while I enjoyed a delicious meal and then another gentleman, who introduced himself as the manager, came to see if I was satisfied with my lunch and to personally escort me out of the dining room, all while talking about the ingredients used in the food preparation and the pride they took in their cafeteria. I have seen the same shop offered several times since, chuckle to myself, but never again have I applied. I was definitely outed but all in all, it was a fun and memorable experience.

I didn't want to read queenie1's entire post because I'm cooking dinner. I'm sure glad I did! You brought me on your journey with your excellent writing, good for you. When I was a very young lady I worked for a radio station conglomerate and took the cafeteria shop assignments in Hollywood. Basically the same thing happened, I was the only one who didn't eat there basically every day (it was free for them) and everyone knew who I was. I enjoyed the royal treatment every time I went and I went as often as I could.

"I am? What do I win?"

On the opposite side, I love it when a team member rushes to tell me about the shopper they are SURE they just assisted. As I am the one to work with our MSC and assign the rotations, I have yet to have a team member be correct. We have a ton of odd questions daily and our shoppers do not have a standard list from which to ask. I just reaffirm how important it is to treat every guest like a shopper and remind them that they will do great when the time comes. Okay, well I guess I had one shopper outed years ago, when he brought a clipboard and begin making notes during a conversation...smh...but you can guess that we requested him not to return! LOL

@Cettie wrote:

I recently did a car dealership shop and instead of them asking me if I was the shopper they TOLD me that I WAS the shopper and to get the &#*%(@ out of their dealership. I looked at the guy like he was insane and the poor salesman looked like he wanted to crawl under his desk or something. I asked the dude what his problem was and said that I needed a car. He spouted more verbal effluvia at me and literally tossed me out of the building, threatening to call the cops if I didn't leave. .

he put his hands on u? i'd call cops on him.