Am I wrong to bring it to their attention? It is always something that is a requirement, usually a nonalcoholic drink or two that were never rung in. My fear is that the shop will be rejected for not ordering the required items. Sometimes the server will say "don't worry about it," and I write that into my report to say I tried correcting it. Other times, they add it to the bill which I prefer since I don't have to worry about a rejected shop. What do you do in the situation? Just say the check was incorrect and not try to have them correct it? Insist they charge you for the item when they say it's no big deal? I haven't seen this is any guidelines provided. Curious what your take on this is.

I just had this happen at a drive-thru shop. I went back through and told them about it. They tried to comp the drink they left off, but I told them I really wanted to pay for it , as I didn't feel right just taking it. They charged me, I mentioned it in my report, and uploaded both receipts. The shop was approved with no questions.

I do not call it to the server's attention. And I definitely would not go back through the drive-thru to insist on paying for an item left off the bill, because I think it would make me very memorable and would not conform to what a "regular customer" would do. In the case of not being charged at a drive-thru shop, I have in the past taken a picture of the item for which I was not charged in case it was disputed. I put it in the report, and I haven't been asked for the photographs.

In a restaurant when I am not correctly charged, I do not correct it. I just state very clearly in the report what the problem was. Many times I have not been charged for a beverage or a side order and I just state why the receipt was incorrect. One time dining at a Mexican restaurant for A Closer Look, the guidelines required that my guest and I order two DIFFERENT entrees. We DID order different entrees, but on the receipt, it showed two of one entree. They were the same price, so it mattered only from a guidelines standpoint. I noted in the report what I ordered and what the receipt said. I was not questioned about it.

I had one about a week ago where I had to go through a cafeteria style line and order 2 different items. One of the items required asking for extra of something. When I got to the cashier she just charged me for the regular order and not the extra something. I thought of saying something (I always do when I eat out and not mystery shopping) but then I remembered the guidelines said that they wanted to know if they were charging properly for the extra item. So I figured they wouldn't want me to say anything (and I thought most new customers (and I was supposed to be a new customer) wouldn't know enough to point out the mistake. So I said nothing but noted it in the report that I ordered it but it was not charged.

I love the hotel breakfast shop where they ask the questions about whether or not all items were on the receipt and correct in price. That way I know that the MSC/client expects that there may be times when the answer is "no." (I do that shop several times a year and love those breakfasts.)

I've only done that shop once, and I agree it was great.

@walesmaven wrote:

I love the hotel breakfast shop where they ask the questions about whether or not all items were on the receipt and correct in price. That way I know that the MSC/client expects that there may be times when the answer is "no." (I do that shop several times a year and love those breakfasts.)

I don't bring it to the server's attention, as this could make me memorable. Instead, I take a time-stamped photo of the item. If I finished the drink before the check comes, I'll take a photo of the empty glass. I've never had one rejected.

I've done that as well when the server says not to worry about it. I include that I have the photo in the report as a note to editor, but was never asked for my photo. Good to know I don't have to freak out when a mandatory item is left off... but it does feel wrong. If a cashier gave me too much change, I'd feel bad about not saying anything and keeping it. Isn't that sort of the same thing?

I did a shop requiring the purchase of 3 items at X expense. Only two of my items were rang in and the third was left out. I expected there to be a dispute since I only purchased two items, but I reported thoroughly and in several places (probably to the annoyance of the editor) that the cashier was having a heated discussion with what appeared to be her spouse and neglected to ring up my pack of gum. I didn't notice until I made it home -
a two hour drive - that I was only charged for 2 of my items. The pack of gum was just something to get me to a third item because I already had kitty food and litter. Went through easily enough and customers probably don't return to a town two hours away the next day to ask to be charged for their $0.35 pack of gum... The company scheduler told me to just report it as it happened because the company is interested to know things make it out the door for free via cashiers and baggers not doing due diligence.

This has happened to me many times on dining assignments. I generally will mention it unless if is a relatively small item. I also act the same way on my own dime. I only mention it once and then if they do not do anything to change the bill or say something like "that's okay" I drop it. I always explain fully what happened and have always gotten paid. There have been times when I have not mentioned it when it felt uncomfortable to mention it. One time I was at a high end restaurant and I ordered their expensive ($19) salad bar as an entree. It was listed on the menu as an entree option or as an add on to an entree for $8.50. I was dining with a guest and was charged the add on price with only one entree on the bill. The server had been ignoring our table the entire time..no check backs, 10 minutes to get her attention each time, 6 or 7 minutes to come back with the bill etc. She spent a lot of time at the next table chatting it up with them. When she brought the bill finally she made sure to let me know she was pregnant..the first real non ordering conversation I had with her. In this case I did not ask for the bill to be changed. I was pretty sure it would take another 10 minutes for her to arrive and I felt uncomfortable finding the manager to discuss the situation. Another time at the same restaurant a few years later the bartender was handing out 2 for 1 drinks to his regulars. I paid my bar bill with the manager who was at the register at the time. The server had not yet input my bar bill and we had been called to the dining room so I got up and went to the register as the bartender was not paying attention. When the manager asked for our bill and then told me the $$ I knew he had not charged me for the second drink. I told the manager the total did not sound right and questioned if he had the correct bill. I felt really bad later that I had perhaps gotten the bartender fired.
Since both these happened in the same restaurant I wonder if this is a common practice there just being overlooked or unknown to the managers.

I did a convenience store shop that required a purchase of food and coffee. The cashier didn't charge me for the coffee. I took a pic of the coffee and noted it in the report.

At a recent restaurant shop, I returned wings that tasted like a rubber tire dipped in glue. I told the server, and she gave me another order of wings that were fresh and she doubled the order. I didn't report that.

I've had this happen to me, I didn't realize it until I got home and started my report. I was worried it wouldn't be accepted because the guidelines specifically required we order two different drinks. I submitted the receipt and noted in the report that the bill was incorrect. I was reimbursement with no issues. Had I noticed before leaving the resturant I would have pointed it out to the server.

That's happened before. I just say that I ordered a drink and it wasn't rung in. It's also happened that there was a problem with a meal and it was comped, so it isn't on the bill. I just say what happened. That's the type of information they want!

I mention it in the report but don't say anything to the server. I recently did a bar shop that required a non-alcoholic drink and I wasn't charged for it. I noted this on my report and it was still accepted.

On the other hand, I also did a coffee shop recently where the requirement was to order a small coffee. I didn't notice until my shop was rejected because the receipt said medium coffee. I have done this shop literally 10x before and it's always a small coffee, so it's plausible that I said "small" and they entered "medium". I even did the same shop the next day and recorded it but didn't record that one! I honestly couldn't remember if I ordered wrong or they got it wrong so I had to suck it up. My first and only rejected shop in 1 year of shopping

I have to ask. Did you notice whether you received a small or medium coffee?

I would note in my report when I did the coffee shop and was given the wrong size. I order the small sized hot coffee with the required medium sized coffee beverage. I got the medium sized hot coffee instead and the medium sized coffee beverage.

Sometimes some dufus would insist that the beverage was theirs while on a shop. The cashier made eye contact with me, looked in my direction and announced my order.

It's happened to me twice. One the convenience store shop/small purchase. I went for a fountain drink for 99 cents. Got up to the counter and the cashier asks if that's all I'm buying, I say yes he says "Well today is your lucky day, it's on us."
They said they get to the point where the take a penny/leave a penny tub gets full of change, thy have to empty it and don't want to be over on the cash register, so they just give away an item. Good for them, but it made my work longer. I explained, no issues on the report.
Second was a 5Guys with required milkshake, first one I did. Shakes were new to this store and they gave away a few. FORTUNATELY in this case, he rang it up on the receipt but marked it as a manager's special discount. I'm not sure how that MSC would have responded otherwise.
But in most cases, if and items not rung up, I just note it in the report if possible.

I don't want to start a new thread, so will add my experience here. I had a FF lunch and received the wrong order.it was a drive thru and I believe the speaker wasn't working, and the employees voice was so soft, I barely heard her. I ordered a double burger, and received a chili burger which I never would have ordered, not a chili lover (unless I make it) looked like dog poo....I wrote a pretty negative report, so wondering what will happen.

@catgrannyof5 wrote:

I would note in my report when I did the coffee shop and was given the wrong size. I order the small sized hot coffee with the required medium sized coffee beverage. I got the medium sized hot coffee instead and the medium sized coffee beverage.

Excuse my ignorance but what's the difference between "hot coffee" and a "coffee beverage"? Is a "coffee beverage" a cold coffee, or what? I'm confused. I love coffee but only ever order regular hot coffee when I'm out and about. I despise Starbucks coffee and I have very simple tastes when it comes to coffee. I like mine black with no sugar.

sassymmmm, there's a shop that's required to buy a small sized hot coffee and 1 medium sized specialty coffee beverage (either hot or cold) depending on the guidelines. And the shop was not Starbucks. Not sure if someone mentioned the Client/MSC so I won't name them.