Hi Everyone,

I am back. Well, I did my first apt mystery shop and it wasn't too bad. My first time I didn't have to track my "target" down. So maybe I got lucky. There was a narrative to right without a question. But short narratives, not real long as some companies do from what I see from their examples they have posted. One thing I notice on the questionaire, they ask the same quesiton over again. I really think they over do it with the questions. It really doesn't take no more than a few paragraphs to explain what time of comples it was and how the representative treated you. However, I guess companies are paying for this and want as much information. But its the same quesitons repeated over again. So I have to think of something different to say for the same question that was asked the first time. Its really funny. So I will continue to try new things until I find something to my liking...always open for your comment guys.

Just keep in mind Kendra doing apartment shops the community has a possible copy of your drivers license.... good reports generally no issue.....
doubtful ones....
Apartment shops generally pay well but the downside is they know who you are.....

I try to be positive as well because I know everyone needs their job. the questions are redundant just as some other companies also, which I don't understand. One company may penalize you for restating points while another will ask the same question on 3 different pages. I like the apartment shops for the extra coins and then the model homes give you great decorating ideas. Keep it up you may start to like it.

Have you guys had to produce a driver's license to do apt. shops? I've done a dozen of these and have never given any personal info other than my name, never mind giving them copies of my ID. Curious as to why one would need to show a D.L. to visit an apt...

Yes, most of the time. It's a security measure for the agent at the apartment. Could be both a business and legal requirement. I make sure they lock my license in a drawer or office while we tour.

We always have to give our Driver's license here in CA. They need something to protect their agent and verify who you are. This is only when you are looking at a unit. No big deal, when we had our Real Estate business, and had rental property, this was a given.

OTOH, to some of us, giving our identity to someone we shop IS a big deal. I do not do it lightly. Although dining can be traced back, it is more work for the client than this is. HOW MANY people can they show an apt. to at 2PM by one agent?

Things go wrong, they got your name and address. THAT is a huge deal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2010 05:14PM by dee shops.

Hi guys,
I've been doing apartment shops here in Northwest NJ. I've needed to present a license on each and every one of them. As a matter of fact,one of the questions on the report checks whether that procedure was done. Most of these complexes are considered "luxury" apartments and have security protocol as well.

Again, it is your level of comfort in having an agent who may do a poor job and get written up or fired for their performance have this amount of info about you. Some people are confortable with that, some are not.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2010 06:46PM by dee shops.

I'm sure many have looked for rentals in their life, what's the difference. This protects the agent, many nuts out there, and she/he could be alone in an apt. with one, better to know the agent is safe, protects the reality Co., the Agent is required by Real Estate laws (at least in CA)....your license is put in a safe place (locked) so no one will get it. Precautions need to be made on both sides, Brokers need to know who they are dealing with, if your paranoid about this, it wouldn't be smart to do these jobs. I enjoy seeing what's out there, prices, etc., the jobs pay well, easy for me, as for many others... again, everything is not for everyone.

Shoppers give their identity plus your soc. sec. # when registering with various companies, who has been involved in indentity thief through MSing?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2010 07:51PM by Irene_L.A..

Irene, you are entitled to your point of view. But when I look for an apartment for me real life, I do not fill in a report that may get someone fired. The difference is that this is the point you are missing.

Stuff happens. I recall reading one shopper's experience of having her identity revealed to the complex/developer, based on a negative report. That should never have happened and I would look for recourse against the MSP.

I haven't thought there was much likelihood of that happening and don't base my decision to do apartments on such an occurrence. New home developments have not asked for my license. More important to me is the location of the shop. Twice, I've shopped iffy locations where I was uncomfortable and concerned about my safety. If the area is one I'm not familiar with, I'll check it out, prior to accepting. Google street view has been helpful or a phone call to the community.

I have not done a HUGE number of apartment shops, because I HATE target shops, but I have done about 30 over 2 years. None of the apartment shops I have done (all non-targets except one) did anything with my license. They took it and put it in a top desk drawer while they showed me the property. When we came back, they took it out and handed it to me. I guess if I had done anything unsavory and then made a run for it, I wouldn't have gotten my license back, but in every instance they did not even make a copy of it. In several, I was asked for contact information, but I was not required to fill out an application. Several of them contacted me later, but they contacted me through e-mail, the contact info I provided. But they COULD certainly copy your license info.

I have done them. Sparingly, and never a target, and never for EPMS, who is known to give out info on the shopper. But the fact remains that I do these sparingly for a reason, as I do with any shop that my identity may become well known to the person being shopped. It's a caution, not a no. But people should think about this. Many people never think about the ramifications of stuff like this, most especially new shoppers.

Thanks for writing. You learn so much on this website. You know that identity theft is serious. People are crazy this day and time. I never thought about when you person deserves a bad report. That is something to think about. Everything is not for everyone. No I don't think we think about the ramifications. Is a lot of money, no its not. Its just coins. Noone wants to lose a job. I will not allow anyone to xerox a copy of my drivers license. I will be doing this sparingly as well. Something about EPMS bothers me with their 12 hour window to do a report and with their overly long narratives. Window should be 24 hours. Noone should give out your information. I see all these websites for mystery shopping. I really just want a few good companies that do a little of everything. Don't need all our information flowing out there.

Also, after the shop is done. Does developer or company go back and tell the person that they were shopped! Good or bad report. Do they tell them.

That depends on the client, Kendra1. The client (when it's corporate level) makes the decision whether or not to share the shop results with the location. Then, the manager of the location may or may not share the results with the employee. We can only wonder . . .

I know many places here share the data. I had a student tell me' about the reports he got at his work, and the groceries here post the reports in the break room for every employee to see.

Since the last time I wrote I have been doing a lot of readying on mystery shopping. One its been around along time. I am coming to find it very interesting. I had someone get mad made with me and say it wasn't fair that I was taking jobs away from people. Didn't quite understand. People are no longer on salary because of me trying to mystery shop and people were on salary doing what I did. I didn't exactly follow: Does anyone have any idea. The person said the companies no longer have to pay a salary for people to go out and information. I guess it saves the companies money to mystery shop. So I assume maybe long time ago, there were people actually on real salaries doing evaluating...if this is true, the companies are profiting...Mmmm, that was interesting.

Kendra,
A few companies do have "in house" mystery shopping programs, where salaried employees do the shops and write the reports. However, the vast majority have contracted out their mystery shopping, at least for the 5+ years that I have been doing this. The reason is that having just a few employees doing the shops means that it would be too easy for the shop targets to begin to identify the shopers. Alternatively, to protect the shoppers' identities, they would have to wait long periods of time before re-shopping a particualr location like an apartment complex, new home sales center, retirement or assisted living facility, auto dealership. As you can see, this means that it is usually better for the client to use a contractor, who has access to thousands of potential shoppers and can provide frequent evaluation visits by different shoppers, than for the client to hire a few part or full time in-house shoppers.

Where you are most likely to see in-house shoppers is in a highly specialized industry where it is not unusual for the targets to encounter the same "customers" over and over again: think airline travel. The standards for employee behavior there are full of detailed safety matters, as well as more routine customer service matters. They tend to hire formaer cabin attendants and/or ticket counter employees to do their MS work. So do some very high end hotel chains that want only shoppers with strong hospitality industry experience. Other industries, where targets see the same customers many times just don't require such experience or background to get good reports: think grocery stores, banks, amusement parks, convenience stores, gas stations, oil change shops.

I have had to give up my driver's license to apartment employees. In one, the person "argued" with me that it would be safe because it would be in her desk drawer (in an open area) and there are "the others around". Well, one of the others was an idle elderly resident who had to be asked to move from desks the employees needed to sit at. I'm sure they remembered me after I said my ID absolutely had to be locked up. I would like to even go so far as to notice which way it was laid down and how it was held when it was picked up to see if anyone handled it in the meantime. People who have had their identities stolen have told me it is extremely costly to take care of the problem. I'm more concerned about other people knowing who I am. I don't want it getting out by word of mouth what I do. I do definitely put that complaint about not locking up the ID on my reports. I have done very few apartment shops because the location, timing and dates are usually inconvenient for me. I have done fewer than a dozen new home assignments. I didn't have to give up my ID. I'm sure all of those employees, and especially real estate agents, have their backgrounds extensively checked, but there is always a bad apple who didn't go rotten right away.

I first heard about that requirement for ID's after someone was murdered on the job and wasn't found right away, but I think that was in a new home.

If I remember correctly, I had to give up or show my ID in order to test drive a car.

(I also merchandise, and a few months ago one of the large chains started requiring an ID in order to get a vendor tag. I absolutely refused. For a while, I gave them my library card. Another vendor said, "Shhh, I just give them keys to my house where I used to live in another state." I finally refused to give them keys. They did the "we're all here watching" routine, but I told them that they go to the restroom, many times I have been in that department when no one was on duty, and there is a key maker in the building. Then I heard, "You are the only one who complains." I replied, "Maybe I have a different lawyer." After that, I heard nothing more. They stopped watching to see what was put there, and eventually no one else left private possessions, either.)

Thanks Walemaven what you said made a lot of sense. I appreciate the feed back.'Sandra Sue, I do understand about giving up the driver's license, you have given me a lot to pay attention too being a new shopper. I must really be aware things. This is an eye opening for me.

I never realized many apartment shops require handing over an id they keep while you view the unit, so I'm glad I read these comments. I have been looking for a new car, and don't have an issue where the sales rep borrows your id to make a copy before a test drive (since you get it right back). But in NJ where I used to live, many of the chain restaurants used to ask to surrender your id for a buzzer to let you know when your table was ready. I flat out refused. I was more concerned that the hosts would inadvertently give my license to another customer who wouldn't bother to check if they received the correct one. My husband thought I was being paranoid, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of a lost id, or worse, a stolen identity and credit theft.

Different shop but same issue would be the check cashing shop- they have your ID and a COPY of your id....
take it for what it is worth....

I have to agree, apartments are not the only jobs that require giving up license..as in auto dealerships, Credit Card's, anyone can write down your name and # and use it...more of a threat to me than a licensed broker needing your identity. Would they really jeopardize their profession for your identity, seems far-fetched to me. Do what is in your comfort level, always.

I don't know about where you live, Irene, but I have never heard of a jurisdiction that requires leasing associates to be licensed except DC (which actually only requires the property manager to be licensed.) Most are just relatively low paid sales personnel. However, most just put my ID into a desk drawer without even looking at it.

That's been my experience, also, walesmaven. I have never been shown an apartment by someone I believed to be a real estate agent, only by leasing personnel, who are not licensed in Texas. Most pay no attention to my license, other than to take it and put it in a drawer, then return it to me after. Of more concern would be the car dealerships,but most of them take little interest in the license - they want my phone number and e-mail address so they can sell that car! I would guess that none of the employees at car dealerships or apartment complexes are licensed brokers.

My concern is the companies who photocopy and keep the copy, and those employees who just set it in a drawer (same drawer always, I would assume) when others have access to the office.

I share that concern which is why I advised to make sure your license is placed in a locked private office or desk drawer. No one has photocopied my license.

Most upscale apt.'s here have licenesed agents, when Real Estate is slow it's another way to bring in $$....of course the low income properties do not need licensed agents, I don't go to those locations or properties. I guess it is all a concern, and there are many concerns in our business.