Was told I am not longer allowed to perform a shop because I brought two kids with me? I don't even have kids.

What's the point of mystery shopping if you can't be honest about your experience in your reports? i don't get it.

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@7star wrote:

I hear you and don't disagreee with you at all. It just rubs me the wrong way with the situation and how the shopper is at a disadvantage. If i owned the msc and i saw the videotape i would do the right thing. Is it unreasonable for the msc owner to call the client owner and do the right thing ? This situation is probably in the hands of low level people on both sides though. Integrity goes a long way and I'd rather be known for that. MC is a great shopper and i hated that this happened to her.

We don't know that the MSC ever saw the video footage, though the client obviously did. Both of these companies might be doing business on such a large scale that just having a shopper no longer shop a particular location seems adequate for them. The MSC owner and the client owner might actually be several people and aren't even running the company themselves for all we know. We don't know enough details to make any sort of assumptions on that. Plus, it sounds like MC was scheduled through a 3rd party scheduling company, so it becomes even more convoluted at this point. And what exactly is the right thing? The shopper is getting paid. She just can't shop that location anymore. She hasn't been harmed in any way because she can't shop that location anymore.

@JudeNev wrote:

Odd, I have recently been banned from shopping a casual restaurant with a $35 reimbursement and a $12 fee. My last visit rated them a really, really poor report. I wonder if it's the same chain? Kinda Southern style food. I really liked them- I have been given no reason other than I am now deactivated.

Very well might be the one! I had mashed potatoes, southern cornbread, chicken, and apples. I don't recall what Dre had so it very well may be one and the same!

MegglesKat

She hasn't gotten paid yet, even though they told her she would. Hopefully she does.

First, as long as MC completed the shop correctly, nobody has the right to withhold her fee and reimbursement. Second, the MSC is doing a disservice to both MC and the client. Unless this client has one location, it is not the same entity who contracted for mystery shops also disputing the shop, it is a manager somewhere. If the manager succeeds in getting the shop thrown out, they probably consider it a win. Meanwhile the client may be unaware they have a conniving, self-serving manager on the payroll.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

Agreed, but what recourse is there at this point...she is no longer allowed to do shops there and that seems pretty final. And the 3rd party scheduling company is just mediating between all parties at this point.

There doesn't seem to be an 'easy' recourse. I'm just commenting that the system stinks for us when something like this happens, when there is clear evidence and as Lisa stated, a possibly dishonest mgr can get away with this.

Yup, that's all true.

If she is not communicating directly with the MSC she needs to do so. A third party scheduler once notified me a shop was going to be invalidated because of an "error" which was not an error. I argued my point with her only to hear her hands were tied. I escalated the issue to the manager in charge of the program with the MSC. The client being handled with kid gloves may in fact be the MSC who is the third party scheduler's client.

Hmmm, but in your case it was a shop that was going to be invalidated. MC has been told she will be paid. If you knew you were going to be paid and had gone through a similar issue, would you even want to shop for this client again and would you bother fighting to be able to keep shopping them?

I was banned from "ever" shopping an upscale steakhouse because the server claimed my husband and I were arguing and swearing at each other throughout the meal, abusive to the server and the server was afraid to come near us. Maybe that's why the server never explained the meat cart, we did not get the starter we ordered and my husbands steak was incorrectly cooked? The manager insisted on comping his dinner after serving a perfect replacement steak. And when we were leaving,at the door, the manager apologized again and said she hoped we'd give them another chance. Seems like a strange way to treat "abusive" customers!! Apparently my report of the service issues was unacceptable to their general manager, who totally threw me under the bus. I've survived a year without them! (Seriously, with 15+ years of shopping why would we sit in a steakhouse and supposedlybe abusive and swear at the table???)

JAS, the point I was trying to make is how a third party scheduler may not be in a position to advocate on behalf of the shopper so the shopper needs to do it herself.

@Tova wrote:

What's the point of mystery shopping if you can't be honest about your experience in your reports? i don't get it.

This reply might not go over too well. Who cares.

Sometimes what went on during your visit and what gets put in the report are 2 different things. Not hugely different - just partly different. At times. An employee says/does something and your know reporting it will expose you as the shopper - you leave it out of the report if it is a "Misdemeanor" and not a "Felony." CYA!

@MountainCacher88 wrote:

So, I went to apply to one of my favorite little lunch shops a couple of days ago. It's a full meal reimbursement really ($35) and you can take a guest. Well, when I clicked the shop and it said it was no longer available to me, I am ineligible, and to contact the MSC for more information... I decided to send an inquiry.

The response I finally received? I was told I was no longer allowed to do these shops because the client reviewed video footage and I brought two small children with me on my last visit. Ummmm, I don't have kids, and I certainly didn't just bring a couple of random ones to work with me.

Can you name the MSC? You didn't name the client (good move).

@SoCalDude wrote:

@Tova wrote:

What's the point of mystery shopping if you can't be honest about your experience in your reports? i don't get it.

This reply might not go over too well. Who cares.

Sometimes what went on during your visit and what gets put in the report are 2 different things. Not hugely different - just partly different. At times. An employee says/does something and your know reporting it will expose you as the shopper - you leave it out of the report if it is a "Misdemeanor" and not a "Felony." CYA!

If you are telling an objective story of your experience, it would be wrong to arbitrarily leave things out because you don't want to be exposed, wouldn't it? What is the point of mystery shopping if we are not telling the real story of our objective and subjective experience?

I have a friend who did the same drive-in fast food place all the time. EVERY TIME she went, it took at least nine minutes to get her order. She would report everything as it happened. The owner of the restaurant threw a fit about every report that came in. He fought over the report and forced the MSC to check back with the shopper every time. Finally, she said, 'I have no horse in this race. I'm simply reporting things as they happen, nothing more.' They took that shop out of shops that she could see in her queue. I thought it was for the best but she was mad about it.

And you are correct, the MSC will go back and verify information, but they will NOT defend the shopper, even when they know the shopper is right and the store manager is wrong.

@guanadu wrote:

And you are correct, the MSC will go back and verify information, but they will NOT defend the shopper, even when they know the shopper is right and the store manager is wrong.

That is entirely dependent on the quality of the MSC.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I was defended recently about a receipt...from scheduler to Admin. they fought with the client to prove I was right, telling me we checked your past with us, and believe you...having never flaked, gotten 9/10 and never late with a report proved I just wouldn't lie. I'm getting paid, got an apology and another shop even though I should have waited another couple months. I do think newcomers expect too much, building relationship takes time, they don't want to lose you.
In the OP's case, something was going on, not her fault, she know if she has kids....but why, they can go into her profile and see she's telling the truth....

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2017 10:50PM by Irene_L.A..

Mysterymaven,
I think no matter what, you should do an honest report. I have shopped many restaurants for over 10 years and give good and bad reports, I have never not been paid. Maybe it depends on the MSC. I certainly don't know who you spoke with as a Mystery Shopper, but their attitude they should not be mystery shopping. Sorry only my opinion.

@EileenS wrote:

(Seriously, with 15+ years of shopping why would we sit in a steakhouse and supposedlybe abusive and swear at the table???)

Maybe it's the New Yorker in me but what kind of adult restaurant is afraid of people swearing at the @#$%& table?

@MSNinja wrote:

@ShopWhisperer wrote:

When you said you have over 3 feet of hair, I pictured it sort of like Marge Simpson.
i i was thinking that op was from tx. the higher the hair the closer to god.

@LisaSTL wrote:

If she is not communicating directly with the MSC she needs to do so. A third party scheduler once notified me a shop was going to be invalidated because of an "error" which was not an error. I argued my point with her only to hear her hands were tied. I escalated the issue to the manager in charge of the program with the MSC. The client being handled with kid gloves may in fact be the MSC who is the third party scheduler's client.

Oh yeah; I've had that happen to me because in my situation, I didn't take a storefront picture exactly the way they liked. In the end, it was accepted, after prompting them about the situation.

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

@sisterstrollin wrote:

To all of you that complain about the MSC, no one ever goes to the length to do something about it to prove they are wrong. This industry is not regulated like it should be and there is alot of room for corruption on the companies and the clients. The end result is the shopper that is in the field ends up paying the cost. We as a whole can fix it but would have to join forces to get this industry to have more checks and balances and that would be to be employees. Then they would think twice about screwing you over for a job done correctly.!

I disagree that we would be better off as employees, nor do I think we need to join forces in most cases. But I do think we need to assert ourselves more and not allow ourselves to eat the cost when we've done our job. Usually that means going to court, which is a pain in the butt, but that's what contracts are for. Word of mouth is also powerful. The crappy MSCs will be hard pressed to find shoppers when everyone knows they are shady (not implying this MSC is shady).

Have an Attorney send a demand letter. It costs $100.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

most MSCs are not going to go to bat for their shoppers in a situation like this, the client pays them and the shopper does not. If I had been shopping with the MSC for over a decade and done 100s of shops, maybe I would expect them to stand up for me, but what exactly are they supposed to do about it?.

I got outed by a restaurant. They disputed the very mild criticisms I had (over the food, not the service) and said I was blatantly using my phone, which I wasn't.

MSC paid me because I had done nothing wrong. They also banned me from doing those shops for a year, but that was okay.

@EileenS wrote:

(Seriously, with 15+ years of shopping why would we sit in a steakhouse and supposedlybe abusive and swear at the table???)

Well in my experience this might depend not on how many years of mystery shopping but how many years of marriage...lol The abuse etc is tied to the marriage which can get old at any age or stay young forever.

I do think it is unfortunate that a shopper gets banned when they did not do what was claimed and cannot seem to get anyone to listen. It is not just "go do another shop instead." This might have been a favorite or an easy shop close by and there may not be one to replace it and fit so well into your shopping life. It does not hurt to be banned from a shop that is a dime a dozen but to be banned unfairly from a favorite that is different.

Would you ever consider calling your credit card company and dispute the charge?
It might ruin your relationship w the company and scheduler over $35.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2017 01:09PM by iillini24.

@iillini24 wrote:

Would you ever consider calling your credit card company and dispute the charge?
It might ruin your relationship w the company and scheduler over $35.

How are those two situations related? I have indeed disputed a charge on my cc and it did not affect my relationship with ther cc company. I prefer oranges over apples.

On what grounds would you dispute a charge that you legitimately made? You have to claim fraud of some kind. You were there, you signed the receipt, you ate the food. Kind of hard to claim fraud. But if you have a theory, I'd like to hear it.

That it was a contract for the client and they mxed you up with someone else is enough. American Express and Capital One, they would do a chargeback!

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Was told I am not longer allowed to perform a shop because I brought two kids with me? I don't even have kids.

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