What is your worst experience during mystery shopping? Maybe it was something funny or awfull?

Perhaps you might like to start by sharing yours?

Welcome to the forum. Why focus on the negative? I'd rather hear best mystery shopping experiences, especially from newbies: things that were funny, fun, rewarding, quick and easy. Your earlier post says you've only been mystery shopping 3 months. In that 3 months, what was your best experience?

let's hear both

Good idea. Start us off with your best and worst, johnperkins.

Yesterday (since your asking) I had my easiest job, I go to a big box store looking for the latest T.V. The Manager helped me as i walked into the dept., (didn't have to wait ). Went to T.V., and he offered all the info. I needed hardly asked more than one question. He then gave me his card, in and out 12 minutes, and better yet,
I didn't have to wait in line to purchase their 1 .00 reimbursement, they lifted that.....made a few bucks in less than
20 minutes, report and all. .....and I found out great info., about a T.V. I will purchase next and would never had known about.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2017 03:02PM by Irene_L.A..

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

Yesterday (since your asking) I had my easiest job, I go to a big box store looking for the latest T.V. The Manager helped me as i walked into the dept., (didn't have to wait ). Went to T.V., and he offered all the info. I needed hardly asked more than one question. He then gave me his card, in and out 12 minutes, and better yet,
I didn't have to wait in line to purchase their 1 .00 reimbursement, they lifted that.....made a few bucks in less than
20 minutes, report and all. .....and I found out great info., about a T.V. I will purchase next and would never had known about.

Just curious, OLED TV's? I did a shop for them and I was really impressed. I'm thinking one of those for Christmas.
Worst experience was doing a property audit that took more than 2 and 1/2 hours and required lots of pictures including employees and bathrooms. The bathroom pictures weren't listed in the guidelines so I missed doing them. I was an hour into the report when I realized it. I would not go back and take the bathroom pictures so my report was excluded. Even if I had done everything perfectly, it was still only going to pay $10. I would not do that one again for $100.

Best experience, I actually didn't get paid for because I couldn't remember all of the required information (you can take it from me they wanted a LOT of information including the exact questions they asked me). It was a senior living shop and even though I didn't get paid, I learned a lot about assisted living and really enjoyed doing it. It was worth spending the time. If you have someone who you think may need Assisted living soon, I highly recommend taking a tour of a facility or 2 and learning the ins and outs. You might even find the future home for your loved one.

YES OLED T.V. picture was amazing very impressed.
My worst experience happened 11 years ago on one of y first jobs, and I haven't done another since.,
it was IKEA.

Worst experience... had to wire money to Brazil through Western Union while asking all kinds of disclosure questions. Then I had to return 15 minutes later to ask for my money back. It just happened to be a Friday on the last day of the month when every landscaper in Florida was trying to cash their paycheck. I was the one idiot asking for my money back while holding up a long line. They made me wait forever!

2nd shop ever.. lol. Broke me in nice.

@johnperkins899 wrote:

What is your worst experience during mystery shopping? Maybe it was something funny or awfull?

Some guy sat down at the table next to me with his dog. Obviously a pet not a service animal. The dog's tail was wagging and I didn't like the idea of dog hair and dander in my food, so I told him dogs were allowed on the patio, not inside. He began yelling at me until I cried.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

YES OLED T.V. picture was amazing very impressed.
My worst experience happened 11 years ago on one of y first jobs, and I haven't done another since.,
it was IKEA.

And ...? What made it so bad?

@Jk1nole wrote:

Worst experience... had to wire money to Brazil through Western Union while asking all kinds of disclosure questions. Then I had to return 15 minutes later to ask for my money back. It just happened to be a Friday on the last day of the month when every landscaper in Florida was trying to cash their paycheck. I was the one idiot asking for my money back while holding up a long line. They made me wait forever!

2nd shop ever.. lol. Broke me in nice.

I was just considering doing that shop. When I saw the refund, I moved on. I could not even imagine the reason I'd have to give and how dumb I'd feel.

Took 4 hours, many evaluations with no one working on the floors, basically a help yourself...pay 50.00 for all that time not including driving, however, it's still being done (I believe) for same pay...just not by me. Read some of the old threads on Ikea.

My experience with the wiring money to Brazil thing wasn't too bad. Although on my first one I did have to wait while the associate called someone to make sure it was okay to refund me. They apparently kept giving him the run-around so it took awhile. I did a couple more and then gave those up mostly because getting a picture of the receipts was a PIN.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

My worst experience happened 11 years ago on one of y first jobs, and I haven't done another since.,
it was IKEA.

Yes, the IKEA job is awful. Almost as bad as trying to get the MSC involved to pay up.

@ShopWhisperer wrote:

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

YES OLED T.V. picture was amazing very impressed.
My worst experience happened 11 years ago on one of y first jobs, and I haven't done another since.,
it was IKEA.

And ...? What made it so bad?

Ha! What made it so bad?! It was an Ikea shop - that says it all!!!

Hello everyone! Even though I'm not entirely new at mystery shopping i am new to this forum and am learning alot! My worst shop was last week doing a "mission" on the missions app with Petco. I was told by the company doing them that it would take about 3-4 hours for 350 items and for new people no more than 5 hours. I am in retail to begin with so i didn't think it would take me longer than they said. It actually took me longer. Much longer! 5 hours the first day. 3 the next. and the last 1.5 hours the third day and I had questions the second day in which i never got answered back with so I don't even know if i will be paid for it but I don't think I will ever do it again. Not to mention it was 35 minutes each day together each day driving there and back. It caused me to be behind on other jobs.

My best job was my second job ever which was to call a Porsche Dealership and make an appointment with a salesperson. I went there and was looking into a Porsche that they did not have any more of and wouldn't have any more for a couple months. I was not able to take a test drive. I had to wait a few days to receive replies and that was it. $100 and was worth it! I just wish there were more shops that were worth that much money! I have only found a few and am always willing to work hard for that $100! I just wish I were able to take that test drive!

Great I was checking 3 dealerships in a while, it was a dream job!

Thanks for sharing!

And my best experience was about dealerships, as I have mentioned. And another one was when I have ordered the lamp, and the delivery guy.. it was a beatiful girl, I was stunned for a minute, looks like she have realized that and she started to smile, Jesus that day was awesome!

Worst experience was when I have ordered Sushi in a local cafe. It was a big order for 12 persons in one of the bags we have discovered a dead cockroach.. But it wasn't a job I've started to work as a mystery shopper after this "delivery"

The girl and the cockroach! Omg! That's great!

My worst was yesterday. It was a new to me fast food place. There was a live roach on the wall when I walked in, and the place was filthy. Food and stains all over the floors. The employees were super nice, but yuck!!

My best was test driving a Tesla, wow, my first purchase when I win the lottery!
My worst was doing an adult shop in a really nice high end novelty and lingerie shop and seeing one of my old girl scouts there asking about how to use a toy! I hope that she did not see me as it could get a little weird next time I see her mom!

Day off from work doing an afternoon trailer check in my regular assigned theater. Holding my paperwork while talking to the assistant manager, two co workers walk in and luckily are seeing another film. That film screws up, is cancelled, and they end up coming into my later scheduled showing where, luckily, they sat far enough away to not notice me doing my trailer check...always looking to NOT create any new competition...

My favorite are when the sales reps don't ask me any questions. The worst was when I entered the time incorrectly. Instead of entering 5:45 pm -6:15pm, I entered 6:45pm-7:15pm. Even though I submitted the report at 6:30pm, they disqualified that shop and the shop I started at 7:pm.

I still think asking about aquariums in a bed and bath store is really bad! Its just Beyond!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2017 10:57PM by Grayman.

I've had two that were incredibly difficult for completely different reasons.

1) A Closer Look, a company that rarely pays and is usually only reimbursement-only had a few shops for a local NY chain of casual dining barbecue places, and they gave a pretty good compensation, so I grabbed two of them. Once I read the instructions, I saw why. It was a new policy at the chain that, after 9:00 PM, an 18% tip would automatically be added to the bill. I was assigned to enter after 9, eat dinner as normal, then refuse to pay the tip on the bill at the end of the meal and ask for the manager so it can be taken off. There was basically no way I couldn't come across as an @#$%& (the stated scenarios I could play were to pretend to have "financial hardship" which makes no sense if you're going out to eat a $50 dinner but can't afford a ~$9 tip or have an ideological issue with tipping which is just absurd, but I was not allowed to claim that the service was substandard or leave a tip in cash) but I had accepted the shops and I was a new college grad and could use the money, so I did them. I figured, hey, I could come across as a jerk but it's not like I'd be returning to those places again and it was better that a mystery shopper complain about the policy (which, IMO, was absolutely ridiculous) than a paying customer. The only scenario I'm allowed to pay the tip is if I'm threatened with violence, physical removal or the police being called (the fact that this was even in the guidelines for the shop should've clue me in both to how bad my experiences would be and how bad the company that was being mystery shopped is)

First shop I'm assigned, ask for the manager at the end, and he's very hostile and accusatory. Says they'll put my picture somewhere up in the restaurant so people know I'm a bad tipper, say that since I'm refusing to tip that means my server did a bad job and he would be automatically fired if I didn't tip (even though I made it clear I didn't have an issue with the service), he starts yelling at me in the restaurant. I do, however, stand my ground even though I'm very emotionally distressed. I text my scheduler immediately to let her know what happened to make sure that, if the manager tries to fire my server that the company intercede.

I debated canceling my second shop, but I had already made plans revolving around being in the area and I did and still do stake my reputation on not canceling shops, so I go through with it. I figure the first manager was just unreasonable, and the second location was in a slightly more upmarket location so maybe the manager there will be a bit more lenient and subscribe to the "customer is always right" mindset. Another screaming match with the manager when I try to have the tip removed (or, rather, I tried to keep as calm as possible because I was working, which the manager apparently forgot) and I caught him in a lie of stating the tip policy is on the restaurant's menu, which it wasn't (he claims that it was on the thin paper placemat that had been rendered illegible because of a wet drink placed on it, but I think that was a crock of crap). I keep on being told I'm doing the same as "dining and dashing" when, again, I was maybe refusing to pay for about $9 (and, again, in reality I'd never be that cheap as to argue over such a small amount). The manager did end up threatening to call the cops on me and I relented, paid, left, texted my scheduler and told her I'd never do a shop for that client again.

Upon retrospect, not only have I not worked with that client again, but I haven't done any work for ACL (despite their schedulers often frantically texting me and trying to get me to work for almost-free for them). I'm disgusted both by the restaurant chain's policies and ACL actually thinking that was an ethical shop to put me on.

2) I had been mystery shopping for a while and had carved out a niche as being a very good, fine-dining mystery shopper at Coyle. I hadn't seen my girlfriend of the time for a bit over a month due to a combination of my day-job and her schoolwork (she was a law student at a top-tier school and had to focus on her finals) so I begged my scheduler to give me something nice for the first time in our schedule that we could see eachother, and I got a very fancy French restaurant; white glove maitre'd, foie gras, frogs legs, the works. I notice my girlfriend isn't being as affectionate to me as I'd expect a woman who went over a month without seeing her boyfriend, and so between the appetizers and the entree the woman breaks up with me... while I'm trying to take notes on the dinner and hold back tears. And since I had laid out over $200 for the dinner (she, graciously, stayed through dessert for the free food despite no longer being my girlfriend) I had to get the report in to the editors, on time, but my notes and timings and recollections of the events were all off. I still somehow submitted it and got a 100% grade but I was an emotional wreck not only during the shop but when writing the report, because I still had to think back to when she said "I'm leaving you" to remember whether or not the waiter offered to refill our wine.

I did one of these shops. It was my second week of MSing. I sent the money, no problem. I walked around the corner and grabbed lunch. I returned 15 minutes later to cancel and ask for a refund. I told them my cousin had already left that city and needed a refund. The employee didn't know how to issue a refund so the owner had to come over and help. He just asked the reason for the refund and told me I did it just in time. It took about 7 minutes to refund the money. I exited the shop, excited, I just earned $16 during my lunch break. I took a picture of the exterior and returned to work. Later I uploaded the pictures to submit the report and realized I forgot the cancellation receipt. I was disappointed. But lesson learned. I get anxiety every time I see one now! Lol

@ShopWhisperer wrote:

@Jk1nole wrote:

Worst experience... had to wire money to Brazil through Western Union while asking all kinds of disclosure questions. Then I had to return 15 minutes later to ask for my money back. It just happened to be a Friday on the last day of the month when every landscaper in Florida was trying to cash their paycheck. I was the one idiot asking for my money back while holding up a long line. They made me wait forever!

2nd shop ever.. lol. Broke me in nice.

I was just considering doing that shop. When I saw the refund, I moved on. I could not even imagine the reason I'd have to give and how dumb I'd feel.

I took a bunch of cell phone shops in one day a couple of years ago. I planned my route and allowed plenty of time for each one; the first two or three went very smoothly, and then I hit one where the sales rep absolutely would not let me leave. He strayed off topic continuously and insisted on going through a whole lengthy presentation for things that I specifically said I wasn't interested in, like satellite TV. I was only there to ask about phones, see what plans and products they offered, and get out of there--fifteen minutes tops. Of course, by the time this guy showed me all of his awards for great salesmanship, explaining how he earned each one, and repeatedly detoured to things that had nothing to do with why I was there, I was soon in danger of blowing my whole schedule for the day. I still had other shops to get to before closing time, and I thought this guy was going to handcuff me to a chair to keep me from leaving. I kept telling him I was late to pick up my wife (my go-to when I need to make an exit) but he ignored everything and kept on with the world's longest sales presentation. Every time I reminded him of what I was actually there for, it was like he didn't hear a word I said. He dragged me all over the place showing me every single item on every single shelf, and genuinely expecting that I was going to buy every single bit of it. I was there for almost an hour and a half. I finally just walked to the door, but he stood in front of it, still talking. I gave him a fake phone number with six digits and made up an email address off the top of my head for the follow-up appointment that he was completely obsessed with. Then I reached around him to open the door. I never saw anything like this guy. Had to burn rubber to stick to my schedule and get all the other shops in! All in all, it was still a profitable and productive day, but good grief. I haven't even gone to that entire shopping center since then. I'm too traumatized.

@pinchers81 wrote:

I took a bunch of cell phone shops in one day a couple of years ago. I planned my route and allowed plenty of time for each one; the first two or three went very smoothly, and then I hit one where the sales rep absolutely would not let me leave. He strayed off topic continuously and insisted on going through a whole lengthy presentation for things that I specifically said I wasn't interested in, like satellite TV. I was only there to ask about phones, see what plans and products they offered, and get out of there--fifteen minutes tops. Of course, by the time this guy showed me all of his awards for great salesmanship, explaining how he earned each one, and repeatedly detoured to things that had nothing to do with why I was there, I was soon in danger of blowing my whole schedule for the day. I still had other shops to get to before closing time, and I thought this guy was going to handcuff me to a chair to keep me from leaving. I kept telling him I was late to pick up my wife (my go-to when I need to make an exit) but he ignored everything and kept on with the world's longest sales presentation. Every time I reminded him of what I was actually there for, it was like he didn't hear a word I said. He dragged me all over the place showing me every single item on every single shelf, and genuinely expecting that I was going to buy every single bit of it. I was there for almost an hour and a half. I finally just walked to the door, but he stood in front of it, still talking. I gave him a fake phone number with six digits and made up an email address off the top of my head for the follow-up appointment that he was completely obsessed with. Then I reached around him to open the door. I never saw anything like this guy. Had to burn rubber to stick to my schedule and get all the other shops in! All in all, it was still a profitable and productive day, but good grief. I haven't even gone to that entire shopping center since then. I'm too traumatized.

Sounds like a stereotypical used car salesman. UGH!!!! I might have resorted to "I need to go to the bathroom right now!! If I can't leave, I'll do it right here on the floor. That might have gotten his attention.

My best, $150 for a Rolex shop that took 20 mins. Told the guy my dad was buying me one for my 50th birthday. I'm barely 40 lolol! My mom and husband are like no way they bought you're turning 50. I didn't say which year!

My worst, a company that blows up my landline and cellphone, won't assign the shops they're sitting applied for weeks at a time. I was doing a nice route, hit 4 easy gas stations on the way home and the jobs were and still are sitting in app mode. Told them I completed them, got their pictures, receipts, 4 shops with required purchases. If I hear the word "team" one more time... I even had an editor get rude with me, I took pictures of all the paperwork, plastered the geoverify on it, shop#, turned around 3 times, touched my nose twice and pulled my ear and got a smart remark of, you managed to get ahold of the paperwork, I guess I might as well see it, send me the front view, corner view, back view (how many ways do you need to see something to read it) pfffffft.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/2017 07:06AM by Delaine.