I got to shop my local grocery today, the one I have shopped in as a primary grocery for more years than I can remember. I was shopping it for the competition. The extremely friendly and helpful produce person who tries to greet everyone who passes through the department, helped me and even reached for a plastic bag to give me to put produce into. I told him, "You are always so friendly and helpful." He replied, "well, not everyone thinks so." I asked him what he meant.

He said.........
"My company sends out undercover shoppers to try to catch us. They don't trust us. I can greet 9 people and be helpful, but miss one when it gets busy and that 10th one is the secret shopper and I get marked down badly. They ask all sorts of questions and if I don't answer one I get marked down. It makes me look bad because it is not the way I normally am, but that is the way it appears to the company. Now someone like you, WHO IS NOT A SHOPPER, can see that I am helpful. They look like regular people like you but they try to get us, and then I get marked down."

Ohhhhhhh, that is so poignant it is touching to me. Unfortunately he'll never know the outstanding review and comments I gave him because it goes to the competition. I find it sad that he views mystery shoppers as the enemy and interesting that he would tell all this to me WHILE I WAS THERE ON A MYSTERY SHOP!

Comments, anyone?

Life and luck of the draw. Obviously we are not all at our best all of the time. Obviously if his company rakes him over the coals based on one evaluation, then shame on his company for not recognizing the humanity of their employees. I like to think that most of the clients I do evaluations for are rather looking to see whether their training is working and work with those who are obviously having an 'off day' too much of the time. And I'm not so sure that if I were his manager that I would be thrilled with him sharing his grumbles with a customer.

Personally, I sympathize with the guy. However, if I put myself in the employer's position, this would present an opportunity to revisit a few things.

I once thought, "No one is perfect". Then I remembered I was perfect, but it was too late, I made a blunder. Now I am not perfect anymore. This is kind of sad, and I, of course, am being absurd.

You can severely hurt yourself if you rely on the opinions of others, including bosses who look forward to finding fault rather than to catch you doing something good.

When I, in my former life as a consultant, found a boss that was constantly critical I suggested that the boss not overlook the fact that the boss is the ultimate person responsible for training the employee and setting the tone of the company's professionalism. When you point a finger,there are four fingers pointing back at you.

When customers interface with a positive company, a company where everyone is important and is charged with maintaining the image of the company, the customer feels appreciated. The customer feels there is someone looking out for their back. The customer feels integrity oozing out to help the customer feel safe.

When a mystery shopper reports an incident, the boss should see that as an opportunity to analyze and train if necessary, not beat fear into employees. Rewards come to those who have repeat customers as they do not have to waste time and money finding new customers. Loyal customer's "Word of mouth" referrals will find those new customers for the company, and the company should share the profits with those who create the profits. Everyone wins if the purpose of the company is to create value for the customer and deliver that value pleasanty. Customers will talk about you and say nice things about your company, how much they enjoy working with your company even when negative issues occur if you deliver that value pleasantly.

I wouldn't think a bad word would cause you to have a "breakdown" and spill the beans.....this man if being what he says he is needs more self confidence and stop the pity party. Taking the bad with the good seperates the men from the boys. Perhaps he is afraid of losing his job, and was projecting....but it is funny to tell you this (a shopper).

I did a gas shop yesterday where if the CSR meets a certain criteria they are rewarded with a $10.00 gift card. This particular CSR was the friendliest, nost upbeat,pleasant,helpful CSR of any I have shopped in a while. But the minute I introduced myself, she shook her head and said "Oh no! The one day I decide to wear jeans!" Yes jeans are a no-no, but she wore them anyway, and got caught! Was the telling the truth and this was the ONE day she decided to wear jeans, or did she wear them often and just said that for my behalf? Who knows, but the truth is she did have on jeans the day of my visit and the photo clearly shows she is in jeans.

I guess the moral of this is that if they know they are shopped, they must be prepared to face the consequences.

I agree, one just can't get away with anything any more...What you did in the past does not reflect today. We all want to push the envelope just a bit, some always get caught, others never do!! There's a lesson in here...when you know your being shopped, be on your best.

Carol, nothing prevents you from writing a letter or email to the grocery store where the subject employee works complimenting him on his friendliness and helpfulness. I write as many complimentary emails as I do derogatory ones. Fair is fair.

What a lovely idea, Shopuntilyoudrop. Thank you for giving me the idea. And my own business where I work part-time retail is secret shopped, as was my previous company, the Disney company. It's hard to be on your "best" all the time. If you are supposed to greet each individual, and it is a day when about 30 people enter at once, you might just miss that one. We try our hardest. I was once shopped and got a 95%. The only way you can get 100% is if we are using an extra cash register that only gets opened for the busy holiday season.

Carol

What do I think?

This story is an example of how mystery shopping should not be used.

To state it in the positive, mystery shopping can and should be one part of an overall training and recognition program. Used in this way, it is a great motivator for employees. Management should not take one example of sub-par performance as a time to berate an employee, but as an opportunity to improve the overall effort. The result should be employees doing the right things on the job.

57Carol, if you send that company a letter complementing the employee tell them just that!

They always have a chance to redeem themself's, as mystery shopping isn't a "one time" thing, it is done monthly. I'm sure management takes the entire year into consideration, and judges on that, not one time. We are under rating management, and over rating one man's issue or guilt for not having done the right thing for that shopper.

Communicating with the client, regarding information gleaned while shopping them, is probably not a good idea. Just a thought.

Come on Mert, we are human beings beyond dong mystery shopping to make a few bucks. Nothing I suggested harms anyone nor violates any code of ethics. This isn't exactly industrial espionage.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2010 03:31AM by ShopUntilYouDrop.

We sign contracts. I believe contacting the client is a violation of most, if not all, contracts I sign. An example, from the first ICA I pulled up:

"I am prohibited from contacting the clients of xxxxxx for any reason, including but not limited to: performing or obtaining training, marketing, discussing or sharing reports in any form, discussing or sharing employee evaluations, discussing or sharing information concerning xxxxxx, etc."

Anaother example was in guidelines for a restaurant shop I did last week. The guidelines prohibited the shopper from taking a survey printed on the receipt, or the shop would be disallowed.

Strictly as a customer, of course I would be free to communicate with management. Performing a shop, I am held to a contract.

I'm not sure that "Strictly as a customer . . ." works either in conjunction with the "I am prohibited from contacting the clients of xxxx for any reason . . ."

Carol wasn't a shopper on that paticular day, so, a note wouldn't be in conflict with her agreegement. I had to laugh at the Industrial espionage remark...so funny.

Actually, Irene, I was a shopper for the competition. However, this is my regular grocery store that I have been shopping in practically since I was born. In the 1960's, they began assigning numbers to customers, I think to make check clearing easier to prove you were a regular, and my mom (God bless her, been a citizen of heaven for 10 years in November) was always so proud that she had number 1!

The best thing to do would just be to check the guidelines for the shop and ICA with the MSP. I'm a better safe than sorry type.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2010 05:29PM by Mert.

Mert brought up a good point.

However, I would counter that the ICA applies to contacting the client regarding the information obtained during the ship itself and any other conduct that might compromise the shop or shopping program. For example, if I was not shopping and went today to a store I mystery shopped one year ago, I would feel no restriction to contact the client about the service I received today.

For 57Carol, who's client was the not the store she shopped, her restrictions might be less. She will have to look at her ICA and go from there. Either way, I think she should be free to contact the store's management about prior service from that employee.