@johnb974 wrote:
I did a shop for an electronics store today. The guidelines said to check the restroom, but do not ask where the restroom was. That may tip them off as to you being a mystery shopper. How does asking where is the restroom tip them off? Only mystery shoppers use the restroom?
Another shop I looked at, for a restaurant. The guide lines said not to ask for doggie bag. (do not ask to take home left overs). This could tip them off to you being a mystery shopper. Again, only mystery shoppers take home leftovers?
One fast food shop I had said, only order a small drink and do not accept any upsell. I would think a fast food business would want you to buy anything large. Every other fast food shop I've done has encouraged you to buy a large of anything. It's more money for them. I just find all of this strange from some shops. Personal opinion, whoever writes some of these shops appears to want total control over the shopper.
@luckygirl0100 wrote:
One company that does a lot of fine dining doesn't allow leftovers to be taken home. I would say a larger percentage of their 'regular' customers wouldn't ask to take it home. A lot of these restaurants are in hotels and if you are spending that much on a hotel and dinner you probably aren't worried about wasting some of your dinner, if you get hungry later you'll just order room service.
@johnb974 wrote:
But asking the shopper to find the restroom takes away from our time too. In the electronics store it's not easy finding the restroom. Sometimes you have to walk all around the store to find it.
I suspect many of them do, but that work is done at the corporate level. The testing is done by mystery shoppers at the point of sale to see if what the consultants recommended is working or has been (properly) implemented. A business consultant costs tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars; a mystery shop a hundred or so (maybe less).@BarefootBliss wrote:
I think mystery shoppers have to lower their expectations & frequently set aside logic in order to keep shopping without being driven mad lol. As we've discussed here often, guidelines and/or instructions can be nonsensical or confusing or unrealistic.... I've often wondered whether the MSCs & their clients ever employ the services of a business consultant to take an outside look - these folks are geared toward achieving better results at less cost and as an independent party, their perspective is less complicated.
@TroyHawkins wrote:
There can be some practical reasoning behind some instructions. In retail, employees are often expected to guide a customer to the restrooms instead of simply pointing the way. This takes that employee away from there assigned area. If the store is busy, this has a negative impact on real customers. Also, practically ever store requires employees who are not a actively engaged with a customer to make eye contact and greet each customer they come near. This means the trip back from guiding you to the restroom could take 30 minutes or longer.
Are you saying that it takes 30 mins for an employee to show a customer where the restroom is??
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
@luckygirl0100 wrote:
One company that does a lot of fine dining doesn't allow leftovers to be taken home. I would say a larger percentage of their 'regular' customers wouldn't ask to take it home. A lot of these restaurants are in hotels and if you are spending that much on a hotel and dinner you probably aren't worried about wasting some of your dinner, if you get hungry later you'll just order room service.
I did. You're saying that it could take up to a half hour for an employee to show a customer where the bathroom is because they could get waylaid by other customers. I can't say I've ever been in a single store in my 45 years where an employee walked me to the restroom. Where are these stores?@TroyHawkins wrote:
No. Please read what I wrote and you will understand what I said.
@Rousseau wrote:
There's one shop out there that requires one to spend 30 minutes on site. Problem is that store is only about 10 x 15 feet and nearly never has more than one customer in it. So one lingers, and lingers, looking at the same unwanted trinket over-and-over, pondering it, after the clerk has several times sold, resold, and attempted to close the sale...
@johnb974 wrote:
@Rousseau wrote:
There's one shop out there that requires one to spend 30 minutes on site. Problem is that store is only about 10 x 15 feet and nearly never has more than one customer in it. So one lingers, and lingers, looking at the same unwanted trinket over-and-over, pondering it, after the clerk has several times sold, resold, and attempted to close the sale...
I would just go out and sit in my car.
@Rousseau wrote:
@johnb974 wrote:
@Rousseau wrote:
There's one shop out there that requires one to spend 30 minutes on site. Problem is that store is only about 10 x 15 feet and nearly never has more than one customer in it. So one lingers, and lingers, looking at the same unwanted trinket over-and-over, pondering it, after the clerk has several times sold, resold, and attempted to close the sale...
I would just go out and sit in my car.
Why sit in the car rather than just leaving? If one flakes on the job what good is it to be stuck in one's car twiddling thumbs? Not going to get paid either way. Not going to ever get an assignment from the MSC again.
@MFJohnston wrote:
It's an account opening inquiry I am specifically not supposed to actually ask about anything. Asking about a money order would risk invalidating the shop.
@spicy1 wrote:
Quoted post removed. Mod
Ruining for you and everyone else? LOL You have nothing to do with my shops. The report is just a yes/ no report, no text. You ask certain questions, get the answers and you're done. It's the ONLY phone shop I've seen that requires you hang around 15 minutes. When you're the ONLY customer and the report is one page of yes/no questions, and no narrative, it doesn't take 15 minutes. Standing around the store doesn't add anything to the report and is a waste of time.