Do mystery shopping companies care that they make you do things that blow your cover?

I just picked up a coffee assignment where you have to ask 3 questions - 2 of which are about the surrounding neighborhood. Who asks 3 questions during one coffee transaction? I'm tempted to cancel it because the questions are dumb, but I need lunch and the fee is great.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

I recently shopped a casual restaurant with a bar where I had to bring a guest, but first order only one drink, pay with cash separately, close out that check, then order more food and drinks and pay with cash or credit card.
My guest went to the bathroom, and I ordered one wine, asked to have it right away while I looked at the menu, I asked to close that out and I had the cash in my hand. Bartender saw the cash, didn't close it out. My guest sits next to me and orders a wine.
I could not think of a reason to push for the separate bill for the first wine without coming off as suspicious. I just continued with the shop as normal, closed out the check, and explained everything in the report, and several times explained that I asked for the first drink to be paid cash separately but the bartender didn't follow my instructions.
Entire shop was rejected.
Never again.

I recently did 6 gas station audits. During 3 of them, the employee instantly knew I was a mystery shopper by asking for a receipt for a candy bar. In one case, the cashier radioed someone else, and before I could come back in to reveal myself, all the starburst signs were gone. In another case, the employee took down a handwritten sign that said "no restroom available", ran to his car and put on a uniform, then told me he had the restroom sign because "customers mess it up." All that before I could take pictures. In the last case, the employee had nothing to hide, but already knew why I was there.

@quovatis wrote:

I recently did 6 gas station audits. During 3 of them, the employee instantly knew I was a mystery shopper by asking for a receipt for a candy bar. In one case, the cashier radioed someone else, and before I could come back in to reveal myself, all the starburst signs were gone. In another case, the employee took down a handwritten sign that said "no restroom available", ran to his car and put on a uniform, then told me he had the restroom sign because "customers mess it up." All that before I could take pictures. In the last case, the employee had nothing to hide, but already knew why I was there.

That's funny. I ask for those receipts and the people behind the counter couldn't care less. I do a lot of the same stations on a semi-regular basis, and nothing ever changes.

@quovatis wrote:

I recently did 6 gas station audits. During 3 of them, the employee instantly knew I was a mystery shopper by asking for a receipt for a candy bar. In one case, the cashier radioed someone else, and before I could come back in to reveal myself, all the starburst signs were gone. In another case, the employee took down a handwritten sign that said "no restroom available", ran to his car and put on a uniform, then told me he had the restroom sign because "customers mess it up." All that before I could take pictures. In the last case, the employee had nothing to hide, but already knew why I was there.

Many will know with a gas station shop once you ask for the receipt. A large part of the mystery is that they don't know when we will be there, and they can't take back their poor customer service, if applicable, before I asked for a receipt. They'll have time to get that name tag, but won't have time to paint the bollards, clean the valances, or put up the POP they should have put up weeks prior.

There's a healthy food chain I love shopping, but I do wonder how many other customers are asking what city the chain originated in. And then there's the cafe chain where you have to submit a selfie with the report...

@JediBeagle wrote:

I recently shopped a casual restaurant with a bar where I had to bring a guest, but first order only one drink, pay with cash separately, close out that check, then order more food and drinks and pay with cash or credit card.
My guest went to the bathroom, and I ordered one wine, asked to have it right away while I looked at the menu, I asked to close that out and I had the cash in my hand. Bartender saw the cash, didn't close it out. My guest sits next to me and orders a wine.
I could not think of a reason to push for the separate bill for the first wine without coming off as suspicious. I just continued with the shop as normal, closed out the check, and explained everything in the report, and several times explained that I asked for the first drink to be paid cash separately but the bartender didn't follow my instructions.
Entire shop was rejected.
Never again.

Maybe next time tell the girl what's going on. She probably won't hold it against you, and she'll know the scenario you need to follow.

Or am I misreading between the lines?

I have two main non reveal gas stations.mscs that I shop. On one of them...the job fee is ok..not great but I can do 3 to 4 a day and have a full tank of gas. The inside purchase reimbursement is 5 dollars...on this one I don't feel like I'm outed as the mystery shopper, because I generally spend between 3 to 5 dollars inside the store and I feel like a normal customer would ask for the receipt.

On the other..they only reimburse up to 1.00 inside purchase. I really wish this msc would increase the inside reimbursement on this one. I feel weird and I don't think a regular customer would ask for a receipt for a purchase under a dollar.. Maybe Im just being paranid though..

Shopping Idaho and Oregon/Idaho border region.

That's really rough. Although if the instructions state that a separate check is required, my guest is going to pay separately. Maybe you're a cheap date.

But so far, I have done well by being honest on reporting mistakes. I guess it's a matter of what's considered critical. For bar integrity checks, there's no reason for a bartender not to accept the money. If they somehow do, I'd verbally ask, "How much?" and leave that on the bar and never touch it.

@JediBeagle wrote:

I recently shopped a casual restaurant with a bar where I had to bring a guest, but first order only one drink, pay with cash separately, close out that check, then order more food and drinks and pay with cash or credit card.
My guest went to the bathroom, and I ordered one wine, asked to have it right away while I looked at the menu, I asked to close that out and I had the cash in my hand. Bartender saw the cash, didn't close it out. My guest sits next to me and orders a wine.
I could not think of a reason to push for the separate bill for the first wine without coming off as suspicious. I just continued with the shop as normal, closed out the check, and explained everything in the report, and several times explained that I asked for the first drink to be paid cash separately but the bartender didn't follow my instructions.
Entire shop was rejected.
Never again.

Interesting I read that list on how to spot a secret shopper and most things on there aren't really good ways, unless the shopper just doesnt care if they are being obvious. Its really common for people to be on their phones constantly so if you just make it look like youre texting when you take or check notes (ie text times to yourself and have certain criteria you need to check sent as a textmessage to yourself beforehand). Also, unless your taking super weird photos- taking photos around shops of items also is not uncommon. I constantly do this while not shopping if I see something interesting/strange, to take note of it to look up later, or to share with my partner. I often do this if running errands and I if I dont know what brand he wants of something and just send him a quick text of the display. I've even taken pics of menu boards to send to see what he wants to order at places.Also going to the barthroom and asking a lot of questions (even weird ones) is not uncommon.

Many of them don't care. I think most mystery shoppers fail to understand how many clients treat their shopping program as an open book test. Sure many of them are trying to get a snapshot but a lot are just using it as a tool to ingrain processes in their employees or test if they know what they're supposed to be doing. In that sense it doesn't matter if they know we are shoppers or not, they still have to know what to do and do it correctly. I'm not saying all programs are like this, but many more are than most shoppers think. So, no, they totally realize their employees will know we are shoppers. When they say don't blow your cover, they're saying not to do other things to make it obvious, like take notes in public or have cheat sheets in view.

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

I just started mystery shopping in September. I have done many for two separate businesses. One business asks me to ask for the same odd item regardless of the many times I've completed this business. The other business has me asking the exact same questions every time. I'm always amazed that this ok because I feel like they know I am a mystery shopper for asking these same dumb things.

S1 E6... just watched it. Good stuff! Although, I object to the choice for actual "secret shopper" in the show.

@MysVal wrote:

This topic always a constant battle with me. Certain shops I just stopped taking because they refuse to change up guidelines and as soon as you do X or ask Y you are automatically labeled as a mystery shopper. One restaurant I stopped shopping because the shop requirements are so old that the hostess actually had a "cheat sheet" for the wait staff on how to spot a mystery shopper ON THE PODIUM.

And other times, mystery shoppers tell on themselves. I was visiting a coffee shop that I had shopped in the past and within 10 seconds, I could tell who the mystery shopper was. She was so blatant and obvious. So, I do think sometimes it goes both ways. There are a lot of ways to be creative without being outted, but some things are just not possible to mask.

Anyone ever watch the show "Superstore" OMG, there was an episode where they spent the whole time freaking out over who they thought was a mystery shopper.

In the prior decade, I completed several assignments at a Mexican eatery named Abuelo's. A section of the report required the names of the hostess, barmaid, server and manager. As none wore a name tag at this store, there was no doubt in my mind those workers knew I was a shopper. After the location closed, I encountered the manager at a dance and not to my surprise learned that indeed my queries had outed me. I enjoyed, according to my record, 11 delicious meals WITH a generous fee doing work that was easy. Whomever composed the ridiculous report, obviously was not thinking logically.

I’m UK based so what is viewed as a valid reason may not work in different communities etc.
2 reasons spring to mind why I may want a receipt just for a candy bar. The first is that my child/grandchild/niece/nephew etc is learning about money at school at the moment and loves to play shopping, paper receipts don’t last long with constant use so you take any chance to collect one that won’t matter if it gets destroyed.
The second is that you look after someone else’s finances/do their shopping and have to account for every penny/cent spent.
The shop I do reasonably often I think is obvious is asking a shopping centre different questions all on the same day via different channels. Surely getting an email, Facebook DM and tweet from same person is a suspicious - why not just pick one way and ask all questions? Many are small centres where it’s obviously the same manager answering each time.

Well, tonight I'm being required to give a $10 bill for a $4 happy hour drink and I have to tell them to keep the change. I'll be a single middle-aged woman at the bar alone. If that doesn't give it away, nothing will. And yes, it bugs me!

"Can you tell me what comes on the roast beef sandwich... like the one I just ate inside?"

If you did that as a man, to a woman bartender, you would be instantly put into "creep" zone, and be ignored, or get the other bartender the next time you need something. It's OK to tip well, but when you grossly over tip, woman do (and rightly) question your motives.

@amyann2 wrote:

Well, tonight I'm being required to give a $10 bill for a $4 happy hour drink and I have to tell them to keep the change. I'll be a single middle-aged woman at the bar alone. If that doesn't give it away, nothing will. And yes, it bugs me!

Orlando - lightly shopping NC

oteixeira, you're not wrong! Sigh....

Oh, and another giveaway I hate is the big box retailer shop where you have to carry a large item around the store until someone offers you a cart. Or your arms drop off. Whichever happens first.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Do mystery shopping companies care that they make you do things that blow your cover?

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine