I wonder if the people writing the guidelines have every done a mystery shop

I did a couple of tire shops. The guidelines ask for a picture of the tire wall, front counter, front of the store and the service bay area, YET ask you not to reveal yourself as a mystery shopper. Just taking the pictures inside, reveals you to be a mystery shopper or you're asked to leave the store. I've had shops where the questions they want you to ask, reveals you as a mystery shopper. Because normal customers don't ask those questions. I think some guidelines defeat the purpose of being a mystery shopper.

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Yeah, those are annoying. I have gotten better at discreet photos. If you don’t get a good opportunity, you can just walk through at the end. Once the evaluation is finished, it doesn’t matter if you show yourself as a shopper.

They are aware locations will know you're a shopper. They don't care. Think of it as an open book test.

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

I don't take a certain shop because the guidelines say to take a picture of a sign at the register.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

I didn't take a tire shop because of those photo requirements. I couldn't imagine "discreetly" taking photos of the front of the store, etc..., and not looking like a mystery shopper. If companies do not care if we are discreet, why do they say be discreet?

@bgriffin wrote:

They are aware locations will know you're a shopper. They don't care. Think of it as an open book test.

Yet the guidelines say not to reveal yourself as a mystery shopper. The only way to do this kind of shop, do the first part as a mystery shopper and than go back in and explain to the cashier you have to take pictures as part of a mystery shop. There's a good chance the person will tell you no pictures inside the store. I've had that happen once.

And then there are shops that do these things and warn that you will not get paid if they think your cover has been blown.

Sure, taking those particular photos might make it clear that you are a shopper. You don't have to state openly that you are a mystery shopper unless it is a reveal shop. There is a difference. It's slight, but real.

You can just walk around and snap pictures quickly. They likely won't even notice. No one will actually stop you from taking pictures. If they do, put that in your report. You know that pictures are allowed because the client requested them.

A lot of this comes down to your own ability to stay cool. If you feel conspicuous, you definitely are. At least in my experience, it has gotten much easier.

@johnb974 wrote:

Yet the guidelines say not to reveal yourself as a mystery shopper. The only way to do this kind of shop, do the first part as a mystery shopper and than go back in and explain to the cashier you have to take pictures as part of a mystery shop. There's a good chance the person will tell you no pictures inside the store. I've had that happen once.

I don't mean to say it is not annoying. I almost always get nervous about it unless I know the layout of the location. I avoid jobs that have these requirements. It's kind of like how I avoid recorded calls just because I dislike hearing my voice.

The aversion is strong and normal. However, it's also very possible to get over that and get a few extra jobs each month.

I hate shops with photos like this.... However, I have done more than a few. I try to establish camouflage before entering the store: I start the shop with my phone in my hand, texting, emailing, checking out the MysteryShopForum, whatever. I keep the phone in my hand throughout and play with it whenever I am not in the midst of a required interaction. I pace a little. Then when I am facing something that needs to be captured, I snap a picture. So many folks are constantly playing with their phones anyhow, that I fit right in, I've become adept at taking pictures of employees' name tags when needed.

I was on a shop with an MSC owner once and I had to go make a purchase while he stood back and observed. He was not able to see the cashier's name tag and was really frustrated that he did not catch her name. I said that it was a long name of Slavic origin that I could not pronounce. He was astonished when I showed him the picture - including all 12 letters of her name. It also gave him her eye color.

For some shops, it's okay to act like some idiot who can't leave his/her phone alone.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

All of that. I feel like job requirements that tell you not to use your phone but still take pictures are not just contradictory but years out of date.

I just did the same tire store shop. Impossible to take the interior photos without them knowing. When I realized that, I told them why I was there (after having gotten the quote and business card) as allowed in the instructions. This should have been offered to me and others as a simple mystery shop (it was) followed by an announced audit (which it was in reality).

@johnb974 wrote:

I did a couple of tire shops. The guidelines ask for a picture of the tire wall, front counter, front of the store and the service bay area, YET ask you not to reveal yourself as a mystery shopper. Just taking the pictures inside, reveals you to be a mystery shopper or you're asked to leave the store.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I am convinced that some of the shops were written by people who have never done a mystery shop for example one buffet restaurant shop says you are to make a pre-visit call and you are not allowed to ask for directions or hours as these two things supposedly would give you away as a shopper yet the shop requires photos of both restrooms 10 photos minimum of the buffet and requires you to sneak into the kitchen to take several photos and photos of the menu board and the outside of the restaurant yet these photos are not suspicious but asking for directions for a place that's impossible to find is ???

My tactic: Act like you are taking a selfie. Cheesy smile or duck lips, your call. BUT, have the camera reversed and pointed at the intended target instead.

I had one shop for an electronics store. You're asked to inspect the restroom. You're told not to ask where the restrooms are, as this might tip them off to you being a mystery shopper. I guess only mystery shoppers ask about restrooms. LOL

I did the tire shop a few months ago. I was able to discreetly take the photos by doing the outside shots before I entered the store and got on anyone's radar. For the interior shots, I told the employee at the desk I didn't know what kind of tires I needed, so he went outside to look at my car. I had about three minutes to take the photos while he was outside but that's all the time I needed.

One "trick" at least for the outisde shops is to use Indeed's Job Spotter app. They give Amazon credit for photos of places hiring, so you can always say you're doing that, then actually do that as well as the shop requirements.

Sneak into the kitchen? I would NOT accept that shop. I think that's probably some sort of healthcode violation, since to be in a kitchen of a restaurant you are supposed to be wearing a certain type of shoe and your hair should be restrained (if you have medium to long hair), even if the establishment allowed it. And just walking into the kitchen would be noticed immediately by staff and I am sure you would be asked to leave (yelled at) before you had a chance to snap any photos.

@Hydra777 wrote:

I am convinced that some of the shops were written by people who have never done a mystery shop for example one buffet restaurant shop says you are to make a pre-visit call and you are not allowed to ask for directions or hours as these two things supposedly would give you away as a shopper yet the shop requires photos of both restrooms 10 photos minimum of the buffet and requires you to sneak into the kitchen to take several photos and photos of the menu board and the outside of the restaurant yet these photos are not suspicious but asking for directions for a place that's impossible to find is ???

I just saw a new pizza place on the board and applied to find five pic's needed, entry, food ingredients, promotions and more....how do they expect that waiting in line and ordering, you snap snap snap, total giveaway, not doing it for 10.00 no fee...I'll enjoy it on my own, thanks anyway. Who said this was a money making industry.....if you won't travel.
Afterthought....CA has the Health department "grades" on the front window, all I have ever seen are an A.

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2019 08:30PM by Irene_L.A..

duplicate

Live consciously....

The schedulers/business account managers are NOT the ones that write the guidelines. The client companies themselves specify what they want and no, they most likely haven't done a shop. Offer, the account manager a the mystery shop company will try to reason with the client company if something is not reasonable or doesn't make sense, but ultimately the clients insist on what they want and the mystery shop companies have to try to make it work. (Source: I use to be a scheduler).

Yes, some of the shop writers are out of touch with reality.
To ask a retail saleswoman for her name because there is no required name tag is ridiculous. And resistance can be expected when this occurs in the NYC tri state area, especially so in poor, crime ridden areas.

Same with interior pics needed in check cashing places. Insane, no matter what you tell them if asked, you will
rightfully be looked at in a suspect fashion, and they are correct as they are in high potential robbery locations.

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I wonder if the people writing the guidelines have every done a mystery shop

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