Against my better judgement, I actually read the whole thread. OP, while I'm sorry that you have had bad things happen in your life, and at the risk of being accused of not having empathy, everyone has something. You were being paid to do a job, the MS is also being paid to do a job. Doing this job requires time and expense on my part. No matter how empathetic I wish to be, I can not and will not not do my job just so someone else can feel better about themselves. I am not in this business for anything but to be paid to fullfill a contract. So, if the contract says that I am to report on certain things, that's what I do. To not do my job in the manner that I contracted to do so would be dishonest and unethical. What the company does with my information is really none of my business. Your beef is with the company, not the MS who was doing what they were being paid to do. Sorry that the company is allegedly so awful to work for, but there "awfulness" has nothing to do with the MS program (that is, unless the MS'er was not being truthful in which case it's not the program but the person). I find it interesting that you want more "empathy" which in this case equates to the MS not being honest and ethical. If you weren't doing your job, you weren't doing your job, period. To ask a MS to be dishonest about what you were or were not doing is unethical and is not empathy.

You are completely missing the point. Your issue is with how the reports are used, period. I have no power over how bonuses are given out or over any employee. All I do is report what I have seen based on the criteria given
to me by the client. What you call "blind obedience" is more correctly characterized as doing the job that I am paid to do. What you perceive as coldness and lack of empathy is your perception. The bottom line is that MS'ers are contracted to do a job. What you are demanding, under the category of empathy, is for the MS'er to be dishonest and unethical. By entering into a contract to MS the cafe, the MS agrees to make certain observations. Failure to make those observations or worse, willfully misrepresenting what occured during the visit is dishonest and unethical. You are incorrectly categorizing those who refuse to do other than what they are contracted to do as cold. Further, you are angry with your former employer for holding you accountable for doing the job for which you were being paid while also faulting those (the MS) who are doing their job. I can have all the empathy that I wish but I also have integrity and ethics. Taking money for something that I did not do, did only partially, or lied about doing violates my integrity and ethics. And I am unwilling to jeopardize my income, on that particular report, and future assignments that I would not receive, by being "empathetic" aka dishonest. If your story is as you report, I have empathy that you have had such a rough time. How the staff is treated is an entirely separate discussion. Whether or not I care is beside the point and has nothing to do with whether or not I complete the job honestly that I was contracted to complete. However, I will not lie just to make someone else feel better about themself. If you find that cold, so be it, but in the end all I have is my reputation and I won't jeopardize it in the manner in which you propose. It's very interesting that you would propose and try to guilt others into being dishonest and unethical.

The troll has admitted, bragged, that this tread is driving traffic to his blog.

Do we really want to help make $$$ for him and/or incite further interest in this mess??

Time to stop feeding the troll folks.

Let's have some recipes to feed the rest of us.

I thought Clarence Greenwood was the name he uses to produce his music. His style is so unique, he can't be placed in a box. He is truly talented.

I found out about him when I was listening to Carlos Santa. I had to know the voice behind "Sideways!" I've been a fan since then. "Heroin and Helicopters" is pretty decent. I just started listening to it on YT about a week after it came out.

>>P.S. the funny thing with Citizen Cope is the band must be frustrated, especially the drummer as Cope slows down in songs midway! <<

I LOVE that! If you listen to "Salvation," the slowdown is apparent after "Put the guns down." It gives a sleepy, sultriness to an otherwise hard hitting song. It is very well done.

I'm sorry your life went downhill. It goes with the territory of being. That's the perfect time to listen to Citizen Cope, when your world comes crashing down around you.

@expretDOTorg wrote:

Yes, absolutely. He doesn't do much and the crowed goes nuts.

The first time I heard a song of his was in a movie, but I can't remember which film, but the song was of course "Bullet and a Target" and I was hooked at first listen!

I love Cat Power's music very much and I always hope that Clarence & Chan would collaborate! The depth and music itself are on one level for me. I saw him 3 times, 2x in London and the one time while visiting Philly. Always sold out.

I used to go to a lot of concerts, sometimes 3-4 times a week as London is like a candy store for live music lovers. I videoed a lot, but since my life went downhill I only go to a few gigs as I lost a lot of interest.

I almost went to a Patty Griffin gig tonight with a friend who invited me spontaneous yesterday, but I cancelled. I would spoil the fun as I am not well. But she's one to look out for as well. Seen her two or three times, once with Robert Plant.

Yada yada, back to the Mystery Shopper issues ;-)

But Clarence Greenwood is too unknown still.

P.S. the funny thing with Citizen Cope is the band must be frustrated, especially the drummer as Cope slows down in songs midway!

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@expretDOTorg
Nobody has bullied you on this forum. They have disagreed with you - but that is not the same as bullying. I would suggest that folks have been very patient with you as you joined this forum and immediately started attacking mystery shoppers - including Nazi comparisons. Now you are making more accusations against specific folks.

You got a single PM that goes after active forum members and assumed it to be true? Tell me: Did you this email come from the member who has had two messages in this thread deleted by mods from insulting others? Did you ever stop to think that, maybe, that forum member has been kicked off this site multiple times for being a bully and keeps coming back with a different user name? Did it not strike you as odd that, the first day you joined this forum, you get a private message from somebody that effectively attacks others? Have you considered that, when one person has an issue with everybody in a crowd, that that person is likely the one who is a problem?

Yes, @walesmaven starts filling threads up with recipes when they go south. She does that on threads where the insults start to fly as a way to turn the subject away from the insults that some members of the forum spew. One active poster (the same who has had messages on this thread deleted) complains about this a lot - s/he is the one whose insults are often being overrun with recipes.

Look back through this thread at the insults you have levied against others - folks you don't even know. Ask yourself: Who is acting like a bully? You came here to complain about your former employer. Yet, your behavior mimics that about which you complain. By doing this, you have convinced me that your squabble with Pret A Manger is your own doing.

Yes, when you are at work, you are rightfully expected to smile.

This thread has run its course. I'm closing it. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about this.