Does anyone else have this problem?

I'm short. When I do a supermarket shop it's requested to get the counter person's name. So often the counter's height blocks out my view of the person's name tag. Besides asking, which I think is a dead give away that it's a secret shop, how do you get the person's name when you can't see the tag? I have occasionally held out my hand to shake with the counter person, giving my name and thanking them for their help but how often can you do that without raising suspicion?

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Sometimes if you ask for a sales flyer, a grocery bag, or something else behind the counter, they have to move and you can see their name. Or, at the end of the interaction, you can have a puzzled look on your face and say, "What is your name?" After they respond, you can say, "Oh, you look like my old neighbor (or high school friend, or son/daughter of a friend) John/Jane/Jessica/Jeremy." Then you wish them a great day and move on.

Smile confidently at the end of the conversation. Say "What was your name?" He or she says X. You say, "Why thank you, X, for helping me today." BOOM.

I always feel that shoppers overthink being spotted way too much. If you see the name tag hidden right away small talk works good "How are you today......" with a glance at the name tag "oh i cant see your name"
It's pretty natural here in the south anyway. This work regardless of it being a cashier/customer service agent/stocker. Seriously, a lot of people like to know who they are talking to, so they just ask. It's not really too unusual. So unless the shops guidelines prohibit it (and I have done my share that do), don't overthink just asking.
But my main points is don't think anything you do gives you away a a shopper. People in retail of any sort see all kinds of people every day, and go through hundreds of customers a day. Unless you are wearing a clown suit with a big sign that says "I secret Shop" nine times out of ten, once you leave the store, the employee will forget about you, and not even give a thought to you be a secret shopper.

I’m not short, but if the counter/case blocks the name tag, I generally try to wait at the counter between the cases or at the end of the cases. Sometimes, I have them get something out of the case, and I can bend down and see their name tag through the case.

Sometimes you just have to ask for a name. I am always so happy when I see the name tag right away otherwise I use the "you look like someone my daughter went to school with" usually does the trick.

For the shops I do there is a spot to check if the nametag is hidden/obstructed. I can’t remember the wording. Anyway I then explain the height of the counter kept the tag out of view.

My standby phrase is, "You've been so helpful today. What is your name, dear?", while cocking my head to the side because I'm sometimes hard of hearing.

I bend down and pretend to be looking at stuff in the case. Then I try to see the tag from below it instead of above it. Sometimes it works. If not I just explain that the counter was hiding the tag. I'm not in control of the height of the counter.

Merch more. That is, when you are merchandising you are introducing yourself and they are introducing themselves. There is no need to be clever. You just need to be polite. This will not help mystery shoppers directly.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

My former roommate always asked the clerk his/her name if they did not introduce themselves. He liked people to address him by name, and he felt that he should address them by their names. He was never a mystery shopper, and he always asked for names many years before I became a mystery shopper. That's just the way he was. He said it was showing courteous, respectful, and treatment of the clerk as an individual.

I have just gotten in the habit of calling clerks, etc by name regardless if I am on a shop or not. Then if I have to ask, it seems natural to me and no one blinks.

There's many ways you can ask. I drum up a conversation; so it's natural to say at the end of the transaction: Thanks and what's your name? Thanks...... you have a nice day and it was nice talking to you. Very natural.

Apart from the great suggestions here, all the grocery, big box, gas station, any kind of retail store, the survey gives you the option of giving a description of the associate.

Cannot depend on the description only option. I have paid some stupid tax on that account! I'm 4'10" and have this same problem. I have used were you one of my day care kids/church visitor/schoolmate/bluegrass jammer and anything else I can come up with. I usually try to spy something close by but on a shelf that I can't reach and ask them to grab it for me. At least it gets the m out from behind the counter,

MissChele - Shopping KY, IN & OH
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