If this is your primary job, what do you use as a job title when you do a credit card shop?
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Consultant
Editor
Photographer
Party planner
Musician
Church music director
Office manager
Editor
Photographer
Party planner
Musician
Church music director
Office manager
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
I weave an intricate story of coming from an Alberta cattle ranching family. I'm living on a trust fund while doing some engineering work as a consultant for the US government.
If the mood strikes me, I use a fake name from an Anne Rice novel or a Quebec family name.
It works for me.
We're all actors in the little show.
If the mood strikes me, I use a fake name from an Anne Rice novel or a Quebec family name.
It works for me.
We're all actors in the little show.
Never go on any financial services shop or one where you portry yourself as ready to buy a big ticket items without a "back story". Occupation, general area where you live or work, what interests you in the account/products. Sales people are trained to ask those questions. Among other things it makes them seem to be interested in you as a person. It may also be a way of finding out if you are ready, willing and able to buy what they are selling. They are also trained not to waste their time on you if those 3 criteria are not met.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
I say, “Homemaker.” Never been declined.
For the Lamborghini shop, "Heiress" might work better. 
@SoCalMama wrote:
I say, “Homemaker.” Never been declined.
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
Independent Auditor
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
The IT guy listed me as, “Dutchess,” in the LIMS.@myst4au wrote:
For the Lamborghini shop, "Heiress" might work better.
@SoCalMama wrote:
I say, “Homemaker.” Never been declined.
I had to use my real info, for this one!
I had to use my real information on this one, but I didn’t want to say “I’m a mystery shopper by trade, but I’m really not shopping you right now!” Hahahahaha!
I like Independent Auditor. So do you just say you are self-employed, or you freelance?
I don’t really have a problem with ready answers for those scenarios. It’s when I have to give my real information that I don’t know what to call myself! Hahaha!
Social Security. That's gets you denied every time.
Agreed. And the more truth you can put into a story, the better. I have done platform shops up to and including premier banker and I either tell the truth, or most of the truth, or some of the truth, or what was, not so long ago before I zigged when I should have zagged and crashed and burned, the truth.
I mentally walk through every shop, even a really simple one, before I do it, and try to figure out what might go wrong and how to react to it.
I mentally walk through every shop, even a really simple one, before I do it, and try to figure out what might go wrong and how to react to it.
@walesmaven wrote:
Never go on any financial services shop or one where you portry yourself as ready to buy a big ticket items without a "back story". Occupation, general area where you live or work, what interests you in the account/products. Sales people are trained to ask those questions. Among other things it makes them seem to be interested in you as a person. It may also be a way of finding out if you are ready, willing and able to buy what they are selling. They are also trained not to waste their time on you if those 3 criteria are not met.
I've used sales, accountant, and project manager. No one really knows what a project manager does so they will rarely probe too deeply. Independent auditor is genius. Like panama18, my backstory is always part truth, part fiction. It needs to sound plausible to the person across the table so I will do a lot of prep work before I walk in by reading the website and learning about products beforehand.
When doing a big ticket item or financial shop, I say I am a former executive of a national corporation (which is true) and that I tired of the rat race, and retired early. And I can firmly hold a conversation with any banker regarding finance, investments, etc. I have also said that I own my own consulting company. It works, and works very well.
Even though many consider themselves as "just" a mystery shopper, you do own your own business. You do sales, project management, market research, marketing (you market and sale your skills to the MSC's with every shop you do), you perform accounting functions to keep up with how much you make, which MSC's owe you money and when and then you are have to have all the information for tax time. You are a business owner! And you wear all the hats - unless you have someone who does all the other stuff for you! If you do - you're in a better place, financially, that most shoppers if you can afford to pay someone to do all that! *wink, wink*
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2019 10:15PM by FrostyBubbles.
Even though many consider themselves as "just" a mystery shopper, you do own your own business. You do sales, project management, market research, marketing (you market and sale your skills to the MSC's with every shop you do), you perform accounting functions to keep up with how much you make, which MSC's owe you money and when and then you are have to have all the information for tax time. You are a business owner! And you wear all the hats - unless you have someone who does all the other stuff for you! If you do - you're in a better place, financially, that most shoppers if you can afford to pay someone to do all that! *wink, wink*
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2019 10:15PM by FrostyBubbles.
You’re right! I used to be called a “Project Director” in my former life, and in each field it could mean something totally different!
In my former life, my business card said, "Global Project Manager". it reflected what I did, but it was not an official corporate title in the company I worked for. It appeared nowhere on the list of titles that HR used. The general rule was that we could be anything on our business card, as long as it resulted in better customer interaction and more sales, but we could not use a real title that we were not entitled to. So, when I have done high net worth banking shops, or when I shop for ultra-luxury cars I haul out the old business card and the banker or salesperson accepts it on face value. I inflate my salary, and life is good. On the other hand, I can talk about my grandfather being a plumber and my father being a factory worker, and the audience just connects the dots and I do the rental furniture shops. As others have said, you need to think about your back-story in advance and live in the head of the person you have created. I have said before that I think of myself as an actor performing for an audience of one.
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
"Merchandiser", then list some upscale stores. Signed, Night Owl at 3:25 am
With it being a credit card opening shop, the OP has to give a truthful answer regarding employment.
I like to use business manager. In my former corporate life, that was the title I had on my card for many years and I'm basically still managing a business, it just happens to be mine.
Shopping the South Jersey Shore
General Contractor - most people assume that is in the construction instruction, but I'm a general "independent" contractor. The "independent" is silent!
When you learn, teach, when you get, give. Maya Angelou
@JASFLALMT wrote:
With it being a credit card opening shop, the OP has to give a truthful answer regarding employment.
Not entirely true. "Self Employed" works and that's all the information I give.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
Well that's a truthful statement that you are self-employed, so yes, it is entirely true. I never said anyone had to give further details.
I'm surprised that more people don't use some form of "writer" as a profession. It's a big part of what we do, and many writers are ICs.
"House cleaning", if the scenario doesn't require a large net worth. "Recently inherited a lot of money" if it does.
When you open credit card accounts like the OP did, shouldn't you keep your employment title consistent and truthful, though? I thought it was illegal to give false information on a credit card application?
@sestrahelena wrote:
"House cleaning", if the scenario doesn't require a large net worth. "Recently inherited a lot of money" if it does.
It could be construed as fraud if you inflated your income for sure. Unless your occupation created an additional liability for the lender I'm not sure they could do anything about taking your occupation.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
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