How Often Do you Think Owners Review MS Video Tapes to Confirm Reports?
Warning: For Full Access Please Log In or Create an Account (Free)
Usually I think it's just the bad ones. Although someone like five guys that has a pretty comprehensive program and bonuses to every team member depend on a perfect score, they likely review all of them to identify the shopper.
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
I am not sure why any shopper would be concerned with video being reviewed. Unless, they have ‘massaged’ the information in their reports of course.....
@Book wrote:
I am not sure why any shopper would be concerned with video being reviewed. Unless, they have ‘massaged’ the information in their reports of course.....
I usually don't care. This was more a curiosity question.
I know that an investment adviser shop, not done by me, was reviewed and found to have errors after the report "would have" resulted in him/the adviser getting no (presumably large) bonus. I was not told what problems the first shopper reported. The review was inconclusive as to the major problems reported by the first shopper, because there was no audio. . I was told this when I was asked to repeat the shop, using a somewhat different scenario. Unfortunately, as I was later told, the adviser did the same couple of very, very dumb things when I was the shopper. .But, I had him on an audio recording, at the client's request, talking down to me, and making it clear that the reason was my gender. Frankly, I was impressed that the client was determined to get to the bottom of the original allegations. The scheduler, on behalf of the client, thanked me because the client was genuinely shocked at what I had been told during the shop.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2019 02:25PM by walesmaven.
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.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2019 02:25PM by walesmaven.
I was dining at the bar once and reported that the bartender did not engage in conversation. The MSC contacted me a week later to say that the client stated there were at least 2 regulars at the bar that night & asked me to confirm. The bar was full to capacity, that poor girl didn't have time to talk to anyone if she was going to keep cranking out the drink orders. But someone was watching that shop very closely.
@shoptastic wrote:
@Book wrote:
I usually don't care. This was more a curiosity question.
Anyway, the problem is not enough MS company clients review video or even bother reading the reports.
I suspect some companies use their budgets getting the reports done. Then don’t have anything left for meaningful follow through.
A few years ago I was working at a place that got shopped. One of our shops got a really poor rating on one of the interactions. The manager asked the home office to review the video. (The mystery shop results that we received did not have date and time information so that each location could not try to identify the shopper.)
When the office reviewed the video it was determined that the shopper had an interaction with another customer on the sales floor and thought that was the store manager who forgot to wear their name tag.
We never knew if the company accepted or rejected the shop. We were sure the report was not accurate because there is no way the current manager would have acted that way.
When the office reviewed the video it was determined that the shopper had an interaction with another customer on the sales floor and thought that was the store manager who forgot to wear their name tag.
We never knew if the company accepted or rejected the shop. We were sure the report was not accurate because there is no way the current manager would have acted that way.
I have always wondered if date and time information was removed from reports. Is that common?
@yoya301 wrote:
The mystery shop results that we received did not have date and time information so that each location could not try to identify the shopper.
I doubt they have time to review every shop. I'm sure restaurant shops are watched closer. On one restaurant shop they ask what you were wearing.
@jlcarter1975 wrote:
I was dining at the bar once and reported that the bartender did not engage in conversation. The MSC contacted me a week later to say that the client stated there were at least 2 regulars at the bar that night & asked me to confirm. The bar was full to capacity, that poor girl didn't have time to talk to anyone if she was going to keep cranking out the drink orders. But someone was watching that shop very closely.
How would you know who the regulars were?
@MSF wrote:
I have always wondered if date and time information was removed from reports. Is that common?@yoya301 wrote:
The mystery shop results that we received did not have date and time information so that each location could not try to identify the shopper.
Where I worked the purchase receipt was not included with the shop report that was forwarded to us.
Video itself can cause problems. A number of years ago a shopper at a grocery reported an issue at the cashier. A review of video "proved" she broke the rules and had brought a child, who was jumping up and down in the cart. She had no child and had not found one to bring along. The video time stamp matched the receipt time stamp. After much explanation from the shopper, a review of the time on the video showed that the time on the video was inaccurate. When they adjusted the time to actually match the register they found she was absolutely correct. No apology for wasting her time and effort salvaging her reputation and pay.
That's probably common. I wonder though if it's common for the date and time info.
the shopper enters in the report to be removed.
the shopper enters in the report to be removed.
@yoya301 wrote:
Where I worked the purchase receipt was not included with the shop report that was forwarded to us.
When I was in management, I watched all videos that were alcohol or tobacco compliance shops, and I showed them to my employees, too. If anything seriously negative showed up in any report, I reviewed the video quite carefully. Once one of my employees got a bad report for not greeting, not making eye contact, not thanking, etc, which I knew was bullcrud. After reviewing the video and the pictures accompanying the report, we discovered that the whole report was faked from previous visits to my store. The pictures weren't even of my store. The ms company then reviewed about 50 of the shopper's route shop reports and discovered most of them were faked. Very shocking.
@Sandy Shopper wrote:
Once one of my employees got a bad report for not greeting, not making eye contact, not thanking, etc, which I knew was bullcrud. After reviewing the video and the pictures accompanying the report, we discovered that the whole report was faked from previous visits to my store. The pictures weren't even of my store. The ms company then reviewed about 50 of the shopper's route shop reports and discovered most of them were faked. Very shocking.
I guess the more intelligent ‘fakers’ write positive reports to reduce the chances of getting caught out....
I did a late night bar shop once and I could tell who the "regulars" were because the bartender would use their name when they said hi as they sat down.
@johnb974 wrote:
@jlcarter1975 wrote:
I was dining at the bar once and reported that the bartender did not engage in conversation. The MSC contacted me a week later to say that the client stated there were at least 2 regulars at the bar that night & asked me to confirm. The bar was full to capacity, that poor girl didn't have time to talk to anyone if she was going to keep cranking out the drink orders. But someone was watching that shop very closely.
How would you know who the regulars were?
Kim
"I guess the more intelligent ‘fakers’ write positive reports to reduce the chances of getting caught out.... " From what I understand, it's the reports that don't report anything negative that often get heavily scrutinized at upper management level, since no one is perfect and it makes them wonder if the shopper was not being observant. The clients want their money's worth, and who can blame them. For the report I mentioned, that was the only thing that they said was wrong, and the lack of greeting, eye contact or thanking was sadly typical for other stores in the same chain.
And a smart MSC will have a question or two in their reports that associates will not do. The 'fakers' can then be picked off pretty quickly by answering that the associate did those things. I used to think that having a stack of credit card applications on the counter at a gas station was one of those 'gotcha' questions because I never saw them. Then one day I began seeing them on every visit . . .
Can't say that videos are usually reviewed; probably not. However, if the employee shopped disputes something, the chances are the video will be reviewed. In fact, they may demand it since their income (bonus) and even their job may depend on it.
I actually asked to see the video at a restaurant once when I went on my own dime. There were two of us and each of us put down a $20 bill. I did not remember getting the correct change as my change should have included a $10 bill or five singles and a five etc. The restaurant insisted I got my change. Neither I nor my friend had that sort of money in our wallets at the end. So I asked to see the video. The video was so grainy it was impossible to see what was happening. The restaurant insisted one of the grainy, blurry images was me hiding the $10 bill under my napkin. That is not something I would ever have done in a million years. I saw that image and to me it was impossible to tell what I was doing and nothing in it looked like money. That particular shop is mystery shopped but in that case I was not on a shop. I am not sure how anyone could prove anything with that store's video equipment.
I work for a company that does mystery shops. My boss reviews them each time and discusses the pros and cons with the people involved. He lets the rest of the employees know what was missed. I have never seen him review the video. I think he would if we requested it. Needless to say, I can't do the shops! lol
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2019 06:52PM by lateraine.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2019 06:52PM by lateraine.
I've often wondered this myself. I know I was identified by Five Guys after doing it for a year and a half.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2019 07:12PM by thecrwth.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2019 07:12PM by thecrwth.
@Book wrote:
I am not sure why any shopper would be concerned with video being reviewed. Unless, they have ‘massaged’ the information in their reports of course.....
'i'm not sure why you're concerned about their unless you feel like being holier than thou. Someone asked a simple question. Why can't you just let it be unless you have an answer?
I had a grocery store about 10 yrs ago that the company threatened to get rid of me for "good" reports, on the other side of the coin, the one and only shop I did not get paid for, the business was a mess and the MS company said I went to the wrong store. Um receipt had the address, which I faxed and scanned to them a dozen times, never got paid and until the old battleaxe who ran the MS schedulers, never got another job with them and I used to do an average of 14 per mth. You never know
I have only had one time with a company reviewing video. We were at the bar. I reported that we did not see a manager. They reviewed tape and did see one on duty. We just did not see the manager from where we were seated. I was still paid.
One of the last grocery stores I did for Market Force was a hot mess...flies in the salad bar and fresh breads...long check-out lines and slow service. I reported it as such and got removed from the entire client. I was told I was identified by corporate, so I'm figuring they checked the video. I miss those shops since I did many each month and they saved me hundreds on my grocery bill. That's what ya get for being truthful.
*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
There are many that do view the video tapes, but many more do not!
ALWAYS be truthful!
Two days ago I had a client review video and prove the shopper did not do what they said they did. The report score was 100% so it wasn't a manager frustrated because of a low score possibly affecting their bonus, and this location often scores at 100% (across a variety of shoppers) so it wasn't an 'unusually' high score that triggered the video review.
The video was AMAZING quality, like watching a t.v. show without sound.
Two days ago I had a client review video and prove the shopper did not do what they said they did. The report score was 100% so it wasn't a manager frustrated because of a low score possibly affecting their bonus, and this location often scores at 100% (across a variety of shoppers) so it wasn't an 'unusually' high score that triggered the video review.
The video was AMAZING quality, like watching a t.v. show without sound.
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
Post removed as it violates a forum guideline. The OP named the client. Feel free to repost, omitting the name of the MSC.