Disclaimer: this is a bit lengthy.

I retired from the cable/internet industry with a top three provider earlier this year. Working in the store, we were shopped every month and by way of manager review, we were aware it would occur during the first 7 or 8 days of each month.

We were given a checklist of everything a shopper would watch for as a way to keep us on task for each interaction. Like, 49 points, from clean windows and sidewalks to upsell offers and review of features and benefits for full package existing customers. A perfect score earned the associate a spiff, plus a little smaller one for each other associate on duty that shift, as the score reflected the total store experience.

Perfect scores were tough to come by, as each associate would normally have 50 to 75 interactions a day... even one hundred on "government check day" with most of the interactions being nothing more than a payment, but each of those could be a potential MS.

We reviewed each shopper report as a team, with the associate of record never being identified during the discussion, but we usually could figure it out, lol. We were commented on by four levels of management on every shop and given kudos regionwide for perfect scores.

I would guess two to three shops per year were contested and forgiven for glaring errors by the shopper. Things such as "no tv's in lobby" (yes, there are multiple 60 inchers and always on), naming an associate who wasn't even on duty that day, or just shopper comments that were thinly cloaked attacks at the company at the expense of the associate who, in review was following policy.

Now that I'm retired and a mystery shopper myself, I see both sides and believe we probably had only a small number of shoppers working us, as it was a town of only 50,000 people. I never believed a shopper would have 49 things they were watching for, but yeah, now I do. I'm taking the time to write comments when an associate does a great job, in spite of the rest of the store experience. These front line folks out there are being judged by us and then by one or more layers of management and it could lead to a bonus of a few bucks, a gift card to a steak house, or double secret probation.

Just wanted to throw my perspective out there.

Appreciate the other side of the story.

I've heard from other people that they were shopped. On the whole, they thought it was a "joke", as they were told beforehand what the "secret shopper" would ask/do. It's good to hear someone took it seriously!

I got shopped lots of times when i was in customer service. We were never told when they might show up either. I never worried about it. I treated everyone the same . judging from the gift cards i got about twice a week i was killing it.

If people just do their jobs right they have nothing to worry about.

It’s interesting to hear the other side! I always think/wonder what the workers think about shoppers. Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts!

Thanks for the insight. I always try to add things I see going well on a shop when there is a place to include it. I feel like often the people being shopped think we are writing narratives filled with opinions about our experiences. When actually most shops are ridged checkboxes documenting if specific items were seen or statements made.

The store I managed used to get shopped several times a month, since we sold alcohol and tobacco. Often, a flustered cashier would come running over to me to say "I think I just got shopped!" First I'd ask them if they did their job right (they were a good group and nearly always did.) Then I'd ask them why they thought they had been shopped. Nearly every time, the shopper had gone directly to their car, which was parked within clear view of the register, and were writing down their shop notes. Yep, a couple days later, here would come the shopper report in the morning emails, and it was always that person on that day and time. This was my number one takeaway from being mystery shopped, to keep the MYSTERY in it. And FYI, there was a large clean one person restroom within 10 feet of the register, so there was no excuse for the mystery shoppers to be in view of the cashier when they were making notes.

I do a lot of revealed audits. If asked, my response is always, "Just do what your employer asks. If they want you upsell Coke products, then upsell Coke products. If they want you to ask about a rewards card, then ask about a rewards card. If they want you to wear a name tag, then wear a name tag." It seems like common sense but especially among the youngest working generation, they regard many of their duties as optional or "if it makes me feel good."

The other thing I get asked often is, "Did we pass?" which they are not supposed to do. I always say that I don't know because I'm asked to look for certain things and provide an objective answer. What I think may be an infraction may be exactly how it should be.

For example, a couple years ago, we were asked if the stores had Gatorade on the fountain. It was about 50-50. Turned out, corporate was looking for No. They didn't want Gatorade sold anywhere but packaged for the refrigerated case. Those stores selling it on the fountain were in violation.

Another example was the gas station that wanted a credit card holder on every pump. Then one month I noticed they were missing at some of my regular stations. An owner came out to talk to me and mentioned they had received notice to remove all credit card holders.

Did I know any of this? No. I simply had to answer both questions "yes" or "no" objectively. It was up to management to interpret and score my answers.

I had a Circle K owner jump down my throat for "writing me up" during my previous visit. I did not "write him up." I answered honestly about the filthy drink and coffee bars, the 100+ holes, the "FU" (spelled out in three-foot tall red letters across the front of the building), and empty roller grill in the middle of the day while he and employees chit chatted instead of working. Everything was a yes or no answer although I did make sure the curb appeal photo adequately showed the graffiti.

And I might add, this was a franchise. Had it been my franchise, I'd have been at Home Depot buying paint to cover it over. A week later I drove by and it was still there. So, no. The fact corporate came down on the franchisee was not the shopper's fault.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2019 07:48PM by whiterosie.

What about the blatant lies managers do to get shoppers fired ? Anyone have those stories?

@yrshopper wrote:

What about the blatant lies managers do to get shoppers fired ? Anyone have those stories?

I had a shoe store employee say that I made up my whole report. They said what was in my report was not at all accurate. I ssid exactly what they were doing, which was talking to each other and not offering to help me.

A bowling employee said I rented a pair of shoes, then said when I came to pay, that I said I did not use the shoes, and had two shoe boxes. Part of the shop is renting shoes. I was not charged for the shoes. We do not own two pairs of bowling shoes, just one pair. The bowling alley had missed some of their requirements, so I guess they were trying to get my report thrown out. It was my word against theirs. I told the MSC to watch the video, if there was one. I had no reason to do what they claimed. I would have been out a lot of money.

@yrshopper wrote:

What about the blatant lies managers do to get shoppers fired ? Anyone have those stories?

I had a manager lie so badly to cover their ass. I shopped with a friend (requirement of the shop). They completely fabricated the way we looked (I'm 6ft tall with long black hair, piercings and tattoos) and my friend was 5'6" with red hair and freckles, no visible tattoos). They said she was humongous (I'm the plus sized one, but I'm not obese by any means) with black hair and tattoos. They said she was extremely short, like 5'3" and with an "Amazon" women with red hair and piercings. They said she was rude to them, even though she hadn't said one word to them. They also said we reeked of booze and pot. Being that neither of us smoked and I was barely of legal age (23 at the time) and she was 19, that was another lie. They were loudly talking politics and swearing, and the one girl was graphically describing a sexual encounter from the night before. I reported this, verbatim. They didn't help me at all or even make an attempt, even though we were in the store for nearly a half hour and kept walking past them. I reported this. The guidelines stated to walk around for 30 minutes and then ask for where something was located. I did that. I guess asking them to point me in the direction of something was considered rude to them, lol.

The MSC called both me and my friend to verify our stories (which never changed, unlike the manager's at the store) not once, not twice, but three times. Then I was no longer permitted to shop the store. I got paid though, but they pretty much outed my friend and I. It was a simple 2 page shop that paid $10, so I was bummed.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2019 09:28PM by jellyfish.