@tracyvp wrote:
I have been assigned a series of shops where you are required to have a minimum of 5 different interactions, and you are required to note exact comments, descriptions, etc with every single one, as well as descriptions of every person who fails to greet you during the course of your 30-45 minute shop. The instructions EXPRESSLY forbid using any audio or video recording device of any kind.
How have people successfully completed these types of shops? I'm really struggling to find ways to get out of sight and make very copious notes 6-10 times during the course of the shop. Any suggestions? I've always been able to video or audio record this type of shop and I'm really struggling to get all the detail they want without that crutch!!
@tracyvp wrote:
I get that if it is an all-party state they cant' use the recording for any legal action, but these recordings would never be used for that.
@Shop-et-al wrote:
And, your diligent shopper status would change to deleterious shopper.
In my experience, when shop instructions or product warning labels or weird school rules are put in place that don't make sense it is almost always because someone did something that caused an issue. My daughter and I joke that we can usually name the person, too!@tracyvp wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I really just do not understand why companies wouldn't want you to record the shops for your OWN benefit. I get that if it is an all-party state they cant' use the recording for any legal action, but these recordings would never be used for that. They would be recordings made in a public place where there is no expectation of privacy, and would simply be to make sure I'm reporting things exactly as they happened instead of having to rely on my memory. It just makes no sense to me at all.
@Shop-et-al wrote:
What about the weird case scenario? If you lost control of the recordings, it might be discovered that you did make recordings illegally. We do not know with whom these recordings would be shared. And, your diligent shopper status would change to deleterious shopper.
@sandyf wrote:
There are very few shops I have seen that have outright said no recordings or cell phones....and if they say recordings they are most likely referring to recordings of the other person but you need to carefully consider the wording used in those requirements.
@johnb974 wrote:
Another thing to keep in mind, in California, stores and restaurants cannot have audio recordings. They can have video, but no audio. They cannot have audio recordings of customers. So how can they tell you to tell them exactly what was said?
@sandyf wrote:
Maybe you can explain what you are talking about. Why would the store have to have audio recordings in order for you to tell them what was said? I, as a shopper, have ears so I can hear what they said and then quote it back. I do not expect the client to be looking at video or overhearing the conversation with every shop. If they were to review 24/7 hours of recordings there would be no point in them having a mystery shopper. So I take it from this and other posts that you have written that you are saying there is no reason to be truthful in your mystery shop unless someone is watching and listening to you. That means you are admitting you just get the form and check it off however you feel like. Do you even bother to go into the store or restaurant? or only when you have to have a receipt? Even then you could just pick up some random receipt you find on the counter or floor. Why bother to even purchase something?
Let me know if my interpretation of your interpretation of the rules is correct. In addition based on some of the things you have said in your posts I am starting to think perhaps you are being watched. I, and many other shoppers who actually do shops according to the guidelines generally have no reason to believe any videos or recordings are checked when we do a shop. This might only happen very, very occasionally to the trusted shoppers if their report is challenged by an employee. So I would say, for you, it seems the safest thing to do is to just check that they did it correctly for everything, do not go to the store, send in the report. (Honest shoppers, do not try this at home.) But i would definitely suggest to you that you stop announcing these rule breaking ideas you have in a public forum lest you are outed and the rest of us are not trusted at all.
@johnb974 wrote:
Another thing to keep in mind, in California, stores and restaurants cannot have audio recordings. They can have video, but no audio. They cannot have audio recordings of customers. So how can they tell you to tell them exactly what was said?
@CoffeeQueen wrote:
That's ridiculous. It makes sense if you are telling the truth. If you lie about everything I guess it wouldn't make any sense. Why would anyone lie about a service interaction? It makes no difference to me if someone says "good morning" or "how are you today?" So why would I lie about it? Your blatant dishonesty is really alarming.
@johnb974 wrote:
@CoffeeQueen wrote:
That's ridiculous. It makes sense if you are telling the truth. If you lie about everything I guess it wouldn't make any sense. Why would anyone lie about a service interaction? It makes no difference to me if someone says "good morning" or "how are you today?" So why would I lie about it? Your blatant dishonesty is really alarming.
You cannot repeat exactly what was said, in a 30 or 40 minute shop. You can only repeat the best you can. I am saying this so shoppers are not freaked out over remembering exactly what was said.
@CoffeeQueen wrote:
Whatever it is I'm supposed to be paying attention to, all my focus goes to that.
@johnb974 wrote:
Very few people have perfect memory, MOST people do not. Please don't tell anyone if they cannot remember everything in exact detail, they shouldn't be mystery shopping.