I have done several of these now. Many at the same location. I take the same pictures over and over again. I don't understand why the pictures are necessary if the company isn't going to do anything to fix the problems. AT $25 a pop I will continue to do these. Yet it gets very frustrating to take picture after picture of the same problem and not see any result. Another problem I have is getting a picture of all the infractions there are. With cars behind me I don't want to hold up the line anymore than necessary and since there is timing involved I don't want to have a big gap in timing that is not correct just to take some pictures.

Agreed, it does seem crazy that they shop every location once a week but seem to make no effort to correct anything. Like you said, I won't complain that they continue to pay for it, especially since food mystery shops are in short supply these days.

What is the problem you refer to? I've done hundreds if these shops, some at $25, like you, and all I see wrong is that sometimes the fries are nowhere near the required temp.

The main recurring problems I see are excessive trash and broken or cracked menu boards.

I’ve done tons of these too when the price gets to my magic number. Since the program started 2+ years ago, I’ve noticed a visible change in service times — I do these as a route usually and I’d be stuck out until 1am because a string of them would take up to 40 minutes to get the food from getting into the drive through to pickup, particularly after the 9pm late night shift started. I also noticed a “special order” error rate of about 20-25 pct (usually no mayo when I asked for extra mayo, or extra ketchup instead of extra mayo).

I really do think this whole program started because enough people complained about this — I’ve ate at Jack on and off since I was a kid, and being the “late-night go to option”, the lines were always long in the evenings and it could be so sloooowww.

Within the last year, this has pretty much stopped happening... the worst I’ve had has been about 15 minutes, even with a full drive through. The special orders are usually correct now. They very much have a rhythm down, And I can only attribute this to the shopping — I also find they are very deliberate about reading back the items in the order when I get to the window and either sticking the receipt in the bag or handing it back with the card — this is certainly a change from “shove the bag in your face and throw the receipt away without asking” when you got your food.

As far as cleanliness, I tend to agree... I don’t see a lot of change, particularly with the dumpsters... the dumpsters are really the only main things I ding them on anyways. A lot of them do not have the dumpster in the enclosure — and I can only imagine it’s because the garbage company doesn’t want to wedge their truck into some of the spaces — they really have stuck the dumpster areas in tight places at some of them. I will say that the menu board quality has improved — I can say that I have submitted pics of broken menu boards, and weeks later they were fixed — and have seemed to stay fixed.

So overall, at least around here, the shopping does seem to have helped... it’s taken a while — but it isn’t as insanely slow as it used to be... that said... their prices are now outrageous. I never go there on my own anymore... the bare minimum combo here costs $9.12 after tax... with upgrading the drink, curly fries, and ordering a sandwich I’d actually want to eat, it’s easily $13-14 for a single combo now... which is just insane.

It is funny how the cost varies by location. Where I live the cost for a Jumbo Jack, fries and drink is less that $8. In a town not far from me I was shocked when the price for the same items was $9.12 like you said. My bottom line for doing these is $20. I'll hold out for $25.

Jumbo Jack combo is $5.40-$6.67 here. If you get anything else, it >$8. So I just get the same thing every time. My coworker has a dog lol.

Did one yesterday for $14. Sourdough burger was just so so. More power to those who can many of these in a single day. A lot Of details for me to remember And many pictures.

As a side note, Jack In The Box has a special place in my memory. I was in the Navy in 1969 and on my way to Vietnam. Had to go through SERE (survival) training which basically meant not eating anything for a week. At the end of training I was of course famished (and grungy) so went to the nearest JIB Drive thru. There weren’t many drive thrus available in those days In San Diego. Ordered a Jumbo Jack which Was the best tasting hamburger ever. Helps to go to JIB when you are truly hungry!

@kenasch wrote:

Did one yesterday for $14. Sourdough burger was just so so. More power to those who can many of these in a single day. A lot Of details for me to remember And many pictures.

As a side note, Jack In The Box has a special place in my memory. I was in the Navy in 1969 and on my way to Vietnam. Had to go through SERE (survival) training which basically meant not eating anything for a week. At the end of training I was of course famished (and grungy) so went to the nearest JIB Drive thru. There weren’t many drive thrus available in those days In San Diego. Ordered a Jumbo Jack which Was the best tasting hamburger ever. Helps to go to JIB when you are truly hungry!

AWWWW thank you for your service. I grew up in San Diego and worked near 32nd St Naval Station after college. I have tested a lot of AFFF and bilge water over the years.

There isn't a problem. I was just stating that I have seen the same problems over and over again so I didn't understand why pictures were being taken if nothing was going to be done about any "infraction". I e-mailed the scheduler to ask why these pictures have to be taken and was satisfied with her response. All is well.

I did hundreds of JIB shops before the pandemic brought my shopping to a screeching halt in March. I use 2 phones (one for timing and another for pics). I start taking photos when I drive onto the lot and continue to take the photos as I progress through the line. I don't see how taking photos could possibly hold up the line or affect timing. It takes less than a second to take a photo. Most of the locations fix the issues, but there are a few that always seem to have the same problems.

Very rarely do the shops get to be worthwhile here. They usually stay at $7 and at that it is not worth it. But then again that is probably because they do not have a rotation schedule set up.

@2stepps wrote:

Very rarely do the shops get to be worthwhile here. They usually stay at $7 and at that it is not worth it. But then again that is probably because they do not have a rotation schedule set up.

I get $10 plus reimbursement for the required purchase. That is not worth my time, but there enough locations nearby and on my daily routes that I can justify including them in my routes for that price. If I could get no shops for the day, other than 3 JIB, then I would take that day off. Thirty dollars is not enough for a day's work.

AZwolfman. They are always listed as fee only without reimbursement for the required purchase.

@kenasch wrote:

AZwolfman. They are always listed as fee only without reimbursement for the required purchase.

He works in NV. It's illegal not to pay a fee in NV.

I’ve often wondering if the drive thru order taker can see me while I’m placing my order or if they just have audio? If I’m displayed on a monitor, they would probably see me taking a photo of the menu board. Anyone know?

Most ff have video. I have had several different ff employees say something like, "Did you get all the pictures you need?" Not at Jack, though...yet.

I usually take the preview menu board and the menu board from a distance for precisely this reason. I usually shop the same locations, so don’t want to be outed,

@kenasch wrote:

I’ve often wondering if the drive thru order taker can see me while I’m placing my order or if they just have audio? If I’m displayed on a monitor, they would probably see me taking a photo of the menu board. Anyone know?

I take the menu board after ordering for this reason. I figure that they are busy with the next task once my order is complete.

Somebody took everything in my area for the last two weeks. I had each location at >$16, but that's out the window now.
The locations near my work were all >$18. They found somebody cheaper there too. There's one location that got flaked on. Too bad, so sad, I am not working for the next 3 days.

I just had to show you my latest job offer for this shop...".$13 for leftover fast food drive-thru shops starting today!"
This was too funny, Not only are they not reimbursing enough at base pay but now they want you to buy the leftover food! lol Perhaps the prices are lower for the leftover food so the base pay will now cover it.

Shops leftover from the previous week.

Got it but thought it was very funny. In this day and age of food shortages and covid 19 auditing shops perhaps it might be nice if instead of throwing out leftover foods in good condition at the end of the day the fast food shops sold them half price and heated up the next day.....Then we could do a leftover food compliance shop to make sure they were adequately labeled as yesterday's food that was kept in a fridge or freezer overnight and not sold many days later. My local bagel store has always put out yesterdays bagels at a discount.

@boridi wrote:

Shops leftover from the previous week.

It is still funny since they were offering $20-$23 for those same shops earlier last week.

This is actually a good price early in the week for my area. Shops with fresh food!!! are paying less.
So I thought more about the offer....Family meal including 4 one day old burgers refried (I love refried beans so why not a refried burger?), 2 milk containers expiring within the next 2 days, 2 expiring soon water bottles and an extra large size family fresh fries as heated fries are awful. for $5. Plus tax. Please laugh....we all need laughs with all the bad virus and other news.

@bbates728 wrote:

It is still funny since they were offering $20-$23 for those same shops earlier last week.