Aliases

April 18, 2011 08:31PM

I recently performed an apartment shop for a company that requires you to use a nickname or different form of your first/middle name so when you do another shop for that property management company your name won't come up. My problem is that my first and middle name are fairly unique and since you have to show your ID to do the tour I'm running out of ideas of names to use. Can you just give them made up nicknames like Sonny or Bud and just explain thats what everyone calls you?

Triple Platinum Certified - Shopping South Central Kansas

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

April 18, 2011 08:40PM

I am assuming you are looking for male nicknames, though there are a number of them that can work either way. "JJ" why? Who knows? "Junior". Obvious. "Bubba" Take the first syllable of your first or last name and use that.

April 18, 2011 08:58PM

I just had to use an aliase for a Bank job and pulled the name Ellen lane...depends on what job your doing, a Bank would require something more professional since your investing $60,000+. I wouldn't feel right saying, Hi, my name is Bubba...just sayin....give them a similiar on your ID saying people call me A.J. or whatever.

Live consciously....

April 18, 2011 10:35PM

I have so many aliases that I sometimes forget my own name. I try to use names that start with the same letter. With apartment shops, I don't see how you can give a different name or nick name.

April 18, 2011 11:18PM

I have never been allowed to give an alias for apartment shopping as they check your DL, same with auto dealerships.

Live consciously....

April 18, 2011 11:43PM

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have never been allowed to give an alias for
> apartment shopping as they check your DL, same
> with auto dealerships.

EPMS is the only company I've shopped apartments for that wants you to use an alias. In my area, the same company owns around 10 communities and your name is stored in their computer so when I call community C, if I gave them my full correct name, it would show I also visited A and B.

In my opinion, if the shops were done without much a time gap, it would make it seem more believable, like I'm shopping around until I find the right one.

It is hard coming up with believable names for my name, Lisa. It's already short so it's hard to shorten it into a nickname. I've used Alisa, Elisabeth,.. I'm running out.

April 19, 2011 01:12AM

For female aliases I simply went through my HS yearbook. Those were the popular female names of the time and place where my accent would place me. So I often am Linda, Barbara, Ann, Betty Sue, Mary Lou, etc. I am not in the right age bracket for the Erica, Tashika etc. Luckily my real name lends itself to many, many nicknames and spellings.

April 19, 2011 01:26AM

I've had to use nicknames also. I think that if you say that the ID has your real name, then they would be inclined to put your real name in, or even both versions. If you don't say anything when you use a nickname, unless they ask, they might just copy down the address without looking at the name. Some don't even do that. I had a friend in college whose real name was Rosalind Lorraine but she had an aunt named Sue who died shortly after her birth, so after that her family called her Sue. Any nickname can be believable. I wouldn't use one that would cause the person to ask where I got it as soon as I said it. It might make me too memorable.

April 21, 2011 05:48AM

I usually just say, "Call me Barack."

April 21, 2011 09:16PM

lol Shop!!!

My name is Jo Anne so I have lots of variations. Jo, Anne, JoAnne, Jody, Mary Jo, Josie, Josephine, Josephina, etc. I do lots of apartment shops but won't do one on a repeat unless it's been over a year.

Today I Will Choose Joy!

"Finally, whatever things are good, true, noble, lovely, of good report...if there be any virtue, if there be any praise...think on these things." ....It's a command, not a suggestion!

April 22, 2011 11:12AM

I do a lot of apartment shops for Ellis. I am real lucky because my first name is William and I am a Jr. That gives me about 20 different combinations. By the way Ellis is a great company to do work for. You just have to get use to their redundant forms.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Aliases

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine