Five Guys identified

I am assuming I was identified at my closest FG since I haven't seen those shops for months (although I do see shops for the other local one). I think they've known who I was for years since they seem to do a lot of cleaning whenever I'm there.
Has this happened to anyone else, and if so, did you eventually get to shop them again? Do you remember how long it took? I would hate to lose this one permanently as it's my favorite.

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.

More About Five Guys Mystery Shopping

If it is the old shopping company bye bye bye for the entire Data base.

I'm newish to doing this. How would you be identified and how would it get back to the company? Sorry, it's also early and I'm just starting my first cup of coffee. Thanks for helping to explain!

About 10 years ago, I was conviniced that one of the Five Guys restaurants had identified me as a mystery shopper. When I went in, the floor got swept, the doors and windows got cleaned, etc. They never said anything. I never said anything. The location later closed.

There used to be a pizza chain (it still exists) that delighted in reporting shoppers. I and others got reported to the MSC and that ended being able to go to that location. Why they did that is totally unclear to me. To me, logic would say that if they knew who I was, they should just do everything perfectly, and get a perfect score. Identifying me (it was fairly obvious since the required scenario was so stupid) did not mean the program ended, it just meant they had to "find" my replacement.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

It's more important to some staff to feel smart than to be smart. As for how they would know, they could look for customers who always ordered just the main item first (and usually the cheapest items) and waited before ordering add-ons such as fries and a drink. They could also compare the timings on reports to surveillance videos.

I had a restaurant I shopped once a month years ago. This went on for a couple years. At a certain point, I was pretty sure that they knew I was a shopper, and I told the scheduler. He said I was the only shopper he had in the area. But that was the end of that one. I loved that assignment, and I hated to see it go, but sometimes you got to do what you got to do.

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
"Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
-- Abraham Lincoln

I think I've read that 5G has video and it's easy for them to see the timing of a shop report, then look at the video and figure out from that who shoppers are. I have no idea if they "turn in" people to management? I just know that I always saw shops for that location and never do in the past couple of months, although I still see them for other locations. Also I don't think I've ever left a really negative report so I don't know if there would be anything in it for the store in outing me as a shopper. Pretty sure they knew though, since I would walk in and seemingly immediately an employee would head for the restroom, another would come out to wipe tables, etc.

Have it on good authority they DO use video and match it.

quote=sbj]
I think I've read that 5G has video and it's easy for them to see the timing of a shop report, then look at the video and figure out from that who shoppers are. I have no idea if they "turn in" people to management? I just know that I always saw shops for that location and never do in the past couple of months, although I still see them for other locations. Also I don't think I've ever left a really negative report so I don't know if there would be anything in it for the store in outing me as a shopper. Pretty sure they knew though, since I would walk in and seemingly immediately an employee would head for the restroom, another would come out to wipe tables, etc.[/quote]

I’ve definitely been “made” at 5G.

One of the managers did something so specific and (not good) recognizes me each time after. She’s much better now. I’m a little concerned about spit, but I watch the process pretty well.

Years ago, I stopped seeing one location of Five Guys on my board. Just the one location, all others remained available to me. After about a year, the location was back on my board. I assume I was identified, though I wasn't advised of the reason.

Yes, I was outed several years ago by the location nearest to me, and the MSC confirmed that was why it was no longer offered. I eventually was able to shop it again after a year or two.

I wonder if the 5 guys that I usually do has identified me? Not that I'm worried about it I don't really want to do a lot of 5 guys shops. I'll do some of the others in the big city if they ever cut loose with enough money to justify driving there.

Same as above with me. There are many 5G's in my area and the one closest to me stopped showing up on the job board. It took a year or two before I saw it again. This was quite a while ago and I think I remember the scheduler on the phone telling me it was probably because I was identified. I was not blocked from any others.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

I really don't care if I was "made". As long as they will continue to give me the shops, I'll accept them.

It's to their advantage if I've been outed as a shopper to do everything right as mentioned above.

I have also noticed that they seem to come out and clean the dining area whenever I shop them. However, I do believe it's because there has been a lull in customers, and that's what they're supposed to do at that point.

You don't know that for sure. I've talked to managers of shops and employees who have told me they know who the mystery shoppers are. For a burger shop they always order 3 items. If a single person comes in and orders 3 items, odds are they're a mystery shopper. I did an audit for a cell phone show, the manager told me they know who the shoppers are. They're the only ones asking questions. Just do the shops. Many times mystery shoppers are limited to what they buy or the questions they ask. That gives them away.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2022 05:12AM by johnb974.

They call it a “site restriction” so those shops do not come up in your potentials. I have been restricted by one of my local Five Guys. It is stupid for them to let the MSC know who we are. You would think they like knowing who we are so they can do everything right. Of course, they should always be doing everything right ha ha. I am sure most of the locations that I do know who I am. It doesn’t really bother me. One of the managers has been at like four of the local locations and I’ve seen him at each one. But the other day, he did not ask me if I wanted a fry or a drink. So knowing doesn’t really help sometimes!

Several years ago I did a shop and the whole crew was just over the top having fun. They were calling out everything, jumping up to get everything any one wanted and just fantastic.

I'd have to give kudos to the manager and I gave them a fantastic review. They deserved it. And if the crew was acting that way, it was because of the manager, without a doubt! No shop necessary.

I had one cell phone shop I did many times. Once I walked in and all the employees said, "Hi John, Hi John, Hi John" LOL

This happened to me a few years ago. I stopped seeing Five Guys shops on my job list, so I wrote to the help desk. They couldn't be specific about why, but hinted that I had probably been identified as the shopper. They did say I would be eligible again in a few months. I think it was about three to six months. Can't recall, but it didn't seem like it was as long as six months.

I would contact the help desk and ask, and see what they say. They're not going to let you know outright that you were outed, but you'll probably know from what they say. If you're not proactive with them, they may not rush to reinstate you to the program!

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

@BirdyC wrote:

They're not going to let you know outright that you were outed, but you'll probably know from what they say. If you're not proactive with them, they may not rush to reinstate you to the program!

That's something I don't understand -- why the MSC wouldn't be willing to tell you that you were outed. Sometimes I think they're so in the habit of being secretive that they treat every piece of information as a state secret!

They do warn about being outed in the instructions. I am very discreet. But the reports can get you caught. I can see the managers looking at their video footage and recognizing me. I don’t look like the people in most of my shopping areas.

@amyann2 wrote:

@BirdyC wrote:

They're not going to let you know outright that you were outed, but you'll probably know from what they say. If you're not proactive with them, they may not rush to reinstate you to the program!

That's something I don't understand -- why the MSC wouldn't be willing to tell you that you were outed. Sometimes I think they're so in the habit of being secretive that they treat every piece of information as a state secret!

My guess, with no evidence to back me up, is that to tell you flat out that you were identified as a shopper would violate their agreement with their client, just as it violates our agreement with the MSC to tell someone we're the shopper. I think the wording they used with me was something like "We're not able to reveal why you are temporarily blocked from shopping this client. But in order to protect our shoppers from possible identification, we sometimes find it necessary to do so, blah, blah, blah.

So they kind of make it sound like you didn't get ID'd, but they think you might be in the future. But really, I think they're saying you got ID'd.

But I think people who still want to shop FG need to let them know that you would like to be reinstated as soon as possible.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

I took advice here and did write to them -- here's the response I got: "Hi it is all contingent upon the client’s site file for the shopping period in question."
Not too helpful! Oh well, I'll keep checking and hopefully eventually I'll be reinstated.

Many times I've noted that the shop requirements themselves just scream "I am a shopper!".....I try my best to follow them AND act like a normal customer - but sometimes it's impossible.

In the same vein... it was suggested when Chipotle cut their fees, that for the shopper to keep making a decent profit, they order one or two tacos. This, to me, was on the same level as doing the shop wearing a neon pink T-shirt with "MYSTERY SHOPPER" in big letters (i.e. a dead giveaway).

I contacted the MSC and I got reinstated for the one location that I had a “site restriction”. Now I’m able to shop that location hopefully this weekend!

@TinaMarieO wrote:

I contacted the MSC and I got reinstated for the one location that I had a “site restriction”. Now I’m able to shop that location hopefully this weekend!

That's the thing to do! I think if people just wait to be reinstated, instead of proactively asking the MSC, it may be a very long time until they finally see the location(s) back on their board.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Five Guys identified

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine