It has always been the question that I have wondered about. If you do how did you establish contact with them? If you have, have you become friends or foes?

Only one time and it was 20 years ago. A MSC connected me with another shopper in my area. They were having trouble getting a bank shopped in a remote area. I hooked up with the other shopper and we drove together and both shopped the bank. I think the MSC paid us well and covered gas and lunch. Unfortunately we did not stay in touch.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2023 06:35PM by Paula7928.

I, too, used to but it was many years ago. One was in my area and the other was actually in Southern California. (I am in Northern CA but used to shop Southern CA sometimes. That was when my health was much better and before I became partially disabled.) The local one turned out to be a nasty piece of work. I thought we had a mutual friend who was a company owner but that shopper kept badmouthing the owner and had almost nothing positive to say. She was supposedly a friend of another shopper (whom I did not really know) for a long time and she also made venomous comments about that friend. I stopped associating with the shopper because she was nasty and disloyal.

The southern CA shopper was much more complicated. She was funny, wicked smart, and a great shopper. We were friends for years and I even stayed at her house for a visit. Then, I increasingly got the feeling that she thought she was better than I was and she became domineering, condescending, and competitive. I did not need that kind of "friend" in my life. I still feel sad sometimes thinking back on when things were good and I considered her a good friend.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2023 07:34PM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

I raised mine.. only other shoppers I've met have been at theaters, and we didn't keep in touch.

I used to be in a group on facebook, but the admin had a baby and shut the group down. We had talked about doing a get together but it never came to fruition.

I have met and lightly worked with another merchandiser, she gave me info to start with her company but I haven't really desired to do the work.

Yes, one shopper in my area. I met her when I was scheduling/ editing and she completed TONS of work for me. We have become good friends. I don't consider her competition as she is a lifestyle only shopper & doesn't have children. The few fine dining shops we both enjoy have a rotation so it's really no big deal.

I did once when I went to the Ardent trainings for their 2 major clients. Met a ton of my competition.

But beyond that, I'm a lone wolf and only really speak or talk to the schedules, PM's, etc., not the shoppers themselves.

I used to be a friend with another so cal shopper but she lived 40 miles away. We had coffee once or twice when she was in town but then decided not to drive the freeways to town any more to do shops. Now I am private messaging pen pals with someone one county below mine. We have not met in person... I like my shopper pen pal.

I met someone who used to be a regular on this board for coffee once.

As a general rule, I do not believe in associating with one's competitors.

Haven't met another shopper.

No but I saw one the other day in Lidl. We were both doing bonused shops. He got one type and I got the other. I didn't say hello, thought that would be weird.

Only once years ago, and it could be the experience was so negative, I never pushed for other. One of the MSCs wanted a team of shoppers to do what amounted to heavy duty merchandising. Somehow or other, the other shopper ended up "the boss," telling me what to do while she watched. I was pretty strong, young and healthy at the time, but it was indeed heavy duty merchandising. I didn't make an issue, but it was not what I signed up for. I seldom take merchandising assignments, like almost never, and the whole thing was so odd, I was not inclined to continue any kind of professional relationship with that shopper. Nonetheless, there are times when I really could use a good shopping partner, and I know we all have assignments on which that would be an advantage.

I suspect that I have come across another shopper once or twice, but I am not sure. I know I would not want to associate with someone that is my competition.

The first time, I had to show the letter in the c-store due to no uniform shirt and nametag and a guy asked me outside what kind of work I did. There was something about this interaction that made me suspect that he knew what was going on.

I was doing a route of different brand gas station shops the second time. On one of my first stops of the day, I saw a guy who stood out with his attire and hair style as I walked into the C-store, I overheard him say something to the cashier about having a certain issue with his credit card. A couple of stops later, I saw the same guy in another C-store repeating the same script. Three hours later I am in a slower line and Mr. I am having an issue using this card repeats the script in the next line. I think it was a Chime branded card. I don't think he ever saw me. I was almost tempted to talk him outside, but figured no reason to waste my time.

It seemed so bizarre that someone having an issue with a credit card would go to different stores. What are the chances that I would run into this person on three of my stops. When I got home, I did look up to see if this was an available shop and couldn't find it still listed anything.

I was doing a shop at an airport many years ago. Another shopper had the same day assignment. The airport rep introduced us to each other and we exchanged our numbers to stay in touch. We tried to see if we had shops at the airport the same day but never did. We met for lunch one day- she was doing a shop at the location. She told me she always had ways of getting extra stuff to take home for dinner the next day and wanted to show me how. She totally embarrassed me by after eating half a sandwich on the shop demanding a new one (for free) which she planned to take home as she did not like the taste of the first one which she nearly finished. Of course the request was denied and I was totally embarrassed as she made quite a fuss about it. That was the last time I got together with her. She has emailed me a few times but I have not replied.That was the only shopper I ever came in contact with.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2023 11:07PM by SueW70.

Wow. I'll bet she gave a scathing report after not getting her way. That's so not fair to the establishment. I think there are quite a few of us out there that use that perceived power in a crooked way.

Over the years I have made several very good friends of shoppers that I have met. Three are in my area, but we really do not compete much since mostly our interests in clients do not overlap much and this is rich MS territory. I have lunch once a month with one of those and often PM with another.

In addition, I have met a ton of shoppers, including many who are forum regulars or were in the past, at IMSC conferences. We have consumed a LOT of wine together. In addition, I have stayed in the homes of two of those, one in SC and one in MN, and shared a hotel room with another when we were both on long routes that happened to intersect in that town. The shoppers that I have personally interacted with have all been supportive of one another and do not feel threatened by other shoppers.

When my buddy lived in SoCal, we would fight for shops. But we hooked each other up too. We miss those Cheesecake Factory shops that were so good from like 10 years ago (maybe even longer now). We both would get one each month and go at lunch time as we worked for the same company. The Target shops where they wanted you to buy something just to see if the cashier suggested the Target credit card were awesome too. We would always be in a hurry to get as many as we could before each other would get them. Now he lives in another state. I will let him know if I see something he would like and I know it's posted, but he does do as many shops as I do.

I have never met a shopper in action though. I do look at times, but I generally do not try to patronize businesses that I can shop. I would rather wait for the shop than spend my own money. The exception to that would be In N Out.

i have met two people on here. it was very enlightening. car not being inspected and just general working every day has prevented a huge amount of travel. when marketforce had the number one burger chain i walked by someones car and saw them filling out the survey. I waved hello. when i am in check out and someone directly askes for a name or hear someone ask for a business card i get a little chuckle.

I generally do not try to patronize businesses that I can shop. I would rather wait for the shop than spend my own money. The exception to that would be In N Out.[/quote]

yeah 5 guys is WAY to expensive when i can go to a local chinese buffet for less including a tip.

I've always wanted to meet other shoppers! I know last summer Ipsos hosted in-person gatherings around the country. I really wanted to go to the one in my city so I can see who else are shoppers, but alas, I had other commitments... Hoping Ipsos redo the events this summer!

Aside from that, I happened upon a tiktok account of a shopper who goes by Cass. At first, her posts about mystery shopping was interesting, as she explained the ins-and-outs, but then her posts became braggadocious like "how i made $2k in one day!" type of false baiting, and I had to stop watching her.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

I, too, used to but it was many years ago. One was in my area and the other was actually in Southern California. (I am in Northern CA but used to shop Southern CA sometimes. That was when my health was much better and before I became partially disabled.) The local one turned out to be a nasty piece of work. I thought we had a mutual friend who was a company owner but that shopper kept badmouthing the owner and had almost nothing positive to say. She was supposedly a friend of another shopper (whom I did not really know) for a long time and she also made venomous comments about that friend. I stopped associating with the shopper because she was nasty and disloyal.

The southern CA shopper was much more complicated. She was funny, wicked smart, and a great shopper. We were friends for years and I even stayed at her house for a visit. Then, I increasingly got the feeling that she thought she was better than I was and she became domineering, condescending, and competitive. I did not need that kind of "friend" in my life. I still feel sad sometimes thinking back on when things were good and I considered her a good friend.

Oh this sounds very, very familiar. I don't recall it ending that way though. Somebody was very stubborn with a terrible sense of direction.

@Tarantado wrote:

I did once when I went to the Ardent trainings for their 2 major clients. Met a ton of my competition.

But beyond that, I'm a lone wolf and only really speak or talk to the schedules, PM's, etc., not the shoppers themselves.

Same here. I don't even do shops with friends. My fiancee is the only person I even have told that I shop, and I let her come along on one shop, just one, because it was unavoidable (we were traveling together). She's my "Alfred." I haven't even told family.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2023 05:37AM by KokoBWare.

It's kinda funny - all the things I am doing these days to support myself are things that a lot of other people do, but mostly everyone does them alone. So, I've never met another shopper, even when I lived in the big city with so many different types of businesses that get shopped and lots of shoppers. I did have a friend who did merchandising part-time, and I took her on a few high-end dining shops with me, but we met and became friends first, and then I found out she was a merchandiser.

Now I live somewhere that is much less populated and I just don't think there are that many shoppers here. The same goes for my other endeavors. They are all solitary gigs. Maybe if I went on YouTube and shared what I do, I might befriend other YouTubers doing the same things, but I haven't done that (and not sure I want to, anyway).
.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2023 05:49AM by shopnyc.

I did training at an airport many years ago with a large group of shoppers. I was very surprised at the way many of them appeared since we were meeting with representatives of the MSC and they were really sloppily dressed and not well groomed. I never attempted to befriend any. There was one elderly woman who impressed me with her ability to navigate the airport and willingness to complete the complicated reports. I remember her telling me how she used two computer screens to do reports.

I also met a local shopper when I was assigned to do a backup shop at a furniture store many years ago. She was lovely and we exchanged numbers, but did not keep in touch much after that.

I do a few other side gigs besides this one. One is a murder mystery company. I was talking with one of the other actors. We both agreed driving over an hour each way to rehearsal for $20 is not worth it. I told her I make it worth it by doing two mystery shops on the way and she told me she does the same.

I met up with a friend in Illinois who does mystery shops and his pal who also did them.

Too many drinks in the bar at a hotel outside Chicago and his buddy started hitting on me. Said my French accent made him "interested".

Geez.

@French Farmer wrote:

Said my French accent made him "interested".

Geez.

Your accent. Not that squishy thing between year ears and behind your nose? Not your integrity, passion, or empathy for others. Not even the insightful and amusing stories you told. Sad.

@Rousseau wrote:

@French Farmer wrote:

Said my French accent made him "interested".

Geez.

Your accent. Not that squishy thing between year ears and behind your nose? Not your integrity, passion, or empathy for others. Not even the insightful and amusing stories you told. Sad.

Yup, that's about it.
Sad is an understatement.

Sigh

My best friend used to go with me to some restaurant shops back when they were easier to get. At one point she needed to bulk up her income and found the parking shops to her liking. For several years I would accompany her on her shops to fancy hotels and beautiful business parks where we would sit in the lobbies overlooking the ocean or in the flower and fountain filled courtyards and spend the 75 minute stays together. After she was able to get early social security she stopped mystery shopping but to this day she is my only restaurant guest that really understands that this is a job. A JOB! and not just how did you like the food. Nice to have someone like that.