Hello,

One recent company I worked for is refusing payment because the client reported that the staff member at the store could identify me as a mystery shop. I did not complete the survey in the store.

The mandatory script and questions on the guidelines do look suspicious. It also asks you to do a follow-up call to the same location after your visit asking for directions, which also looks suspicious, especially if the staff member answering the phone recognizes your voice from a visit earlier that day.

I never went out of protocol, but the script and questions set me up for failure and now they are siding with the client.

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue? I just feel very hurt and upset because I was completely compliant.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2023 09:09PM by lpd8112525.

My SIL manages a well known jewelry store. He swears he can spot a shopper 100% of the time. He says number one, it always "leaks" from corporate when the shopper will be there, and they ask questions no real shopper would ever ask.

I've been in places and heard things like the manager telling employees "Look sharp, get everything right, the mystery shopper will be here today!" (And, yes, indeed the mystery shopper was there, LOL! )

Edited to ask: what company was this for? The MSC, not the client.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2023 03:58AM by ceasesmith.

Many years ago, I was assigned a Kroger store built in the late 50s. The planners did not include public rest rooms; usage required passing through the employees back room. On the bulletin board, I read a shopper's description, but it was not of me.

Ha! I noticed the same thing for another grocery store.

@shopperbob wrote:

Many years ago, I was assigned a Kroger store built in the late 50s. The planners did not include public rest rooms; usage required passing through the employees back room. On the bulletin board, I read a shopper's description, but it was not of me.

It is totally incorrect to say that "only shoppers" ask questions that "no regular customer would ask". You would be amazed at the real questions regular customers ask on a regular basis - yes - even most of the strange ones we are required to ask of. I've been on both sides of the coin, so I can say this with experience and knowledge irl.

@lpd8112525 wrote:

Hello,

One recent company I worked for is refusing payment because the client reported that the staff member at the store could identify me as a mystery shop. I did not complete the survey in the store.

The mandatory script and questions on the guidelines do look suspicious. It also asks you to do a follow-up call to the same location after your visit asking for directions, which also looks suspicious, especially if the staff member answering the phone recognizes your voice from a visit earlier that day.

I never went out of protocol, but the script and questions set me up for failure and now they are siding with the client.

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue? I just feel very hurt and upset because I was completely compliant.

I feel like I would press on that comment and ask how they identified you. Some of the requirements of shops must absolutely be a tip off. I was recently required to ask one of a few different silly questions. After I asked if the hummus was vegan I noticed that the whole place was being cleaned from top to bottom.

What I don't get is that if I'm an employee and I'm able to identify a mystery shopper, why would I want to let that be known? I'd prefer to ID them and do an amazing job any time I see them.

I don't know what company this is, but have noticed fairly recently that when your shop is accepted, it states that the shopper will be paid when the report is ACCEPTED by the client. I think that is just plain wrong! If the shopper follows all guidelines, they have honored their contract and should be paid. If a report is disputed, then investigate. The shopper should not be penalized because the shop didn't go the way it should have.

@chix I think some of these questions are dead give aways. Some gas station mystery shops require you to ask their hours and phone numbers. When was the last time that you went to a gas station and asked the cashier for the store phone number or what their store hours are?

The times I had called a gas station to confirm hours, there was never an answer. Not sure why the client needs the phone number.

I'm with Olivia and I would ask how they identified you. At the least, I would want the feedback to see if it was something that I did so I could avoid it in the future. Like others have said, some questions seem so obvious that its like we're being set up to fail.

I would definitely push back on this, as it seems you've been treated unfairly. For all we know, an employee at the location may have just guessed or speculated that you might be a mystery shopper. That can happen no matter what you do!

Speaking of not silly questions, I would definitely not qualify the hummus question as silly at all. There are many additives companies add to extend their line to a variety of the same product. I have seen all sorts of additives in hummus. My grocery store has at least ten flavors of hummus. A vegan or even more often a non vegan shopping for a vegan friend or guest might easily ask that question.
This and other questions do not seem silly. What is silly is the same question every round esp in smaller markets where the same person shops the same store over and over with the same employees to ask.

@lpd8112525 wrote:

Hello,

One recent company I worked for is refusing payment because the client reported that the staff member at the store could identify me as a mystery shop. I did not complete the survey in the store.

The mandatory script and questions on the guidelines do look suspicious. It also asks you to do a follow-up call to the same location after your visit asking for directions, which also looks suspicious, especially if the staff member answering the phone recognizes your voice from a visit earlier that day.

I never went out of protocol, but the script and questions set me up for failure and now they are siding with the client.

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue? I just feel very hurt and upset because I was completely compliant.

I feel like I would press on that comment and ask how they identified you. Some of the requirements of shops must absolutely be a tip off. I was recently required to ask one of a few different silly questions. After I asked if the hummus was vegan I noticed that the whole place was being cleaned from top to bottom.

What I don't get is that if I'm an employee and I'm able to identify a mystery shopper, why would I want to let that be known? I'd prefer to ID them and do an amazing job any time I see them.[/quote]

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

@lpd8112525 wrote:

Hello,

One recent company I worked for is refusing payment because the client reported that the staff member at the store could identify me as a mystery shop. I did not complete the survey in the store.

The mandatory script and questions on the guidelines do look suspicious. It also asks you to do a follow-up call to the same location after your visit asking for directions, which also looks suspicious, especially if the staff member answering the phone recognizes your voice from a visit earlier that day.

I never went out of protocol, but the script and questions set me up for failure and now they are siding with the client.

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue? I just feel very hurt and upset because I was completely compliant.

I feel like I would press on that comment and ask how they identified you. Some of the requirements of shops must absolutely be a tip off. I was recently required to ask one of a few different silly questions. After I asked if the hummus was vegan I noticed that the whole place was being cleaned from top to bottom.

What I don't get is that if I'm an employee and I'm able to identify a mystery shopper, why would I want to let that be known? I'd prefer to ID them and do an amazing job any time I see them.

For medical reasons I went on the auto immune protocol diet in late December. I ask if things are vegan all the time because it knocks off about 75% of the ingredients I can't eat anymore. And since I'm still new to the diet, I haven’t learned which brands add crap to what should be a simple/ not very many ingredient list in a food.

@luckygirl0100 wrote:

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

@lpd8112525 wrote:

Hello,

One recent company I worked for is refusing payment because the client reported that the staff member at the store could identify me as a mystery shop. I did not complete the survey in the store.

The mandatory script and questions on the guidelines do look suspicious. It also asks you to do a follow-up call to the same location after your visit asking for directions, which also looks suspicious, especially if the staff member answering the phone recognizes your voice from a visit earlier that day.

I never went out of protocol, but the script and questions set me up for failure and now they are siding with the client.

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue? I just feel very hurt and upset because I was completely compliant.

I feel like I would press on that comment and ask how they identified you. Some of the requirements of shops must absolutely be a tip off. I was recently required to ask one of a few different silly questions. After I asked if the hummus was vegan I noticed that the whole place was being cleaned from top to bottom.

What I don't get is that if I'm an employee and I'm able to identify a mystery shopper, why would I want to let that be known? I'd prefer to ID them and do an amazing job any time I see them.

For medical reasons I went on the auto immune protocol diet in late December. I ask if things are vegan all the time because it knocks off about 75% of the ingredients I can't eat anymore. And since I'm still new to the diet, I haven’t learned which brands add crap to what should be a simple/ not very many ingredient list in a food.

To add more context - this shop required the purchase of a meat item for a dine in shop. To me, it felt pretty odd to order meat then turn around and ask if hummus is vegan.

@sandyf wrote:

Speaking of not silly questions, I would definitely not qualify the hummus question as silly at all. There are many additives companies add to extend their line to a variety of the same product. I have seen all sorts of additives in hummus. My grocery store has at least ten flavors of hummus. A vegan or even more often a non vegan shopping for a vegan friend or guest might easily ask that question.
This and other questions do not seem silly. What is silly is the same question every round esp in smaller markets where the same person shops the same store over and over with the same employees to ask.

@lpd8112525 wrote:

Hello,

One recent company I worked for is refusing payment because the client reported that the staff member at the store could identify me as a mystery shop. I did not complete the survey in the store.

The mandatory script and questions on the guidelines do look suspicious. It also asks you to do a follow-up call to the same location after your visit asking for directions, which also looks suspicious, especially if the staff member answering the phone recognizes your voice from a visit earlier that day.

I never went out of protocol, but the script and questions set me up for failure and now they are siding with the client.

Has anyone ever encountered a similar issue? I just feel very hurt and upset because I was completely compliant.

I feel like I would press on that comment and ask how they identified you. Some of the requirements of shops must absolutely be a tip off. I was recently required to ask one of a few different silly questions. After I asked if the hummus was vegan I noticed that the whole place was being cleaned from top to bottom.

What I don't get is that if I'm an employee and I'm able to identify a mystery shopper, why would I want to let that be known? I'd prefer to ID them and do an amazing job any time I see them.

[/quote]

For context, I had to order a meat item for dine in and then ask that. I clearly am not vegan then. It seemed like a big tip off because the employees all tore around cleaning like crazy after that. In the context of that shop and those requirements, it really felt as if it tipped me off as a shopper.

I, too, don't understand why an employee would out a shopper. If staff are doing their jobs correctly, I should think they'd want that positive report. Unless this person felt like he/she had "failed." And, true, some of the questions or the series of questions can be a tip-off. Several years ago I worked in the jewelry department of an upscale department store. A couple came in and was asking about some high-end jewelry. I'd been shopping a while at the time, and I would have sworn one of them was a shopper due to the questions they asked. To the best of my knowledge, our store wasn't shopped and I never heard anything about the visit. So they probably weren't shopping the department, but I'd have bet they were!

Maybe it's a tip-off if the shopper asks the questions verbatim instead of changing the wording or asks them in the exact order or something else that stands out. If you think of it as a script instead of a guideline (obviously getting all the required information, but changing wording and order of questions to be more natural) and look like you're reciting instead of actually gathering information, that would be suspicious. Not saying you did that, but I'm guessing that might happen sometimes. Some shops I've done do require a few questions to be asked in the same order as specified, but most I do don't seem to care as long as the information is obtained.

As others have said, I'd ask how you were identified as the shopper and if, indeed, the person they called out was you! Maybe someone else was in there asking weird questions.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2023 01:19PM by BirdyC.

I recently did a mattress shop. It requires a call AFTER the shop to ask for times of operation and a question as to what they carried. I am a New Jersey native and now live in the midwest. Nearly everywhere I go, I am asked if I am from NY or NJ. I do not think I have an accent but apparently I do. The comments rather annoy me as it makes me feel as if there is something wrong with the way I speak. The shop had one employee who asked me if I was a New Yorker and made a few comments about my accent and when I moved here, etc. . He was the ONLY Person working there. I asked if he was going to be working later in the day and he told me he was the only one there any day. He was a terrible sales person did nothing that was required and made me feel like he thought I was a joke, I was not sure what to do, so I made the call and tried to disguise my voice- he answered the question and did not ask if it was me but it was uncomfortable. My daughter in law offered to call for me and to put the call on speaker phone as she does not have my accent- but I simply did it myself. These calls after the shop are simply stupid especially if a store has only one employee and not a lot of business like this one had.

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

Speaking of not silly questions, I would definitely not qualify the hummus question as silly at all. There are many additives companies add to extend their line to a variety of the same product. I have seen all sorts of additives in hummus. My grocery store has at least ten flavors of hummus. A vegan or even more often a non vegan shopping for a vegan friend or guest might easily ask that question.
This and other questions do not seem silly. What is silly is the same question every round esp in smaller markets where the same person shops the same store over and over with the same employees to ask.



For context, I had to order a meat item for dine in and then ask that. I clearly am not vegan then. It seemed like a big tip off because the employees all tore around cleaning like crazy after that. In the context of that shop and those requirements, it really felt as if it tipped me off as a shopper.

If this comes up again you can just say you are going to a pot luck for a Vegan friend so you have to bring something or that one of your dinner guests will be vegan. Vegans are allowed to eat at the table if meat is being served to others. And you are allowed to make two different entrees for dinner. I do it all the time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2023 06:03PM by sandyf.

@sandyf wrote:

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

Speaking of not silly questions, I would definitely not qualify the hummus question as silly at all. There are many additives companies add to extend their line to a variety of the same product. I have seen all sorts of additives in hummus. My grocery store has at least ten flavors of hummus. A vegan or even more often a non vegan shopping for a vegan friend or guest might easily ask that question.
This and other questions do not seem silly. What is silly is the same question every round esp in smaller markets where the same person shops the same store over and over with the same employees to ask.



For context, I had to order a meat item for dine in and then ask that. I clearly am not vegan then. It seemed like a big tip off because the employees all tore around cleaning like crazy after that. In the context of that shop and those requirements, it really felt as if it tipped me off as a shopper.

If this comes up again you can just say you are going to a pot luck for a Vegan friend so you have to bring something or that one of your dinner guests will be vegan. Vegans are allowed to eat at the table if meat is being served to others. And you are allowed to make two different entrees for dinner. I do it all the time.

It was a dine in shop. Nothing ordered to go.

Correction, I guess I assumed it was a grocery shop. Many others mentioned grocery jobs in this context and "store" vs "restaurant" threw me off too. But if you are ordering at a restaurant you just might mention to your server that your _________ is a vegan and you know they really like hummus and were wondering if that is vegan...you can also mention other items you saw on the menu that maybe your _____ might be able to eat there. And you would love to invite them the next time you dine there.

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

Speaking of not silly questions, I would definitely not qualify the hummus question as silly at all. There are many additives companies add to extend their line to a variety of the same product. I have seen all sorts of additives in hummus. My grocery store has at least ten flavors of hummus. A vegan or even more often a non vegan shopping for a vegan friend or guest might easily ask that question.
This and other questions do not seem silly. What is silly is the same question every round esp in smaller markets where the same person shops the same store over and over with the same employees to ask.



For context, I had to order a meat item for dine in and then ask that. I clearly am not vegan then. It seemed like a big tip off because the employees all tore around cleaning like crazy after that. In the context of that shop and those requirements, it really felt as if it tipped me off as a shopper.

If this comes up again you can just say you are going to a pot luck for a Vegan friend so you have to bring something or that one of your dinner guests will be vegan. Vegans are allowed to eat at the table if meat is being served to others. And you are allowed to make two different entrees for dinner. I do it all the time.

It was a dine in shop. Nothing ordered to go.

FWIW I do not eat meat from certain animals. I will ask if a soup is vegetarian or if there are bacos in a salad and then I have been known to order chicken. Usually I say " I know this doesn't make sense but I'll have the chicken...." My daughter , who lives on the other side of the Rocky Mountains, is Vegan. I am always checking ingredients so I have a list of restaurants to take her to when she visits.