Asking for the manager's name-how?

Thinking about taking a sizing audit but it requires getting the manager's name. I am not new to mystery shops but am stumped as to how to ask for the manager's name without being asked why I'd need it. Any suggestions?

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@TMH1 wrote:

Thinking about taking a sizing audit but it requires getting the manager's name. I am not new to mystery shops but am stumped as to how to ask for the manager's name without being asked why I'd need it. Any suggestions?

The stores I'm familiar with have a sign (normally a silver framed floor sign) with the store manager's picture and name. The sign is normally located near the check-out area. If the store does not have a sign, simply say, "Excuse me, I am so sorry to bother you. I am thinking about putting in my application. What is your store manager's name?" The overworked and stressed employee will tell you two things: 1)"Oh, honey, you do not want to work here. And, 2) But if you insist, her/his name is........."

Happy auditing.
And if it's not posted. I ask who the manager is because I have a daughter, friend etc. Who wants to interview for a job there and want to know who they should ask for when they come by to apply.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2023 07:04PM by foodluvr.
I've done these audit for years and the names didn't use to be as easy to find as they are now that the stores are short of staff; Service Award is correct the manager's name and photo is almost always posted at the front of the store with a recruiting poster. Some of my regular stores also have the managers name posted in the restroom.

If you do have to ask; I found when I just asked for the manager's name the employee would look panicked because they assumed something was wrong instead I found a positive reason to ask for the name i.e. "The employees are always so nice here, could you tell me the manager's name I'd like to write a comment on the great service"
You could always call the store after you leave and ask whoever answers the phone who the manager is on duty. Or you can do it when you arrive in the parking lot before coming inside. Also @foodluvr suggestion works well too.
@hbbigdaddy wrote:

the manager is on duty.

I don't know if they accept the name of the manager on duty. I am pretty sure the guidelines specify the store manager, not a shift supervisor. It might not matter, but I always give them the store manager's name.
I will ask an employee for the manager's name because my next door neighbor is wanting to apply for a job.

Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.
@ServiceAward

I don't do this particular shop. I was talking about in general. I will call ahead or after. I will even have my spouse call at times. I have done the "job applicant" role play as well.
I do just what others have suggested: ask for the manager's name because my son/daughter, etc., wants to apply for a job and wants to come in in person.

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 did not need the bank manager's name as it was targeted. However, I did notice his name on the entry door. When I asked for him, he appeared and asked why I specified him/knew his name. Said I read his name on the door. Was so proud if myself, lol.
You mean these are covert? I've never done one (obviously) because the "625 items" scared me off. I'm surprised that they're referring to it as an "audit" when it's not overt.

I guess they expect you to remain anonymous while you're in the store for a couple of hours, counting items in department after department?

What exactly is the "sizing" aspect of this? Are you straightening the racks and putting the sizes in the right spots?

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2023 07:47AM by drdoggie00.
@drdoggie00 wrote:

You mean these are covert? I've never done one (obviously) because the "625 items" scared me off. I'm surprised that they're referring to it as an "audit" when it's not overt.

I guess they expect you to remain anonymous while you're in the store for a couple of hours, counting items in department after department?

What exactly is the "sizing" aspect of this? Are you straightening the racks and putting the sizes in the right spots?

It's auditing certain racks to see how many items are in the right size section. And it doesn't take long but it totally depends on what sections are on the audit for the period.
@drdoggie00 wrote:

You mean these are covert? I've never done one (obviously) because the "625 items" scared me off. I'm surprised that they're referring to it as an "audit" when it's not overt.

I guess they expect you to remain anonymous while you're in the store for a couple of hours, counting items in department after department?

What exactly is the "sizing" aspect of this? Are you straightening the racks and putting the sizes in the right spots?

Yes, they are covert. It does not take as long as you might think. I normally am done in about 30 minutes. It might be more or less as it does depend on the categories. All you do is mark the number of items that are not in the correct spot. I find the shops easy and straight forward. I'm a dude though, so if there is a category I'm uncomfortable with (e.g. youth girls' undergarments), I won't take on those jobs. I could probably do it and nobody would give it a second thought nowadays, but I've just not worked up the guts. I've not gotten that desperate for money -- yet.
@ServiceAward wrote:

Yes, they are covert. It does not take as long as you might think. I normally am done in about 30 minutes. It might be more or less as it does depend on the categories. All you do is mark the number of items that are not in the correct spot. I find the shops easy and straight forward. I'm a dude though, so if there is a category I'm uncomfortable with (e.g. youth girls' undergarments), I won't take on those jobs. I could probably do it and nobody would give it a second thought nowadays, but I've just not worked up the guts. I've not gotten that desperate for money -- yet.
I can see where that may give you pause. I doubt anybody would think otherwise if they saw me rifling through a pile of men's drawers. So, is this worth taking at $18? Or should I hold out for at least the $3 bonus? That's all I've ever seen it bonused to in my area.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
@drdoggie00 wrote:

I can see where that may give you pause. I doubt anybody would think otherwise if they saw me rifling through a pile of men's drawers. So, is this worth taking at $18? Or should I hold out for at least the $3 bonus? That's all I've ever seen it bonused to in my area.

No, it's not worth taking at $18, and a paltry $3 more would not make a differences. I did one of these shops, and that was enough to convince me that, yes, they do take a long time, and no, it is not possible to do these shops covertly without the store employees being aware you are a mystery shopper. Perhaps is the store was extremely crowded with other customers, it could be done covertly, but the act of counting and documenting mismarked sizes, etc. takes too long.
@drdoggie00 wrote:

I can see where that may give you pause. I doubt anybody would think otherwise if they saw me rifling through a pile of men's drawers. So, is this worth taking at $18? Or should I hold out for at least the $3 bonus? That's all I've ever seen it bonused to in my area.

Normally I do them for about $40.00. I don't think anyone in about a 60-mile radius does them but me, so I hold out. As I said, there are one or two categories I won't do and so far they have not been willing to accommodate me on that, so I guess those either don't get done at all or they end up paying someone else more to drive in and do them. I cannot see why it would take anyone more than an hour unless a store is simply not doing their job and keeping things organized. I am normally around a half-hour. If I can do it on a day when they are not putting out new merchandise, it can go quite fast. You do not put the merchandise back where it goes, just simply note how many incorrect sizes are in a section.

Would I do it for $20? My local store, I might, if there were a bunch of people in line to do them. Since I do not have any competition, I just wait it out. The ones I do on routes, I have to hold out for more.

As far as any employee figuring out I'm a shopper, I've never had that happen. I've never had an employee give me a second look, but they might if a middle-aged man was riffling through girls' training bras. I don't want to draw THAT attention to myself, so I stick with something I can easily play off if anyone says anything.

Edit just to simply add you can always try one and if you don't it, don't do it again. That's the great thing about IC work. smiling smiley A lot of people love the cell phone store shops. They see it as easy money. I don't. I hate them; therefore, I don't do them. Having said that, I did grab one on Presto as while back that had a $50 bonus. I happened to be on a route and finished early, and it was nearby so I grabbed it. For $50 it was slightly less painful.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2023 09:31PM by ServiceAward.
Sorry for all the questions, but I'm curious about this. Do you email the scheduler before accepting the shop to see which departments are involved?

The store here gets a $3 bonus, and then sits there for several weeks until it's either removed or somebody takes it. I'd do it for $40, but $21 doesn't move the needle.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
@drdoggie00 wrote:

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm curious about this. Do you email the scheduler before accepting the shop to see which departments are involved?

The store here gets a $3 bonus, and then sits there for several weeks until it's either removed or somebody takes it. I'd do it for $40, but $21 doesn't move the needle.

You can see the categories before accepting. When they contacted me about doing one for $50 that was up against a very tight deadline, I think they told me the categories in the e-mail. One category was the one I am not comfortable with, so I asked if I could swap it with one of the substitute category. I couldn't unless one of the primarily categories was out of stock.

It will almost always take longer the first one you do because you are just learning. Like anything, the more you do, the faster it gets. Some of them are required to be done on weekends. The stores are busier those days and whatever day during the week they get a truck (this varies by location). So, if you are looking at one that has to be done on the weekend, I would hold out for more. Busy stores = More sizes that are going to be in the wrong spot. Of course, we are just a few weeks from Christmas, so all of this advice may not be applicable right at the moment. Just something to keep in mind.
@ServiceAward wrote:

[You can see the categories before accepting.
Huh. I've never seen the categories listed anywhere. On another thread, somebody said shoes were the worst. Maybe I'll look into it after the holidays. Thanks for your help. smiling smiley

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
@drdoggie00 wrote:

@ServiceAward wrote:

[You can see the categories before accepting.
Huh. I've never seen the categories listed anywhere. On another thread, somebody said shoes were the worst. Maybe I'll look into it after the holidays. Thanks for your help. smiling smiley

Yes, you can see the categories. I do them through the app, not the MSC's website. I don't know if that makes a difference. There are none available near me right now, so I can't tell you where to look.

Women's shoes can take more time than the categories of clothes on the rack. I have to do a lot of bending down for the shoes, so that might slow one down some. Men's shoes don't seem as bad.
Waaay back in the day I asked one of their co-workers if the person I talked to was seeing someone. They said, “Jennifer”?
I sign up for these through the MSC's website and can preview the categories before accepting the job. If the jobs is counting clothes on the rack it takes me about 30 minutes if the job includes shoes I add 15 minutes; there is more reaching/bending counting shoes. What I like about these shops is the schedule is fairly flexible and I'm not interested in doing lengthy reports, with these I go in do the work, answer 6 questions and I'm done.
@ServiceAward wrote:

You can see the categories before accepting.
They just put my local store back on the job board with the usual $3 bonus. I can never see what the categories are, just this:

"[store name redacted] Sizing Audits $18 Pay You will count and size merchandise in the 5 categories listed on the audit form, counting 125 items in each category for a total of 625 items, using the back-up category only if needed. Specific categories provided in the guidelines. I look forward to working with you Anna Keeble"

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
I went and double checked the website and the MSC where I am posts in the job description a link to "click to download your assigned sizing categories" so you can see what the categories are before accepting the work. It could be the schedulers don't all post work the same way or it may be a contract with different MSC. There are about 12 stores I can shop within 30 miles west and south of me, the store closest to me is 13 miles north but I asked and the scheduler said it is not under their contract. I've not been able to find who the MSC is for the stores closest to me.


@drdoggie00 wrote:

@ServiceAward wrote:

You can see the categories before accepting.
They just put my local store back on the job board with the usual $3 bonus. I can never see what the categories are, just this:

"[store name redacted] Sizing Audits $18 Pay You will count and size merchandise in the 5 categories listed on the audit form, counting 125 items in each category for a total of 625 items, using the back-up category only if needed. Specific categories provided in the guidelines. I look forward to working with you Anna Keeble"
That's weird that they aren't all included. You normally see that with franchises. I would have thought all these stores were corporate-owned. Maybe not.

I've thought about asking for a copy of the guidelines, but at base + $3, it hasn't been worth the bother.

@724PM wrote:

I went and double checked the website and the MSC where I am posts in the job description a link to "click to download your assigned sizing categories" so you can see what the categories are before accepting the work. It could be the schedulers don't all post work the same way or it may be a contract with different MSC. There are about 12 stores I can shop within 30 miles west and south of me, the store closest to me is 13 miles north but I asked and the scheduler said it is not under their contract. I've not been able to find who the MSC is for the stores closest to me.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
Thanks everyone for the tips and discussion!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2023 04:12PM by TMH1.
I've done just one of these, and it took me a long time. I understand they get easier the more you do, but I'd still never do one for $18. The report is easy, though. I'd probably do one local to me if it were $30 or $35, but my two local stores haven't had these in ages.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Indeed, they aren't all handled by the same MSC. I just stumbled onto the one that y'all see that shows the categories before you accept the shop. So nice that they do that.

@724PM wrote:

I went and double checked the website and the MSC where I am posts in the job description a link to "click to download your assigned sizing categories" so you can see what the categories are before accepting the work. It could be the schedulers don't all post work the same way or it may be a contract with different MSC. There are about 12 stores I can shop within 30 miles west and south of me, the store closest to me is 13 miles north but I asked and the scheduler said it is not under their contract. I've not been able to find who the MSC is for the stores closest to me.


@drdoggie00 wrote:

@ServiceAward wrote:

You can see the categories before accepting.
They just put my local store back on the job board with the usual $3 bonus. I can never see what the categories are, just this:

"[store name redacted] Sizing Audits $18 Pay You will count and size merchandise in the 5 categories listed on the audit form, counting 125 items in each category for a total of 625 items, using the back-up category only if needed. Specific categories provided in the guidelines. I look forward to working with you Anna Keeble"

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
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