How would you handle this? My 20% tip was changed to an over 50% tip. This was an extra $25 that was added on top of the tip. I like doing mystery shops for this client and for this company. I don't want to be out of pocket this much more. If I call the restaurant or corporate or dispute the charge with my credit card company, would this impact my ability to shop for this company or client? Should I contact the MSC? What would you do? Thanks.

I wouldn't think so but call/contact the MSC first and then the restaurant. The server may have just fat fingered or misread what you put down.

This is exactly the reason I photograph the restaurant copy.

If it was my own money on the line, I would do exactly what any other customer would do - call the restaurant manager and attempt to resolve the matter. I would not involve the MSC. I don't see what they could do anyway.

I'd notify the msc about what happened and simply state that you will be contacting the manager about the discrepancy. You aren't asking permission, just keeping them informed.
The manager will obviously want to know because someone might be stealing from customers ($25 really doesn't sound like an amount that could be explained by a whoops).

Let us know what they said

If it was during a shop the MSC absolutely needs to know, and the report should be updated to reflect it.

If it was a regular visit then there's no reason to contact the MSC and every reason to contact the restaurant manager, or higher up the food chain if necessary.

It happened to me years ago. I reported it to the MSC, Speedmark at the time, which is now Customer Impact. The MSC owner personally phoned me and handled it. The restaurant claimed it was an error. I don't remember the total outcome but I was reimbursed with apologies.

Did you submit a photo of the receipt with the tip on it as part of your report? I'd think this is very easy to prove in that case.

Based on how you started this topic, it sounds like this was a mystery shop experience.

I believe you should ask the MSC first how they want you to go about handling it.

They might just reimburse you from the client. They might tell you to go thru the normal CC dispute process with CC company.

But because this was a shop, I believe you should ask them for direction and not jeopardize the situation.

Best case is they reimburse you for the "stolen" amount. That way you get more points or rewards out of it as well :-P

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2025 03:06PM by hbbigdaddy.

I absolutely would try the MSC first.

This was on a mystery shop. I will be out the extra $25 they tipped themselves on top of the 20% that I left.

Best case scenario telling the MSC is they handle it all and get you your money and you can still shop there. Worst case scenario is they get you your money but you are perceived to be outed, and can no longer shop there. I guess my philosophy has always been to play it safe. If an issue can be resolved without bringing the MSC into it, it is best to handle it myself unless it is specifically prohibited.

Here's what I do when I leave a CASH tip.....on the receipt where it says "TIP", I ALWAYS write: "Cash tip left w/server" on the receipt, so there are no questions that another tip can be left. Don't know if you left cash or put a certain amount on the receipt, but for anyone leaving a cash tip, it might be a good idea to write something like that on the receipt, so there are no questions.

@mystery2me wrote:

Best case scenario telling the MSC is they handle it all and get you your money and you can still shop there. Worst case scenario is they get you your money but you are perceived to be outed, and can no longer shop there. I guess my philosophy has always been to play it safe. If an issue can be resolved without bringing the MSC into it, it is best to handle it myself unless it is specifically prohibited.

Ah, but NOT telling them can be perceived as contacting their client without consent or soliciting a double refund if the.restaurant is generous with you. Then, you might get banned by the msc which is no good at all.

When I have had anything similar happen, I told them what I intended to do to resolve the problem and waited for their reply before proceeding. No need to eat it, no need to be outed, just acting like any customer would and it doesn't have to be documented in the report. They've never told me no nor insisted upon taking care of it for me.

I will never leave a cash tip unless I am forced to. If you are truly worried about the tip amount being adjusted you could always write out the amount instead of using the number. Eight dollars and 23 cents. Would be hard to change that.

Similar happened to me years ago on a mystery shop. I had a gift card that I used for the shop and put the amt and the tip on that. The gift card still had lots of money left on it. It was Cheesecake Factory where they used to give a gift card in payment and they could be used for the next shop. My next Cheesecake factory shop was several months later. The server that night told me my gift card had zero balance. Fortunately he did not throw it away. I called the MSC and they gave me the go ahead to call the restaurant. Even three months later they found that my gift card had been emptied by a staff member at 2 AM many hours after the place closed and I was long gone from dinner. They gave me back all the difference. They would not tell me who did it but they did say they knew who did and the person no longer worked there. I was amazed! Get the go ahead from the msc is my advice.

I found out the hard way that the MSC doesn't care. They won't help you fix with problem with the restaurant, and as long as you don't post a public review there is no reason to tell them. And you CANNOT tell the restaurant manager, or the corporate people that you are a mystery shopper. You don't have to tell them the reason you decided to eat there at all.

Talk to the manager first, show them your copy of the credit card receipt, and whatever proof you have that the server changed it, or added more money to your check. If the manager of the restaurant can't or won't fix it, then you go on the website and file a complaint with the company, again with your proof..

Never reveal that you're the mystery shopper, and never threaten to make a public fuss, like a review. You can threaten filing a complaint with the BBB, but that means nothing if they aren't going to give you back your money.

I think there are a lot of dishonest servers out there. Gift cards make it especially easy to steal, since the person would not notice until the next time they tried to use the gift card. I always wrap the receipt with the balance that should be left after tip around my gift cards, so I make sure it has the correct amount next timeI use it.

Recently, I attempted to pay with two gift cards at a restaurant, and the server told me one of them was empty. I had just bought the two pack of gift cards and knew neither had been used yet. He said he would try it again and then said that it worked after all. I think he was trying to steal the whole $25 gift card for his tip.

Also, when paying with a gift card I always make sure I get the right one back. The server could give back an empty one and keep the once with the balance.

Sure, we are performing mystery shop assignments, but we are also customers. I certainly wouldn’t allow someone to intentionally or unintentionally take money from me (reimbursed or not). I would bring attention to the issue as soon as I noticed it and document the issue and resolution in my report. If, in the unlikely event, the company chose to exclude my report, then that would be the last time I would perform an assignment for that company. Simple.

That goes for any time I’m performing an assignment. Like, if I’m at a carwash and the carwash damages my car, I am talking to the Manager to ensure that it would be repaired.

BJ Brewhouse has a nice way of paying with QR code. So you don't have to give the server your gift card number and worry about anything shady. Yes, i think it would be easier/more tempting for a shady server to steal extra off gift cards.

So buy smaller amount GC. If you want $100 in GC, then why not 4 at $25 instead of 1 at $100? You lower your potential risk for theft.

I would call the resturant and explain the situation to the Manager. If you provide a copy of the receipt with the tip you actually left, there should be no question on what occurred.

Make sure not a resturant that requires xx% tip (some do) and if all else fails dispute with your credit card company.

I used my credit card for a $19.59 shop at a fast food restaurant. I accidentally left my credit card in the machine, and the next sale was rung on my card. ($59) I noticed it when I got my AMEX bill. I called the restaurant and am waiting for a response. Customer service asked for my AMEx bill, which I emailed them a few weeks ago. I will wait another week to call them back, and then if I do not get a refund, I will dispute i with AMEX.

No. Call the CC. You're a customer first.

Not directly related, but I don't leave open tabs at bars. I always close them. My faith in humanity has been tested a couple of times.

I would not contact the MSC. My initial thoughts are it's not a shop related issue. I notice when I get CC alerts after dining, the alert is for the total without the tip. You realized the tip change after the fact by checking your posted charges i.e. with tip? Disputes with CC companies usually ask, "Have you contacted the vendor/company?" I would contact the restaurant, not wait for their investigation/resolution unless it's timely/satisfactorily and dispute with my CC company.

How is it NOT a shop related issue? The reason you were there was for the mystery shop. So everything that occurred was shop-related.

I can understand both points (going to CC dispute and going to MSC).

My choice would be to just ask MSC first how they would prefer this to be handled. They might tell you to go thru CC. It really depends on the MSC/Client relationship.

@Madetoshop wrote:

I would not contact the MSC. My initial thoughts are it's not a shop related issue. I notice when I get CC alerts after dining, the alert is for the total without the tip. You realized the tip change after the fact by checking your posted charges i.e. with tip? Disputes with CC companies usually ask, "Have you contacted the vendor/company?" I would contact the restaurant, not wait for their investigation/resolution unless it's timely/satisfactorily and dispute with my CC company.

The shop was already submitted and approved before I saw this.

Niner, how did you handle this? What did you do?

Boundaries…

It’s all about perspective and ethics.

A one - off error is a mistake that can be addressed without harm to anyone. Premeditated alteration of a tip for profit is theft, and if it was that, you may not be the only one effected.

I understand your political concerns with the MSP, and, if you’ve already submitted the shop report and been paid, the MSC is technically done with the assignment, so not directly involved anymore. If it were me, I’d be weighing the value of involving them as well, and try to simplify things.

“Customer” is the word here. You patronized the establishment as a customer, regardless of your reason, intentionally left a 20% tip and signed off on it. That’s a legal business transaction. Then an unauthorized charge was added. Thats not legal. If premeditated, it’s fraud.

You have a right to dispute an unauthorized charge and are owed a refund for that sum.

You can leave the MSC out of it and choose to simply be the customer: pursue it with your credit card company privately as any customer could for the amount in question (they will ask for proof). It’s quite possible this will just be a matter of course and no one will connect it to the reason you chose to eat there, which doesn’t change the basic fact you were incorrectly overcharged.

Pursuing the matter with your credit card company is a private matter between you, your card company, and the business that submitted the incorrect charge.

Maybe you’re not the only customer with the problem. If I were the business owner, I’d want to know if I’ve got a thief in my midst, or if I just need to have a word with the waitperson to be more careful.

That last paragraph is where (if I were the business owner) you deserve a refund and a “comp” for the entire bill, because you’ve provided far more value than you may realize: If someone in my employ were intentionally stealing from you, they’ve likely been doing the same to others (and to me), and no matter how you slice it, it’s bad for business.

I’d be grateful to know because you just saved me my reputation, $$ and more headaches.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2025 04:22PM by SBP.