There is a certain address in a town that often has their location up for a mystery shop for a well known MSC.
I'm not going to do it. And, surprise! It just sits there - even when there are other shops nearby, making it a shop to do on a route.
Why won't I do it?
The shop owner is a nonsensical nincompoop angry person.
In the past, I've dealt with shop owners and employees who use foul language and seem angry. Yet, they still did not refuse the shop.
But, this particular location is over the top. When the owner said they would not allow me to perform the shop, I simply asked if I could take the photo of the sheet of Shop Refusal. They would not allow it. The owner became angry when I asked. I was told to leave.
I did.
However, this MSC requires at least a photo of the site in order to show that I was there and would receive the half fee.
When I attempted to do that (take the photo off property), the owner came out, screamed obscenities and threatened police action.
Calmly, I told the owner that I would then take the photo from across the street and, go right ahead and notify the authorities.
I left, went across the street, and took the photo.
I suppose that once the site gets bonused enough to endure the owner and/or at least receive a half fee that is worthwhile I would consider doing it.
But, to any shopper that sees a shop that just sits there with no takers, maybe there is a reason as I've described.
So much for shop owner nincompoopery.

Sometimes you just have to be brisk...
I'm here to do your xxx ...
Oh so you're refusing? Great, thanks.
Walk across street & take photo.

Don't engage, don't require permission. Just do what you need to do.

1/2 pay may be acceptable for some, but not me; fortunately, I have never encountered that situation. Either I have been lucky or 1/2 pay is a shop condition of the past 5 yrs.

If the pay was $100, half might be worth it lol

I don't do jobs that I find annoying. I don't sub at schools that I find annoying either.

prince posts--If the pay was $100, half might be worth it lol

Bob agrees--It MIGHT. I opened an account last week for $175; 1/2 would not have been acceptable to me. I knew, though, having completed several of these shops in the past, there was only a minuscule chance of a problem.

My son and I both have several gas stations that the owners are difficult to deal with, we're more than happy to let other do those shops, no matter the pay. Now and then they stay on the board until they are heavily bonused, when that happens I believe that the person who was willing to do them for low pay remembered the owner and chose not to be abused the same way we did.

The only shop I've ever been escorted off the property at was a former BP that was debranded and becoming a Marathon. I do the Marathon shops there now, the guy that owns it doesn't remember me.

There was another gas station that insisted on seeing my "badge" because I can just download the LOA from "offline" and it means nothing. Even if I wasn't supposed to be there to do the audit, why would I do that? What possible benefit would I get from taking pictures at a gas station if I wasn't getting paid to do it?

The owner don't know me...If I was across the street and off of his property, I would have taken the picture I needed for the job...even if he's in it screaming at me. He won't intimate me from doing what I gotta do to get paid; as long as I wasn't doing anything wrong or harmful, I am getting that picture!.

A lot of gas station/convenience store owners are tyrants. I've delt with it for the TY stuff to. It's "their" property/kingdom to them so we can all get hosed.

@shopperbob wrote:

1/2 pay may be acceptable for some, but not me; fortunately, I have never encountered that situation. Either I have been lucky or 1/2 pay is a shop condition of the past 5 yrs.

Both

Why not do video of the shop and submit that to the MSC and ask why the client allows this person to represent their brand in this manner? Obviously this is a corporate client shopping their brand. It's not the owner wanting shops done and then refusing. If the client knew how much of a jerkoff this person was...it might be bigger problems for this particular store owner.

I'm suggesting conducting the shop the normal way, but also have hidden camera to show what you have to endure from the owner. Might be worth it to have this person lose his business over treating you like this. I doubt corporate wants someone representing their brand in this manner.

Or you could do a Kayla and tell him you will get him fired as your are videoing and then sell your skills/knowledge to others :-P

Fortunately, those types are rare. I just stay professional, get what I need, and get out. In the end those types seem to debrand eventually. But no matter how thick a skin I've grown for those situations, it is still unpleasant to have to go through it.

Might not be legal in some states...

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

Why not do video of the shop and submit that to the MSC and ask why the client allows this person to represent their brand in this manner? Obviously this is a corporate client shopping their brand. It's not the owner wanting shops done and then refusing. If the client knew how much of a jerkoff this person was...it might be bigger problems for this particular store owner.

I'm suggesting conducting the shop the normal way, but also have hidden camera to show what you have to endure from the owner. Might be worth it to have this person lose his business over treating you like this. I doubt corporate wants someone representing their brand in this manner.

@Morledzep wrote:

What possible benefit would I get from taking pictures at a gas station if I wasn't getting paid to do it?

You are the evil secret agent sent by Elon Musk to come here take pictures trying to find flaws in his place so Elon can crack down on his business, buy his land for cheap and replace it with Tesla supercharging stations

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

Why not do video of the shop and submit that to the MSC and ask why the client allows this person to represent their brand in this manner?.

P R I V A T E P R O P E R T Y

The gasoline company does not own that piece of property, the gas station owner does. That's the exact reason why our LOA clearly state that the store staff/manager have the right to refuse audit, and if they do, do not argue, just put that in report and leave.

That's why

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2025 08:53PM by kisekinecro.

@kisekinecro

Refusing the audit is different that verbally abusing or intimidating someone trying to do the audit. I'm sure the company with the name/logo would not be okay with a franchisee treating anyone that way. It's bad for the brand.

I did a gas station shop (brand not named). The person allowed me to take a picture. I gave the employee the letter and they did not care they were not in uniform. That employee acted like "so what, nothing is gonna happen." They can either be nice and say "okay" or they can be nice and say "I am asking you to leave as I do not want to participate."

If someone is going beyond that, corporate should be notified.

Think of it this way...if you were ceo or upper management of any company...would you want any person representing your product in an aggressive, demeaning manner? It doesn't matter if it's gas station, fast food, or whatever.

If it was me (and i'm not intimidated by anyone), and I know the particular station is problematic, i would film the interaction showing that I was polite and the person was a complete a-hole and show the evidence to both the MSC and corporate know. If the brand did nothing to that particular owner, I would lose respect for that brand that allowed their representatives to treat people in such a manner.

@kisekinecro - Better look out now. Elon knows what you wrote about him.

Generally, we are told not to contact the clients directly. I realize that is mainly intended to stop us from complaining about guidelines or a rejection or late payment, etc., but I think it still would apply in this case.

I mainly worry about the irate owner lying or making up something, and somehow getting me banned from a project or MSC. Nothing like that has ever happened, cross my fingers. In those cases a video or recording might help

Yes, i'm not advocating for breaking ICAs, but I also do not think I would want to continue to work for an MSC or client that would allow people to be treated in such a manner. I can afford to "burn that bridge" as this is a hobby for me, not reliant on full-time income.

So if I was mad enough, i would blow the whole thing up over this. But I understand those that cannot afford to lose the work continuing to take the punishment as part of the process.

well, what mystery said has rung true. I've told my son not to ask questions, and not to talk to the folks at the counter any more than absolutely necessary. But some idiot, instead of looking for the phone number on the front of the C-store and putting in ten zeros if it wasn't there, asked the girl at the counter for the phone number. And it seems the girl has a very high opinion of herself, and told her manager that my son tried to hit on her. Now my son has been blocked from doing those gas station shops because he can't keep from interacting with folks when he doesn't need to.

Ouch. That must hurt. I guess I don't do the shop that allows me to put in zeros, so no comment there. But on revealed audits where I ask for the phone number, I have had a fair number of employees give me their personal number. Very flattering for me, but I'm sure they were just nervous.

Just look up the phone number online in the future.

I rarely do gas stations. One time, I was across the street, and this guy came running out and crossed the street. He said he was the owner and was yelling at me, waving his arm, etc. he asked if I was taking pictures. I said, "Yes, I am." I think he wasn't expecting that answer and kind of sputtered, "You can't do that", I said, "I'm on public property and can take pictures of whatever I want." He headed back to his station, sputtering things like "A-hole".

It happens. I am ambivalent about whatever the franchisee is going through. I am there to do an easy but detailed job for someone paying me and I am not paid to be yelled at.

No one job matters. I’d be professional and just leave. You’re right not to take the shop. Some companies will let you blacklist them.

Good luck with your other shops.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2025 05:46AM by Brians QA Services.