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Gas station "audits" in a rural area/small town

November 20, 2025 07:43PM
There's some of the big company's shops in my area that wind up getting decent bonuses. I'm not a huge fan of that company and have avoided their shops after a negative experience on one of their online shops. I can't ignore some of the bonuses that get added on though, so I might consider doing some of the gas station audits.

In my area, there's a handful of Marathons that always need to be done in a few of my neighboring towns. Since it winds up being a revealed audit, if I was to revisit these locations in a month or two, it would be challenging to maintain the "mystery" in the mystery shop portion.

Does anyone do these shops in an area where you might be revisiting the same location and what kind of treatment do you get from the gas station?

Fwiw, these are in towns of 2,000-3,000 people. Also fwiw, I named the end client but not the MSC so this should be within the rules/guidelines.
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More About Gas Station Mystery Shopping
November 20, 2025 09:56PM
I revisit every chance I get. Employee turnover is high in bigger towns so I often don't get recognized. Smaller towns seem to keep employees longer - like until well past retirement age! Some employees I have shopped for 15-20 years. We just play the game and all is good.
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November 20, 2025 11:44PM
Yeah, just get the money. The ones who are alert enough to remember you are also the type who would score well anyways
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November 21, 2025 12:32AM
@mystery2me wrote:

Yeah, just get the money. The ones who are alert enough to remember you are also the type who would score well anyways

Right, business is business, I care about getting that money lol
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November 21, 2025 06:16AM
It doesn't matter if they remember you. Mostly they don't unless it's a really remote station where only the local residents go. I've done some of those 2 or 3 years later and they still remember me. It really isn't a big deal.
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November 21, 2025 02:19PM
The mystery shopping companies set up their rotation rules in conjunction with the company. Sometimes they follow those rules strictly, and sometimes they don't when they're desperate and need a job done. Considering the principle of anonymity in mystery shopping is noble. I think it's important that we all try to be as anonymous as possible when we are doing an undercover mystery shop.

However, if a mystery shopping company is allowing you to do a shop, you should never feel like you should pass it up out of principle. Go make your money. They're letting you do it, and they are deciding what the rotation rules are going to be. Just go do the work and make your money. Be as anonymous as possible, and if they remember you, so be it. That's not your fault. It's the fault of the mystery shopping company for assigning you the shop.
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November 21, 2025 02:36PM
In my experience, an overwhelming majority of C-store clerks have limited or no memory.

I've done hundreds upon hundreds of gas stations for the MSC in question, and I can think of a handful where I was recognized on a return visit.

Being recognized had no bearing on the ability to complete the shop.

Have synthesizers, will travel...
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November 21, 2025 04:19PM
I haven't done any Marathon shops because I can't do any of them. Apparently my account was deactivated by the company, but I can do stuff off the magic board and elsewhere on the main site. Go figure.

I'm going to assume it's similar to the Exxon / Mobil and Shell shops. I do repeat visits and I believe have only been recognized by one person. He still doesn't mention rewards, and puts on his branded shirt when I go out to my car before the reveal.

I don't think there are any Russians / And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals\ / Playin' with tanks
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November 21, 2025 05:37PM
When Maritz was active with the blue client, I literally completed 100+ shops in distant locations where they were unable to assign to a local. I knew on each occasion the banker entered my name, they could see my activity. That did not bother me, the reason being that a friend, who worked for a different bank, explained my visits served the purpose of compliance.
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November 21, 2025 09:08PM
Indeed, just do the shop. The mystery shop portion is only a fraction of the visit. Recognizing you won't all of the sudden take down all of the expired signage, clean the canopy, etc etc. On other types of shops where the transaction with the employee IS the shop, then I will say to limit repeat visits if you think you are recognized. On gas station audits, there's so much more going on with the visit, that the business gains little from the employee recognizing you. I also absolutely agree with mystery2me above that the ones that may/will recognize you are the ones that would do well anyway.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2025 09:12PM by KA047.
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November 22, 2025 01:30AM
just take the money until they report you I would say.....Frankly I don't even think they care even if they recognized you, can I not be a regular customer for once? As long as I do not take out the LOA I should just be treated as a regular customer anyways.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2025 01:31AM by kisekinecro.
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December 06, 2025 07:22AM
My stance is this. Go in and be nice. I have had some crappy service after I revealed myself because of the crappy attitude another shopper gave. If had stores ask how they could get a shopper banned from ever coming back. Not all shoppers are nice to these gas station attendants.

@joanna81 wrote:

There's some of the big company's shops in my area that wind up getting decent bonuses. I'm not a huge fan of that company and have avoided their shops after a negative experience on one of their online shops. I can't ignore some of the bonuses that get added on though, so I might consider doing some of the gas station audits.

In my area, there's a handful of Marathons that always need to be done in a few of my neighboring towns. Since it winds up being a revealed audit, if I was to revisit these locations in a month or two, it would be challenging to maintain the "mystery" in the mystery shop portion.

Does anyone do these shops in an area where you might be revisiting the same location and what kind of treatment do you get from the gas station?

Fwiw, these are in towns of 2,000-3,000 people. Also fwiw, I named the end client but not the MSC so this should be within the rules/guidelines.
Reply
December 06, 2025 02:55PM
I regularly evaluate a station in a town of about 1,000 people. They only sell "regular" gas. It's almost always the owner at the register. When I ring-up, he'll ask "Working?" He just chuckles when I pull out the letter of authorization and says "do your thing." Nice guy. Nice station.
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