Are there requirements that you find are dead giveaways that you are a shopper?

Asking for an employee name?
Getting caught taking photos of certain things?
Asking questions or ordering something in a way that regular customers would never do?

I feel like filming an entire car wash and being required to capture the crew members faces (requiring the shopper to move their cell phone position as the crew members move) is too obvious.

Don't use a cell phone... use glasses that have a camera. Records everything you look at.

@gigishopper wrote:

I feel like filming an entire car wash and being required to capture the crew members faces (requiring the shopper to move their cell phone position as the crew members move) is too obvious.

I was appreciative of whomever mentioned the Google local guide cover for dining. It explains the food photos AND asking for the server's name in a place where they don't wear tags.

Going to the counter pretending not to know what lunch meat I want is one thing, but asking "Why not (brand name)?" Might as well say you're a shopper. Thankfully, the associates haven't suggested anything else the times I have tried it but I won't do this one at stores where I shop regularly because it is SO unnatural.

Just ordering a burger and waiting for the employee to ask if I want fries and a coke.

Many yrs, ago and for a long deceased MSC, I shopped a local Abuelo's. It paid a flat $42, with my meal no more than $20. I was required to list 4 worker's names, but none wore a tag. As I knew they knew I was a shopper, it was strictly a game we played.

@ArkLaMissshopping wrote:

Just ordering a burger and waiting for the employee to ask if I want fries and a coke.

This one I act uncertain through the whole transaction. I will ask about the size difference between small and medium... I didn't forget about fries, I just wasn't sure which size to get and was taking my time silently contemplating (LOL). Same with the drink, I might ask if refills are included or do they have orange soda or whatever amuses in the moment.

The "what snacks from the grab and go container" question at Pressed always seems a spoiler, although I've gotten pretty varying service after asking it.

There is a local dairy farm, the farm tour is shopped and so is the (fairly decent) restaurant. It is in the middle of NOWHERE. Like absolutely not another store for miles and miles...
At the restaurant you have to ask the server 'is there anything fun to do here?"
Ummmm hello, if you're at this place you know it's an f'&% dairy farm tour place... I wait till the end of the meal to ask so they don't know I'm the shopper till then, lol.

"Why, yes! We offer a special outing where you can participate in the time honored tradition of cow chip gathering. If you prefer culinary arts, we offer a hands-on course in Rocky Mountain oyster preparation. We'll also instruct you in churning your own butter which visitors have said is a 'real hoot'."

I try to make it seem more natural at FG....I order the burger, then start staring at the menu screen, which makes it seem like I am still deciding.....works every time - the cashier almost immediately starts making suggestions.

Asking the location of an OTC at a grocery store pharmacy, plus a question about side effects. It sounds simple enough, but it seems like only one pharmacist works at each location, and I ask the same pharmacist three times each month. These used to be an optional add-on to a shop requiring deli and meat department interactions, but now they are every time. Going to the deli every week is normal, but the pharmacy interaction is a dead giveaway. My other favorite is taking a selfie with my vape pods in front of the Wawa.

Ive had plenty of shops where I need to observe interactions with guests and you would be surprised how many crazy questions people ask all the time. I also always remember Tonya and the characters from White Lotus. Some people want their hands held.

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Are there requirements that you find are dead giveaways that you are a shopper?

Asking for an employee name?
Getting caught taking photos of certain things?
Asking questions or ordering something in a way that regular customers would never do?

One that recently hit me hard was that my trusty truck-stop shops now “require” you to go through the human-check out instead of using the self-check out. The only people who used the cashier are professional drivers of those who are ordering prepared food from the steam table. So I’m standing there for a few minutes with my pack of gum while there are 3 idle self-check out machines not being used.

I don’t think this is a “dead giveaway” or anything like that but the cashier is probably wondering why I’m bothering him or her instead of just paying at the self-serve area.

hmm, I've never seen a truck stop with a self check out. And I go to a LOT of truck stops.

The dead giveaways that are no longer, are the stupid questions we used to have to ask at grocery stores. How to cook a piece of meat, when it's obvious that the child behind the meat service counter can't even boil water without help. Or asking the same employee in the deli four different times how to order something in advance.

Most gas stations finger out that you're the shopper because you come inside to get a receipt for $4 or $6 worth of gasoline when the pump doesn't print it for whatever reason, and asking for a receipt for a piece of gum that you paid for with cash in a C-store. But most are going to reveal themselves anyway, but it still seems stupid to play the game first.

Most of the ones that I think I would be revealing myself if I follow their rules, other than gas stations, I just don't do.

They are all over in my area... (Pilot & Flying J)

@Morledzep wrote:

hmm, I've never seen a truck stop with a self check out. And I go to a LOT of truck stops.

The dead giveaways that are no longer, are the stupid questions we used to have to ask at grocery stores. How to cook a piece of meat, when it's obvious that the child behind the meat service counter can't even boil water without help. Or asking the same employee in the deli four different times how to order something in advance.

Most gas stations finger out that you're the shopper because you come inside to get a receipt for $4 or $6 worth of gasoline when the pump doesn't print it for whatever reason, and asking for a receipt for a piece of gum that you paid for with cash in a C-store. But most are going to reveal themselves anyway, but it still seems stupid to play the game first.

Most of the ones that I think I would be revealing myself if I follow their rules, other than gas stations, I just don't do.

@viv0412 wrote:

There is a local dairy farm, the farm tour is shopped and so is the (fairly decent) restaurant. It is in the middle of NOWHERE. Like absolutely not another store for miles and miles...
At the restaurant you have to ask the server 'is there anything fun to do here?"
Ummmm hello, if you're at this place you know it's an f'&% dairy farm tour place... I wait till the end of the meal to ask so they don't know I'm the shopper till then, lol.

LOL I know this place. And they have about 8 billboards for it in both directions.

Pilot has added self checkout at some of their recently remodeled stores, and there's also a Circle K not far from me that has one.

Self checkout is abundant in my area, even at C stores. And it is awkward standing in a line of people who are buying cigarettes and lottery tickets to get a small item. The receipt thing is simple, I get paid for those, I obviously want my 15 cents or whatever. But I also pretend that I am super paranoid and don't trust the self checkout device. That seems to work for me. When I have a full service grocery visit and there is a line but I see no waiting and a helper at self checkout just a few feet away, I tend to talk to people in line about how we have to stick together so the store will hire more people to cashier and stop expecting us to do the job... I amuse myself, at least, but this is the prevailing mindset of the people in line so we chat about this common interest.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2026 03:32PM by Deedeezthoughts.

Add in the extra 'signs' and no one driving anywhere near it could NOT know the activities there, lol.

The knowledge questions shops are also STUPID but whatever... they pay, I'll ask! Lol

Best hot tub in the area though. I just need the actual hotel to be shopped, I'm tired of using Marriott points.

@joanna81 wrote:

@viv0412 wrote:

There is a local dairy farm, the farm tour is shopped and so is the (fairly decent) restaurant. It is in the middle of NOWHERE. Like absolutely not another store for miles and miles...
At the restaurant you have to ask the server 'is there anything fun to do here?"
Ummmm hello, if you're at this place you know it's an f'&% dairy farm tour place... I wait till the end of the meal to ask so they don't know I'm the shopper till then, lol.

LOL I know this place. And they have about 8 billboards for it in both directions.

@viv0412 wrote:

Add in the extra 'signs' and no one driving anywhere near it could NOT know the activities there, lol.

The knowledge questions shops are also STUPID but whatever... they pay, I'll ask! Lol

Best hot tub in the area though. I just need the actual hotel to be shopped, I'm tired of using Marriott points.

@joanna81 wrote:

@viv0412 wrote:

There is a local dairy farm, the farm tour is shopped and so is the (fairly decent) restaurant. It is in the middle of NOWHERE. Like absolutely not another store for miles and miles...
At the restaurant you have to ask the server 'is there anything fun to do here?"
Ummmm hello, if you're at this place you know it's an f'&% dairy farm tour place... I wait till the end of the meal to ask so they don't know I'm the shopper till then, lol.

LOL I know this place. And they have about 8 billboards for it in both directions.

We've stayed there a handful of times, and had usually had good experiences, but we stayed there a few years ago and the hot tub was NOT hot, and the pool was freezing.
We complained to the manager, he confirmed an issue with the heater, THANKED us for alerting them of the issue, but didn't offer any sort of credit or compensation. There were multiple other issues too - just basic stuff, not enough towels in the room (which was the family room with a bunk bed) and no towels at the pool, super long check in, etc. It was a hot mess that time, so we haven't been back. My kids kinda outgrew the pool area anyway but it is a sweet hot tub if you're in the area.

For anyone wondering - the hot tub is partially outdoors so if you get TOO hot you just pop outside and cool your head off.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

Self checkout is abundant in my area, even at C stores. And it is awkward standing in a line of people who are buying cigarettes and lottery tickets to get a small item. The receipt thing is simple, I get paid for those, I obviously want my 15 cents or whatever. But I also pretend that I am super paranoid and don't trust the self checkout device. That seems to work for me. When I have a full service grocery visit and there is a line but I see no waiting and a helper at self checkout just a few feet away, I tend to talk to people in line about how we have to stick together so the store will hire more people to cashier and stop expecting us to do the job... I amuse myself, at least, but this is the prevailing mindset of the people in line so we chat about this common interest.

There's a CVS and a Walgreens right across the street from each other and I am generally social, but I have had days I literally go to CVS instead of walgreens so I can use self checkout and not have to interact with someone.

One of the grocery stores by me has self checkout but you can't use cash at those, so if I do want to pay with cash, well, regular cashier it is!

I avoid jobs that I think would be very awkward and weird however what I find to be a dead giveaway is that the same job never changes the requirements especially when they want you to pose as a new customer. I live in a big city but even here if I have shopped the location more than once there is a good chance they will remember me, maybe not anything about me but will remember I was there at least once before so asking questions that only a first timer might ask is a dead giveaway. I dont mind how do you cook this or that or where is the xyz dept as they constantly seem to move stock around in many stores. But asking for a review of the menu time and time again or where the restroom is more than a few times.
Yes I can be forgetful once or twice and can couch the question a little differently a few times but that is it. I once did a restaurant chain that had my name and all my info in the reservation system from my first visit. Every time I called for a reservation I had to ask how to get there. They would each time want to know if I wanted to be seated with server abc again or at what table. After requesting the travel directions from east, west, north or south on different occasions it seemed silly I did not know how to get there from anywhere. And also silly was that I only ate there when there was a birthday of one of us, another requirement of the job.. I was allowed to do the job once per quarter.

@joanna81 wrote:

Pilot has added self checkout at some of their recently remodeled stores, and there's also a Circle K not far from me that has one.

Joanna,

We have 3 Pilots and 4 Loves truck stops that we shop regularly, and one of the Loves truck stops is brand new, with zero self-checkouts. All of the Circle K stores have self-checkouts, but most stores don't even turn them on anymore, no one will use them unless the cashier absolutely refuses to check them out.

Every Wawa, Royal Farms, 7-Eleven, and Quick Chek convenience store in my extended area has self checkout. Circle K dies not.

Directions? You have friends driving in from Smallville and want to tell them directions.
Not using a self check out? I can't void incorrect line items so I may as well use full serve.
Receipt for small item? My accountant is very precise. IRL-- Engineer Husband is my accountant and he can be precise.

Whenever a anyone comments about why I need a receipt, I tell them that I use the Fetch app to collect a few pennies per receipt. Many admit that they do also. [BTW, I do use Fetch as well as CoinOut, Merryfield, and Pogo.]

@Morledzep wrote:

@joanna81 wrote:

Pilot has added self checkout at some of their recently remodeled stores, and there's also a Circle K not far from me that has one.

Joanna,

We have 3 Pilots and 4 Loves truck stops that we shop regularly, and one of the Loves truck stops is brand new, with zero self-checkouts. All of the Circle K stores have self-checkouts, but most stores don't even turn them on anymore, no one will use them unless the cashier absolutely refuses to check them out.

Loves by me just did a large remodel and didn't add self checkout but the two pilots that recently underwent remodels did. A lot of the Dollar Generals and Family Dollars in my area added them but now have them all turned off. I guess too much theft or something.

Paying valet parking shops in cash.

ebit---cash payment leaves no trail of being in that neighborhood at that time.