@sestrahelena wrote:
Again? Do you wear a "Mystery Shopper Here!" custom t-shirt?
@myst4au wrote:
Competitors often conduct mystery shops to gain intelligence.
What were you doing to allow the manager to know you were a mystery shopper?
Even if you were doing a Verizon store (for instance) on behalf of Verizon, you are generally forbidden to announce that you are a mystery shopper.
@Cassiespark wrote:
I've done hundreds of cell phone mystery shops and have never had anyone accuse me of being a shopper. Since this has happened to you several times, maybe consider switching up the questions. Just make it conversational. Come up with a different scenario. The store manager has her prerogative and if she says no shoppers, thats her call. I'd focus more on why you keep getting identified - that is something you can control. The manager's behavior, you can not control. And don't go to this store anymore!
@purpleicee wrote:
@johnb974, you should NEVER talk with anyone about it at the places you say you have been outed or anywhere for that matter. The protocol is to deny, period. Why go into the explanation as to why a mystery shop is performed? Not your place to go there with that information. DENY. And invest in a poker face.
You could have learned how to rephrase those questions where you were still saying the same thing, as @Cassiespark advised.
I believe you have just caused yourself a problem, again, with the MSC. And that will be your next topic to post on the forum.
@NinS wrote:
That reads like some AI-generated answer. It's not a law, and you have no idea what the phone company's internal policies are, nor should they be of any concern to you. There's some excellent advice here on how to conduct these shops in a manner that seems natural. Does this shop actually entail asking an employee 44 different questions, or are there 44 questions on the survey regarding things that the sales person could potentially mention when demonstrating a phone or discussing service options with a potential customer?
@NinS wrote:
That reads like some AI-generated answer. It's not a law, and you have no idea what the phone company's internal policies are, nor should they be of any concern to you. There's some excellent advice here on how to conduct these shops in a manner that seems natural. Does this shop actually entail asking an employee 44 different questions, or are there 44 questions on the survey regarding things that the sales person could potentially mention when demonstrating a phone or discussing service options with a potential customer?
@sestrahelena wrote:
The employee performance in relation to the phone brands, I think. Their enthusiam, knowledge and representation of specific brands.
@johnb974 wrote:
@Cassiespark wrote:
I've done hundreds of cell phone mystery shops and have never had anyone accuse me of being a shopper. Since this has happened to you several times, maybe consider switching up the questions. Just make it conversational. Come up with a different scenario. The store manager has her prerogative and if she says no shoppers, thats her call. I'd focus more on why you keep getting identified - that is something you can control. The manager's behavior, you can not control. And don't go to this store anymore!
I have talked to store managers and even people in fast food shops. They have told me they know who the mystery shoppers are. Don't kid yourself. They know who you are by the questions you ask. Others on here have said the same thing.
The reason for the shops is the companies want to know the marketing skills of the employees. The store manager should not interfere with the shop being done. They are not the ones being tested. Kicking out the mystery shopper reflects badly on the manager.
@Cassiespark wrote:
You are assuming the shop you were doing was contracted by the store. It most likely was not. The 2 big cell phone projects are contracted by a Japanese electronics manufacturer and the world's biggest search engine company. Thats why the questions are hardware specific. Verizon, AT&T, etc aren't contracting these projects - and they own the stores you are visiting. So, no, the manager isn't violating a contract. She probably just doesn't want her employees wasting time with someone who will not buy anything from them.
And you don't need to ask all 44 questions verbatim. Have a conversation, the information will come out naturally.
@johnb974 wrote:
I was in the middle of a mystery shop asking the employee questions. The manager noticed I was a mystery shopper, and I was told to leave. The manager said they do not allow mystery shoppers in their store. I tried to explain the reason for the mystery shops. The company wants to know how the store is doing. The manager said she didn't care and if the company wants to send out mystery shoppers, they have to tell her first. I put this in my report. It will be interesting to see if the company reacts to mystery shoppers refusing to do this store. She keeps kicking them out. This manager has a real attitude problem with mystery shoppers.
@johnb974 wrote:
The point of all of this is the store manager should not interfere with the mystery shopper. They prevent the cell phone company from gathering information on how sales are done.
@mystery2me wrote:
@johnb974 wrote:
The point of all of this is the store manager should not interfere with the mystery shopper. They prevent the cell phone company from gathering information on how sales are done.
This is only true if the results go back to the store or the wireless carrier. But if the results are being done by another company and are not authorized by the store or carrier, she is justified in interfering with the mystery shopper. There is no "right to mystery shop" unless the establishment has given explicit permission.