this should be good... whats the worst experience you guys have had from audits or shopping?

mine was a suburban kmart that was just atrocious ... junk everywhere... all the employees out of uniform... to few lines...

bet someone can beat that... *wink*

There are a number of levels of 'worst'. There is the location and the situation.

Location award goes to a gas station with a unisex bathroom as a separate building. It had been trashed in the ultimate--the sink was broken so only about half the water went to the drain (rest onto the floor); toilet was clogged and overflowing with fecals floating in the pond that was a floor. The store in the other building was not much better.

Situational is when I got 'escorted' from a location where I had no business being except to perform anonymous shops by airport/homeland security.

That is a tough question. There are so many circumstances that can make something "bad." nightmare report, stupid clerk, poor instructions from MSC, bad day on the job on my part...etc.

Their fault: employee didnt take off gloves between food, sneezing, money and back to food....needless to say that narrative was fun.
My fault: i lost my little black book of shopping notes....today....at a Q grocery....went back in to scour the store to find it on a demo table (unmanned). Lucky for me, the store was a ghost town and emp's were sparse. Damn samples will get you every time.

Restaurant: After sitting in front of empty plates and glasses for about 20 minutes with our server (Server 1) nowhere to be seen, Server 2 stopped at our table to clear plates and offer beverage refills. Server 2 also suggested dessert, which we accepted. Server 2 promptly brought beverages and put in our dessert order. Server 1 shows up on the scene and asks if we would like dessert. We tell her that Server 2 has already put in the order. Server 1 asks what we ordered and we tell her, presumably so she can put it on the bill. Server 1 steams off. Server 2 shows up with our dessert. Two minutes later Server 1 shows up with an identical dessert and blows a gasket. We had made it perfectly clear that Server 2 had placed the order (I verified from the DVR later that there was no way Server 1 could have/should have placed the order again from what we had explained to her). Server 2 walked by and Server 1 verbally lit into her at full tilt. The screaming continued on back to the kitchen.

One of the few restaurant reports where the response to "would you return" was an emphatic NO. The food, service and ambiance all stunk. A few weeks later the MSP forwarded a letter of apology from the CEO of the chain with a $50 gift card that I handed off to my son as his girlfriend liked the place, so he used it to take her (and swore he would never return either).

It was unusual for a certain company to show a gas shop higher than $4. This one was @$42.00, but only a backup position available. I selected myself for the backup position anyways. Imagine my suprise when I got it. Location was some distance away from me in a part of Alabama when they have to pump sunshine in...

I drove past a million pine trees on a single lane road before I found it. This place had definately seen better days. Various sized bullet holes in the sign and building should have warned me right off. Like a Dumb A**, I stopped and attempted to perform the shop, anyways.

Got my $1 gas and headed inside, camera in hand, to capture a bathroom picture. There in the center of the store was a young boy who could easily been the stunt double in the movie "Deliverance". He was ragged and dirty right down to his bare feet. Made my way quickly to the bathroom and stood inside with my back against the door. I had just taken the first picture when I heard his voice screaming, "Halp! Halp!, Theres a Pervert in the bathroom taking pictures!". Later found out he had a Peep Hole!

I quickly exited the bathroom and found my way blocked by the crazy boy, his father the CSR,(Both his eyes pointed in different directions and neither one focused on me), and grandpaw brandishing a sawed off shot gun. The whole time I kept thinking, "Paddle faster Mr.C, Paddle faster".

I whipped out my authorization letter from my back pocket and explained I was making observations so the oil company would fix things for them. After grandpaw read the letter aloud to the other 2, things calmed down. They then insisted I take pictures of everything, including a couple of family shots. I left as soon as possible and did my report.

Next my favorite company informed me that I would not be paid because I was biased. Biased? I went to arbitration and got paid anyways.

Anyone got anything to compare with this?...

I shopped a Western Wear store here in Tucson. I was barely acknowledged by either of the sales clerks when I walked in, there was junk in the aisles, including a table strewn sloppily with price tags, and it was a challenge to get any one to give me any real assistance.

Icing on the cake was that the minimum (returnable) purchase was $15, and since there was nothing there I would want to wear or own, I purchased a pair of socks, planning to return them the next day. As she was ringing me up, the sales clerk I was shopping made the snide remark "Oh, a big spender, huh?".

If I hadn't wanted to avoid drawing attention to myself I would have immediately gone to her supervisor, but you better believe it ended up in my narrative.

oigh... sounds like some pretty rough times...guess i got one coming... i will share it when i experience it...

when i went and shopped at a and f the manager was a bit rude to me... i made sure i wrote what he said down... but it was just one comment... "oh are you still here?" after he saw me waiting to try stuff on...

How about the time I did a bar audit -- the bartenders were dancing on the bar, drinking from the taps, throwing napkins into the crowd and picking 18 year old girls out of the bar to do "bar-stands" where they were turn them upside down and they would drink from the tap. Also, the dj kept talking about doing cocaine. This was a bar (not a club) in a nice area of a large city -- everyone was 21. I have no clue why they would send an older adult into this bar -- we stuck out like a sore thumb. I felt like I was 16 and on Spring Break in Cancun.

I had to go to a restaurant and order beers and then go to a table for a meal. We had to wait almost five minutes to get served drinks. Then one of the employees who I later found out to be a manager, smacked another girl employee who was drawing on a board, on her rear! She then told my husband that in about a half hour she will be dancing on the bar top! I was apalled! Then when the bartender made my next drink, I asked for a double whiskey and coke, he made it diet! I told him he made it wrong, he then said to me, don't make me waste all that f-ing booze! I could not believe it! Throughout the rest of the bar visit he was swearing and just not being very professional. Not to mention he was wearing street clothes!

Then when we went to the table to have the meal, we had to wait forever for service. Then it took like 10 minutes to get the appetizer and another 20 for the main entree! We had to ask for utensils and napkins as the server never gave us any. He never asked if we wanted anything to drink with our meal. I was very disappointed and will never return again.

FF: Sitting in the car in 100 degree heat and ordering the standard order for the shop. The vehicles on each side of me were running but my engine was off and my window down, (as it was supposed to be) ):. After about 10 min I called about my order and was asked what it was. After I repeated the order I got to watching this sack of food that went to a truck that had ordered after I did. Wrong order so the sack went back in and got sat on the counter. The sack went to another car and a few min later went back in to the counter again. Second wrong order and I still do not have my food. I called a second time and told them again what I was waiting on. About 30 min had passed by then and I was roasting and getting madder by the second so I called again. Guess what came to my window. The same sack that had been returned twice. No drink just the sack. INside the sack was a ticket with the exact thing I had ordered but nothing but a double cheeseburger, which was not what I had ordered.

I called a third time and asked where the rest of my order was. I finally got a drink but not a fresh sandwich. After all that when I called it in I was told it could not be accepted because I had asked for the rest of the meal. Beside they also said the manager would argue that all that did not happen.

I got sick from the heat and hungry from no lunch and put out with the scheduler so I cancelled the rest of my shops with them. I told her that it was too hot to shop and I would call when I was ready to shop for them again. I have not called and that was over a year ago.

mrcomputer101 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was unusual for a certain company to show a gas
> shop higher than $4. This one was @$42.00, but
> only a backup position available. I selected
> myself for the backup position anyways. Imagine my
> suprise when I got it. Location was some distance
> away from me in a part of Alabama when they have
> to pump sunshine in...
>
> I drove past a million pine trees on a single lane
> road before I found it. This place had definately
> seen better days. Various sized bullet holes in
> the sign and building should have warned me right
> off. Like a Dumb A**, I stopped and attempted to
> perform the shop, anyways.
>
> Got my $1 gas and headed inside, camera in hand,
> to capture a bathroom picture. There in the center
> of the store was a young boy who could easily been
> the stunt double in the movie "Deliverance". He
> was ragged and dirty right down to his bare feet.
> Made my way quickly to the bathroom and stood
> inside with my back against the door. I had just
> taken the first picture when I heard his voice
> screaming, "Halp! Halp!, Theres a Pervert in the
> bathroom taking pictures!". Later found out he had
> a Peep Hole!
>
> I quickly exited the bathroom and found my way
> blocked by the crazy boy, his father the CSR,(Both
> his eyes pointed in different directions and
> neither one focused on me), and grandpaw
> brandishing a sawed off shot gun. The whole time I
> kept thinking, "Paddle faster Mr.C, Paddle
> faster".
>
> I whipped out my authorization letter from my back
> pocket and explained I was making observations so
> the oil company would fix things for them. After
> grandpaw read the letter aloud to the other 2,
> things calmed down. They then insisted I take
> pictures of everything, including a couple of
> family shots. I left as soon as possible and did
> my report.
>
> Next my favorite company informed me that I would
> not be paid because I was biased. Biased? I went
> to arbitration and got paid anyways.
>
> Anyone got anything to compare with this?...



That story makes getting covered with the fallout of a garbage truck and being chased by a horny goat seem tame by comparison. I think you belong on Zoltar. (and that's a compliement)

My worst was shortly after I had started shopping. A cell phone compliance shop in a large electronic store. Scenario was I was supposed to be turned down on several steps. I was first to show a non-official id card (sam club, health club, anything with my picture that was not official like a Drivers Liscense) I was supposed to give an address that was not mine, etc. A whole shopping list of things that was supposed to stop the sell.
Someone forgot to tell the CSR about the script. I had all my ailases lined up, all ready, but I was never asked any of the questions I was expecting. I went along with everything and found myself walking out of the store with 3 yess THREE expensive cell phones. As I was at the door to leave I realized what had happened and went to the service desk and acted like a crazy lady trying to give the phones back. I might add that I had not signed anything, or paid any money, but

My worst was shortly after I had started shopping. A cell phone compliance shop in a large electronic store. Scenario was I was supposed to be turned down on several steps. I was first to show a non-official id card (sam club, health club, anything with my picture that was not official like a Drivers License) I was supposed to give an address that was not mine, etc. A whole shopping list of things that was supposed to stop the sell.
Someone forgot to tell the CSR about the script. I had all my aliases lined up, all ready, but I was never asked any of the questions I was expecting. I went along with everything and found myself walking out of the store with 3 yes THREE expensive cell phones. As I was at the door to leave I realized what had happened and went to the service desk and acted like a crazy lady trying to give the phones back. I might add that I had not signed anything, or paid any money, but I knew I did not want to leave the store with those phones. I came home in tears and told my husband I would never ever ever do another mystery shop.
I did calm down and have been shopping for 4 years now, but I will never forget that shop.

Thanks Cettie. I may plan a vacation on Zoltar just to check it out. I reflect on that incident everytime I see a fuel sign that starts with an "E". Funny thing is, I have not seen that location listed since my "Visit"...