Cautionary tale:

Last week I did the MF shop for a sandwich/cafe shop with a French name. There was very limited seating and every table had leftover/dried out food on it (despite there being no other customers when I entered). You are asked to rate your first impresions and I gave it a "satisfactory" (basically a 3 out of 5) which I thought was pretty reasonable considering my first impression was that I wouldn't be eating at a clean table. In retrospect I should have written the justification better as my wording may have made it seem like I was more critical of the amount of seating than how clean it was. I had of course detailed the cleanliness issues in other parts of the report.

The manager challenged the "satisfactory" first impression rating. I wrote back and gave a detailed and fair explanation. A day later got a "data integrity" warning from MF that says "this kind of error is costly to the integrity of our programs and to your reputation as a mystery shopper. Therefore we will be unable to offer new assignments to Shoppers who have a pattern of submitting reports with data inaccuracies."

Are these warnings common? I like doing this particular shop because the food is excellent, and I'll certainly make sure I do a better job of justfiying any rating that is below perfect, but getting kicked off MF would not be the end of my life.

Rating satisfactory then describing every table being dirty is contradictory. I have to wonder why the manager would challenge the undeserved rating instead of thanking his lucky stars you were so kind.

@NinS wrote:

The manager challenged the "satisfactory" first impression rating. I wrote back and gave a detailed and fair explanation. A day later got a "data integrity" warning from MF that says "this kind of error is costly to the integrity of our programs and to your reputation as a mystery shopper. Therefore we will be unable to offer new assignments to Shoppers who have a pattern of submitting reports with data inaccuracies."

Are these warnings common? I like doing this particular shop because the food is excellent, and I'll certainly make sure I do a better job of justfiying any rating that is below perfect, but getting kicked off MF would not be the end of my life.

I actually think it is good that you got the warning. A big complaint from shoppers who are deactivated by MF is that they are not specifically told why they were deactivated. Many say they never got any warnings and have no idea why they suddenly could no longer view new shops. Concern over data integrity is certainly something a MSC would deactivate a shopper over. Kudos to MF for giving you a warning.

It's kind of like: "Was the restroom clean?" <Yes> and then later commenting on the cleanliness of the restroom and saying in a narrative:" It was dirty with dried feces stuck on the toilet seat, overflowing trashcan and the sewer drain was backing up sewage onto the bathroom floor." MF might not consider you again for certain assignments if your YES becomes NO in a narrative. The client needs better accuracy or they question your ENTIRE report as possibly inaccurate. Be more careful...

@LisaSTL wrote:

Rating satisfactory then describing every table being dirty is contradictory. I have to wonder why the manager would challenge the undeserved rating instead of thanking his lucky stars you were so kind.

Why wouldn't they try? I remember the last time I did a particular hedgehog shop, the store disputed the raggedy busted up menu boards then went for timing as a last resort. The menus were replaced with the new screens two weeks later, fwiw. Why not get an inexcusably bad shop rejected in any way possible? MF will side with the client, anyway.

For all my shops, if I see something really dirty, broken, etc. to the point that it sound crazy to be reporting it - such as that there are not customers in a restaurant and, yet, all the tables were filthy - I tend to snap a picture, just in case of a challenge later. Once, I was challenged and I sent my photograph. The MSC thanked me, I was paid and heard nothing more. Once, it was so bad (department store floor where some of the aisles had so much stuff on the floor that it was hard to walk down some aisles without stepping on the merchandise. I reported it and sent several pictures to the MSC - including one of an employee kicking merchandise out of aisles. I got a "thank you" and did not hear more... Two weeks ago, I sat in a chair in a restaurant and it broke on me. (Yes, it was awkward and embarrassing.). When I reported the broken (and dangerous) chair to the manager, she responded, "another one." A photo of the chair went to the MSC. I recognize that such photos are not typically a part of the shop, but it seems to save the headache of a challenge about a particularly bad assessment...

@MFJohnston wrote:

For all my shops, if I see something really dirty, broken, etc. to the point that it sound crazy to be reporting it - such as that there are not customers in a restaurant and, yet, all the tables were filthy - I tend to snap a picture, just in case of a challenge later. Once, I was challenged and I sent my photograph. The MSC thanked me, I was paid and heard nothing more. Once, it was so bad (department store floor where some of the aisles had so much stuff on the floor that it was hard to walk down some aisles without stepping on the merchandise. I reported it and sent several pictures to the MSC - including one of an employee kicking merchandise out of aisles. I got a "thank you" and did not hear more... Two weeks ago, I sat in a chair in a restaurant and it broke on me. (Yes, it was awkward and embarrassing.). When I reported the broken (and dangerous) chair to the manager, she responded, "another one." A photo of the chair went to the MSC. I recognize that such photos are not typically a part of the shop, but it seems to save the headache of a challenge about a particularly bad assessment...

Great idea. I have often thought to do that now I will start!

A Closer Look specifically asks for photos of "anything awry" and whenever I report a dirty bathroom I include the pic. I had actually taken a photo of the dirty tables, but there's no way to upload them in MF.

@NinS wrote:

A Closer Look specifically asks for photos of "anything awry" and whenever I report a dirty bathroom I include the pic. I had actually taken a photo of the dirty tables, but there's no way to upload them in MF.

Market Force will usually ask or all of the photos you have taken for an assignment. I'll upload my extras if I have them supporting a negative rating. There's no way to link them, but they're sent with the report along with my food pic extras in case there is a discrepancy.

Actually, after I typed that I realized that I'm thinking of a particular food shop where a pic of the entree is required. I guess I might not be able to do that with other shops where food pics aren't required.

@NinS wrote:

A Closer Look specifically asks for photos of "anything awry" and whenever I report a dirty bathroom I include the pic. I had actually taken a photo of the dirty tables, but there's no way to upload them in MF.

Some of the shops I do for MF do not require any photos, and have no place to upload photos. Yet I have seen areas they ask about that are dirty or in need of repair. I, too, take pictures of anything not quite right. Then in my report, I will mention that I have a date/time stamped photo of the issue in question if they need to see it. I have never been questioned, all such reports have been accepted, and I have been paid. I hold on to the photos for several months....just in case!