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Mystery Shoppers

*screams* aaaarrrggghhhhhhhhh!!! :banghead:

S'pose this is really for anyone who has experienced the joy of working in a shop when the mystery shopper's about, not for the people looking at this and thinking "Oh deary me, she's flipped" but oh sweet baby jeebus, I hate them. It's like a new version of the nazi informants, snooping around, putting everyone on edge and pissing off the other customers 'cause they get the full repartoire of
"hello. did you find everything you were looking for today? If you didn't, would you like me to help you find it? Or we can order it for you. Are you interested in any of our special offers? Do you need any stamps or top ups?" etc, when they've only come in a pair of insoles, some paper napkins and a coffee mug. Because the person behind the counter doesn't know if they are, in fact, the mystery shopper, or if the mystery shopper is in the queue...listening.

You never know if the person you're serving is actually being that rude, stupid or both on purpose, to see how you react. Such as the lardarse brandishing a cd display case WITH AN OUT OF STOCK STICKER ON IT, bellowing "WHAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING THESE OUT ON THE SHELVES IF YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE IT IN?" (Caps cause I think my eardrum may have exploded, and I was on another counter at the time)
So you have to be nice, and take ten minutes to explain the difference between an X box core system and an Xbox pro system...after giving them the leaflet that actually explains everything, and as the queue grows longer and longer... And smile nicely after someone dumps their stuff on the desk without a word and completely ignores you when you say hello, and please, and thank you, and just drops the money on the desk for you to count out and pick up because it could be the mystery shopper.

I supose I'm just a little irked because a friend of mine, who works in another shop, has just been formally disciplined after failing a mystery shop, they don't even got told when one's due in, or maybe they just decided not to tell him. He wasn't rude, or imcompetent, he just didn't turn the trolley and offer a leaflet. Yep, that's right.

If you get crap service from somewhere, you don't go, or make a complaint if it's really bad. You don't need someone snooping around, putting people under stress and on edge, etc, to make sure that your employees are doing their job, because it's a pain and as useless as split shifts and ironing jeans.

Anyway, that's just my little rant. Don't know if anyone here would understand where I'm coming from, just hadn't posted in a while.
Love, peace and biscuits. :tee:

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Reply 1

teh_samby

Yep, totally get where you're coming from.

Oh, the joys of working in a supermarket.

Reply 2

slackerbeeatch

[quote=clynas useless as split shifts and ironing jeans.

:rofl:

but yeh i do agree. they used to check up on us like that when i worked in the bookies.

Right enough, it was different standards we were judged on... pretty much if you didnt swear you passed...

Reply 3

dogtanian

Mystery shopping is a job too.

We had a mystery shopper who was fourteen. Fourteen! Yes, that's our target market. But we weren't expecting that.

On the flipside, it does keep you on your toes and doing the job well. Management included.

Reply 4

michaelnicholson88

[Gloat] We got 100% for our last mystery shop [/Gloat]

Reply 5

Lofty

Apparantly the mystery shopper was in on the last day of my very last shift of working at Satansburys (for the 2 months or whatever i was there for :tongue:

) and i had changed my badge to Satansburys, would have been very funny if they had seen it :biggrin:

My sis did a bit of being the mystery shopper though :smile:

Reply 6

ellewoods

We get them twice a month (at TGI Fridays).

They used to be really easy to spot because they *had* to go to the bar first and order a strawberry daquiri and then ordered the voodoo skewers at the table, so it was pretty obvious who they were.

Now its a bit harder, but they still have to book, arrive 30mins early and have a drink at the bar, then take their seats at their table *without* any drinks. So unless its Saturday night, you can usually spot them.

To be honest I dont mind them because if we get 100% across all departments ie door host, service, food and bar, then each departments get 100 pounds to share - so if you're the waitress, you don't have to share with anyone!! We are pretty good at 100%s as well :smile:

However if there is no way of spotting them, such as in the supermarkets you've talked about, it really is difficult and annoying! I can't believe someone was actually disciplined!! Our managers get bonuses based on mystery diner targets, so maybe theirs do too and they got a bit over zealous!!
I must admit in my opinion our diners aren't that effective as we can spot them so they aren't getting the true experience that every guest receives, which I suppose is the point!!
Plus the diners themselves can be mean and treat us badly and just try to find fault just because they think they should - my sister is a mystery shopper, her latest one was Claire's Accessories, and she just loves it when she files a bad report the sadist...

Reply 7

bullyfish

Ahh, the joys of mystery shoppers. At least we are told the general days that they are going to be in "sometime in the next couple months"

My assistant manager actually got 50% on hers, but the only reason was because she didnt sell them anything. The only problem was, the shoppers arnt supposed to buy!

Reply 8

hanadeka2002

In the shop I used to work in I got mystery shopped and got 100%.I rule.

I'd never get 100% at the shop I work in now...I'm sooo mean to everyone haha.

Reply 9

bedbug

I've been on both sides of it. I've been a mystery shopper for Topshop and I've worked at French Connection where they have mystery shoppers. I was shown a video of a mystery shopper (yep, that's right - in French Connection they carry cameras) and told that I had to live up to that standard of service. On my first day. When I didn't know anything about the clothes, where they were or what to do. Slightly intimidating!

Reply 10

tbm

I dont like mystery shoppers. Just because they can be mean sometimes.

I was mystery shopped once and at the time it was really busy, and I had a massive queue at the till (plus I was on my own, the other girl had gone to lunch). I lost points because I didnt go up to her straight away to say hello and ask if she wanted help- but as I was already serving customers, what could I do?!!

Reply 11

Fruit-cake

squirly

How did you get the job as a mystery shopper? Sounds like good work to me! :rolleyes:

Reply 12

moonlight76

Please, please, please fill in my masters dissertation questionnaire on mystery shopping.(some of you I have already mailed it) . It will only take 10-15 mins. Click on the box to select option and will cross itself. In the grey tab you write in responses.

Respond as soon as you can, have only 2-3 weeks to collect data. I need loads. To access the questionnaire, please click on the link below and save it to (e.g.) your hard drive. When you have completed the questionnaire, please make sure you save the file again and e-mail it back to me as an attachment. Here is the link for the questionnaire: click here . www.hud.ac.uk/hhs/dbs/msshop.doc .
if link dont work paste in google and you will be able to open it.
The file is in the form of a Microsoft Word file. If you have not got access to Word, or you have any problems opening the file, please contact me and I will send you a text only version.

Thanks

Moonlight
x

Reply 13

Paddington

at least most people only get them once in a while, we have to have one every 4 weeks to make sure we are keeping to targets :frown:

and if we fail wew don't get bonus, but if we do pass (20/22 or more) then we get 5% bonus

Reply 14

Fruit-cake

Juno

I do mystery shopping. I once did it at a pub (yes! free alcohol!) and the woman serving washed her hands under the tap thing with the buttons that dispense coke, lemonade etc (you know, it's kinda like a hose pipe).

Mystery shoppers aren't trying to be mean, but they have specific questions to answer. They obviously can't lie. There are spaces to write explanations, so if someone didn't aknowledge me straight away but was already busy, I'd write that.

If you don't want to be polite to customers, then get another job. Retail obviously isn't for you.

how did you get the work, and how much does it pay? anyone? :rolleyes:

Reply 15

Higgy

I know all the mystery shoppers that come in the Morrisons where i work as the supervisors tell us haha, they're not meant to but they love me so they tell me lol

Reply 16

fletchinator

If you're a nice person to everyone then mystery shoppers shouldn't be a problem.

Reply 17

Brik

fletchinator

If you're a nice person to everyone then mystery shoppers shouldn't be a problem.

That's not entirely true, where I work they expect us to give exact lines like "all our products are quality tested..."
So even if you a charmer, but don't say the right lines you don't get the percents.
Our shop not bothered anymore, company decided not to give bonus for managers for good mystery shopper, or punish people for bad one.

Reply 18

sara_b

Yeah, we get them where I work too. I work in a chip shop, and you can usually spot them because they always order cod and something they have to wait for, and they spend the whole time staring at everything and you...