Chooks Aloud Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Hubby used to work in a garage and had a mystery shoppers car in for repair. The mystery shopping paper work was left on the back seat, just begging to be read really. They all read the paperwork i.e. where they were meant to go, questions they were meant to ask etc so they decided to go into the shop and pretend to be the mystery shopper. The first mechanic went in and asked the questions using the phrases mentioned. The shop obviously realised he was a mystery shopper (or so they thought) and gave him very good service and a free burger & chips. After that all the other mechanics went in throughout the day pretending to be the mystery shopper and they all came out with a free burgers too. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 Just back from my mystery shop, which was great fun. I felt very strange doing it though - so much to remember I will certainly do more,but they go so quickly.I had 2 emails saying assignments were available in my area when I got home,but they were all gone by the time I saw them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I had 2 emails saying assignments were available in my area when I got home,but they were all gone by the time I saw them Yes that was what I found - they went in minutes! Glad you had a good time. All I ever got offered was mobile phone shops: I'd have loved a hairdresser or restaurant or something like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Sarah I'll PM you details of a good site to find work. Shirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I actually decided to go back for a second beauty treatment just to test it further as got a discount from the first time I did 3 or 4 mobile phone shops. I felt most undercover photographing one from the shopping precinct.... There were a lot of burger and beer style assignments on offer too. I forgot to say you have to change your name if going to multiple branches (banks) in case they do a search. I once went as a regular omleteer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 Just back from my third shop & I am really getting into it now I had to go into a well known high st electrical chain & pretend I was up for buying a laptop. Brilliantly for me,I had to act like I knew nothing about specifications & had to encourage the salesman to explain everything to me I was totally type cast for this role & I almost felt sorry for the poor salesman who worked his socks off for no sale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Yes you do feel sorry for them sometimes. I've got 2 to do Saturday because I was phoned and asked and I always find it hard to say no. I've got to go into a shop ask for an unusual product (which Ive already seen they have) and then buy something edible which I have to take back and ask for a refund because it isn't very nice. I hate refund ones as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 They wanted me to do a KFC one,but as it meant eating their vile chicken I refused I will stick to banks,shops & hopefully beauty therapy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 I refused a long time ago on the same basis so they don't ask me anymore. Did you tell them why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 Yep, sure did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Hopefully soon they'll have to tell KFC that us MSers won't eat their rubbish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joojoo Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Just back from my third shop & I am really getting into it now I had to go into a well known high st electrical chain & pretend I was up for buying a laptop. Brilliantly for me,I had to act like I knew nothing about specifications & had to encourage the salesman to explain everything to me I was totally type cast for this role & I almost felt sorry for the poor salesman who worked his socks off for no sale I'm doing the exact same one tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 ...ooo be kind to the staff!!!...I wish i could get a job doing this for market research..as a student I once had to count all the passengers on and off the train...to and from portsmouth to wales... I used to manage a computer shop..and I have a funny story about the results of our store and assistant manager being mystery shopped. Its a shame ..staff hate mystery shoppers, well in electrical reatil anyway..where sales mean commission, and time wasted on mystery shoppers, no matter how nice they are, means your colleague is getting a real sale...and the cash!!! best of luck...and if you know of opportunities ...in the North..let me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 Its a shame ..staff hate mystery shoppers, well in electrical reatil anyway..where sales mean commission, and time wasted on mystery shoppers, no matter how nice they are, means your colleague is getting a real sale...and the cash!!! Sure,but in the great scheme of things then every member of staff could/should be mystery shopped at least once in their retail career,so it all evens itself out. As a former manager of a shop myself (not a large chain,but an independent store) I can see how valuable it is to keep standards up. If every member of staff is trained to & working at the correct standard then its better all round, both for the company & most importantly for the customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I worked for a Nationwide store...and whilst I do see some benefits in mystery shopping from a HQ point of view.....I think store Managers should be capable of seeing their staff are up to scratch...even in large stores this is possible, as long as they manage to retain their staff, and they are well paid...and train frequently... Certainly in electrical retail, and computers, staff need to know their stuff, and we trained everyday, on the new products.. ....my assistant manager was caught on camera by the mystery shopper...who he identified immediately...became cross at having his time wasted..by a "hippy with a ruicksack"....looked right into the camera hidden in his bag...and told him to take a brochure, go home and read it... and I was played the offending peice in front of all the other Managers...you should have heard the laughing....I couldnt laugh...it was awful... Area Manager on the other hand was not amused !!!! However, in his defence....the Assistant Manager...realised he was being mystery shopped...and we had a full store of prospective customers...in reality he should have just told the guy, he realised who he was, and that we were too busy...so I got him off the hook thank goodness....but not before this had gone right to the owners of the company...... or played along, and been flagged up as great sales... still it all came ok, once they'd heard my explanation, and looked at his sales...he was excellent... Thank God, I'm out of it all now.. And being a mystery shopper seems like more fun...and I assume you arent filming people like our guys were... And all this aside, I expect its very interesting to be doing the "Mystery Shop" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I definitely wouldn't want to do any recorded work. I hate the sound of my voice and I'd hate for anyone else to hear it if they didn't have to. A lot of the jobs are really obvious and the staff know who you are because the question is the same every month. Why waste everyones time doing that. I find it cringeworthy having to do shops like that. it'sprobably why I rarely do them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
