The Mystery Shopping thread - VIII

D4WNO

Yes, having problems too right when I tried to submit an extremely long report

Becles

I had a fantastic burger floor show today. It was in a branch I've never been to before too and it was practically empty.

Job was going as normal and the lady was bubbly and chatty. Then I asked for the receipt and she looked terrified!

Took my meal and sat down by the window. Someone immediately rushed over and removed a pile of trays from the bin next to me, and someone else rushed into the toilets with a mop. Then a lady came over and chatted about the rainy weather and stuff, then wiped the already clean tables around me. Then she started polishing the straw dispenser, then went to clean the front of the counter. Someone else came out and wiped all the tables around me again, while a man walked past the window a few times with a litter picker stick, even though there was no litter. The table wiper emptied the bin and then the man outside decided to pressure wash the pavement (in the rain!) but he only did the bit just outside the window where I was sitting.

I finished my meal and went to the loo. Someone rushed over to tell me the floor was wet and to take care not to slip. She was hovering outside when I came out so she could open the main door into the restaurant for me and thank me and wish me goodbye. Then someone else sprinted from the counter to the front door, just to open it for me and she also thanked me and said she hoped I didn't get too wet in the rain today.

I love it when that happens :rotfl:

ukmonkey

Becles wrote: »

I had a fantastic burger floor show today. It was in a branch I've never been to before too and it was practically empty.

Job was going as normal and the lady was bubbly and chatty. Then I asked for the receipt and she looked terrified!

Took my meal and sat down by the window. Someone immediately rushed over and removed a pile of trays from the bin next to me, and someone else rushed into the toilets with a mop. Then a lady came over and chatted about the rainy weather and stuff, then wiped the already clean tables around me. Then she started polishing the straw dispenser, then went to clean the front of the counter. Someone else came out and wiped all the tables around me again, while a man walked past the window a few times with a litter picker stick, even though there was no litter. The table wiper emptied the bin and then the man outside decided to pressure wash the pavement (in the rain!) but he only did the bit just outside the window where I was sitting.

I finished my meal and went to the loo. Someone rushed over to tell me the floor was wet and to take care not to slip. She was hovering outside when I came out so she could open the main door into the restaurant for me and thank me and wish me goodbye. Then someone else sprinted from the counter to the front door, just to open it for me and she also thanked me and said she hoped I didn't get too wet in the rain today.

I love it when that happens :rotfl:

So...were you MSing them or not?! rofl

josie

TractorGirl327 wrote: »

I think it's 3. Apply for the ones nearest you first!

Thanks for the alert on the thread; I can 17 pages of them and not one single one anywhere near me!

I could only see the same 4 pages that I've seen for about a week. I haven't done any petrol jobs for a couple of months. Maybe there's a max of 3 in 6 months or something?

kitchpoo

Becles wrote: »

I had a fantastic burger floor show today. ....... Then I asked for the receipt and she looked terrified!.....

I ask for a receipt all the time now regardless of it being a MS or not - just to keep them on their guard!

jdan9

nads wrote: »

Just don't pick them up. If we all stick together and refuse them they'll get the picture.

Ah but that's the problem. I'm not picking them up, don't worry about that. But most of them have gone... why would they change and decide to pay any fee if people are taking them anyway?

I keep meaning to ask for a receipt if I'm ever in the burger shop (I don't MS them any more, because they were making me get fat - it's very rare I go in there normally), but never remember in time. I was in there for an ice cream not long ago and witnessed appalling service, and only realised as I left that I should have asked for a receipt. In case you're wondering what was so bad, I was the only customer waiting, and the MOS at the counter wasn't serving me because he was busy shouting rude things at a customer sat down, seemingly based on the fact the customer in question was east European...

bankypanky

Dear all

Please could someone give me advice on how you deal with the purchases you get to keep during the course of MS-ing when it comes to your tax forms? I'm guessing that we don't get off scot-free (not being MPs an'all...;)).

I'm about to take the plunge and declare myself to The Man. I've used Josie's wonderful spreadsheet and it's showing that I owe him a total of £24.00 in tax for the last year. This doesn't, however, take into account the value of the meals I've consumed and wine that's in my rack and the haircut that's on my head!:rudolf: So advice on how to handle these would be appreciated....

As for the delay in declaring myself, I dabbled with MS-ing last summer but hadn't thought I would pick up jobs so regularly, as I already have a full-time job. I now do eight or nine a month on average and, although actual monetary profit is negligible, I can't bury my head in the sand anymore with the tax thing.

When I fill out my form, I'm guessing that if I put a start date more than three months ago, I'll automatically be slapped with a £100 fine which would kind of defeat the object when I only owe him £24.00 for the last year's actual monetary profit..... help!

p.s. Please be nice

Banky:A

jdan9

Regarding the fine, I believe it's discretionary - it's not automatic. I was about a week or two over the 3 months but I didn't get fined. However, you are quite a bit longer over than I was... but I'd guess, since you only owe a small amount, it's not exactly major tax avoidance and you might well not get fined anyway.

ukmonkey

My understanding is:

You don't pay tax on the food and drink as it's not "goods" per se.
I doubt the haircut would be taxable either.

As for normal purchases, I wonder if we destroy the goods, we've not kept them, so surely wouldn't be taxed...? ;-)

thumper1970

Becles wrote: »

I had a fantastic burger floor show today. It was in a branch I've never been to before too and it was practically empty.

Job was going as normal and the lady was bubbly and chatty. Then I asked for the receipt and she looked terrified!

Took my meal and sat down by the window. Someone immediately rushed over and removed a pile of trays from the bin next to me, and someone else rushed into the toilets with a mop. Then a lady came over and chatted about the rainy weather and stuff, then wiped the already clean tables around me. Then she started polishing the straw dispenser, then went to clean the front of the counter. Someone else came out and wiped all the tables around me again, while a man walked past the window a few times with a litter picker stick, even though there was no litter. The table wiper emptied the bin and then the man outside decided to pressure wash the pavement (in the rain!) but he only did the bit just outside the window where I was sitting.

I finished my meal and went to the loo. Someone rushed over to tell me the floor was wet and to take care not to slip. She was hovering outside when I came out so she could open the main door into the restaurant for me and thank me and wish me goodbye. Then someone else sprinted from the counter to the front door, just to open it for me and she also thanked me and said she hoped I didn't get too wet in the rain today.

I love it when that happens :rotfl:

I was in my local branch, not actually on a ms, and they must have recognised me from their CCTV of a previous audit - I was happy to play along (them saying to their colleagues 'GYPBUSTER' thinking that I wouldn't hear! Usual floor show, but when the manager came over to ask how the meal was, I couldn't resist complaining about the fries (which were a bit undercooked) - his face was a picture, and immediately I had a nice fresh set of perfectly cooked fries

That'll teach them to think that they are being clever!