The Mystery Shopping thread - IX

johnny_c-l

glitterjunkie wrote: »

Does anyone do mystery shopping for a large department store (I know I can't name them, but they have Blue Cross sales...I hope it's okay to say that!). Anyway, if so a little birdie tells me that they're only doing 2 more waves of mystery shopping, this summer and autumn - then they're going to stop their mystery shop programme in 2010. They are replacing it with an online survey instead, which customers can fill in about their experience. It seems like they're basically getting their customers to be their Mystery Shoppers for free, instead of paying us to do it!

I hope it's not a sign of things to come with other shops???

A well known telephone shop did the same a while back. Surveys are no substitute for mystery shopping really, it's the cheap option IMO.

Mumto2

glitterjunkie wrote: »

Does anyone do mystery shopping for a large department store (I know I can't name them, but they have Blue Cross sales...I hope it's okay to say that!). Anyway, if so a little birdie tells me that they're only doing 2 more waves of mystery shopping, this summer and autumn - then they're going to stop their mystery shop programme in 2010. They are replacing it with an online survey instead, which customers can fill in about their experience. It seems like they're basically getting their customers to be their Mystery Shoppers for free, instead of paying us to do it!

I hope it's not a sign of things to come with other shops???

A certain fast pizza chain have done this for a long time. Members of their club are given a questionnaire to complete and when you send it back you get a £10 voucher. They must pay a fortune for the MS services of the company they use as well though.

I've seen a few places lately have a message on the reciept about giving feedback and then being eligible for a gift voucher etc if your name is drawn. Could well be the way forward.

Lil_Me_2

glitterjunkie wrote: »

Does anyone do mystery shopping for a large department store (I know I can't name them, but they have Blue Cross sales...I hope it's okay to say that!). Anyway, if so a little birdie tells me that they're only doing 2 more waves of mystery shopping, this summer and autumn - then they're going to stop their mystery shop programme in 2010. They are replacing it with an online survey instead, which customers can fill in about their experience. It seems like they're basically getting their customers to be their Mystery Shoppers for free, instead of paying us to do it!

I hope it's not a sign of things to come with other shops???

Major flaw with this is that most people who fill it in will have a gripe and not praise. With MS you get a good idea of the average persons experience whether it be good or bad.

jdan9

Also, the average customer given one of these at the till might not have been looking for certain smaller details that are important to the company, for example products in a fridge at a sandwich shop being pulled forward, all staff wearing clean and ironed uniform, etc. They're the sort of things you don't notice unless you're looking for them, unless they're really extremely bad. They probably couldn't ask the name of the MOS who was serving them either - not the sort of thing you really remember unless you're told to get it in advance.

cte1111

Lil_Me wrote: »

Hello! I have a question about Pizza delivery jobs if anyone can help. There is a job up on GAP at the moment for delivery, however it isn't my closest store to home. Can I still get them to deliver to me at home or would that be too suspect? It's a competitor so they may not be as sussed at usual, but you never know. If needed I could go and get it ordered to my friends who is closer but wanted to check.

Thanks!!

edit- I should point out that this shop is only 2 miles away, so not a significant distance.

When I tried to order from the next nearest pizza place (the chain one not the competitor), they would not even take my order. They said I had to ring the other one. Not sure if this will be the same for the competitor one or not. You could always accept it, then release it later.

DebtHater

RE crashed again :(

MattOsprey

Hi Debthater,
Have just seen your alert for GAP.
Can you tell me what has been added, as I can't see anything different. Am I missing something.
Cheers
Matt.

pinkprincess39

MattOsprey wrote: »

Hi Debthater,
Have just seen your alert for GAP.
Can you tell me what has been added, as I can't see anything different. Am I missing something.
Cheers
Matt.

Me too....cant see any new ones

josie

MattOsprey wrote: »

Hi Debthater,
Have just seen your alert for GAP.
Can you tell me what has been added, as I can't see anything different. Am I missing something.
Cheers
Matt.

You and pp39 beat me to it! I can't see anything new either.

bankypanky

Lil_Me wrote: »

Hello! I have a question about Pizza delivery jobs if anyone can help. There is a job up on GAP at the moment for delivery, however it isn't my closest store to home. Can I still get them to deliver to me at home or would that be too suspect? It's a competitor so they may not be as sussed at usual, but you never know. If needed I could go and get it ordered to my friends who is closer but wanted to check.

Thanks!!

edit- I should point out that this shop is only 2 miles away, so not a significant distance.

I had this same problem a couple of months ago. The store I phoned was probably only about a mile away but was not my closest. On the briefing notes, the MS company lists all the postcodes to which each store delivers. My postcode was on the list and so I picked up the job and called them. (You can't see this list until you pick up the job though).

You would think I was phoning from outer space - they said that they had no idea where my road was - it's a normal road, vey close to them, nothing unusual. Don't they have satnav or a map???:mad: Anyhow, I insisted that I had received bad service from my closer store (I hadn't) and that I really wanted them to deliver. In the end, they delivered reluctantly and said it was a 'one-off'.

This same store has been sitting on the site for about three weeks now but I haven't picked it up as I can't be bothered going through the whole thing again with them.

Banky:A