MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD XV - please, no mention of client names or fees on here

mysterious_girl

tomla wrote: »

What I do answer I know the answer too and if you bother look back over the threads you will see I answer when i'm online which is rare because reading comments like yours (i.e. the one quoted above) are a total waste of time and not even factual.

I just noticed more and more that simple questions were getting unhelpful answers and that stops new users ever getting involved in this forum. I have lurked for ages and answered very sporadically but comments like yours above are the reason its not worth coming and posting more often.

I never said sarcasm should be banned, i said it should be scaled down to allow new members to get involved and not to think that a small group of posters are a little over protective of a public forum.

Oh come on, that post was posted late last week. Lets not start getting all uppity again now. If you want to start arguements can you please go somewhere else.

sf123

catkins wrote: »

I did a DIY shop at the weekend and as soon as I asked the first question I felt the guy knew I was a mystery shopper. Not sure if it was just me being paranoid or suspicious, I watched and followed him when he had finished serving me (he did not know I was doing this!). He went straight to the customer services desk and spoke to someone there.

When I went to the next department to ask the second question the assistant there was busy with a customer. Almost straight away the assistant from the customer services desk came over to help even though I know she could not see me waiting from her desk! She was so over friendly it was untrue.

Then at the checkout (all of which were open when they had not been when I arrived!) every assistant gave me a big grin with 2 saying "hi".

I did my first DIY shop at the weekend and that went pretty much the same as yours.

I wonder if someone briefs them on the current scenario... mine was an urgent allocation so it must be coming to the end of the current wave.

I do actually shop in this particular DIY store quite regularly and ALWAYS have to wait ages to get served / find a member of staff. Though when you do get served they are always v helpful. But it seemed like they had me sussed from the minute I asked my first question this weekend. I've never had so many members of staff smile at me / ask if I need any help... I half expected them to be waving goodbye at the door as I left! (They weren't - I did glance back to check :rotfl:)

laughing_cow

pinkprincess39 wrote: »

which company sent this!!?

Will send you a PM

Scaredy_Cat_3

sf123 wrote: »

I did my first DIY shop at the weekend and that went pretty much the same as yours.

I wonder if someone briefs them on the current scenario... mine was an urgent allocation so it must be coming to the end of the current wave.

I do actually shop in this particular DIY store quite regularly and ALWAYS have to wait ages to get served / find a member of staff. Though when you do get served they are always v helpful. But it seemed like they had me sussed from the minute I asked my first question this weekend. I've never had so many members of staff smile at me / ask if I need any help... I half expected them to be waving goodbye at the door as I left! (They weren't - I did glance back to check :rotfl:)

So next time you are in there for non-MSing reasons make sure you ask that question to ensure a quick service at the check out :rotfl:



Would be nice if it worked that way - but chances are they will have a different scenario next month. I do find it odd how many times I shop in the same place and have to queue for ages or whatever, but the minute I'm there on a job the service is fantastic! Weird

nearlyheadlessian

sf123 wrote: »

I wonder if someone briefs them on the current scenario... mine was an urgent allocation so it must be coming to the end of the current wave.

The diy store that tns cover brief staff on what *might* be in each month's wave. But seriously, it's kind of depressing to read the cynicism here - why is it that staff can't simply be good at their jobs? Some people in this thread seem to think the moment they get good service that they've been sussed!

sf123

nearlyheadlessian wrote: »

The diy store that tns cover brief staff on what *might* be in each month's wave. But seriously, it's kind of depressing to read the cynicism here - why is it that staff can't simply be good at their jobs? Some people in this thread seem to think the moment they get good service that they've been sussed!

Not me - I tend to give staff the benefit of the doubt. And to be perfectly honest, the majority of the time (MS or not) I do get good service. BUT this time I'm 99.9% certain they at least suspected I was a mystery shopper. And I wasn't doing anything different to what I would normally do in this particular store. You know when you get that feeling you're being watched all the way round the store? And EVERYONE is going out of their way to be helpful...

It was the TNS one by the way... The first member of staff jumped to attention as soon as I mentioned my "issue" and said he would get someone else more knowledgeable to help. He turned away and said something over his walkie talkie (out of earshot). From then on, I felt like royalty

mysterious_girl

nearlyheadlessian wrote: »

The diy store that tns cover brief staff on what *might* be in each month's wave. But seriously, it's kind of depressing to read the cynicism here - why is it that staff can't simply be good at their jobs? Some people in this thread seem to think the moment they get good service that they've been sussed!

I can understand what you're saying and you're right, sometimes we do just get good, and even great service for no apparent reason. I always seem to have my MS hat on when out shopping even when not MSing and quite often I see fabulous service.

But....sometimes it's just a little too obvious when managers get called to come over and all they stand around smiling at you, almost bowing to you. It can be a bit intimidating at times. i.e. the burger floor shows.

sf123

Gah!! Was just trying to grab an RE budget overnight stay for half term and someone else snaffled it whilst I was reading the notes Typical!!

nearlyheadlessian

mysterious_girl wrote: »

But....sometimes it's just a little too obvious when managers get called to come over and all they stand around smiling at you, almost bowing to you. It can be a bit intimidating at times. i.e. the burger floor shows.

Totally agree there can be the odd occasion when that sort of thing happens, but I'm glad some common sense prevails here. It can be very demoralising for people to question a retail assistant's motives for providing good service sometimes. In all my work I tend to take the approach that there's no point if you don't do it properly

Scaredy_Cat_3

Overall I do get pretty good service - there have only been a handful of times when I feel I've been sussed. On the whole, though, the only upshot of this was that it was obvious the mos was trying to remember absolutely everything they were supposed to be telling me, and once when the mos' hands were shaking. Bless!

One thing that did annoy me was a couple of weeks ago I visited a pet shop for real-life reasons. I've previously MSd this shop and been served by the same person. Strange difference in attitude this time, though! She was miserable as sin, no attempt to build rapport or anything.

Another member of staff went so far as to say the product I was about to buy didn't work :eek:... yes they then upsold a more expensive product. But I felt it was pretty unprofessional to say it actually didn't work! I contemplated writing to the manufacturer of that product to let them know what was being said in store but then forgot all about it. maybe I should - might just initiate a whole new wave of ms jobs!;)