Real-life MMD: Should I threaten a bad review to get better service?

Barryfan

No, because that way you can write an honest review! If you get a "false" good service because staff know you're writing a review, what happens when Mr Smith goes in, on your advice, and gets bad service? Wouldn't do much for your credibility would it?

Ravenshade

Categorically: No.

Go to them, rate their service and review them without telling them. This gives you a true and thorough account, which lends credibility to your review. (Which you should always give honestly).

You want to improve their service for everyone and you can't do that if they are looking out for special customers. This is why often journalists go in, undercover, under a different name and so on and so forth.

Brian_Steele

The point about reviews is that they are supposed to be impartial and genuine. Telling them in advance is taking advantage of your position as a reviewer and if service improves, gives a false representation of what they have to offer.

Everyone knows that restaurant reviews in local newspapers are Advertorial - when did you last see a bad one? - but anywhere else and I should hope that the review was an accurate one, not one deliberately skewed in order to get the reviewer a good meal.

That's just what a politician would do and it's not good!

Brian_Steele

silverswan wrote: »

Definitely not. Let's know what the establishment is really like for ordinary mortals without forewarning them. I got really excellent service from a shop I'd never been in before, and returned the next week to thank the assistant. I told her she'd gone way beyond the call of duty and I just wanted to thank her. She folded her arms; glared at me; and said "Well it's like this - Duncan Bannatyne owns this shop, and every month he sends a mystery shopper and I thought you were it." Felt I'd been slapped in the face!

But it worked, didn't it? Mystery Shoppers serve two purposes: firstly to monitor standards, but secondly to ensure that everyone gets a good service because they may be the mystery shopper. Actually my own business can spot them a mile off and do say the things that we know they want to hear, but I like to think we still give a similar standard of service to everyone.

milvusvestal

The moment you give a retailer advance warning of your visit and its purpose, you defeat the object of your mission and devalue your assessment. If, say, you told a restaurant owner of your impending visit, he'd be a fool if he didn't tell his staff about it and do everything possible to create the best impression. Mystery shoppers help perform the same service for banks and other large organizations.

You sound as if you've been doing this out of love, not money. If you're thinking of charging retailers for good reports, that amounts to corruption in my book.

oldtrout

Sorry, I have to laugh ... in what way is this a MONEY moral dilemma?

It only invites a 'yes/no' or a 'should/shouldn't' response.

Who's been choosing these MMDs recently? Are they honestly, as you say, "real-life MMDs that have been sent into us", because I'm beginning to think they've become fictitious ...

Personally, I would like these moral queries (fictitious or not) to continue, because they do provoke discussion, make you think, and even give you ideas

Give us more true MMDs. Ones where we feel we can really help people.

In fact, could MSE include both, please?... a moral dilemma, and a MMD.

fatal1955

Sounds like blackmail to me!

MothballsWallet

First rule of a review: don't talk about doing a review before you've written it.
Second rule of a review: don't let the staff working in the place you'll review overhear you talking about doing one on their workplace.

BNT

If you get poor service, say something at the time to your server. Assuming upfront that you will only get good service through blackmail is quite offensive. And, as everyone else figured out right away, makes your reviews worthless.