Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys? (Part Two)

TractorGirl327

DAVETHE_CARDBOARDBOX wrote: »

Whats wrong with Retail Eyes, cmon spill .......

Oh, dont get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with them at all!! :rotfl:

It's just that since I did my first assignment for them, I've been on holiday twice, and in between times there hasnt been anything in my area or anything I fancied doing!!

jobbingmusician

The only thing wrong with RE is that their questionnaires are FAR too long! 100 questions, all of which need a tickbox AND a written comment, for a fiver - I ask you!

laalaa

Can i just add.

I work somewhere where we have mystery diners. If you are using your phone, leave it on the table, instead of taking it out your pocket all the time.

I recently had a mystery diner, I knew thats what they were doing from the minute they sat down because they were so obvious.

Taking phone out of pocket to look when they sat down, when i took order, when i brought drinks, starters and main course.

Very very obvious.

redcar_2

I think I've been rumbled only a couple of times. One an electrical retailer where I had done another in the same town that morning and so I think may have been tipped off. He had a smarmy grin on his face the whole way through as if he was going 'oh yeah you're interested in that are you as if he didn't believe me??' however he still didn't do OK as he just grinned a lot and I had to ask loads of questsions to try and draw him out. Bit dopey really if he was tipped off.

The other time was a well known burger retailer where I had missed the persons badge name the first time on drivethrough so went back again to order a dessert to try and get it. The first time I was very obviously asked if I wanted a receipt to which I said yes even though at the time I thought it was strange as the receipt was printed already and in his hand. The second time I wasn't asked and the receipt was just provided. Anyone else noticed that they only seem to ask you for a receipt when you order whats required on the brief and not other times? I've been there when not on a job and co-incidently ordered the same as on a brief and again thought it strange they asked if I wanted a receipt.

I think it'd be really interesting for people who work in places that get MS-ed to give their side as I really worry about being spotted or if I have to give a 'bad' report.

jo1972

Sorry this is long, but I had to tell you all what happened to me, I've never enjoyed a MS visit so much!

I visited a fast food chain recently and everything was completely normal whilst queing, ordering, paying etc.....till I asked for a receipt. It was like a little panic alarm had gone off behind the counter! All of a sudden my bored apathetic server smiled inanely at me and wished me a 'wonderful' day and hopes that I will return very soon. I turned round with my tray and there were 5 staff on the shop floor, there were none when I entered the shop. 2 of them were cleaning the floor, 1 of them who I presume is the manager was washing trays and tables, then there was another senior looking staff member barking orders at some frightened school leaver telling her to make sure the toilets were done immediately. A member of staff stood near where I was sitting started talking to all the kids and in a raised voice shouted to another member of staff to get some balloons, aforementioned senior staff member suddenly appeared through the door with about 25 balloons (no I'[m not exagerating, she actually couldn't get them out of the doorway :rotfl:) and handed them out to every kid in the place, even the ones that didn't want one. I have never witnessed so many tray carrying, door opening, smiley and chatty members of staff ever in this particular chain of restaurants. The woman cleaning the floor only actually cleaned a metre square of the floor right next to my feet the whole time I was there whilst smiling at me in a really weird way, she then asked me if she could empty my tray for me I actually sat there for 30 minutes just watching the show, I've never seen people work so hard!

Then I had to appraise the loos....went up to the loo, now remember the manager asked the girl to clean the loo over half hour earlier...I opened the outside door leading to the men/women doors, the girl that had been sent to clean was just coming out of the door I was opening, saw it was me and then flew back to the ladies door and started polishing the push plate! I went into the loo, came out and found her washing the floor and sinks - it was the cleanest loo in history!!

I reckon they must've breathed a sigh of relief when I left.

Please please tell me why they don't issue receipts automatically like a similar chain of restaurants do? If this was the case then you can hide your MS status much better. I've mentioned it on a couple of reports but it doesn't seem to change. There must be loads of people that work for this particular restaurant signed up to do mystery shops, so they must know the exact day and time people are going to come. They know what you're going to order and that you've got to ask for a receipt. Plus you're gonna be by yourself!

Poodlecrazy

Hi

I don't normally post on this forum but as I am a regular mystery shopper, been doing it for about 9 years I thought I would join in! I do it now just to supplement my income but when I was a student I was a lot more active.

Anyhow I am soooo irritated with TNS at the moment. They are normally really good but this month they have really annoyed me. :mad: They called me directly to ask me to do a hotel shop urgently so I decided I would do it and made all the arrangements etc. Filled in the feedback within 4 hours of leaving as I knew how urgent it was adn even called the regional manager to tell them it was all there etc. Anyhow emailed the pay department as I had to put the room on my credit card (£120 out of pocket) to make sure that the payment went through this was on July 12th, was told too late for July pay run (July 27th) but would go into the August one. Wasn't best pleased but still at least it would go through. Nothing arrived in August so have just contacted them and they have told me that it had to be re-shopped as I didn't have breakfast. There was no breakfast available (well not in the place that I was directed to by staff) apparently it was in another building.

My thoughts are that if you are a 'genuine' guest then you follow the directions of the check in staff. They told me where to go and there was nothing there, I wasn't about to check all of the outbuildings!!! They are now refusing to pay expenses so I am £120 down soooo angry.

Has anyone else had this problem or managed to resolve similar issues?

P
x

Timmne

This must be so annoying; I feel your pain!

£120 is a lot of fees for smaller shops and I would be furious if I'd had to recoup all of that money.

It's happened to me on a MUCH smaller scale before with GAP - they wouldn't pay me for a burger shop and I was so angry that I'd gone out of my way (in terms of time and mileage) to do the shop and they just didnt pay me - made me promise not to work for them again unless I was being begged and paid properly for it!

Timmne

jo1972 wrote: »

Sorry this is long, but I had to tell you all what happened to me, I've never enjoyed a MS visit so much!

I've had this happen to me before in a burger place too - within seconds of asking for a receipt it was like they'd brought out the emergency response unit - almost people diving at pieces of litter, wiping things that didn't need wiping and everybody smiling at me!

I was checked back TWICE by two different managers and somebody yelled "bye sir!!" accross the restaurant as I left - it was 50% painful and 50% funny! I think my photo must have gone on the wall behind the scenes by my second visit because I was walked around the store by a member of staff trying to find me a table at 2pm on a Saturday - I'm a 6ft tall 23 year old male, not the sort that a city centre burger shop would treat as a priority seat recipient!

I used to get really embarrassed when I knew they'd noticed what I was doing but now I just let them try and impress me - downside is you're not sure exactly what your meal's been through before it reaches you!

jo1972

Timmne wrote: »

somebody yelled "bye sir!!" accross the restaurant as I left

:rotfl:

Timmne wrote: »

downside is you're not sure exactly what your meal's been through before it reaches you!

_pale_ don't say this, I'm about to leave to do a MS at the non-receipt giving store now :eek:

Timmne

Good luck!

I wish you didn't have to ask for a receipt, although I understand why the companies insist on it... I HATE asking for a receipt because it completely goes against your remit - you're there to act as any other normal customer would. Asking for a receipt in a £3 burger place isn't normal!