I feel terrible. (Warning, mystery shopping.)

[Seraph]

So, I do some mystery shopping on the side. Cat was out of the bag a while back when I decided to stand up in a thread bashing them. You've been forewarned. If you don't like this stuff, go somewhere else, and please don't harm me for this. ><

Recently, I've had to shop a fast food chain restaurant, and ogod.

First shop went GREAT. Hit it up during breakfast time, and even though there were seven (!!) cars in the drive thru, we waited only a few minutes. Our food arrived within 37 seconds of our order at the speaker. SCARY FAST.

These are "revealed" shops, so when I went in with my papers, they cheered. Apparently they knew EXACTLY who I was the second I walked through the door. They don't know my car, but they know my face, and they knew they'd done everything right.

Felt warm and fuzzy over it, and was looking forward to the next shop.

Enter the Twilight Zone.

Lunch time, and there were no cars in the place. I'm thinking, awesome, this will be quick and painless, since they're not in a rush. Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Nope. (just Chuck Testa.)

First off, they didn't even greet when we pulled up. Bad Sign #1. They just mumbled through it, and didn't even confirm. Just gave us a total and we pulled up. Surprise, they charged us for wrong size drinks and just messed it all up. Oy.

Then, I waited. And waited. And waited some more. I watched them through the window, playing around, snapping each other with towels, and a couple even jumpslid over the countertop. WTF?

Over five minutes to get a single sandwich. No napkins, no condiments, no straw....just the sandwich thrown haphazardly in there.

<facepalm>

And I had to go back in. And face them over this. Ogod. I waited until a few more cars came through, so it wouldn't be so obvious whose car it was.

Worst part was they got all excited when they saw me, and wanted to know if they'd done a good job. Thank you so much for making me feel like I'm kicking a puppy! REALLY.

I feel so terrible over it. I really, REALLY looked for any excuse to ease up on the review for it....and could not find ANYTHING. Well, the restaurant was clean, but that was about it. Augh, augh, AUGH.

I really hate bad shops like that. I really do.

[Tuxian]

Don't feel bad about it, Seraph. You were hired to do a job, mainly to ensure that the restaurant is serving customers in a timely and professional manner. And in this instance, they weren't. This is the exact reason why you were hired, so that management can find the people who do not value their jobs as highly and can re-train or replace them. They dug their own graves.

[Laund-o-rama Mama]

You sound like an honest secret shopper who does her job fairly and professionally. If employees are doing their jobs, they have nothing to fear from secret shoppers like you.

(If I recall, the previous threads were criticizing those secret shoppers who abuse their powers. Sadly, there are bad apples in every profession. )

Anyway, I think it was a little ridiculous of them to expect good scores. So how did they react?

[thatcrazyredhead]

I completely agree with Tuxian and Laund-o-rama Mama. You're a compassionate person and you were simply doing your job. You weren't out to see how much trouble you could get them into. I don't think you have anything to feel badly about.

I've always wondered how that works. When you shop a place, do you spend your own money, or do they give you money to use? Do they tell you what to buy? I've considered doing it for extra cash, but I'd like to know more about how it works first.

[Seraph]

Thanks guys, been beating myself up over this. I feel a little better now. Still am not going to eat there for a while though. <.<

Anyway, I think it was a little ridiculous of them to expect good scores. So how did they react?

Pretty much, when all I could vocalize was an "....eh.", they all got these horrified looks on their faces, and backed away. Then their manager got up there and reviewed the papers on the spot to make sure I wasn't "embellishing". le sigh. I got their signature and got the heck out of dodge.

I've always wondered how that works. When you shop a place, do you spend your own money, or do they give you money to use? Do they tell you what to buy? I've considered doing it for extra cash, but I'd like to know more about how it works first.

Usually, you spend your own money, and then they reimburse you afterwards. And with some shops, these in particular, they give you a short list of items to order, and you pick from it. For some, its free-for-all, but the ones with a list are usually pretty darn varied.

[thatcrazyredhead]

Aah, ok. Thanks for the info!

[dalesys]

Kids, the only good news is that your dog is going to have puppies.

The bad news is that they'll look like you.

[tofu]

i can understand why you'd feel bad about it - anyone who has to deliver bad news (regardless of source and what have you) can't help but feel a little bummed or even outright painful, and the "shoot the messenger" issue makes things even worse. definitely not your fault, hope you continue to feel better - their inability to perform in no way reflects upon you, just them. if they want perfect reviews each time they have to refrain from horsing around in plain view and actually perform their job properly :/ can't help but feel a little cheesed at the manager though.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I'm wondering why they have you go inside the restaurant with your notes and break the news yourself. That probably takes a lot of the "mystery" out of things. It would work better if you sent your notes off to upper management and they broke the news.

Also, don't feel bad about having to give a bad score. In this case it was richly deserved.

[Seraph]

I'm wondering why they have you go inside the restaurant with your notes and break the news yourself. That probably takes a lot of the "mystery" out of things. It would work better if you sent your notes off to upper management and they broke the news.

Also, don't feel bad about having to give a bad score. In this case it was richly deserved.

A lot of the times you don't. For this one though, they had a LOT of shoppers abuse it. They'd make false reports and collect the money. So now it's required for you to get a manager's signature on two copies of the assessment (one for you, one for them). For this one, again, at least.

A lot of the others are "DO NOT LET THEM KNOW WHO YOU ARE". And hardcore at that. If you even suspect you've been figured out, they will either not let you shop that location ever again, or put you on a 2 month cooldown. The fact they know me now at this location just means I can't do in-store ones....just drive-thru.

[Pixilated]

Unfortunately, you had no choice but to give them a bad score, under the circumstances. The only thing that might make me feel sorry for them is that it almost sounds like they have had such lousy training that they honestly didn't realize how bad their service was. The manager also has a lot to answer for in allowing them to goof off like that when there is a customer waiting (not to mention allowing them to jumpslide over the counters!) Hopefully somebody higher up has had kind but firm words with everybody and they will straighten up -- then perhaps next time a secret shopper comes in they will have a good reason to be excited.

[Seshat]

Your very JOB is to provide critique.

There is a difference between helpful criticism and the sort of abusive or unhelpful 'criticism' that you're worried about.

Knowing you, you would only be marking them down for things that genuinely need correcting: and you would be marking them up for things that they do well.

Thus, you're providing helpful criticism.

Don't let it eat at you. If you want advice on providing helpful critique, ask any of the editors or most of the managers in this group. Both editing and managing require this ability.

[dalesys]

...I watched them through the window, playing around, snapping each other with towels, and a couple even jumpslid over the countertop. WTF?

Thank you so much for making me feel like I'm kicking a puppy! REALLY...

Over-exuberant celebration. 20 yards. Loss of down.

[Seraph]

Over-exuberant celebration. 20 yards. Loss of down.

I had to google that....