Secret shopping - what do you think of it?

[gimmethesimplelife]

Just wanted to post a question here and see what kind of feedback I get. Lately I have picked up some secret shops and I am finding for myself they can be a bit tricky. As a shopper, I am a contracted employee of the secret shopper firm that hires me for the shop and as such, they have the right to expect timely and honest shops. Agreed. The problem I have run across is that customer service in general seems to leave a lot to be desired these days in many cases and I find myself in situations where what I report may get someone written up and or fired. I don't like this - but on the other hand, should they not be doing their jobs at least neutrally like Switzerland? It runs the gamut. I just finalized and submitted one today for $75 in which I posed as someone with severe credit problems (the shop was for a credit counseling service). This one was a joy to do as the CSR hit all her points, had a great attitude, and I was truly impressed and could honestly say nice things about her and at least when this gets back to her it wil be a positive thing.

Unfortunately, they are not all like this. I recently did a shop for a car rental agency on a recorded line and the CSR did not hit most of her points and just did not seem to marginally present on her job - I don't like the fact that I had to make an honest report and there may have been consequences for this stranger of the look for another job kind. There are so many ways to look at this but I still think I did the right thing even though I didn't like it. And I know better than to ever accept a shop for a restaurant as I have been a server for many years and can't be impartial.

I think what brings this question up is that when I was on vacation in Austin recently, there was a Jack in the Box next to the hotel and I went there for breakfast one morning. There was a new employee on the register being trained and I could hear the supervisor saying that anyone could be a secret shopper, you have to treat all customers as secret shoppers, your job depends on it. Really don't like that last there.

So what do you'all think? Is secret shopping justified in this competitive of an economy, or is it shades of big brother is watching you? My take is 50/50 on this one - I see this one both ways and haven't made up my mind on it. Rob

[rodeosweetheart]

I have done secret shopping, mostly to get a few meals here and there. Haven't done a lot of the complicated ones such as you are describing with the loan place--would not do those as they probably ask for a ss number?

If it bothers you, honestly, I would drop it. I have done lots of retail and did not like the secret shopper deal, so I guess I have not wanted to do it lately.

It sounds like it may not be totally congruent with your values, so you will have to ponder it.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I have done secret shopping, mostly to get a few meals here and there. Haven't done a lot of the complicated ones such as you are describing with the loan place--would not do those as they probably ask for a ss number?

If it bothers you, honestly, I would drop it. I have done lots of retail and did not like the secret shopper deal, so I guess I have not wanted to do it lately.

It sounds like it may not be totally congruent with your values, so you will have to ponder it.Hi Rodeosweetheart. I replied to your post above, but somehow I botched it up and had to delete it.....Anyway, I just wanted to say I like your take on this - gotta do some thinking as to whether this is congruent with my values and sometimes I do think my gut is trying to tell me something about this. OTOH, today when I clicked submit on that honest glowing report for the CSR at the credit counseling service, I did feel some satisfaction. Gotta think it through.....Rob

[SteveinMN]

Maybe the issue is how you report the good or bad news -- especially the bad? Everybody has a bad day at work once in a while. They may not feel well, there may be family issues or the car may have broken down on the way into work, someone else (or a few people) called in sick, etc. When you just show up as a secret shopper, you don't have much of the context of the day.

So maybe the answer is to probe a little deeper as you're "shopping"? I don't know how much room you have to "ad lib" as a secret shopper, but there are times I've walked into a place of business and you can just tell the day has gone to #&^% in a handbasket. I take that into account as I "shop". Sometimes I smile and say, "Bad day?" and that establishes some empathy (and, on occasion, has quickly produced the root problem). It does seem cruel for employees to not be given another chance just because they didn't wear enough "flair" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5YClmS3umk) or fill out the TPS Report correctly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy3rjQGc6lA) on the day you happened to visit.

[Fawn]

I think that everybody needs to be held accountable for the work that they are paid to do. Different industrys will have to find different ways to measure that. We don't have "secret shoppers" in my work place.....it's kinda hard to fake a terminal illness.....(sorry, hospice humor) but every single primary caregiver to each of our patients is sent a survey with industry standard questions about the quality and quantity of service received.

And my employer (and my fellow employees) read the responses carefully so we can improve our service. Yeah, every now and then we get a clunker from a family member that is mad that we wasted the narcotics, rather than just left them in the house....but usually the information is good and thoughful.

Rob, if you are giving measured and thoughtful answers there is nothing wrong with honest feedback. And one bad response won't get someone fired (in my industry, anyway) unless it is something really aggregeous like being chemically impaired on the job, or carrying weapons to work.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Like rodeosweetheart, I have done secret shopping for several different restaurant chains and only received compensation for the meal itself. I almost never had to give a real negative report I am happy to say. I have always wanted to do hotel shops but that must be hard to get into, and I am a bit leery looking online because there are some scams out there posing as secret shopping groups.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Like rodeosweetheart, I have done secret shopping for several different restaurant chains and only received compensation for the meal itself. I almost never had to give a real negative report I am happy to say. I have always wanted to do hotel shops but that must be hard to get into, and I am a bit leery looking online because there are some scams out there posing as secret shopping groups.The good shops, like the hotel shops or the $75 shop I just completed tend to go to shoppers who have proved themselves over time with a particular mystery shopper firm. It doesn't hurt to pleasantly call every now and then with questions about your shops - they love that is my experience. This is how I got my $75 shop, by calling and being concerned about getting it right. Rob

[iris lily]

I don't know how your report is structured. But--do you have the freedom to write a narrative? You can ALWAYS find something good to say about the employee in your own words, to soften the blow of a not-so-good report.

In the end, you are not getting anyone fired, the employee's own behavior will earn whatever consequence is given out.

[Tammy]

If these industries are at all like healthcare, the employees who get in trouble could very possibly be at the mercy of short staffing. It's those who determine working conditions and staffing levels that should answer for many of the results. Should being the operative word ....

[gimmethesimplelife]

If these industries are at all like healthcare, the employees who get in trouble could very possibly be at the mercy of short staffing. It's those who determine working conditions and staffing levels that should answer for many of the results. Should being the operative word ....Tammy, here I think you hit on just what bothers me about the whole concept. Being at the mercy of short staffing. I remember ten years ago I worked for a Mexican restaurant that was very heavy into secret shops - I managed to skid by somehow for five months without being shopped and then as luck would have it on a busy Friday night when two servers had called off, I was shopped. That night was all about survival and damage control and of course that was the night I was shopped and I scored a 67 on the shopper report. I ended out putting in my two week's notice as after that I was given bad sections and did not want to move backwards financially as I had just dug myself out of financial problems. It all worked out well as I found another job where they didn't shop and I got back on my feet. But that complete and utter vulnerability to circumstances beyond my control - this is why I have issues with the whole concept of being shopped. This part of it sure is not congruent with my values. Rob

[SteveinMN]

But that complete and utter vulnerability to circumstances beyond my control - this is why I have issues with the whole concept of being shopped. This part of it sure is not congruent with my values. Rob
In this case, the "shopping" is just the conduit. The real problem is the management of that restaurant/company is not allowing human employees to be humans. Certainly antisocial behaviors like stealing or abusing customers needs to be addressed (as it would in any organization). But to not even be able to have a harried damage-control just-get-me-through-this-shift kind of day? Ask the management of that company if they have their occasional off days and if they fear for them job after one of them.