Secret Shoppers

johnno07 on 25/12/2012 - 08:38

Merry Christmas all!

Just a bit of downtime before the day's festivities and I thought I would put a story + question out there.

I work in a small retail shop (with no pricematching policy) and I had a woman come in the other day seeking a pricematch on an item that was clearly out of stock everywhere except at our store. She had bought a item from a large chain store down the hall but we were the only store with the companion item but for a few dollars more expensive than the other store had it priced at when it was in stock. She wanted to "lodge a protest" because it was more expensive here and asked if we pricematched. I told her that I was very sorry and that we couldn't afford to pricematch at the moment at which point she promptly and nastily called me a "prat". As I could tell it was not merely in jest, I put the item aside and told her that it was fine, she didn't have to buy it here and I looked to serve the next person waiting. She apologised profusely saying "Oh but I need it - I need it!". I rung it up and she paid our price. She then called up later to say that she was a "Secret Shopper" and that she would have to put in a bad report.

Just wondering if anyone has dealt with Secret Shoppers before and/or knows about the practice? To me this woman is simply not doing her job properly if she is putting in bad reports due to her not getting her way. Though do you think I should have acted differently? I was not impressed at being insulted so maybe I did something wrong by borderline refusing to serve her?

Appreciate your thoughts :)

General Discussion

Comments

  • Car-la-la on 25/12/2012 - 08:45
    +7

    hahaha she's playing with you. no way she'd be a ral secret shopper acting like that

    • johnno07 on 25/12/2012 - 08:53

      That was my first thought as well. Still - there are plenty of idiots out there, and at least one of them has to be a Secret Shopper haha.

  • Ughhh on 25/12/2012 - 09:33
    +7

    I am 99% sure she's not a secret shopper. Did she ask you a lot of questions about the product to test your product knowledge? Real secret shoppers are there to 'test' how well you deal with customers questions, like pricematching. Saying no when your store doesnt offer pricematch wont get you into trouble.

  • nexus4 on 25/12/2012 - 09:40
    +10

    Don't worry. If she were a real secret shopper she would never call the store after and tell you that she was a secret shopper. She only called to get you worried and upset you because she didn't get her way.

    • Tal_Shiar on 25/12/2012 - 19:21
      +1

      or a last ditch attempt at "getting something"

  • carlenet on 25/12/2012 - 10:40
    +11

    Mystery customers are required to never disclose their identity, it is part of the process. If one does, and it is detected, their shop is then voided and they are not paid/reimbursed for the shop and/or the survey they complete afterwards and most probably will be offered no further work by the mystery customer company. I am a mystery shopper for three different companies and this is the policy/practice of all three. Enjoy your Christmas and don't worry about the phantom bad report!

  • chloden on 25/12/2012 - 10:48
    +6

    I am also a mystery shopper and she is just trying to rattle you… Don't let it bother you, she is the one that is upset and let it remain that way :) Merry Christmas

  • m0nkeycheese on 25/12/2012 - 11:05
    +1

    Lol what a lame attempt to make you feel bad.. It's people like this I wish you could name and shame! Just out of interest what was the price difference

  • NancyCat on 25/12/2012 - 11:53
    +9

    Secret shopper? Yeah right…. and I am Santa.

  • blitz on 25/12/2012 - 15:07
    +1

    If my company used a secret shopper who called me a prat, I'd sue them.
    What an idiot this woman is.

  • mangew on 25/12/2012 - 15:09

    ss i say its bs

  • sraymond on 25/12/2012 - 15:09
    +6

    Some retailers request purchase/return visits. Some do have reveal scenarios, but this is done face to face, never over the phone. I have been a mystery shopper for 12 years and have never had a scenario that involved price matching, other than to ask if they do. I will also say that I know a heap of mystery shoppers and nobody refers to themselves as a secret shopper. Tell me the name of your company and I can give you a definite answer on whether they even participate in a MS program, which you would probably know anyway, either you would have seen a certificate on a wall somewhere, or your boss would have read a report out to you.

  • 7Alice7 on 26/12/2012 - 11:22
    +2

    Sounds more like an over-inflated sense of importance than secret shopper.

  • johnno07 on 26/12/2012 - 15:29
    +7

    Cheers guys (and girls)! It's just a small family business so we definitely didn't hire this fruit loop. Really appreciate the insight from all of you :)

    Hope you have all had a great Christmas!

  • wolffram on 26/12/2012 - 22:26
    +5

    Hi, just my 2 cents worth. I work as a mystery shopper and the golden rule is you never identify yourself as such. This woman was not one.

    • Tal_Shiar on 27/12/2012 - 00:07
      +2

      I work as a mystery shopper

      but you just did:p

  • teehee on 27/12/2012 - 02:21

    mystery shopper or not. I wouldn't serve them unless I absolutely had to. Basic etiquette for the customer and salesman

  • ilostnemo on 27/12/2012 - 13:13

    There are two types of mystery shoppers,

    A genuine one , or a claytons one, which get paid $20 and the product for free. I can't remember the exact name, I did a few for them, and got free dominos hungry jacks and videos.

    I would say she may be one which , is getting paid a token amount, due to the fact she said she needs one. I would speak to your manager, who can then pass it on to the firm they use for mystery shoppers/customers.

    I personally hated Mystery Shoppers, and could often tell when we had them, they looked so out of place and asked stupid questions. I was fortunate as my bosses thought the same, however the franchise we belonged to loved them. Our shop scored a 0 on one as we weren't open when one came out 8.00pm thursday night.

  • spacemansam on 27/12/2012 - 13:29

    Mystery shoppers are often hired by companies to make sure their employees are doing the right thing by their customers….unless you hired the mystery shopper, it's likely she was just trying to spook you!

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