Forming habits is not only good practice but also helps prevent you forgetting a job requirement. What are some things that you habitually do when performing a mystery shop unless the client expressly forbids it? For example, I do the following:

Always note associates' names and address them as such.
Always note associates' physical descriptions.
Always take a photo of your meal(s) before eating.
Always get a receipt.

I try to do such things even if the interaction is not for a mystery shop, just to strengthen the habits.

Always prepare! Even when you have done the same/similar shops 100 times already!

By default, I always make a mental note about the condition/appearance of a place when I arrive, look at the time, and get a receipt. This is even for non-mystery shops. Sometimes I pull up to a place and I'm like "Whew, good thing I'm not shopping them!"

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2022 04:53PM by joanna81.

I take a picture of the receipt as soon as I get in my car. This has saved me plenty of times, both from forgetting the receipt or losing it later.. Also, something I should do but don't do enough, check the physical address or the address on the receipt to make sure I shopped the right location.

@mystery2me wrote:

I take a picture of the receipt as soon as I get in my car. This has saved me plenty of times, both from forgetting the receipt or losing it later.. Also, something I should do but don't do enough, check the physical address or the address on the receipt to make sure I shopped the right location.

That is especially important out here in the dry, hot, Southwest where the sun and/or heat can turn an entire receipt black in just a few minutes.

I'm probably showing my age here but one of the first things I do is create a folder on the desktop of my MAC for the shop and scan in my receipts to the folder; cropping them and using a yellow background. Sort of a trademark. Next, all of the photographs I took on my cell phone are then air-dropped to the MAC and transferred to the folder. So when I open the form and begin to enter my evaluation, the items for upload are all present at the outset.

Something else I do is that I'm incredibly gracious to any and all schedulers when I ask questions or request assignments. Even if I don't end up doing a shop for them, at least I'm putting it out there that I'm cordial and maybe they'll think of me if they move to another company or start having other projects in my area. I don't know if it will ever pay off. But rudeness and hostility will not for sure.

Quietly repeat the greeting Associate says to me. Several MSC want actual quotes. I'm also starting to address all associates by name.

Complete the assignments you have accepted-- unless there is no penalty to cancel when you find out after the fact that you truly are unable to complete the assignment. I realize that some gigs are not as advertised.. But you should present as an IC who does what you say you will do. Come here for extra help if you can't get enough information from a scheduler about your mystifying assignment..

Great advice so far!
How about, check photos for clarity before leaving a location?
Just a gentle reminder to Servimer shoppers to NEVER ask an associate for a receipt on a Servimer shop (unless there are special instructions directing you to do so.) It's definitely an industry standard with nearly every type of shop for nearly every other company, but it can really destry the value of a report for Servimer's clients.
Keep up the great work of learning and sharing on this Forum, everyone!

As a frequent and long time Servimer shopper I can attest that one needs to have an "auto" silent voice that yells "Shut up" as soon as we hand cash or credit card in for payment when doing a Servimer shop. Having this voice does not seem to create any problems with asking for a receipt for nearly every other type of shop.

Take photos of your food! If you get into this habit then you won't forget.

Many years ago, when I first began doing this (mystery shops and their related work), I took my photos with my digital camera (before that it was scanning the receipts when I got home). I would review the photos on my camera with its review button and make notes for that shop on a blank sheet. Then I would move on to the next shop, the photos saved on the camera's chip. When i returned home, I would download everything into my old home computer, using dialup to send them off. I was a terrible shopper, making multiple mistakes, feeling the wrath of the editor(s) of each MSC I worked.
Someone on this forum, who was more knowledgeable about this business remarked about creating a "cheatsheet" or in my mind, a worksheet. I also remember hearing talk about laptops, bringing them along on the shop, downloading the photos into it.
I followed that advice.
I created worksheets specific to the shop I would be doing. Because I could not afford a new one, I learned how to repair laptops, purchasing used ones on EBay and repairing them. I had several as backup. I bought an AC adapter to plug into my car's cigarette lighter for the laptop's battery to remained charged. Whenever I could, I began reviewing each of a shop's report questions prior to doing the shop, tailoring my worksheet to the report and in bold, the photos required. A lesson from a cop about not leaving a traffic situation until everything was reported taught me to stay onsite, reviewing my photos and filling out the worksheet helped tremendously in becoming a better shopper.
Most importantly, I learned how to make my shopping enjoyable and fun, listening to audiobooks while I was driving and stopping off at interesting places along the way.

I email myself receipts and photos right away. God forbid something happens to my phone, I still have my receipts and photos.

I do all of the things y'all do. I always make notes of what is unique to the shop. For example, "Was the door to the stock room closed?" That's something I would not do normally.

I always create a cheatsheet for every type of shop I do and check the guidelines over if I have not done it very recently to update my cheatsheet. I read through my cheatsheet before entering the shop location and if it is a sit down restaurant I re read it in the restroom before the end of the shop to make sure I have everything covered.
And I always forget to update my cheatsheet while doing the report and finding they are not even asking some of the questions they used to anymore. Therefore I pay attention to things they don't even require any longer. So my advice is to cross or delete items off your sheet that no longer are part of the shop. (Paper or digital cheatsheets can be used)

Instead of emailing, I have auto backup with Google photos so every photo goes right to the cloud. I also take the receipt photo immediately so I don't lose them, but it also breaks up the pictures when I'm doing a route.

I hit GeoVerify just before I go in the door and right after I leave--That way I have good IN and OUT times!

similar to Schoolmarm, I take a timestamped photo on arrival and on departure of every shop. Having the time stamped on the photo where I can see it helps tremendously. Also use that for other timing shops (USPS etc).

I take photos of everyone and everything. I try to get nametags if at all possible while trying to be discreet. It's so much less stressful to fill things out when you have photos to help you remember. I also create a little worksheet of sorts with an itinerary. I have the order I'll do the shops as well blanks for names or important info I need to grab. These are typically just in a notebook but it helps me to remember what I need to grab for the day.

I also keep a spreadsheet of all the jobs and then add details like parking fees, etc. I also go back to this sheet and mark the date when I was paid. I haven't had too many issues but I've caught some missed payments this way.