Which is your preference? I know different shops have different directions, but I would rather do reveal any day of the week. I live in an area that most everything being shopped is smaller than normal, so I feel so conspicuous, because often I am the only shopper in the store or at the pump. I always feel guilty like I'm trying to steal something right under their noses. Just me?

I will never do reveal shops. Those employees change jobs regularly, so the next time you enter a location, someone who knows you are an MS will invalidate your shop by revealing that you are an MS.

It depends. I'd rather do a reveal than try to make a ridiculous scenario seem natural. A reveal shop tends to have more detail required (which is why you reveal) so I want more money for it. But then I don't mind if they know me as the guy who did an audit that time.

Literally I don't care if its reveal or not as long as the shop pays a fair price for the work involved. My only exception to this is the Sunoco Gas shops which are basically an unrevealed audit. Yes, you have a LOA incase questioned but why waste time sneaking around taking pictures just reveal take your pics quick and get out.

I've never had a shop invalidated because an employee recognized me from the last time I shopped at that location or any other location for that matter.

For the gas stations I would rather do the mystery shop/reveal stations rather than the mystery shop only stations.. Especially the ones that want a lot of pictures around where the employees are, or a lot of detail from the inside of the store. Like counting the doors to the coolers.

I don't do a lot of cell phone shops, Or electronic shops. After getting burned badly by AT&T shop a couple of years ago. Now I stick with the company that I get my cell phone service from. So that if I actually decide that it's time to upgrade I can while I'm there. And I also have an excuse to not upgrade if I'm not ready.

I have no problem revealing myself at an AT&T store to do a compliance audit.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2022 05:17AM by Morledzep.

Agreed. I have no preference but sneaking around at a gas station might as well be a reveal. I had a citgo shop that went sour and I was threatened even after I showed a loa. Makes you almost want to turn that into a revealed after getting the mystery shop portion out of the way.

@BuffaloNY101 wrote:

Literally I don't care if its reveal or not as long as the shop pays a fair price for the work involved. My only exception to this is the Sunoco Gas shops which are basically an unrevealed audit. Yes, you have a LOA incase questioned but why waste time sneaking around taking pictures just reveal take your pics quick and get out.

This is what I was doing today. It was my first time doing one, because there are very few in this area. It was horrible. Unless they offer a HUGE bonus, this will be my last one.

How did you get burned badly? What happened?

For gas stations, how long do mystery shops that become a reveal take? I have only done mystery shops at gas stations - quick and easy. Sometimes the pay between the MS and Reveals are almost equal. Foodluvr - how did the Citgo shop go sour? Details please

@heywave wrote:

For gas stations, how long do mystery shops that become a reveal take? I have only done mystery shops at gas stations - quick and easy. Sometimes the pay between the MS and Reveals are almost equal. Foodluvr - how did the Citgo shop go sour? Details please

I was outside taking the photos and the owner came out and confronted me and became threatening. I showed him the LOA and he became even more aggressive. I left and thankfully I already had most of my photos. He chased me out of the parking lot on foot. Let's just say that is no longer a citgo station.

I do not do revealed shops.

About 2007 or so I was still kind of new to this stuff. I signed up to do a revealed shop. The client was a large gasoline service chain--it has 2 X's in it. Foolish me thought that all of these gas stations were owned by the corporation, paid by the corporation, and had a minimum standard for who they would let sell their gasoline. LOL...

So I signed up for one that I had gone by pretty regularly in my travels--bought gas there etc.... "Would you like to do another shop? We'll pay you $10 more and it' is only 4.2 miles away. If you'll do that one and another one 8 miles away, I can pay you $15 for each making $30!" I had never been to these others. So I signed up for all 3.

When I went to the one that I had bought gas at and told them that I was there to check to see if they had expired products and take some pictures, he threw me out. The next guy was from Pakistan or something...didn't understand a word I was saying (or pretended not to). The third guy let me do it but stood there the entire time looking at me as if I had been rude to his daughter or something.

There was one I did at a smoothie place and it went pretty well. I was supposed to take a picture of the perfect customer service clerk with her certificate. She didn't want her picture taken.

#FML.

So no mas for mi amigo.

@heywave wrote:

How did you get burned badly? What happened?

It was a super small station out in a rural area with no other stations or businesses around. There were 4 guys hanging out inside at a table that watched everything I did, because I was the only customer. It was like I was the entertainment for the day. I at no point felt threatened or anything, but it was just so hard to get the pictures I needed while being watched so closely. It was more nerve racking than any reveal I have ever done.

I hate reveals, refuse to do them.

In terms of gas stations I will only do revealed. In my area running around on private property taking pictures gets people upset. I don't need the hassle. I have been asked numerous times to do Citgo jobs and I asked if I could do them like Marathon jobs. They said no and so did I. With the exception of Speedway, most stations are run by ESL people and they don't like revealed shops much less someone taking pictures of their stuff without permission.

How long do reveal shops take on average? I am tempted to do it due to the bonus. I was wondering about the time component because if it takes an hour from arrival until you are finished taking pictures and uploading everything on the phone, then it isn't worth it. I think one reveal gas audit had over 225 items and I don't see the value there. I got the email today that they are revamping S & E guidelines.

@heywave wrote:

How long do reveal shops take on average? I am tempted to do it due to the bonus. I was wondering about the time component because if it takes an hour from arrival until you are finished taking pictures and uploading everything on the phone, then it isn't worth it. I think one reveal gas audit had over 225 items and I don't see the value there. I got the email today that they are revamping S & E guidelines.

Totally depends on what it is. There are gas station reveals that become reveals only if the cashier isn't wearing a uniform and those take 10 minutes or less. Other ones can take forever. It just depends on the guidelines and the shop. I've had reveals take hours if they're audits.

@heywave wrote:

How did you get burned badly? What happened?

It was a purchase and return shop. I bought a phone, 3 days later I returned the phone. I have all the paperwork to prove it. But AT&T says that I still have the phone and that I owe them a $1000. And I send it to collections. I asked the mystery shopping company for help dealing with them and they said oh sorry that's your problem.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2022 05:19AM by Morledzep.

@Morledzep wrote:

@heywave wrote:

How did you get burned badly? What happened?

It was a purchase and return shop. I bought a phone, 3 days later I returned the phone. I have all the paperwork to prove it. But AT&T says that I still have the phone and that I owe them a $1000. And I send it to collections. I asked the mystery shopping company for help dealing with them and they said oh sorry that's your problem.

I would call back and specifically speak with executive relations. This happens all the time! Did you shop an agent location or a corporate store? My day job is in telecommunications but not for AT&t. You just have to get the right person and they should be able to fix it.

What happened was the equipment was returned but the lines were not canceled. They should be able to handle that and see that you haven't made any calls and disconnect and credit everything back.

And that's what you need to tell them! You have proof that you returned everything and you can submit that. But I would not let that go! Telecommunications can be tricky but AT&t is a decent company and they will take care of it if you get the right person on the phone.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2022 01:10PM by foodluvr.

Do you mind sharing what happened that burned you?

sorry, see this was answered, not sure how to delete. Again,sorry

If the store refused to honor their own return policy, I would probably be inclined to gather all the facts and paperwork, then file a claim with my credit card issuer for a credit back. Let the merchant explain why they are not honoring their own policies.

@foodluvr wrote:

@Morledzep wrote:

@heywave wrote:

How did you get burned badly? What happened?

It was a purchase and return shop. I bought a phone, 3 days later I returned the phone. I have all the paperwork to prove it. But AT&T says that I still have the phone and that I owe them a $1000. And I send it to collections. I asked the mystery shopping company for help dealing with them and they said oh sorry that's your problem.

I would call back and specifically speak with executive relations. This happens all the time! Did you shop an agent location or a corporate store? My day job is in telecommunications but not for AT&t. You just have to get the right person and they should be able to fix it.

What happened was the equipment was returned but the lines were not canceled. They should be able to handle that and see that you haven't made any calls and disconnect and credit everything back.

And that's what you need to tell them! You have proof that you returned everything and you can submit that. But I would not let that go! Telecommunications can be tricky but AT&t is a decent company and they will take care of it if you get the right person on the phone.

I spent several months talking to supposed supervisors, going back to the store where I purchased and returned it. I talked to people in very many different countries, asked to be switched to customer service representatives who are based in the United States, or their supervisors, and the supervisor's supervisors and was told that there was nothing that they could do. I must go back to the store. I went back to the store (more than once) and still continued to get bills from AT&T. It has gone to collections and I have provided 2 collection agencies with all of the paperwork, including the letter that says everything is returned and I owe AT&T nothing.

I did a AT&T audit yesterday. There was a woman in the store who had been dealing with a similar issue for 4 months. In her case, the new phone she purchased was defective, but required a return, and she did that within 3 days of purchase.

She started with the store she picked up the phone at, but they said they could not accept because she purchased online (vs. at the store) and they were only the point of delivery. Sort of ... they did activate the phone and assign a tele # too. She then contacted who the store told her to, got a RMA # and shipping label, returned the phone, and that part of AT&T acknowledges the phone was returned, but still no credit. In the meantime, a zillion calls to that branch of AT&T and to the store with no positive result.

Out of frustration she went back to the store again yesterday. The rep there said there was nothing he could do because the store can't see returns made outside the store on their system. All he said he could do was give her a credit on her service to offset some of her frustration. He did.

Then the District Manager makes a surprise visit to the store and who gets involved in the conversation. She switched or turned off a line/number which she tells the customer will fix the problem.

So there may be something to what other posters are saying about the disconnected line and phone return needing to match up in AT&T's system for the credit to be issued. It is not a customer friendly for sure and puzzling why any rep would not have this basic knowledge or share with a customer when a phone is being returned. It could be a forever issue for customers who keep the same line when purchasing a new phone, which may be your case.

The customer finally had luck when the DM unexpectedly walked into the store. Yep, it should not have to be that way.

@Morledzep wrote:

@foodluvr wrote:

@Morledzep wrote:

@heywave wrote:

How did you get burned badly? What happened?

It was a purchase and return shop. I bought a phone, 3 days later I returned the phone. I have all the paperwork to prove it. But AT&T says that I still have the phone and that I owe them a $1000. And I send it to collections. I asked the mystery shopping company for help dealing with them and they said oh sorry that's your problem.

I would call back and specifically speak with executive relations. This happens all the time! Did you shop an agent location or a corporate store? My day job is in telecommunications but not for AT&t. You just have to get the right person and they should be able to fix it.

What happened was the equipment was returned but the lines were not canceled. They should be able to handle that and see that you haven't made any calls and disconnect and credit everything back.

I spent several months talking to supposed supervisors, going back to the store where I purchased and returned it. I talked to people in very many different countries, asked to be switched to customer service representatives who are based in the United States, or their supervisors, and the supervisor's supervisors and was told that there was nothing that they could do. I must go back to the store. I went back to the store (more than once) and still continued to get bills from AT&T. It has gone to collections and I have provided 2 collection agencies with all of the paperwork, including the letter that says everything is returned and I owe AT&T nothing.

Zek,

I am NOT an AT&T customer. I opened an account, made a purchase and return, and closed the account. AT THE STORE where the purchase originated. NONE of this should have happened. But you can bet money that I will NEVER do business with AT&T again in my lifetime. And these purchase and return shops are now on my 30 ft. pole list.

I did a few reveals when I first started shopping a decade and a half ago. I had no problems, but I always felt weird doing them. Like outing myself as a corporate spy. So I stopped. I don't do reveals, and very rarely do purchase-returns (the way most of them are structured) for the same reason.

same with me: I am not doing revealated regardless of pay they offer.

I'd rather conduct an audit over a mystery shop any day. Most shops take me 15-25 minutes on sight. I rarely have problems with management or owners, but after conducting these shops for years, I suppose I have learned how to deal well with aggressive people.

@heywave wrote:

For gas stations, how long do mystery shops that become a reveal take? I have only done mystery shops at gas stations - quick and easy. Sometimes the pay between the MS and Reveals are almost equal. Foodluvr - how did the Citgo shop go sour? Details please

A Chevron that is mostly compliant can be done properly in 30 minutes onsite, but no part of it is unrevealed. At the other end of the spectrum would be Shell at more than an hour. Exxon/Mobil would be almost the same but with even less pay. In the middle, time-wise, would be Conoco-Phillips and Sinclair.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2022 06:21PM by AZwolfman.

AZWolfman thanks for the info. I am guessing those times are using the old guidelines. They just came out with supposedly easier and not as detailed guidelines for reveals with Shell and Exxon starting this month. Shells are starting at $14. Valeros with 229 things to look for are $12.00.

heywave
Just my 2 cents
The Chevron non reveals except if employee not in uniform take 10 to 15 minutes on site. The Exxon/Mobil 45 mins average so could be 30 mins could be an hour so the first one or two may take someone 75 mins. Citgo, Valero, Marathon, and most others 30 to 45 once you do a few. Most stations are similar with differing photo requirement. With all that said you still have the time required to enter the report after which is 10 to 30 mins depending on brand. It is for these reasons I start at $40 minimum for any gas station and that's if close or on a route. The exception is the chevrons which at base of $7.50 plus a gallon of gas and a $1 purchase inside is fair and if I can do a local route of 3 to 7 can be worth it the bonus to $10 and $15 so if you can, hold out. I do.