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Have you ever felt horrible about the potential consequences of a mystery shop?

August 24, 2024 08:30PM
Unfortunately, I don't have the dislike button smiling smiley

I do see everyone's viewpoint. Going away from the topic of a service associate using curse words at a customer, I'll chime in on curse words in general.

If someone uses curse words sparingly, it does make my ears perk up when they do decide to use it, and grabs my attention. I will listen with my full attention. I do admit I need to do a better job of that. In coaching, I guess it's like the coach who always yells and raises his voice. It depends on the player. Some people respond to that, some people it makes no differences, some people it affects them.
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August 24, 2024 08:43PM
I think cursing can be very powerful and spot on when it's done to great effect, depending on the situation, tone and of course, if the person is known to use it rarely...outside of those - meh lol.
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August 25, 2024 03:00AM
@Morledzep wrote:

name calling is not the same as using common swear words, like the 7 dirty words you can't say on TV. I will never use a derogatory name to describe a person or a group of persons. I'll never describe someone by the color of their skin, or their ethnicity. I may say something like, "the guy over there with the dark brown hair," or "the guy with the big beautiful full beard." Even if you are in fact an @#$%&, I won't say "you're an @#$%&." .

For the record, I am an automotive technician (mechanic), for 30+ years I worked in garages with men, never got fired for cussing. I did get fired a couple times for refusing to do illegal smog tests. I quit more jobs than I was fired from because the companies were ripping off customers. I censor myself for no one.

Who is deciding what is appropriate and inappropriate? Why do you get to decide common swear words are okay to say in front of someone else's kids, but saying something derogatory is wrong? There are people, like me, who believe both are wrong. Why is your way the right way and the only way?

Context is also key. I highly doubt there were kids running around the garages where cars are being worked on. That is different environment than the middle of the Sonic parking lot, that is likely filled with families trying to enjoy a meal.

I do cuss from time to time. Not around kids. I may have let one slip one or twice around a kid. It wouldn't be a deliberate or habitual thing for me.

I was in Big Lots yesterday and as I came down an end aisle, the store manager was coming down a perpendicular aisle. Someone had made a complete mess of merchandise, and it was all over the floor. As the manager came down the aisle and saw it, I heard her say, "What the hell has happened here?" She didn't know I was nearby and it did not offend me, as I would be upset, too, in her situation. Even if I had a child, that would not have bothered me. Had she said, "What the F happened here?" While I understand the frustration, I would not have appreciated the word choice.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2024 03:14AM by ServiceAward.
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August 26, 2024 01:03PM
I had an age compliance shop years ago at a chain restaurant, requiring seating at the bar. I was 27 or 28, my guest was 32. The server was excellent, but didn't card us and was supposed to card everyone. I had to have the manager sign the form and was under the impression he'd get a warning or extra training. Nope, they fired him, pretty much on the spot. He was a really great server and I could tell the manager was disappointed. I never did those shops again.
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August 26, 2024 02:48PM
Re: overhearing cuss words, context and environment are certainly important. I try to put my sensitivities (I cuss a good bit and don't think kids are really bothered or influenced by hearing the occasional f$@! out in public) aside 'cause I'm not reporting based on my sensitivities. There's a big difference between using cuss words in an obscene, graphic nature and in an expressive, non-graphic nature. Also, the relationship between the people speaking and their acceptance of cuss words matters, too. If the person hearing the words seems to be fine with it, I don't think it's my place to be outraged on their behalf.

I don't think there are any Russians / And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals\ / Playin' with tanks
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August 26, 2024 03:38PM
I've never worried about the potential consequences of a negative report in similar situations as OP presented, where I'm simply reporting on a normal business interaction / inquiry, though I am cognizant of them. I've rarely had to report an employee doing or not doing something which I knew could potentially impact their employment, but I did when it was warranted. As someone else mentioned, you're just reporting the facts. It's what we do.

In this particular situation, not only did the driver not perform competently but he also potentially compromised OP's safety. Safety is always priority number one, so don't feel guilty or bad about this one.

I don't think there are any Russians / And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals\ / Playin' with tanks
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August 26, 2024 08:04PM
@joanna81 wrote:

I had an age compliance shop years ago at a chain restaurant, requiring seating at the bar. I was 27 or 28, my guest was 32. The server was excellent, but didn't card us and was supposed to card everyone. I had to have the manager sign the form and was under the impression he'd get a warning or extra training. Nope, they fired him, pretty much on the spot. He was a really great server and I could tell the manager was disappointed. I never did those shops again.

Would you feel better if, instead, the local liquor board did a check and the server failed to ID the patron, and instead of firing the one employee - they shut down the entire restaurant for a while, or they lost their liquor license (and thus fired all bar tenders)?
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August 27, 2024 03:47AM
@morocco77 wrote:

Let me be more specific. Yesterday I had one of the taxi/rideshare shops from the Phoenix Airport that I have come to love. Unfortunately, this shop did not go so well. The driver was rude and that I could have just commented on and let go but he actually stopped at wrong addresses twice! Seriously. I clearly communicated the address of the downtown Phoenix hotel I wanted to be dropped off at and the driver took me to two other downtown hotels. I got out at the second and thought, good thing I'm getting out as this is not going to get any better.

The driver was an elderly man and I feel truly awful as I wrote what I believe was an honest but not scathing report that reported only facts - as we should always be doing, yes. My thing is I fear he might be fired as a result of this shop and this one bothers me as with this man's age, unless he knows people, this may be it for him and working. OTOH - it's very true that he is being paid to provide a service, and being rude and then stopping to drop me off at not one, but two, wrong addressess - he may very well be getting fired soon anyway, and perhaps it's like a Biden thing where he's best off (no politics intended here, btw, I use Biden only as an example) stepping away from work anyway. I've been mystery shopping off and on for a number of years but nothing quite like this has taken place during one of my many shops.

I know I did the right thing in writing an impartial, honest report - but I wanted to ask - how would you have handled it? Have you ever felt really horrible about being honest in such a situation?

Any replies are appreciated.

This type of situation has occasionally happened in my shops, likely more so than most shoppers, because I have done a lot of integrity and 'sting' shops. As far as feeling horrible, not really. If the target gets fired, it is because he fired himself by doing such a bad job (or was stealing from his employer). I got the same taxi driver 3 times back when I was doing stripper clubs. The taxi ride was not part of the shop, but this driver was so terrible that I reported him to the Taxi Authority after the third time. The Taxi Authority sent me an email and asked me what action I would like to see taken against him. I said I would prefer that instead of firing him, I would hope that he could be reprimanded, suspended for a few days, and retrained.
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