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Secret Shopper: No tip reimbursement

July 03, 2025 01:42PM
Secret Shopper recently started shopping a small regional Italian restaurant group. Not only isn't there a fee but no tip will be reimbursed, even though the max reimbursement would easily cover the required purchase and a tip. I confirmed this with a scheduler before requesting the shop.
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More About Reimbursements
July 03, 2025 02:11PM
To-go, sit-down dine-in, or order-at-the-counter dine-in? No tip reimbursement on to-go/order at the counter makes sense.
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July 03, 2025 02:32PM
Sit-down dine-in in a region where 20% is the expected minimum tip.
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July 03, 2025 05:51PM
MSC should change its name to Secret Scrooge.

Please don't feed the MSF trolls!

Feeding the MSF trolls bread or other human food is detrimental to their health and the environment. It can lead to malnutrition, disease, and behavioral problems in trolls, as well as water pollution and the spread of pests. Trolls are capable of finding their own food sources and don't require human assistance.
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July 03, 2025 06:07PM
Yup. I found this out the hard way--after accepting and completing a shop.

@NinS wrote:

Secret Shopper recently started shopping a small regional Italian restaurant group. Not only isn't there a fee but no tip will be reimbursed, even though the max reimbursement would easily cover the required purchase and a tip. I confirmed this with a scheduler before requesting the shop.
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July 03, 2025 07:30PM
Plan to order more food (or pricier menu items) to reach what they actually will reimburse. In the end you are hopefully getting such a nice meal and experience that overall it's worth paying "just the tip".

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2025 07:30PM by jp43209.
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July 03, 2025 07:31PM
Don't take the shop(s).
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July 04, 2025 04:41PM
What region is 20% the expected minimum? I find this tip culture is out of control. I used to tip 20% on the total including tax and scaled it back to 20% pre-tax. That is my standard if I get good service which is most times. If it is below what is expected or someone has an attitude I will do 15% pretax. Recently I tipped 10% for poor service - got orders wrong, didn't apologize for the mistakes, didn't come back to see if we would like refills, see if we needed anything else, and had to wait forever for her to bring us the check. If people expect it as a minimum, it seems that some do just that.

I agree with you on a no fee shop if the max reimbursement covers the tip or some of it, Secret Shopper or the MSC should cover that too.

I don't do these no fee dining shops anymore. I find it insulting that the MSC wants pictures and narrative and in return they send money 30 plus days later to cover the meal only with no funds for my effort and time. Are the MSCs getting paid in "free food"? Even Field Agent, which is CHEAP, has fully reimbursed subs with a fee.
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July 04, 2025 05:42PM
And a nice doggie bag…

@jp43209 wrote:

Plan to order more food (or pricier menu items) to reach what they actually will reimburse. In the end you are hopefully getting such a nice meal and experience that overall it's worth paying "just the tip".
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July 05, 2025 10:05PM
I have worked for them since 1999. They have never reimbursed tips on dine in restaurants that I recall. Maybe they did on some accounts? I think it has always been this way.
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July 05, 2025 11:12PM
Thanks BayShopper, that's helpful info. This is the first time they've had a full service restaurant in this area since I've been signed up with them. They also shop a counter service restaurant near me and the tip is always reimbursed. It's a place where the staff brings the food and alcohol to your table, so I have no problem tipping 15% there.

I certainly get that tip fatigue kicks in when the payment machine at a butcher or coffee shop suggests a 15-25% tip, but anyone looking to tip less than 20% at dinner would be scorned by most of my friends unless the service is truly horrific and it is obviously the server's fault. Surely some mystery shop reports are better than others, but we still get paid the expected rate for the work we put in. While I don't especially like the tipping system, it's how servers make their living, and it takes a lot for me to deny them their wage.
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July 07, 2025 03:23AM
I did a few dining shops for them when we were on vacation. This was a few years back. They did not cover the tip.
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July 07, 2025 03:43AM
All of the shops I did with Secret Shopper were payment only, and whatever you purchase comes out of your pay. I've never seen them post a reimbursement for any shop. I'm not going to reactivate my account to find out if it changed.
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July 07, 2025 05:53PM
Now with the NO TAX ON TIPS we can tip less!!! I don't have a portion of my income as free (no taxes). I'm not about to tip 20% if they don't have to pay tax on it. I already know many of the earnings were unreported or UNDERreported to begin with. Now it's just legal to not report them.

I will tip better for workers that give me extra receipts to earn extra points on their rewards programs :-P

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2025 05:56PM by hbbigdaddy.
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July 07, 2025 09:58PM
Seems disingenuous to expect you to go out of pocket for everything, keep track of times, multilayer aspects of service and product quality, and answer dozens of questions/narratives AND wait 30+ days to get paid from whenever/if it’s approved, and not reimburse your expected tip of 15-20%.
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July 07, 2025 09:58PM
Seems disingenuous to expect you to go out of pocket for everything, keep track of times, multilayer aspects of service and product quality, and answer dozens of questions/narratives AND wait 30+ days to get paid from whenever/if it’s approved, and not reimburse your expected tip of 15-20%.
Reply
July 07, 2025 09:58PM
Seems disingenuous to expect you to go out of pocket for everything, keep track of times, multilayer aspects of service and product quality, and answer dozens of questions/narratives AND wait 30+ days to get paid from whenever/if it’s approved, and not reimburse your expected tip of 15-20%.
Reply
July 07, 2025 09:58PM
Seems disingenuous to expect you to go out of pocket for everything, keep track of times, multilayer aspects of service and product quality, and answer dozens of questions/narratives AND wait 30+ days to get paid from whenever/if it’s approved, and not reimburse your expected tip of 15-20%.
Reply
July 07, 2025 09:58PM
Seems disingenuous to expect you to go out of pocket for everything, keep track of times, multilayer aspects of service and product quality, and answer dozens of questions/narratives AND wait 30+ days to get paid from whenever/if it’s approved, and not reimburse your expected tip of 15-20%.
Reply
July 07, 2025 09:58PM
Seems disingenuous to expect you to go out of pocket for everything, keep track of times, multilayer aspects of service and product quality, and answer dozens of questions/narratives AND wait 30+ days to get paid from whenever/if it’s approved, and not reimburse your expected tip of 15-20%.
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July 07, 2025 10:25PM
if they are not going to reimburse tips then what right do they have to force us to do a mandatory 20% tips in the first place?
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July 07, 2025 10:51PM
Well, now that there is no tax on tips, tips are about 30% more valuable to the employee. So tipping should reduce by about 30%.

BTW, I was recently in Europe where tipping is not common at all. In fact, Italians hate it when Americans visit and tip like they are at home as it distorts the economy inside establishments.
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July 07, 2025 11:56PM
@maverick1 wrote:

Well, now that there is no tax on tips, tips are about 30% more valuable to the employee. So tipping should reduce by about 30%.

BTW, I was recently in Europe where tipping is not common at all. In fact, Italians hate it when Americans visit and tip like they are at home as it distorts the economy inside establishments.

Tipping is never meant to be a mandatory thing to begin with, thus why it is called a "tips" not service fee. it was always supposed to be a form of gratitude for the server to do something that goes the extra mile (like tell the cook to make your disk ahead of others, give you slightly extra fries etc), and obvious not even supposed to have a fixed amount, and "an expectation" of what they are getting.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2025 11:59PM by kisekinecro.
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July 08, 2025 02:04AM
If anyone is planning on reducing their tips now that the tax law has changed, I hope they'll take into account that the new law only allows a deduction at tax time for the first $25,000 in tipped income. This is a fact -- please take any opinions about this temporary deduction allowance to the general chat section.
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July 08, 2025 10:12AM
Oh, you're just full of tip...

You know what tips I like the most? Stock tips! 9% return so far this year. That's the fact, Jack!

Here's another tip...Warren Buffet uses coupons at McDonald's. (Where there's typically no tipping. Don't tell Warren how to tip.)
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July 08, 2025 04:08PM
@maverick1 wrote:

Oh, you're just full of tip...

You know what tips I like the most? Stock tips! 9% return so far this year. That's the fact, Jack!

Here's another tip...Warren Buffet uses coupons at McDonald's. (Where there's typically no tipping. Don't tell Warren how to tip.)

Stocks don't pay tips, they pay dividends
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July 08, 2025 06:42PM
I never said stocks PAY tips. I said I LIKE stock tips.

Like this stock tip...Howmet Aerospace (HWM)

...shhh! don't tell anyone, ok?

@kisekinecro wrote:

@maverick1 wrote:

Oh, you're just full of tip...

You know what tips I like the most? Stock tips! 9% return so far this year. That's the fact, Jack!

Here's another tip...Warren Buffet uses coupons at McDonald's. (Where there's typically no tipping. Don't tell Warren how to tip.)

Stocks don't pay tips, they pay dividends


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2025 06:43PM by maverick1.
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July 08, 2025 06:49PM
@maverick1

You don't want Anacott Steel? Or Bluestar airlines?
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July 08, 2025 08:27PM
@NinS wrote:

If anyone is planning on reducing their tips now that the tax law has changed, I hope they'll take into account that the new law only allows a deduction at tax time for the first $25,000 in tipped income. This is a fact -- please take any opinions about this temporary deduction allowance to the general chat section.

As someone who’s worn many hats, cash tips are most appreciated, and yes, we do live on them because the minimum wage for servers is less than everyone else’s but we still have to pay bills, like everyone else.

Thank you for being kind.
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July 08, 2025 10:19PM
IMO, tipping depends on the type of restaurant. If the difference between 15% and 20% is a significant concern, that person is better off ordering takeout or going to the drive-thru.

At a fine-dining restaurant, I'll tip well for good service.

If you're a high-maintenance or unbearable diner, you should be tipping more.

If I use rewards, I tip based on the amount it would have been without discounts.

Please don't feed the MSF trolls!

Feeding the MSF trolls bread or other human food is detrimental to their health and the environment. It can lead to malnutrition, disease, and behavioral problems in trolls, as well as water pollution and the spread of pests. Trolls are capable of finding their own food sources and don't require human assistance.
Reply
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