Have you ever used the restroom at a grocery store before becoming a mystery shopper?

Some of the things we're supposed to do during a shop seem very unnatural to me. I don't think I've ever used a restroom at a grocery store before. And I can't remember the last time I put a large item under my cart and then forgot to put it on the belt. I feel very conspicuous every time I do it, especially since its usually been at a low volume store. How do you remain anonymouse when you are doing things that must seem strange to employees.

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More About Grocery Store Mystery Shopping

The under-the-cart has always been a problem for me. It started back in 1973 when I would put stuff in the under section of the twin stroller when I would take my infant twin sons to the grocery store. When they were light there was just enough space for boxes of Pampers. Toilet tissue, large packages of paper towels,cases of soft drinks,all that stuff goes on the bottom rack but at least with a standard grocery cart I can see the stuff so remember it. When I have a bottom of the cart shop I make sure that I am looking at the cashier or the bagger as I remove stuff from the top of the cart and generally engage the cashier in a conversation in hopes that the bagger will notice before I need to do an "Oops! Wait a minute! I forgot . . ."

Restrooms at grocery stores I also frequented when the twins were small because there was always somebody who had soiled himself or sprung a leak. And once I hit the change it has been me who "springs a leak". I almost always meet up with someone else in the restroom so I know we aren't all shoppers.

Oh, and if there is someone in the restroom and I don't plan to use a stall but just check overall cleanliness, I sort of wriggle as if I am getting undergarments back in place, pat my hair down and depart.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2008 01:28AM by Flash.

I never knew groceries had restrooms, and I'm grateful I found out. Ditto a number of other stores.

I usually have a case of water underneath the cart and some stores actually encourage larger/heavier items NOT be placed on the belt.

I will tell you that I found out that if a cashier misses the BOB (bottom of basket) item twice...(from our mystery shops).....they are fired!(One particular grocery chain that I do many shops for) Employees do get extensive training about BOB and there is no reason that they should be missing the items.

I have done over 100 of these at 5 different locations in the last 2 years.
Only ONCE did a cashier miss the BOB item.

Wow-I've only done three so far, and the bagger caught it once, the cashier missed all three times. One was a superviser.

I have "Oops"ed every single time because the bagger was happily putting bags in the cart above the item and neither had said anything. And I had put everything else on the belt and pushed my cart forward to the bagger so either one could readily have seen it. I've only found one MSP does these shops in my area. Because of the size of the reimbursement, they get grabbed really fast and only show up once or twice a year for a specific location.

You still have baggers in FL? I think I've had 2 baggers in the last 10 years here, and I was shocked to see them. The cashier can't see the bottom of my cart, so I have to "Oops" every time. Is it the bagger who is supposed to see the large item?

The ones I have done it can be the bagger or the cashier. And yes, all our stores have a plethora of baggers. Many of them are older gentlemen who are obviously retired but can't quit working (or their wives want them out of the house for the day so they can retire). The chain I shop most frequently is supposed to offer carry out service (No Tipping policy posted) if you have 3 or more bags. I laugh because they offer carry out when I have three little bags that could comfortably be held on 1 finger but the don't offer when I am buying 40# bags of salt for the water system.

Disgraceful. Stores here did away with them 20 or 30 years ago. Send some baggers up here. Not fair.

Anyway, the cashier wouldn't see the item at the bottom until I've pushed the cart out of her lane and loaded my bags in (for lack of baggers.) So I do all my own "Oops-ing."

Only Walmart Supercenters in my market have no baggers (there are usually a few around Target that float over where a big order is being rung up) and even there the cashier bags as she goes and turns the rotating bag holder so you can easily get to your bags or trots around and puts them in your cart herself.

I've found that if I take my cane with me on these shops I can make the excuse that I have trouble lifting my large item over the top of the basket. I'm not sure why a stiff knee would make it harder to lift a case of coke, but . . .

"I'm sorry I need help lifting" seems more natural to me than "Oops, I forgot". When they ask if carryout help I tell them that my husband is in the car listening to a ball game and that he can put them in the trunk.

Stiff knee makes bending to get it out from under the cart difficult. But then again, it would have been tough getting it down there to start with . . .

No carry-out here either. I was shocked years ago when I visited Oregon and they carried out.

OOOh, we have courtesy clerks and carry out! move to Oahu!

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“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

Have a room at your place?

The Living Room??? It's also my studio, in the area where the DR would be...We eat on the lanai!

Fine, I and the 2 cats can sleep on the sofa.

We have baggers here at our major grocery chain. So far no bagger has missed my bottom of the cart item. And I have done a lot of grocery shops for the same chain.

Typically I go to the grocery store on my way home after running other errands. So it's not unusual for me to go to the restroom when I get to the store. The restroom is located at the front of the store so I can check out the open lanes and the "self checkout" lanes that are open on my way to the restroom. I can answer a lot of questions on my report by that one trip to the restroom. :-)

Yes, of course, I use the restroom in stores. I'm female, which means my bladder is 2/3rds the size of a man's bladder. I drink a lot of liquids for health reasons. I was pregnant and hauled around small children with even smaller bladders. Now my insides are worn out. I am diabetic. I am getting old. I rarely miss a restroom.

When doing something suspicious, look natural, act natural, be natural. People think you know what you are doing. Don't say or do unusual things while saying or doing uncomfortable things.

While doing a shop at a big box, the cashier missed the bottom of the cart, where I had a case of beer. My guidelines stated for me to "exit checkout, as far as customer service", and then "oops". I felt like a shoplifter, but customer service had been trained to handle it. Guess what? I got a free case of beer. My cashier probably did not fare so well.

For close to 30 years, I rarely ever went to the grocery store, mall, gas station, toy store, etc. without a child in tow. Even now, I routinely have an 8 and/or a 5 year old with me. Believe me, I have no hesitation in asking where the restroom is. By now, most I could find blindfolded. Some are empty, some have a line. If I need a photo, I stand with my foot against the door and get the best shot that I can, or else enter a stall and wait for other customers to leave and try not to have to use a flash. You just have to learn to shoot fast. Young or old, sooner or later, you gotta go, so just act like it was something natural.

I had a diff problem this week. I was house-sitting for Pinkerton. No water, no electricity, no heat and the toilets had been winterized, i.e. anti-freeze had been poured into them. I waited till I thought the last person had left, and had to use the lawn in the back. First time in my life! Ten minutes later the last looker DID show up. Whew!

sneakers Wrote:
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> Fine, I and the 2 cats can sleep on the sofa.

:-) No pets allowed in the building association rules. You'll have to come alone! :-)

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The grocery store restrooms have to be some of the tropping grounds for the nastiest ground slob rottens ever to walk into a store. It is for this reason that the client needs to know, if it is being kept up by the employees in a sanitary manner for the rest of the non slob rottens. Its a shame that such horrible scenes are left to be viewed by the next customer. And of course the employees they dont want to clean them, they need a Haz Mat team out for some of the ones I've seen. The item on the bottom of the cart, is picked up by a viewfinder under the counter and it is suppose to show the image of the item on the bottom. Believe it or not I've been paid out and the cashier never said nothing. You then are suppose to let them know that you forgot to pay for the item on the bottom. I hope these shops are paying more than having you buy $7.00 worth of groceries which you are reimbursed and the actual payment for doing this is $5.00- $7.00. Which comes out to you get a check for $12.00 or $15.00 at the most. Of course there is no interest on your out of pocket money your fronting to do this shop.

This is the second post I have read of yours this morning. It seems you are either having a bad day, or really and truly dislike shopping. I don't feel the same as you about either.

Yes, I used grocery store restrooms prior to being a mystery shopper. I was pregnant twice and I have small kids.

When on a road trip with the kiddos I will look for a grocery store over a fast food place when one of them suddenly hollers that they "hafta go."

The decision was due to shopping and realizing which may be more likely to be clean?

I prefer higher end department stores most of all...you know, Neiman's and Nordie's have pretty nice women's rest rooms. :-)

solideogloria Wrote:
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> Yes, I used grocery store restrooms prior to being
> a mystery shopper. I was pregnant twice and I have
> small kids.

>
> When on a road trip with the kiddos I will look
> for a grocery store over a fast food place when
> one of them suddenly hollers that they "hafta go."

I think every mom in the world can relate to that! ;-)

President of the Independent Mystery Shoppers' Coalition.

Mine were always late enough to tell me they "hafta go" that it was the next gas station, ff, grocery, or other store likely to have a facility or we were dealing with wet pants.

Many is the time on the road of the two open car door "latrine" by the side of the road.

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