I've been mystery shopping for a few months now (lurking on the forum - thanks for all the helpful posts, everyone!), and am getting to the point where I'm eligible to re-shop clients who have rotation periods.

While I'm pretty sure I've never been picked as a mystery shopper while in the process of doing a shop, I pride myself on providing detailed narrative in my reports, and if those reports are shown to the staff member who was shopped, I worry that they will be able to identify me in hindsight, and therefore recognize me if I shop that location again.

I'm not talking about the FF and gas station type shops here, I'm asking about the retail / banking / automotive / apartment / restaurant / bar type shops which have lower staff turnover and more customer interaction involved in the shop.

What has your experience been? Do you have any tips for writing detailed narratives in your reports that still manage to keep you anonymous? Or do most clients not show the actual report to the staff member who was shopped? Or do they only show them if it was negative? And if so, how negative does it have to be? (I've done a few shops where I've had great overall experiences, but a couple of the items on the checklist weren't done but for good reasons which I make sure I record - eg: other customers waiting at the register so they didn't loiter around the fitting rooms to check in with me)

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Someone wrote just the other day that a car sallesman phoned them to thank them for their glowing report, and others posted some similar experiences. So, yes, some reports are shared with staff.

There is a balance between detailed reporting and reporting specific details that would make you more memorable. Instead of writing, "I picked up a red vase and asked if it was really crystal or not," I might write, "I selected an object in the xyz department and asked what it was made of." When portraying a person new to the area,instead of telling the banker that I had just moved into the Catastrophic Arms Apratments, just down the street from his/her branch, I might say that I was looking for an apartment near the subway.

As a shopper, you will be much less likely to engage in conversations that provide the target with excess (i.e. memorable) details if you maintain a modicum of control over the conversation. Yes, that banker is asking personal questions to build rapport and be helpful to a new comer, but you can still limit the amount and kinds of detail that you provide, both in person and in the report, and still get scores of 10. Concentrate, in the report, on what the client actually needs to know. The color of a vase and an exact home location are not on the list of things to provide the details that the client needs or wants.

I have seen copies of my previous reports that looked just like the pdfs in my file in the files of a client where I did previous reveal shops as the manager opened his file to ask me about the veracity of a report that was not mine.

I have never use my full name in any shop, unless it is a requirement. I usually use an alias. (my sister).
I ask only the questions that are required by the MSC. Most of the time let the other person (person you are shopping) do most of the talking and asking questions.

Such an important point!!

Many years ago I got burned by a client because I thought detailed reports made me a better shopper. Instead it made me a memorable shopper, and I was banned from that entire client forever. Now I'm gun-shy about all details!

I'm learning to strike a healthy balance between crucial details, an informative narrative, and details that will out me as a shopper if they should happen to get back to the employee. Always consider that as a possibility, just in case.

BTW, when it comes to new home and apartment shops, you need to think of those as "one and done", when it comes to rotations. The exception would be if the MSC can get the client to guarantee that anyone who would have seen you on a previous visit no longer works there.

I think it depends some shops say that the results are shared. I do a lot of dining shops and they want the receipt so they will know who I am, but given that I have MS one place quite a few times and I mentioned the water in the men's room not being hot. About a month later checked the restroom and the water was warm.

It all depends on the company, if I shop the same place a lot I either become a regular or bring different people and wear different types of clothing. I did a reveal MS at a restaurant a while ago and just went back for another reveal one. No one from the last time I was there was around that I recognized and it was a different host and manager for sure.

I did do a bar shop where I mentioned the bartender offered a couple of drunk guys a ride into town when she got off work. The next time I was at the bar different bartender and we got to talking about checking IDs and drunks and she mentioned the other bartender.
The new bartender was the GM as the other bartender had left and they had not hired anyone, so she had read my report it seemed but did not know it was me.

I always provide the details they ask for last bar shop I mentioned the menus were very worn, they wanted me to take it out.