Obtaining names during shops

I am curious as to how a mystery shopper successfully obtains the names of employees during any given shop, especially if the employee is not wearing a name tag, and merely asking for the employee's name will come across as socially awkward.

Did any of you find the name requirement to be challenging at first? How did you become adept at obtaining names?

Jo Jo

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Hello. My name is Mary. What's yours?

Hello. My name is Mary. And your name is?

Hello. My name is Mary. And I can call you ????

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2015 12:58AM by MDavisnowell.

Men should be very careful looking about looking at female name tags; sometimes if you look just a little too long the ladies become very self confident.

Sometimes I just ask..... "Say, you look like one of my daughter's friends from High School, is your name (make one up?)"
This usually provokes at least a first name.

I found it very awkward at first. Not getting paid once because I didn't get a name convinced me to just ask. "Thanks for helping me. What is your name?"

I listened to other people (like my husband) who often chat with people and ask them their name and just practiced until it got easier.

Good luck finding wha works for you.

If you find yourself done with an interaction and no name on a standard retail cog, go where you can see them, wait til they are near the phone and call. They will give the canned greeting including name.

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up, up, down, down, left, right,left,right, B,A, start.

Another good suggestion. Just asking works for me though. I often can't catch the name on greeting and have to ask anyway for them to repeat it.

It doesn't have to be awkward. Some customers do it. When I worked in retail I thought it was odd when customers asked for my name, but there were enough that did it that I would not be suspicious.

Sometimes it's tough for guys when you are dealing with young female salespersons or cashiers. I am a 30-ish guy and there have been times I have felt uncomfortable asking a 16-25 year old female her name. I usually say "you look like a girl my sister used to hang with - are you Soshina ..... or Sostina .... you have an unusual name, right?" They always say "no, I'm Denise" or something. Sometimes they ask who my sister is and I give them a fake name. Then they shrug and say they don't know her.

Jo Jo,

The above suggestions are all good. Let me put it another way that might help.

Role Play.

Part of mystery shopping is acting, or playing a role. To get names when they aren't right in front of you (name tag), or normal part of the interaction (business card given after a auto shop and test drive), or pop up in chance conversation, you need to ask. For you, step out of your normal self and act like the talkative person that always has to know the name of the person they are talking to. Just step into that role and you will be good.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

@vlade5394 wrote:

Jo Jo,

The above suggestions are all good. Let me put it another way that might help.

Role Play.

Part of mystery shopping is acting, or playing a role. To get names when they aren't right in front of you (name tag), or normal part of the interaction (business card given after a auto shop and test drive), or pop up in chance conversation, you need to ask. For you, step out of your normal self and act like the talkative person that always has to know the name of the person they are talking to. Just step into that role and you will be good.

My husband is just like this. I watched and learned from him.

Sometimes I get lucky when a co-worker calls them by name. "Judy, will you help at table 3?" Be alert for that. Also, ask another worker in a nearby department, "That tall fellow in shoes was very helpful. Do you know his name?"

Shopping the Pacific Northwest and winters in Scottsdale

Typically the lowest key way to get a name is (and this assumes there's been some amount of communication with the person in question) to just stick out your hand and say, "Thanks, I'm (whatever), by the way." Nine times out of ten, they return the favor and will never remember the specific bit of business that led to it.

I don't have a problem with it because I always like to know who I'm talking to, and in fact, I often say just that. Any call I make, anyone I talk to for any kind of business or shopping or whatever, I ask for their name. It's just the natural thing.

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Obtaining names during shops

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