I've been mystery shopping for a few years part time. I don't really make much money because I only shop once in a while. Lately I have been feeling guilty about lying. I have just completed several high-end auto shops. I love cars, and I have a good time shopping and test driving. I always have to have a believable story about why I want to buy the car and that I can afford it. I am really good at b s ing (lying). I used to sell cars, and now I feel sorry for leading the salesperson on. What's the rational to make me feel better about this?

I also love the new car shops. I do a lot of them with my son, who is a real car buff. (It's been kind of a fun thing we can do together.) I go into it under the premise that my mystery shop and the results of my report are valuable to the car salesperson's career. If the car salesman scores GREAT - and I always hope that they do - he gets kudos and perhaps rewards. If he gets a mediocre score, he gets valuable feedback about how to improve his presentation and/or his relationship with his walk-in clients. If he scores mediocre to poor, it offers the opportunity for the company to re-train him. Or, perhaps, it is a wake-up call that a new career might be in order. I think in the long run, being mystery shopped is a positive thing to a car salesman.

Like you I've struggled with the lying aspect of it too. A lot of people will come on here and tell you it's acting but to me it really is just lying and you can pretty it up all you want. Still, however bad I feel about it, I'm still doing it... I think AM makes a good point though and it really plays an important role. A lot of people get bonuses based on our reports. Some sadly get fired, but they probably really needed to be fired. I did ask a pastor about it once and he couldn't see the problem but really if you feel it's wrong then you probably shouldn't do it.

I just did a grocery shop where they had me go up to the customer service desk and complain about something I didn't purchase and had no receipt or packaging. As this is a full service grocery store, the correct answer is to offer to replace the item for me. They passed and I have a quart of the companies milk in my fridge right now that I never purchased.

Yes, it's lying. Did I steal from them? Nope. If corporate wants to see how they handle this scenario, then they have approved giving away the item. It was a short list of things to complain about that were all under $2 in value.

I look at it as a training tool. The companies know they have mystery shoppers so they should be consistent in their sales pitch and demeanor. Could you look at yourself as a reporter just giving the objective facts? That has helped me at times when an associate is not doing their job correctly. Actually I find this a pretty rare and more of an anomaly than the norm as most associates want to do a good job.

jsteinitz Wrote:
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> I've been mystery shopping for a few years part
> time. I don't really make much money because I
> only shop once in a while. Lately I have been
> feeling guilty about lying. I have just completed
> several high-end auto shops. I love cars, and I
> have a good time shopping and test driving. I
> always have to have a believable story about why I
> want to buy the car and that I can afford it. I am
> really good at b s ing (lying). I used to sell
> cars, and now I feel sorry for leading the
> salesperson on. What's the rational to make me
> feel better about this?

This question comes up every now and then. Yes, one may consider some of mystery shopping lying. Those shops where we go to evaluate a salesperson's performance with no intention of buying. We may make up part or all of the scenario. Directions often give us this "lie."

There are several rationals for it. Being expected or part of the job is one. The salesperson's employer pays for shoppers to give them feedback in this particular way and employees are (or should be) aware this is part of the job. Another is that our feedback can lead to recognition or rewards. It did at my job where I was mystery shopped. There it allowed management to more precisely identify the top performers and areas for improvement. If you want more along this line, you can go to a MSP's company web page where they sell their services to prospective clients and see what they say about the value of mystery shopping. Another rationale is to identify and deter theft. All shops do this to a degree. However, the bar audit shops (non-revealed) are a great example of these. Because it is fairly easy for a bartender to steal from his employer, these shops specifically focus on this possible behavior - sometimes in direct response to an employer's suspicions.

Perhaps the most relevant rationale for you is "role playing." We are given instructions that sometimes involve us telling the employee something that may not be what we would say otherwise. As part of a mystery shop it is perfectly legal and expected by employees, but some people have moral issues with this. We role play in our lives all the time. Maybe we tell someone a fib to keep a surprise birthday party a secret. Perhaps we decline to offer information to keep a confidence. Sometimes we tell a lie or let someone think something that is not correct because speaking up would be more trouble than it is worth. Well, maybe that last one isn't role playing. I do this myself with a certain relative of mine who lives in significant fantasy world. I don't feel good about it, but I hope you get the picture.

I think it come down to this. What is good for you? If you are uncomfortable following a scenario that is not 'true,' then this job - at least those shops that require this - may not be for you.

Good luck.