I've noticed that some clients of mystery shopping companies use different mystery shopping companies at the same time.

For example (this is purely hypothetical in my example), you might have a restaurant chain that has shops available for Mystery Shopping Company A in Chicago. And that same restaurant chain client might also have shops available in the same location (same stores) using Mystery Shopping Company B.

I've seen this a few times with various clients. I'm wondering if it is okay to perform a shop for a client at a specific location using Mystery Shopping Company A and then do the same shop at the same location a few days later using Mystery Shopping Company B?

I know a lot of ms companies use a rotation and you're not allowed to perform the same shop at the same location within X number of days. But would that rotation requirement apply if you're shopping for a different company?

Is it a ms company requirement or a client one (or both)? Who would we contact/ask? I was thinking of just asking one of the ms companies, but it does feel a little weird telling them you're working for another company doing to same shop. lol I'd still ask, though, if it's the only way to know.

{{{Mod note: This question seems to be the same issue you posed in the thread you started on February 14, 2017. Please do not start duplicate threads about the same issues. }}}

MSCs are aware of the situation you describe above. You won't be letting the cat out of the bag if you ask this question, and you would pose it to your scheduler. But, look in the guidelines' qualifications section because some state that you cannot accept a shop if you have shopped that location for any MSC in the past X months. Others say it's okay to accept a shop as long as you did not perform the specific scenario in question. I've shopped the same location on the same day for different MSCs that were evaluating different aspects of the same business and there was no conflict.

BTW, I'm just responding to the subject line and last paragraph, didn't read in between.

Also, be sure not to name which other MSC is doing the same location. That would violate your ICAs. Informed consent of the 2 MSCs is the key to shopping for both at the same location, whether at the same time or within a time span shorter than the rotation period. Ask the schedulers, and get it in writing.

There are a few shops that I have shopped that have different MSC. The Guidelines are somewhat different. I would shop the same shop, but on a different date. Do not shop the location and do two reports the same time frame. I have no reason to ask permission from one company to the other. This is a location that would not recognize me as a shopper. I have three shops in mind.

I do my bank shops that way.

MSC 1 - Account Inquiry
MSC2 - Audit
MSC3 - Investment Banker

I love trifectas!

I am always honest and up front with my schedulers so I get permission in writing to double, triple and quadruple dip.

Depends on who the shop is for. If it's a competitor shop I would be breaking my ICA with the other company by letting them know I was doing a competitor shop. I judge each case individually personally.

I wouldn't shop them at the same time. I would shop it a different day as long as both don't require a rotation. Also, use judgment on what type of shop it is. For example, for a fast food shop, many people go there more than once a week if its close to work or what not. If it's a carpet store avoid it as people don't go buy carpet twice in one week.

I have done it, but the focus of the shop has been different for each MSC. It's not something that happens frequently but it does happen.

I have done this for 2 different MSCs shopping the same grocery location. They were both looking for different things. So I ended up taking almost twice as long. But I bought TWO SEPARATE ORDERS, that is, when I was in the checkout lane, I separated my two orders with one of those dividers, and just said, "I have to pay separately for these two orders", and used two different payment methods. That way, I had my two different, individual receipts, different items on each receipt. I was reimbursed by both MSCs, and it all worked out. I've only been able to do this once. I was at the grocery store almost twice as long, because I was looking for different things. But each MSC got their own individual, different receipt, and it worked out OK!

Read the directions for your shop carefully and ask the scheduler if you have any doubt. Sometimes, this is just fine. Other times the guidelines are clear that you cannot have visited the location for any reason - even as an actual customer.