I’m doing a dinner shop and when I walk in, I notice a table full of managers having a meeting of sorts in the dining area. There were two crew members behind the counter and let’s just say, it was not up to standard.

I get my food and sit within ear shot of the managers as I am nosy AF.

The person in charge was telling them about how to get faster at cutting onions, potatoes, prep work, they really need to step it up.

He then moves onto mystery shopping. He said they got below the company average (which is an 86) and asks if anyone read the report he emailed from the Sunday lunch shop. No one did, so he broke it down. They lost 8 points for greasy fries, 8 points for cleanliness, the list goes on and on.

He says “you want more closers? Make more sales. You want to get promoted or whatever? Make more sales. The guy who owns this restaurant owns a bunch of other ones, and he owns other businesses. He promotes people who make him money. I don’t care what you do in life, but if you want to make money, pass these damn mystery shops. You’ll get the bonus and increase sales because people will buy fries, drinks and milkshake. Raise the average check”.

He then explains they get two a week (lunch/dinner) and a quarterly ghost shop (late night). Everyone said it’s much easier to spot the late night than the others.

They then started doing math. 8 mystery shops a month, 12 months in a year…

It was funny to hear them talk all the while sitting next to them eating my food.

You could have played dumb and asked, "You mean I didn't have to pay so much money to eat this and you actually pay people to eat the food? Where do I sign up for this?"

I wonder how many employees shop their own company whether it's 5G or any other establishment and just say they are not employees because they need the extra $?

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

You could have played dumb and asked, "You mean I didn't have to pay so much money to eat this and you actually pay people to eat the food? Where do I sign up for this?"

I wonder how many employees shop their own company whether it's 5G or any other establishment and just say they are not employees because they need the extra $?

I’m sure it happens. My bet would be high volume shops like grocery and fast food.

I found 5G shops to be fairly consistent. Some may have variable cleanliness/material availability issues in the restroom or timing a little slow with heavy customer traffic. But overall, I find there are several shops in my area that are almost always excellent with one that pays an acceptable requested fee.

I would have loved to hear that conversaton too. Seems like the kind of meeting that should have taken place in the back or at least out of earshot of customers.

That surely is a good story. Oh, to be a fly on that wall. I love Five Guys too, but I have noticed that the one in my area was not shopped the last couple rounds. They actually pulled the last one I had scheduled, and I haven't seen any more on the board since then. I know they are not my bread and butter, but Five Guys was my absolute favorite guilty pleasure shopping assignment. The day always seems just a little better when I have a Five Guys.

Was this is No NJ?

The only 5 guys we ever had a problem with the food was one that went out of business. Toward the end there they couldn't get a burger cooked right, or ripe tomatoes. And the fries were greasy and under cooked, in rancid oil that was not kept hot enough. But they had the highest prices of any 5 guys within 50 miles. No matter what bonuses they offered me I wouldn't go to that one for a long time because the prices were so high and the food was so bad.

@MsJudi wrote:

Was this is No NJ?

Bayonne

I haven't been to that one...Bayonne is a foreign country to me..been to plenty others though and I've seen them having meetings at the tables also.

Most of the 5G have bathrooms that are falling apart. I make note of it. It doesn't change. Paper towel dispensers falling off the tile, filthy caulking around the sink -poorly applied, particle board bathroom doors getting shredded around the door knobs, and stuff like that.

But 8 points (out of 100?) for greasy fries?

I wonder how much their bonuses are for being the employees that go "above and beyond" versus shoppers consistently being observant rather than just saying "everything was great. thanks for the free food."

@MsJudi wrote:

I haven't been to that one...Bayonne is a foreign country to me..been to plenty others though and I've seen them having meetings at the tables also.

Haha! That one sits around for a while. I got it for a nice fee. American Dream, Bayonne, Nanuet all sit around waiting for an offer.

I’m sure we’ve shopped some of the same spots if you’re in No NJ!

I havent been to the one in Bayonne yet. I might have to make the trip!

@Susan L. wrote:

I havent been to the one in Bayonne yet. I might have to make the trip!

It’s not that bad to get to. There’s a lowes in the parking lot and I try to bundle the shops. Hold out for $35 minimum on the shop fee.

I hope none of the employees were wearing aprons during that meeting

This is great intel. I'm so glad you're nosy!

Wonder what the turn around time is for the reports. Maybe it would be worth it to go a couple days after and just order a soda and eat the free peanuts and see if they talk about the shop you just did a couple days before :-)

Hopefully they don't recognize having been there a couple days before.

It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where the NYU reporter was listening in while they were at Monk's and George and Jerry start acting like they are gay not realizing the girl is a reporter Jerry was supposed to meet with for an interview. "I was outed, I wasn't even in"


[getyarn.io]


[www.youtube.com]

Wow. There are 4 that I do pretty regularly (I'd say at least once per month), and 3 others that I do every other month. All six are in southwest NJ. All are in good condition and usually get close to perfect scores. My winner for "worst" was when one location forgot to put the hamburger patty on my small hamburger. I got it corrected and reported it of course. There is another in southeast NJ that is great, but I get there maybe twice a year. There are two in Delaware County, PA that I do occasionally when I am in the area, and 3 in Delaware that I also do occasionally when I am there. They are all in good condition and there is rarely anything wrong.

At one of the locations near me, there is an employee assigned just to clean. He greets every person as they sit down, and sometimes offers to refill drinks when he sees that someone is leaving. I always note him in the question that asks if there was an employee who did something extra.

I encountered one bathroom entrance door that stuck when closed. I reported it, and it was fixed the next month when I visited.

@Tanischri87 wrote:

Most of the 5G have bathrooms that are falling apart. I make note of it. It doesn't change. Paper towel dispensers falling off the tile, filthy caulking around the sink -poorly applied, particle board bathroom doors getting shredded around the door knobs, and stuff like that.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2022 10:26PM by myst4au.

I’m wondering how they are able to spot the shoppers or at least think they do lol

@Blkstorm wrote:

I’m wondering how they are able to spot the shoppers or at least think they do lol

Well think about it. You give them the exact date and time you started and ended your visit, TWICE. Along with the receipt number and transaction ID, TWICE, in each report.

All they have to do is run back the video from the day and time you visited. Some people state they have posted pictures of the shoppers in the break room. Not sure if that's true or not.

Wouldn't this only work if one shopper was consistently the late night shopper?

@wrosie wrote:

@Blkstorm wrote:

I’m wondering how they are able to spot the shoppers or at least think they do lol

Well think about it. You give them the exact date and time you started and ended your visit, TWICE. Along with the receipt number and transaction ID, TWICE, in each report.

All they have to do is run back the video from the day and time you visited. Some people state they have posted pictures of the shoppers in the break room. Not sure if that's true or not.

@Blkstorm wrote:

I’m wondering how they are able to spot the shoppers or at least think they do lol

I think with the turnover, apathy of employees, the volume of customers, the skill of the mystery shopper and various of factors, that being identified in the moment would be rare.

After the fact? Some employees or managers who really care probably review video if they have access.

Last week I did a Five Guys at a college campus. I gave them terrible scores. It’s the first time I’ve ever given them less than an 8. The cashier started making fries with no gloves on (one arm was in a sling). The lettuce was rotten and brown. Employees were surly. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the manager (who was there and talking to the gloveless cashier at the fry station) sees the report.

@Capurato wrote:

Haha! That one sits around for a while. I got it for a nice fee. American Dream, Bayonne, Nanuet all sit around waiting for an offer.

Nanuet, NY? I never see those with a decent bonus and the only one available now that's current is the delivery shop. I fact, this upcomng week's shops are already taken. I live on the other side of the river but get over to Rockland occasionally.

As for Bayonne, the shops I see available that are bonused are their other fast food client.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2022 01:12AM by MisterBill.

@MisterBill wrote:

@Capurato wrote:

Haha! That one sits around for a while. I got it for a nice fee. American Dream, Bayonne, Nanuet all sit around waiting for an offer.

Nanuet, NY? I never see those with a decent bonus and the only one available now that's current is the delivery shop. I fact, this upcomng week's shops are already taken. I live on the other side of the river but get over to Rockland occasionally.

As for Bayonne, the shops I see available that are bonused are their other fast food client.

Yea, Nanuet, NY. I routinely get lunch of dinner shops there for $35-$40.

The Bayonne is a trifecta for me. 5G, Jersey Mikes and Lowes in the same parking lot all for different companies. I usually cut a small amount of the items I am required to taste and I give the rest away to those asking for food.

@Capurato wrote:

Yea, Nanuet, NY. I routinely get lunch of dinner shops there for $35-$40.

The Bayonne is a trifecta for me. 5G, Jersey Mikes and Lowes in the same parking lot all for different companies. I usually cut a small amount of the items I am required to taste and I give the rest away to those asking for food.

I am going to have to start paying more attention to Nanuet shops.

I know that shopping center in Bayonne, we pass by on the way to the cruise ship terminal .