Lidl and Bob

Just picked up a few bonused Lidls and noticed this new comment about Bob. So now you have to print out a certificate with a picture of BOB on it (a cute teddy bear) and put that at the bottom with the soda. If the associate notices the soda, you are supposed to say.. congrats.. you found bob and put their name on the certificate and give it to the manager. Well that pretty much outs the mystery shopper!!! Not that they already don't know with the very specific items we are required to purchase but still.

The only time the soda is ever noticed is if I do self check out, these are all assigned checkout lanes. These people can't even see the bottom of the carts from the register unless they happen to be very tall.

Regretting picking up 4 of these for today. I prefer my easy, very covert mission but I am sure it still will be. Do you think they were told to look out for BOB?

Check you comment on your assigned shop and see if you were assigned a Bob. I almost missed it but it caught my eye and I was like who is bob?

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What a cute little bear! In my area, there's no Lidl. I've only seen this certificate/reward element for fast-food drive-through shops in the past.

Maybe the certificate was suggested to be placed there for convenience, but it actually might be more convenient to have it in your pocket or bag. It sounds like they might be having fun with the elf on the shelf concept.

if it does occur, get that black marker ready! But I bet this would make a shopper memorable and even unforgettable during future shops. For me, on a weird level, these sort of shops don't make me as uncomfortable anymore.

Just make sure your photo shows. Bob. I got into an argument yesterday with the editor that nothing in the guidelines said that Bob had to be shown in the photo. Thankfully she accepted it but I told her they need to update the guidelines. And I still have no idea what a teddy bear has to do with this shop.

And it's not just if they see the soda they have to see Bob too.

Mine didn't see either.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2024 05:43PM by foodluvr.

I thought this was going to involve ShopperBob.

Actually, although the guidelines are not completely written correctly, you print the “picture” of Bob to place next to the soda at the bottom of the cart. And as Foodluvr stated, they must notice both and both should be visible. You do not put the “certificate” there (which also shows a picture of Bob). The certificate is produced if they pass the Bob test. So, you really print two items, the certificate and the picture of Bob. And as the OP states, you really are outed as the shopper. I had a folder in my bag with the certificate inside. If they failed, I hand back the soda as usual, pay for the other items and then I grab them and put them in the cart quickly, hiding the Bob picture. Then as I roll away I covertly grab the Bob picture and put inside the folder with the unissued certificate. Also, the form asks for the name of the cashier, but you do not ask for their name unless they passed the Bob test. So, I put “Unknown,” for the name and write in the comments that I did not obtain the name of the cashier because they did not earn the certificate.

Well, this ends Lidl for me. I felt weird enough buying ONE sweet potato, ONE yuca root, ONE croissant and ONE mini croissant with a soda carton underneath that I have to surrender to the same cashier every month. Now I have to bait the soda carton? Now it's a "reveal" shop? For $15 bucks (plus roughly $3.50 reimbursement for crap I don't want)?

Hey Lidl and "The Blob!" Shove that soda carton sideways you know where.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2024 12:51AM by KokoBWare.

I haven't noticed anything about Bob and I do three or four of these a month. Might have to look closer at the guidelines for my two shops I have scheduled for Monday. Thanks for the heads up.

And be sure to grab some nice sized heads of cabbage along with that soda...It might be a little (ha) over the $5 reimbursement, but who doesn't need some fresh green and red cabbage hanging around the house.

JK

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

I didn't know you could add stuff besides the required purchases to get the full $5. Are you sure about this?

@EnglishMorning wrote:

I didn't know you could add stuff besides the required purchases to get the full $5. Are you sure about this?

What she is saying is that the cabbage will put you over your reimbursement. It is one of their scenarios. I never buy the cabbage.. they got me once on that, never again.

"Starts secret and then you reveal" is the absolutely worst combination. It's basically training them to look for you.

When it was just about putting the soda underneath I said it felt a bit like what a shoplifter might do. This fixes that, I guess, but still no.

I don't think the Lidl shops have ever been that well thought out. Even a year or so ago when it was "buy 10 cans to see if they scan individually", they would make you pick cans that were different sizes. Yeah, it turns out the cashier didn't assume my 8oz orange slices and 32oz peaches were the same thing. This is just another in a series of poorly thought-through.

Most of the cashiers rarely see the soda unless they purposefully lean over and look. The scenario hasn't changed in ages, so I am surprised they constantly miss the soda. I did a BOB last week, only I had to purchase gravy and taco packets along with the two bakery items. Yes, that teddy bear has to be next to the soda like a big FLASHING light. I was in a far aisle placing the teddy bear next to the soda. As I turned to another aisle, a manager was checking something, saw me and the bear/soda at the bottom, and was on her headset. Sure enough, another manager suddenly opened a register to take customers. She noticed Bob - how couldn't she? I awarded a certificate. I don't frequent the store a lot, but I know which employees are probably some type of manager. I won't be doing BOB again.

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Lidl and Bob

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