I did a drive thru shop yesterday. I was not given a receipt so I asked for one. I was told their receipt printer was broken so I couldn't get a receipt. I took a picture of the building and put it in the report. Even though I explained it in my report, the editor asked for a picture of the receipt. I explained it to him in the email. Now he is asking for a copy of my bank statement as proof that I did the shop. Unfortunately, I paid cash. I have the feeling I am not going to get paid for something thst is not my fault.

One of the reasons I never pay cash for a mystery shop unless it is required. Paper trails are everything...

And, we all know that IPSOS will use ANY reason not to pay...

Yikes. This doesn't sound like it'll go in your favor. So sorry.

A similar situation happened to me some time ago. I asked for a receipt and the restaurant owner took a plain piece of paper and hand wrote the receipt. What ever MSC it was accepted that.

When I've done drive-thru shops, if they can't print a receipt, I ask if they can print one from a different register. Not all of them can, some some chains are able to do that.

.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2024 05:42PM by shopnyc.

yep....never pay with cash unless there is a huge discount for doing so. I won't do cash on a mystery shop unless it's absolutely required. I think if you have a proven track record with the company, you might be okay.

It will come down to the client. Some clients will be good with it, some won't.

I missed a gas pump receipt once. The pump did not print it, and during the shop portion the clerk was so busy I got my stuff, did the reveal and got started on the audit with the intention of asking for the receipt before I left. On my way inside the c-store to tell the clerk I was done and to ask for the receipt, an elderly gentleman stopped me just outside the door and started up a conversation with me, including about the payphone business he used to on. (One day the topic of payphones will come up here and I'll write a dissertation on them, sharing all the information the elderly gentleman told me.) Anyhow, I explained all of this to IPSOS and even told them I would forego the gas reimbursement, hoping that concession would avoid the shop being rejected. The shop was accepted and I got reimbursed, too. I have done A LOT of gas audits and that stop was like the 12th one of the day, so as @hbbigdaddy alluded, that could have helped me.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2024 03:17AM by ServiceAward.

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

yep....never pay with cash unless there is a huge discount for doing so. I won't do cash on a mystery shop unless it's absolutely required. I think if you have a proven track record with the company, you might be okay.

Lesson learned. No more cash . I do have a good track record with them.

Somebody else already mentioned, I would have written out my own itemized receipt and written on the bottom “register receipt not available.”

Peg, you have a decision to make concerning this MSC. Are you willing to accept them NOT paying you for a situation that was on the restaurant? I do agree with other posters who mentioned a credit card and/or a different register. The problem was that you were not expecting this malfunction AND you only had seconds of time.

I am not contracted with Ipsos.

IMO, this is the editor's judgement, not the MSC.

So do this - it is still not too late -

As Bay Shopper and Rho said, write on a piece of paper your own receipt, date, amount and all other pertinent information and, if you wish (but I don't think I would) even add, "register receipt not available".
I believe all the editor wants is some kind of receipt - doesn't matter what it really is - just to show the report is complete and they (the editor) did their portion of the work or job.
Send the image to the editor. If you can send it with your report, even better, explain in the comments that the site's computer broke down and would not print receipts.

It cannot hurt to try!

When I have been unable to obtain a receipt, I write my own. I then take a photo of it from the parking lot using Timestamp camera so that it shows the location, date, and time.

@French Farmer wrote:

IMO, this is the editor's judgement, not the MSC.

So do this - it is still not too late -

As Bay Shopper and Rho said, write on a piece of paper your own receipt, date, amount and all other pertinent information and, if you wish (but I don't think I would) even add, "register receipt not available".
I believe all the editor wants is some kind of receipt - doesn't matter what it really is - just to show the report is complete and they (the editor) did their portion of the work or job.
Send the image to the editor. If you can send it with your report, even better, explain in the comments that the site's computer broke down and would not print receipts.

It cannot hurt to try!

It shows received. So it looks like I'm going to be paid. But, lesson learned, credit card from now on.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2024 03:20AM by pegleg2000.

@pegleg2000 wrote:

It shows received. So it looks like I'm going to be paid. But, lesson learned, credit card from now on.

Yay for you!

Even for those who are not cash-strapped like me, it makes sense to use credit cards whenever possible because of the perks, if not for the paper trail.

Every little edge increases the overall bottom line, and credit card perks do so without increasing tax liability.

I did a Drive-Thru food shop, but didn't a receipt even though I asked for one. I submitted a copy of my charge card transaction. No problem.

This is one of those odd things that happen....my advice is: When this occurs, ask for a handwritten receipt. Even though that is awkward...

@LeonardoNV wrote:

I did a Drive-Thru food shop, but didn't a receipt even though I asked for one. I submitted a copy of my charge card transaction. No problem.

I paid cash. I have learned and will be using a credit card to pay.

Another thought. If you are recording audio of the interaction to help with timing, maybe provide a copy of the file so they can listen to the exchange. I offered that one time when I didn't have the receipt but thankfully it wasn't required since they had other ways to verify my purchase.

@jp43209 wrote:

Another thought. If you are recording audio of the interaction to help with timing, maybe provide a copy of the file so they can listen to the exchange.

I would never do this - it sets a bad precedent. For one, if you're in a two-party state, recording another person without their knowledge/consent would technically be breaking the law. You could also be shooting yourself in the foot if the MSC hears something they don't like during the exchange and uses that as an excuse to reject the shop and not pay you.

Bad idea all the way around.

@jp43209 wrote:

Another thought. If you are recording audio of the interaction to help with timing, maybe provide a copy of the file so they can listen to the exchange. I offered that one time when I didn't have the receipt but thankfully it wasn't required since they had other ways to verify my purchase.

I don't record. It is illegal in my state to record without other persons knowing.

@jp43209 wrote:

Another thought. If you are recording audio of the interaction to help with timing, maybe provide a copy of the file so they can listen to the exchange. I offered that one time when I didn't have the receipt but thankfully it wasn't required since they had other ways to verify my purchase.

I agree with @drdoggie00 and @pegleg2000. Unless recording the shop is part of the job, then I would not announce to ANYBODY that you recorded, whether it is legal or not. I definitely would not tell the MSC. If the missing receipt does not give them a reason to reject the shop, telling them you recorded the shop when they did not direct you to do so may give it to them.

Not to beat a dead horse as I addressed this a while back: Conversations that take place in a public setting are almost always exempt from the two-party consent laws. If you are in the public spaces of Lowe's or a cell phone store doing a shop, you are in a public space. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in public spaces; therefore, you can legally record in those spaces. This is precisely how YouTubers can record inside Walmart in Florida, for example. An argument could be made if there is a hushed conversation going on in a corner of a public space, then the people involved have a higher expectation of privacy. That should not even apply in a mystery shopping situation. For the record, in over 20 years of background in the law, I have never heard of anybody being charged much less going to jail over recording a conversation. I have never so much as read the first case. What gets people in trouble is using such recordings to bribe or extort others. Those things are illegal. If you are uncomfortable recording, then obviously don't do it. And to bring this back home, definitely do not tell the MSC if you do it. That's what I call a John-ism.

@ServiceAward wrote:

And to bring this back home, definitely do not tell the MSC if you do it. That's what I call a John-ism.

-lolololololololol-

@ServiceAward wrote:

Unless recording the shop is part of the job, then I would not announce to ANYBODY that you recorded, whether it is legal or not. I definitely would not tell the MSC . . . definitely do not tell the MSC if you do it.

Oh, so it would seem that you're recommending a shopper hide from the MSC the fact that a shop was recorded, even if it's illegal to do so. Hmm, that doesn't sound totally honest to me. What if the shop guidelines state that the shopper should not record the audio? If a shopper does it anyway, is that okay, too, as long as they don't tell the MSC? To quote you from another thread:

@ServiceAward wrote:

"Is it really that hard to be honest anymore?"

But I guess it just depends on whether the situation is something you agree with or not.

There is a HUGE difference in a MSC directly asking (via registration form) what your age is and you lying about it vs audio recording a public conversation (which is not illegal) for your own notes and refraining from telling the MSC you did so without them asking. If they directly asked 'did you record the shop' then by all means answer honestly.

@shopnyc wrote:

@ServiceAward wrote:

Unless recording the shop is part of the job, then I would not announce to ANYBODY that you recorded, whether it is legal or not. I definitely would not tell the MSC . . . definitely do not tell the MSC if you do it.

Oh, so it would seem that you're recommending a shopper hide from the MSC the fact that a shop was recorded, even if it's illegal to do so. Hmm, that doesn't sound totally honest to me. What if the shop guidelines state that the shopper should not record the audio? If a shopper does it anyway, is that okay, too, as long as they don't tell the MSC? To quote you from another thread:

@ServiceAward wrote:

"Is it really that hard to be honest anymore?"

But I guess it just depends on whether the situation is something you agree with or not.

I saw a shop yesterday that said no audio or video recordings of the shop were allowed in the job description.

I can't remember which MSC or shop it was.

Unless the MSC says specifically to not record, I don't think its a big deal. I don't do it, but I know many shoppers do record to help them recall details and timings. I wouldn't volunteer the fact in a two-party state. I also wouldn't sweat so much over a single receipt either.

This happened to me a couple of times. One time the cashier offered to take a picture of their register with my phone. Another time, the cashier said he could provide me with the order number and total amount. Both times, I said I really needed the receipt to be reimbursed for a business trip. When I said it like that, they were more than willing to assist.

@drdoggie00 wrote:

@jp43209 wrote:

Another thought. If you are recording audio of the interaction to help with timing, maybe provide a copy of the file so they can listen to the exchange.

I would never do this - it sets a bad precedent. For one, if you're in a two-party state, recording another person without their knowledge/consent would technically be breaking the law. You could also be shooting yourself in the foot if the MSC hears something they don't like during the exchange and uses that as an excuse to reject the shop and not pay you.

Bad idea all the way around.

I live in a one-party consent state so nothing illegal about it here. It helps me with timing and other key questions when filling out my report. After approval I delete the files, and they are only stored on the phone (no cloud-based app involved).

Yes, there is a concern they may listen to the entire recording and find a way to reject the shop, but I would just trim it to the pertinent part about payment if there was ever a time where the recording was needed.

For someone in a two-party consent state, maybe ask if it's OK to do a quick recording where the cashier or manager states what you ordered, what you paid, what the issue was, etc. If they say yes, then I would assume you're all set. If no, then you go through other routes to get what you need (such as a bank or credit card statement).

I am confused. Who do you want me to ask if it is OK to record the cashier or manager? Only the cashier or the manager could give me that permission. Are you suggesting that during a mystery shop, I ask the employee if I can record a portion of the conversation? What reason would I give them? Also, I would want the permission in writing and preferably notarized.

@jp43209 wrote:

For someone in a two-party consent state, maybe ask if it's OK to do a quick recording where the cashier or manager states what you ordered, what you paid, what the issue was, etc. If they say yes, then I would assume you're all set. If no, then you go through other routes to get what you need (such as a bank or credit card statement).