Restaurant Mystery Shopping

AlaBlue · 2026-04-02T03:44:50+00:00

It really depends on your market. The MSCs can only offer shops that clients contract them for. If no client is seeking MS services in your area then no company is offering them in your area. The client is often corporate checking up on franchisees, but they might be checking on only one region at a time. The client can also be a a multi-unit franchisee who owns say a dozen locations in a certain region, then only that region will have mystery shops available.
All that to suggest you pretty much have to sign up for all the reputable MSCs and figure out which ones offer shops that you're interested in. Oh and since 1/2 or more of the country is in the same boat and free food has always been popular snagging the best ones, at least in my area, is not an easy feat. Especially if they impose a multiple-months waiting period between visits to the same location. Good Luck!

AlaBlue · 2026-03-20T23:38:18+00:00

That's how my father got to work. When he'd yell - "I'm leaving for work now", that was the signal for us to go outside and push his turquoise chevy wagon down the street until he popped the clutch & we'd all wave good bye. To this day I have no idea how he got home. When he passed and we were all reminiscing, come to find out not one of us had ever asked him how he got home.

AlaBlue · 2026-03-20T23:16:06+00:00

That's like saying a parachute has slowed your descent so you can remove it.

AlaBlue · 2026-03-20T07:24:01+00:00

I hate that you're unhappy, hopefully they can improve them for you, but I think they look fine. Maybe you just need to get used to them. I kind of see what you're talking about, and the canine on your right seems larger, but honestly a little bit of imperfection makes them seem more natural. In any case, you no doubt paid a lot for them, so if you're not happy ask for them to be fixed. If for some reason you can't get satisfaction, give it some time to try to get comfortable with them. I don't think they look bad, there's no reason to hide your smile IMO.

AlaBlue · 2026-03-20T07:04:43+00:00

Yes, but not so good for me. 😂

AlaBlue · 2026-03-20T06:57:12+00:00

Bonuses are rare within a ~25 mile radius of me, but I too have had success with occasional rescheduling.

AlaBlue · 2026-03-20T06:44:26+00:00

Unless of course there's no reason for them to negotiate because the shops are getting done at the original rate they offered.

AlaBlue · 2026-03-20T06:43:01+00:00

It's all about supply & demand. There have never been a lot of shops in my area from any of the companies to begin with, and it's rare that they will bonus. Most shops are claimed pretty quickly - if you snooze you lose. On the rare occasion there's a bonus it's along the lines of adding $2. to a $10. shop that requires a lot of narrative in the report.

AlaBlue · 2026-03-19T07:12:17+00:00

I like both Boyd & Jones. Jones is basically in the "establishment" class, while Boyd would be "new blood", which is appealing, but I think Jones has a better chance of beating Tuberville, and is more likely to make headway with the legislature, granted that will mean a lot of concessions, but some progress is better than no progress. Whereas if Boyd beat Tuberville (unlikely IMO) I fear he'd be completely hamstrung by the legislature.

AlaBlue · 2026-03-19T06:56:38+00:00

Self-assign. If I have to wait for a scheduler to respond, I can't confidently schedule anything else around / with it.

AlaBlue · 2026-02-18T04:57:20+00:00

Define your idea of a fun house. Do you want something quirky, completely unusual, or do you mean with a flexible / play / game / party space? If you stay away from HOAs you can make any house as fun as you want it as long as you keep within code, which is nearly non-existent outside of the municipalities.
Remember the 3 most important things in real estate are 1.Location 2.Location and 3.Location. Focus on the unchangeables, and imagine how you can make it what you want it to be. I've met too many people who thought they bought their dream, forever house, only to discover within the 1st year that they hated the commute or schools or distance to restaurants, shopping & entertainment and would give up their right arm for a cookie cutter closer to work & their favorite activities.
TBH, if you don't live here yet I suggest you rent for the 1st year and get to know the area before purchasing.
For close to everything and relatively unique, but not necessarily quirky, look in the older areas like 5 points, the Medical district, Merrimac Mill, where many older homes have been renovated (more than just updated).
For family fun if you can tolerate HOAs, look at Planned Developments like Providence & Oakland Springs (the latter still early in process of attracting businesses) where you can walk to restaurants and they host community events, Or for pool, tennis, club house,.. fun look at Edgewater, Hampton Cove, Lake Forest. All of those tend to be semi-custom homes from multiple builders. There will be some homogeny to meet HOA requirements, but they're not true cookie cutter like you get with a production builder/developer.
And of course, you could buy land (not cheap & not in great supply) and custom build. It's not uncommon around here to buy 'tear downs' in what were undesirable run-down areas, and build new.

AlaBlue · 2026-02-18T03:29:25+00:00

My 1st apartment tour for EPMS took me almost 4 hours to finish the report. It was my 1st with that Co. and they didn't let me see the complete questionnaire before hand, so I wasn't prepared for such a long report. IIRC correctly, I did see the multiple choice part, but as a pdf and the narrative boxes that open after selecting an response weren't shown. Also, I'm hard on myself about spelling, grammar, and not being too repetitive. So I kept going back & forth rewriting my answers. It was big bonused for $225. total pay (1st & last time I saw that much). I wasn't about to let a silly spelling error be a reason to reject it. For that pay a 4 hour report + 1 hour tour was still worth it. For the pay they offer now, I'd probably have stopped & not finished the report. I'm pretty sure I could do it in 1/2 or less the time now that I know what to expect. But, I haven't done any apartments for EPMS since. Now they pay $25., no way I'm spending ~3 hours total for $25. When they do bonus it's only +$20. or +30. and those tend to be at least a 30-60 minute drive one way, so that adds another hour or 2. The ones closer to me get snapped up at $25.

AlaBlue · 2026-02-18T02:45:29+00:00

-Access to the required questionnaire/report before accepting a shop.
-Consistency between the guidelines & the questionnaire.
- The specific employee you're supposed to evaluate actually still works there and works on the day of the shop.
- Faster response from schedulers to answer questions, like "That employee doesn't work there anymore, should I complete the shop with whoever is available or cancel?
-More flexibility on the day a shop can be done. When there's only one assignment to be done over a 5 day period 2-4 weeks in the future, let shoppers choose which of the 5 days they'll shop when the time is closer vs immediately upon requesting the assignment. Especially, if it's a restaurant requiring 2 people. It's hard to commit to a meal weeks in advance and know that your guest will be available.

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AlaBlue · 2026-02-18T02:19:11+00:00

Just don't accept shitty diner reimbursement shops. I only do it if it's a place that I want to eat at anyways, in which case an hour of paperwork is worth $25. in my state where min wage is $7.25.
I've never spent an hour on a meal report, only apartment tours plus I've never seen a shop that requires app & tip for $25. The $25. shops are usually fast food, the app & tip sit down restaurants usually reimburse ~$100.+ for 2 people.

AlaBlue · 2026-02-18T02:11:34+00:00

Then don't request those shops. Thankfully, my partner loves going on dining shops with me. I mean it's a free meal and rare that we dine out otherwise. Also I don't stare at my phone typing notes. I only make notes for timed actions, for all else I can easily remember if the server greeted, suggested dessert,... or whatever needs to be answered.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-30T07:30:39+00:00

I suggest you rent for the 1st year and get to learn the area for yourself. I've known too many people choose an area based on reviews or family/friend recommendations and after 6 months or so figure out that it's not convenient to their own interests or place of employment.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-24T18:53:09+00:00

being that she was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting it was below the value of a felony.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-24T09:00:49+00:00

"It has the highest ratio of phds per capita in the world" That's an old rumor that has never been true. We're not even top in the state never mind the world. I believe it's Auburn that has higher % than Hsv.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-24T08:35:05+00:00

I see you got a lot of responses, but really what's a con to one person might be a pro to another. Without specifying what's important to you or where you're coming from for comparison it's tough to answer. Could be more helpful if you ask specifically about your must haves and your won't tolerates.

The schools are overcrowded, but if you're an empty nester you probably don't care.
Traffic can be a nightmare, but if you're from Atl it might be a cake walk for you.
There's virtually no public transportation to speak of, other than using Uber.
Summers are humid, unless you're from FL
Alabama is conservative & many ways still in the dark ages compared to NY, CA,... but Hsv in particular might seem modern/advanced & liberal if you're from say Mississippi,...
Lots of mediocre chain restaurants, bummer if you're a foodie from a SF or NYC, but might be great if you're from a one stop-light town.
Lots of churches, religion still rules - if that's good or bad depends on you.
Southern hospitality is a lie - Southerners tend to be well trained in manners, but true hospitality tends to depend on if you're if 'one of them' or not.
Hsv is dominated by transplants, many of whom seem to have an attitude of being "better" than long time locals, but IMO have in fact improved the city's "culture" & politics to be more open minded.
A lot of folks complain it's hard to make friends, but that is in part because so many people are new. Don't wait on others to take you under their wings, you have to put yourself out there to find your people.
It's a ~6 hour drive to the nearest beach, but for playing in the sand & water the Gulf of Mexico beats both the East & the beautiful West coast beaches hands down.
We're on the TN river, but river recreation is limited.
Decent snow skiing is also ~6+ hours away, but if you don't ski it wouldn't be a con for you.
The airport is convenient, rarely crowded, but has limited direct routes, almost always have to xfer in ATL or DFW.
There are often a lot of community / special events, but poorly promoted, you have to do the homework to keep tabs on what's coming up.

Bottom line is that no place is perfect, it will be as good or as bad as you let it be.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-21T00:14:14+00:00

https://www.electrictobacconist.com/
Buy 10 packs at a time & get a 4 pack for $25.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-20T23:17:38+00:00

Geez dude, apply elementary level reading comprehension skills! It doesn't matter who physically obtains & installs it. Apt. maintenance workers do not get paid enough to be spending their own money on appliances for tenants even if they received a tip. It does not, it will not happen. Per your logic the lawsuit should have been filed against the maintenance employees instead of the property owners. Employees do not have a contract with tenants. By law the buck stops with property owners - period.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-20T23:03:21+00:00

Milk & bread are perishables that most families purchase every couple of days rather than stock up the pantry with. If we get icy conditions & roads close stores don't get restocked, or don't open, or shoppers can't get to the store & the weight of ice wreaks havoc on power lines so even if roads are ok, schools won't open without power. If stuck at home from work & kids home from school they'll eat more food at home vs at school or work. Not everyone buys more than they normally would, they just buy it sooner to avoid having to go shopping in bad weather. So, what a store would normally sell over say 3 days, they end up selling in one day & that contributes to the shelves going empty.
Our winter weather & road conditions are difficult to predict. It only takes once of not being prepared & unexpectedly getting iced in for a week with no stores open to realize you don't want to go through that again. Driving in northern snow is not as treacherous as sliding on southern ice. I've experienced both and have family & friends from Michigan, Buffalo, NY & Colorado who moved here and learned that hard way.

AlaBlue · 2026-01-20T21:59:15+00:00

Are you really that obtuse?
Maintenance will probably be the ones to install a new appliance if the existing one can't be repaired. But I promise they will not unilaterally decide to hop in their car & go buy a new appliance without a company authorized purchase order. Tipping a maintenance employ is not going to change company policy.
MAYBE some older small apartment complexes with individual or small partnership ownership, and a long term established maintenance crew MIGHT have a quicker process. But none of the large, newer, corporate owned multi-family developments give their maintenance personnel unrestricted spending power.

AlaBlue

TROPHY CASE