Mystery Shopper's Manual

  • Blog
  • About
    • Privacy/Disclosures
  • The Mystery Shopper’s Manual
  • Mystery Shopping Companies

How to Take Photos of Your Food on Restaurant Mystery Shops

July 19, 2017 by Cathy Stucker 3 Comments

More and more often, restaurant mystery shop assignments include a requirement that you photograph your food. Although it might seem that taking pictures of everything would out you as the mystery shopper, it doesn’t. In fact, so many people post pictures of everything they eat to their blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, that you will probably not be the only person taking photos.

If you are not used to photographing your food, here are a few tips to help you get better quality photos and look like your standard-issue social media junkie and not a mystery shopper.
Continue Reading

Why Do Some Restaurants Not Take Reservations?

June 9, 2015 by Cathy Stucker Leave a Comment

restaurant-reservationsFine dining restaurants typically accept reservations, and a mystery shop of a fine dining restaurant will include questions about the reservation process. But why is it that so many other restaurants do not accept reservations? If you have ever tried to get a table at a popular casual dining restaurant on a Saturday night, you know that the wait can be looooonnnnng. So why do they not take reservations? Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if they eliminated the wait?

Although fine dining restaurants can often accommodate walk-ins outside of peak times, taking reservations allows them to better plan. Meals at fine dining restaurants often last longer than a typical casual dining experience. At a casual dining restaurant, we may be in and out in 45 minutes to an hour, while a fine dining meal could easily be twice that long. Reservations help to ensure that tables are available when required and makes it easier for staff to properly serve customers.Continue Reading

Can a Mystery Shopper Take Home Leftovers?

April 6, 2013 by Cathy Stucker 5 Comments

fine-dining-mystery-shopI recently got this question from a mystery shopper:

I just got my first fine dining assignment, and I can’t believe how much food we have to order! The instructions say that the mystery shop is for two adults, and we have to order an appetizer, two entrees, two side dishes and dessert. We usually share one meal, so I know we can’t eat all of that! Can we order one of the meals to-go? Would it be okay if we brought home a doggie bag?

First of all, congratulations on getting the fine dining shop assignment. They can be a lot of work, but you usually get to enjoy a really good meal in a nice atmosphere. It beats the heck out of a lot of jobs I have had in my life!

As you know, it is important that you follow all of the guidelines. That means that you need to order all of the required items, even if it is more food than you would normally order.

So can you get some of the food to-go, or take home the leftovers? Of course, the answers depend on the specific guidelines for your shop assignment, but here is how most restaurant mystery shops handle this.Continue Reading

Coyle Hospitality Group – Mystery Shopping Company

March 27, 2011 by Cathy Stucker Leave a Comment

Jim Coyle, president of Coyle Hospitality Group, recently took the time to answer some questions about mystery shopping for Coyle Hospitality. Founded in 1996, Coyle Hospitality Group  provides mystery shopping and market research services exclusively for the global hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants, spas, cruises and venues worldwide.
Continue Reading

Mystery Shopping Companies

Updated 4/20/18! Access my free curated list of more than 150 legitimate mystery shopping companies.

Scam Warning

If you received a check or money order with instructions to cash it and wire money to someone, DON'T DO IT! This is a scam.
Click here to learn more about
mystery shopper scams.

Get ‘The Mystery Shopper’s Manual’

NEW 7TH EDITION!

Get your personally autographed copy of The Mystery Shopper's Manual here.
mystery-shoppers-manual-3d

Connect with Cathy

Follow Me on FacebookFollow Me on Google+Follow Me on TwitterFollow Me on LinkedInFollow Me on YouTubeFollow Me on PinterestFollow Me on RSS

Recent Articles

  • Do Millionaires Mystery Shop?
  • Mystery Shopper Resolutions
  • Mystery Shopping for Mystery Shopper Pros
  • Keep the “Secret” in “Secret Shopper”
  • The McDonald’s Receipt Hack

Categories

Applying to Mystery Shopping Companies Customer Service Dealing with Mystery Shopping Companies Dealing with Shopping Emergencies Employees and Mystery Shopping Grammar and Spelling Green Mystery Shopping Hazards of Mystery Shopping Holiday Mystery Shopping How to Become a Mystery Shopper Identity Theft Independent Contractor Issues Industry News Make Money Online Memory Improvement Money and Mystery Shopping Mystery Shopper Certification Mystery Shopper Ethics Mystery Shopper Fun Mystery Shopper Jobs Mystery Shopper Scam Mystery Shopper Scheduling Companies Mystery Shopper Secrecy Mystery Shopper Taxes Mystery Shopper Tools Mystery Shopping Clients Mystery Shopping Company Mystery Shopping Pay Mystery Shopping Providers Association Mystery Shopping Recordkeeping Mystery Shopping Resources Online Security Opportunities for Mystery Shoppers Preparing for the Mystery Shop Profitable Mystery Shopping Secret Shopper How-To Secret Shopper Quick Tips Secret Shopping and the Law Secret Shopping Confidentiality Sticky Secret Shopper Situations Technology and Secret Shopping Types of Mystery Shops Video Mystery Shopping Working Online Writing Mystery Shopper Reports

Copyright © 2004 - 2022 · Cathy Stucker

Copyright © 2022 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in