One job thathas long been of fascination to internet users is mystery shopping.
Mystery shopping, also known as “spy shopping” or “secret shopping,” involves stores hiring plainclothed people to shop at a store or restaurant, and then report their experience to the restaurant itself. Their report might include information about customer service, the items they were able to purchase, the quality of the facilities in-store, and other information that a simple inspection from management may not be able to convey.
TikTok user Kayla (@kaylalaughsoutloud) has intrigued viewers with her stories of being a mystery shopper, previously sharing her experiences of mystery shopping at places like McDonald’s and Outback Steakhouse. Now, she’s returned to McDonald’s to reveal one minor detail from her experience that could be a mark against an employee.
A McDonald’s worker’s one mistake
In her video, Kayla shows herself going through the drive-thru at McDonald’s. Upon reaching the window, she orders a sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddle. After the person working at the restaurant confirms her order, Kayla then adds a hash brown. The worker again confirms the item and then directs Kayla to the next window.
It may be difficult for most to spot, but Kayla reveals that the employee made a crucial error during this process.
“She did not upsell me,” Kayla says. “I gave her two opportunities. I ordered the sandwich. She was supposed to then ask me if I wanted to make it a combo. I tried again by adding the hash brown.”
Numerous McDonald’s employees have reported that they are required to upsell customers, encouraging them to turn single items into combos or more.
@kaylalaughsoutloud @McDonald’s #fyp #mysteryshopping ♬ original sound – 😂 Kayla Laughs Out Loud 🤣
But do customers like being upsold?
While Kayla notes that these are her mystery shopping requirements and not her personal desires, many commenters stated that they would prefer if employees didn’t try to upsell them on items.
“I always hated trying to upsell. if they wanted it to begin with…. they would have ordered it,” wrote a user.
“Personally I’m grateful when they don’t try to upsell me on every little thing. I wanted the combo I order the combo,” echoed another.
“Personally, I don’t appreciate upsells,” declared a third. “If I can see it on the menu, I don’t need an upsell. Is this a rule on your list you need to follow?”
The Daily Dot reached out to McDonald’s and Kayla via email.
Update 8:20am CT, Jul. 4, 2024:
In an email to the Daily Dot, Kayla expounded upon the consequences for employees after a Mystery Shopper experience.
“I’ve worked as a manager in the fast food industry and I owned 2 restaurants in 2012 to 2014,” she detailed. “Employees are retrained or moved to a different area if the offenses are minor. Employees are fired or giving very few hours if they did something severe or have been retrained/spoken to enough. If it’s a manager, they usually are demoted if not terminated.”
While she noted some of the issues she experienced in her video, she said that the customer service overall was “great.”
“This location for this mystery shop only failed because I wasn’t up-sold to a combo. McDonald’s and all fast food companies really want their staff to upsell!” she stated. “My followers in my comments love to say, ‘I know what I want and I hate when they upsell!’ I try to explain to my followers that these employees must do this or they get in trouble. I have also explained many times that if enough customers emailed their favorite corporations and shared their feelings, this would eventually change, but they rather complain and be rude to the order taker who has absolutely no control. I’d love for that knowledge to spread. Corporations have told me this themselves.”
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