The pub I worked in had mystery shoppers who would come in once a month to rate us. If the server got a good score, you'd get a bonus of $25 --not bad if you think of it as a tip on a table of 2. The thing was, we could always spot them. They would call first and ask where we were locate, how best to get there, where the metro was, how much a taxi from [insert random hotel name] would be. Then they would come in, wander around checking out the scenery, go to the bar, order drinks, pay with a credit card, then sit at a table. While at the table, they would ask innane questions like "how do you prepare the Guinness Ice Cream?" or "Is there cheese in the quesadilla?" Then they would proceed to order apps, meals, desserts and coffees. Since it was a pub, it was rare to have people come in for the full sit down effect. It was amusing to see servers fall all over themselves to impress the secret shoppers, or to see the frenzy that followed the rumor that "you're being shopped at G6." Of course, the backlash of a bad report was miserable for all involved, and that played into the motivation more than the $25.
