#Secret Shopper Companies

[mysteryshopper1]

Top Secret Shopper Companies in Australia: Mystery Shopper Australia

Mystery Shopper Australia partners with leading secret shopper companies to provide businesses with valuable insights into customer experiences. Through discreet evaluations, these companies help enhance service quality, improve customer satisfaction, and boost overall performance. If you're looking to optimize your business or join as a mystery shopper, Mystery Shopper Australia is your go-to resource.

[cxeinc]

Mystery Shopping Trends: How Technology Is Revolutionizing the Airport Experience

Airports are the ultimate stage for first impressions. With millions of travelers passing through daily, every moment counts—from parking to check-in to grabbing coffee. But let's face it: not all airport experiences feel like smooth liftoffs. Mystery shopping services are a secret weapon that assists airports in creating a seamless passenger journey. These services leverage data with cutting-edge tech to elevate every traveler's experience. 

Let's examine how mystery shopping companies are using technology to revolutionize the airport experience and ensure efficiency, satisfaction, and loyalty among travelers.

Understanding the role of Mystery Shopping in airports

Mystery shopping is a powerful tool for assessing customer service quality and operational performance. Airports use mystery shopping services to determine strengths and opportunities in security, check-in, retail, and food services.

Why It Matters:

For airports, uniform and high-quality service can differentiate a delighted traveler from one who prefers another airline or airport for their next journey.

Real-Time Data Collection

Gone are the days of manual reports and delayed feedback. Today, the best mystery shopper companies are harnessing real-time data collection tools- from instantly recording their observations via apps to enabling faster reporting and quicker action.

How It Transforms the Airport Experience:

Faster resolution of service issues

Immediate feedback for frontline staff

Enhanced ability to adapt to changing passenger needs

AI and Machine Learning Integration

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies identify patterns and predict trends by processing large volumes of feedback.

Impact on Airports:

Pinpointing peak times for inefficiencies

Identifying recurring customer pain points

Tailoring services to specific traveler preferences

Enhanced Use of Mobile Apps

Secret shoppers now use advanced mobile apps provided by mystery shopping service providers. These apps guide shoppers through tasks, allow easy data input, and even support multimedia uploads, such as photos or videos, for visual proof.

Why It Matters in Airports:

More comprehensive feedback, including visuals of queues or unclean areas

Ease of task management for secret shoppers in large, complex environments

Streamlined communication between shoppers and secret shopper companies

Virtual Mystery Shopping

Virtual mystery shopping is a rising trend, allowing shoppers to evaluate online services like ticket booking, website usability, and customer support. With more passengers using online platforms for pre-travel arrangements, this trend ensures digital touchpoints are as seamless as in-person services.

For Airports, This Means:

Improved digital experiences for passengers

Consistency across all service channels

Enhanced satisfaction in the early stages of the traveler's journey

Tailored Reporting for Actionable Insights

The best mystery shopper companies provide customized reports focusing on actionable insights rather than generic observations. This trend ensures that airport management teams can implement meaningful changes quickly.

How It Elevates the Airport Experience:

Focused improvements based on priority areas

Strategic decision-making powered by data

Measurable enhancements in passenger satisfaction

The Future of Mystery Shopping in Airports

As airports continue to grow, secret shopper companies will play a crucial role in ensuring that they fulfill the increased expectations of contemporary travelers. From real-time feedback to AI-driven insights, the future of mystery shopping is promising—and it's revolutionizing the airport experience.

Ready to improve your airport's customer experience? 

Partnering with one of the best mystery shopper companies can help you understand and exceed passenger expectations.

About the Author: CXE, a recognized industry leader, works with airports, hospitality, food and beverage, retail, and business and government clients to create some of the nation's most innovative and successful customer (CX) and employee experience (EX) improvement programs. With a stronghold in the airport arena, CXE is known for designing strategic airport customer experience and service culture programs that span all airport passenger-facing teams.  CXE builds each client strategy utilizing a comprehensive approach to CX and EX, including service measurement, training, recognition and appreciation programs and performance coaching. CXE has earned the trust of airport executives and service partners, including airlines, security, TSA, retail, concessions, and duty-free operations teams in over 100 airports across North America. CXE is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland and brings together some of the industry's most successful customer experience professionals to help clients BOOST employee engagement, SPARK customer delight and DRIVE organizational success.

[themapleleafdiaries]

last night at work there was a guy who, when he asked if there was anybody working in box office, expressed disappointment and expressed how much he hated the Automatic Ticketing Kiosks. I just agreed with him and said “yeah i hate those things too. We don’t schedule people in box office anymore because head office doesn’t want us to�� and went on about how they dont want to pay the extra employees and ATKs cost less than scheduling a real person. i think he was slightly stunned at my response. like dude. I’m trashing head office any chance i get.

[marketxcel]

What Is Mystery Shopping: Types, Examples, Advantages & Workflow

Explore the world of mystery shopping with our comprehensive guide. Discover various types, real-world examples, and the advantages of this unique approach. Dive into the mystery shopping workflow to understand how it can enhance customer experience and benefit your business.

[nando161mando]

[robertreich]

How Amazon Is Ripping You Off

Shopping on Amazon? Stop! Watch this first.

Amazon is the world’s biggest online retailer. This one single juggernaut of a company is responsible for nearly 40% of all online sales in America. In an FTC lawsuit, they’re accused of using their mammoth size, and consumers’ dependence on them, to artificially jack up prices as high as possible, while prohibiting sellers on Amazon from charging lower prices anywhere else.

They’re accused of using a secret algorithm, codenamed "Project Nessie," to charge customers an estimated extra $1 billion dollars,

If this isn’t an abuse of power that hurts consumers, what is? So much for all of those “prime” deals you thought you were getting.

Project Nessie isn’t the only trick Amazon has been accused of using to exert its hulking dominance over the online retail industry — leading to higher prices for you.

Much of the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit centers around the treatment of independent merchants who sell items on Amazon’s online superstore — accounting for 60 percent of Amazon's sales.

Amazon allegedly uses strongarm tactics that force these sellers to keep their prices higher than they need to be. Like barring them from selling products for significantly less at other stores — or else risk being hidden in Amazon’s search results or having their sales stopped entirely.

And Amazon is accused of engaging in pay-to-play schemes and charging merchants excessive fees that end up costing you even more.

Independent sellers are effectively forced to pay Amazon to advertise their products prominently in search results. If they don’t fork over cash, then their products get buried underneath products of companies who do. This hurts sellers but also harms shoppers who have to parse through less relevant products that may be more expensive or lower quality.

And to be eligible for the coveted “Prime” badge on their items — which is considered crucial for competing on the platform — independent sellers are pushed into paying Amazon for additional services like warehousing and shipping, even if they could get those services cheaper elsewhere. If sellers forgo trying to qualify for Prime, their goods apparently become harder for customers to find.

When all of these extra fees are added up, Amazon takes around a 50 percent cut of each sale made by a third party. It’s projected that Amazon will earn around $125 billion from collecting fees in the U.S. in 2023, most of which get passed on to you.

By charging all of these extra fees and stifling independent companies from selling their products for less elsewhere, Amazon is using its dominance to essentially set prices for all consumers across the internet.

And when you combine Amazon’s control of ecommerce with all of the other industries it has entered by gobbling up companies — such as Whole Foods, One Medical, and MGM — you’re left with a behemoth that simply has too much power.

This is all part of a much larger problem of growing corporate dominance in America. In over 75% of U.S. industries, fewer companies now control more of their markets than they did twenty years ago.

The lack of competition and consumer choice has resulted in all of us paying more for goods because corporations like Amazon can raise their prices with impunity. By one estimate, corporate concentration has cost the typical American household $5,000 a year more than they would have spent if markets were truly competitive.

This power isn’t just being used to siphon more money from you. A giant corporation has the power to bust unions, keep workers’ wages low, and funnel money into our political system.

It’s a vicious cycle, making giant corporations more and more powerful.

But under the Biden administration, the government is making a strong effort to revive antitrust law and use its power to reign in big corporations that have grown too powerful.

We must stop the monopolization of America. This FTC lawsuit against Amazon is a great start.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Sponsored listings are a ripoff…for sellers

Tonight (November 29), I'm at NYC's Strand Books with my novel The Lost Cause, a solarpunk tale of hope and danger that Rebecca Solnit called "completely delightful."

Not all ads are created equally sleazy. The privacy harms from surveillance ads, though real, are often hard to pin down. But there's another kind of ad - or "ad" that picks your pocket every time you use an ecommerce site.

This is the "sponsored listing" ad, which allows merchants to bid to be among the top-ranked items in response to your searches - whether or not their products are a good match for your query. These aren't "ads" in the way that, say, a Facebook ad is an ad. These are more #payola, a form of bribery that's actually a crime (but not when Amazon does it):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payola#U.S._investigations_and_aftermath

Amazon is the global champion of payola. It boasts of $31 billion in annual "ad" revenue. That's $31 billion that Amazon sellers have to recoup from you. But Amazon's use of "most favored nation" deals (which requires sellers to offer their lowest prices on Amazon) mean that you don't see those price-hikes because sellers raise their prices everywhere:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

Forget Twitter: Amazon search is the poster-child for enshittification, in which Amazon locks you in (for example, with a year's shipping prepaid through Prime) and then you get recommended worse products while sellers make less money and Amazon pockets the difference.

Sellers who don't sell on Amazon are dead in the water, because most US households have Amazon Prime and overwhelmingly, Prime users start their search on Amazon, and, if they find the goods they're seeking. After all, they've prepaid for shipping.

So sellers suck it up and pay a 45-51% Amazon tax and pass it on to us - no matter where we shop. A lot of the junk fees sellers pay are related to Prime and other fulfillment services, but an increasing share of the Amazon tax comes from the need to pay to "advertise," because if they don't buy the top result for searches for their own products, their competitors' ads will push them right off the first page (those competitors spend money on advertising, rather than manufacturing quality).

There's a lot of YOLO/ROFLMAO in those ads: search for "cat beds" and 50% of the first five screens are ads - including ads for dog products, apparently bought by companies adopting a spray-and-pray approach to advertising. Someone selling a quality product still has to outbid all of those garbage sellers:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola

This is at the root of Amazon's Pricing Paradox: while Amazon can defend itself against regulators by citing sellers whose prices are lower and/or whose quality is higher, it's nearly impossible for shoppers to get those deals. If you click the top result for your search, you will, on average, pay 29% more than you would if you found the best bargain on the site:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

What's more, you can't fix this by simply sorting by price, or by reviews, or some mix of the two. The sleaziest sellers have mastered tricks like changing the number of units they sell so the total price is lower. For example, if batteries are normally sold $10 for a four-pack, a sleazy seller can offer batteries at $9 for three units. A lowest-to-highest price-sort will put this item ahead of a cheaper rival.

Researchers found that getting a good deal at Amazon requires that you make a multifactorial spreadsheet by laboriously copy/pasting multiple details from individual listing pages and then doing sorts that Amazon itself doesn't permit:

https://scholarship.law.bu.edu/faculty_scholarship/3645/

There's an exception to this: Amazon and Apple have a cozy, secret arrangement to exclude these "ads" from searches for Apple products. But if you're shopping for anything else, you're SOL:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-gives-apple-special-treatment-while-others-suffer-junk-ads-2023-11

These payola markets are bad for buyers, and they cost sellers a lot of money, but are they at least good for sellers? A new study from three business-school researchers - Vibhanshu Abhishek, Jiaqi Shi and Mingyu Joo - shows that payola is a very bad deal for good sellers, too:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3896716

After doing a lot of impressive quantitative work, the authors conclude that for good sellers, showing up as a sponsored listing makes buyers trust their products less than if they floated to the top of the results "organically." This means that buying an ad makes your product less attractive than not buying an ad.

The exception is sellers who have bad products - products that wouldn't rise to the top of the results on their own merits. The study finds that if you buy your mediocre product's way to the top of the results, buyers trust it more than they would if they found it buried deep on page eleventy-million, to which its poor reviews, quality or price would normally banish it.

But of course, if you're one of those good sellers, you can't simply opt not to buy an ad, even though seeing it with the little "AD" marker in the thumbnail makes your product less attractive to shoppers. If you don't pay the danegeld, your product will be pushed down by the inferior products whose sellers are only too happy to pay ransom.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/29/aethelred-the-unready/#not-one-penny-for-tribute

[bullet-prooflove]

So I got to thinking about Valentines Day, and how some of the couples might or might not be celebrating.

What are Jack and Amelie getting up to this year?

Tagging: @kmc1989 @cosmic-psychickitty @consisedictionaryofmistakes @elenavampire21

I think due to Amelie’s current predicament Jack would make sure he was available to spend the day together. Valentine’s Day is a bit of a big deal to him as it’s a way of showing how much he loves and appreciates her. She’d wake up to the sensation of a rose gracing her skin, a light brush of petals. That evolves into delicate light kisses in the places the rose has touched.

There’s a bouquet of flowers waiting for her in the kitchen, not from Jack but from Herbert, because he appreciates her too. There are also two tickets to a show there. Amelie has always been a fan of Phantom of the Opera, she loves the romanticism of it. She’s thrilled but a little nervous because it’ll be her first evening outing in a while and she’s not sure the dresses she has cover her scars.

They take the little dog for a walk and get brunch in one of the dog friendly cafes and then Jack takes her shopping. Herbert comes too, Jack’s black Amex basically gets him anything he wants. Amelie gets a very personalised treatment, she shyly explains the predicament with the scars and that woman knows exactly how to help, which is why Jack selected the place. The two of them sip champagne and play with Herbert while waiting, which relieves some of Amelie’s anxiety.

When the personal shopper comes back Amelie is very happy surprised. This woman she gets her! The clothing she chooses is both glamorous and sexy, while hiding her scars. We’re talking opaque sheer fabrics, necklines that plunge but stop just above where her chest scar is, jumpsuits that make her look feminine but edgy at the same time. It’s a complete revelation for Amelie who realises her style is actually evolving from what it used to be. Jack is happy to see her confidence coming back.

He leaves her in the personal shoppers company so Herbert can relieve himself and that’s when Amelie asks about lingerie options. Once that’s squared away, Jack returns non the wiser. They have the clothing shipped to the apartment because there’s too much to carry.

Next up lunch, again a dog friendly restaurant for Herbert. Amelie’s new found confidence makes her want to do something bold, reinvent herself so she tells Jack she’s managed to grab an appointment with her hair stylist. Jack takes Herbert home because the poor little fella is tired after spending the morning out and about, catches up on a little work while she’s out and receives delivery of her clothing.

When Amelie does return she’s cut her hair, so it falls past her chin in loose waves. Jack loves it, it’s sexy, it’s dynamic, he can’t stop touching it.

Amelie then spends the day clearing out her wardrobe space for her new clothes and organising what needs to be donated and thrown away. It’s a very cathartic experience for her, like letting go of the old life and bringing in the new. Jack has the driver take the clothing to various charity shops as there’s some expensive pieces in there.

When she’s done, she tells him she has something to show him. When he comes into the bedroom, she’s wearing the secret lingerie she bought. It’s very pretty and very different from what she used to wear when they were together but it’s very her. She takes him to bed and shows how grateful she is to him for helping her restore her confidence.  

[vroomian]

What do you suppose has Alastor deciding yrx is friend-shaped? I remember you posting about how yrx sees how uncomfortable Alastor gets to being hit on and recognizes yrx being respectful of his boundaries, so I’m curious what would be a turning point in their relationship?

ok so this is the accumulation of many many random meetings. after yrz quits sex work but before he finds his perfect location for his bookshop, he bounces around hell working random jobs just to have something to do. he waited tables, ran drugs, delivered food, and worked at a coffee shop just to learn the secret of their peppermint mocha blend. (this has the effect of making yrz's network of 'i know a guy' people hilariously wide. if yrz doesn't know a guy, he knows a guy who knows a guy. yrz has more friends in this au than any other.)

while he's running around he develops a habit of listening to Alastor's radio show. it' a good way to get gossip, events, and genuinely entertaining. alastor, surprise surprise, is good at his job :)

the second time he and Alastor meet it's while yrz is out running errands for an elderly imp who needs a personal shopper, yrz sees alastor on the street and instead of avoiding him like a sane person decides to say hi. alastor does remember yrz as a strange spot of decency on an otherwise uncomfortable night. they talk about alastors latest show and yrz drops some hot gossip about a deal gone wrong between so and so and alastor's deer ears perk up like owo whats' this?? a source of the good tea???

and that's how it starts. yrz seems to know a little about everything, actus as an informal informant, plus he's good at listening and we all know how much alastor loves a captive audience. i think the turning point from acquaintances to actual friends is that Alastor actually offers yrz some of his personal cooking (it's people obviously) and yrz actually has some (yrz: when in rome lol). It's not to yrz's taste but he's game to try anything at least once. how else would he learn new shit?

(look. They are literally in hell. Yrz is all about relative morality tbh.)

But after that alastor genuinely finds yrz to be good company and feels comfortable enough to ask a favor to stay with him after he gets back into town after his disappearance.

(i think that maybe the reason that alastor’s radio towers are still standing after he’s been gone so long is because yrz has been keeping an eye on them.)

[pocketvenuslux]

I'm doing another lingerie history throwback post, this time about the short lived diffusion line, L'Agent by Agent Provocateur.

L'Agent launched in 2013, when diffusion lines for luxury labels had become the norm in the fashion industry. These younger sibling brands offered goods at more accessible - though still expensive! -price points that allowed luxury brands to court aspirational shoppers without damaging the perception of exclusivity for their main lines. L'Agent followed this same strategy, with prices that were roughly 50% cheaper than AP.

Although many diffusion lines were eventually phased out, I think there were other reasons for L'Agent's doomed history, including the fact that it was such a latecomer to the diffusion game. Most popular diffusion lines at the time had launched more than a decade earlier and at this point, were considering shuttering operations. D&G closed in 2011, Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2015, Burberry Brit in 2016. While diffusion lines allowed luxury brands to build a larger, younger customer base, they also demanded more administrative and marketing resources and for many brands, they failed to differentiate themselves enough from main lines, dragging down that perceived luxury prestige.

Which brings me to my next point. A number of L'Agent's designs were clearly reworked versions of AP's designs. Obviously they were not exactly the same and the materials were different - but the latter is not something you can really appreciate when you're shopping online. Although AP digitally isolated L'Agent into an entirely different website, which it did not do with Soirée*, I feel its own designs were so distinctive, that didn't matter. At certain angles, I can't even tell the difference between L'Agent's Danita and AP's classic, Nikita.

While L'Agent was meant to be more youthful than AP, its early collections, especially the sets that did not crib from beloved AP designs, lacked a strong, cohesive voice. Despite this, L'Agent expanded rapidly, opening its own stores with what must have been a considerable outlay of capital. Here's an image of L'Agent's fourth store, which opened in Montreal in 2015.

Honestly, this Victoria's Secret-esque retail environment, nothing like the lush, boudoir-vibes of AP boutiques and their shop girls in their pink Westwood uniforms, strikes me as less fun and cheeky and more cheap and tacky - which is a shame because their lingerie was much better than what you could pick up at a VS.

While I didn't feel compelled to purchase a L'Agent set, I did pick up a pair of Idalia knickers for prosperity's sake. You can see the top photo of this post for the whole set. The panty has a number of costlier details such as picot edging, hidden seams, i.e. no gusset "pocket", and a two-toned lace. The stitches on the narrow elastics are actually three-point zigzags so they're tiny. However, the materials are a huge step down from AP. The lace feels stiffer and rougher and while the picot is cute, it irritates my skin a little.

You can still see many examples of other L'Agent sets online. I'll link to a few examples below.

Screenshots of the original website provided by its design agency

2013

SS 2014

AW 2014

AW 2015

SS 2016

AW 2016

SS 2017

In contrast to L'Agent, diffusion lines that were more successful were those that meaningfully created a "conversation" with the main line while having its own distinct voice. For example, I could always recognize a McQ piece, even if it was more editorial. They often repurposed elements you'd see on the Alexander McQueen runway into more streamlined, streetwear inspired pieces such that you'd never mistake a McQ piece for an Alexander McQueen RTW piece. McQ persisted through the 2010s and it was only in 2022 that the line was "suspended."

In addition to struggling to find its own voice, financial troubles at AP, which would eventually lead to the company's bankruptcy, proved to be the final nail in L'Agent's coffin. By late 2016, AP announced that it would be downsizing both stores and staff at its headquarters by a brutal 30% and L'Agent was definitely in the cross-hairs. L'Agent bit the dust the following year - it held a final sale for the 2017 post-holiday season and by February 2018, it was all over.

Despite this, I feel like L'Agent lives on. Current AP lines like Fia, Laily, Whinette and Yara all have a L'Agent vibe to me. Which is to say, the luxurious details I associated with older AP sets have increased in price at AP while L'Agent-ish sets that have simpler designs and cheaper materials have created a lower tier to AP's lingerie without actually being cheaper than the cheapest AP sets back in the day. In this way, the inflation of AP's prices are better hidden from the consumer. Can you tell from the photos below which model is wearing L'Agent and which is wearing AP's Fia?

In 2021, AP tried its hand again at the diffusion game with its "All Hours" line. This one was much shorter lived and you can read an analysis about its failure on The Lingerie Addict. Only the Lucky line survives in an "Anytime" collection.

Interestingly enough, in 2024, we are starting to see the return of the diffusion line. Society has not emerged from the pandemic unscathed and the cost of living crisis as well as punitive measures against workers have crushed the spending power of aspirational shoppers. Meanwhile, capitalists have only gotten richer. As a result, prices in the luxury sector have rocketed skyward as brands zero in on their rosters of VICs (Very Important Clients) with specialized services and double down on exclusivity. But it seems like younger brands like Aries, that may lack the rolodex and capital of more established houses, are once again, returning to the diffusion line while older lines like Comme des Garcons' Play appear to be selling well.

Personally, I'm not sure if we'll ever see a diffusion line from AP again. Because AP's brand is already youthful, playful and cheeky and no one wants expensive basics from a brand like AP, there is nowhere for an AP diffusion line to go. But the fallout of the decimation of the middle class is still playing out. And we will see if AP has what it takes to respond to this tread of increasing income inequality and financial precarity.

* While brands were launching diffusion lines, some also launched higher-tier "demi-couture" lines like Burberry Prorsum that featured more expensive and experimental materials and fashion forward, editorial designs - AP pursued this tactic as well with its Soirée line which launched earlier than L'Agent in 2009.

[lordsireno]

Urban explorer Goal has her next target in sight: The mall that was abandoned after a fatal fire. And this time she's got friends.

Rufus came on the promise of spending the night with a beautiful girl in an all you can smash and steal event. Cletus came along on the promise of spending the night with a beautiful girl, but did it really have to be somewhere so filthy? Toni was here as the usual company Goal had on her trips, and Argus had been instructed to bring Goal home the moment something went wrong.

But there may be more secrets to uncover than just the back rooms and service tunnels...

(intro snippet under the cut!)

“I can’t believe I let myself be dragged along on this stupid excursion.”

No one spared Cletus a glance as the five emerged from the overgrowth, out onto the cracked pavement of the parking lot. Before them loomed the massive structure of the abandoned shopping mall, stretching off into the distance.It was a mild evening, warmth slowly fading now the sun was on the other side of the building, with a breeze that gave way to quiet squeaking of broken lights and rustling of dried out bushes.

“Alright, according to the map-” Goal took the folded paper from her pocket, something she’d copied from the library archives, “There’s a fire escape that leads into the cinema. Hopefully since this end is so far from the entrance and damaged areas, it should have the least amount of security.”

Toni gave a small laugh as she dropped her cigarette and snuffed it out with her toe, “Don’t you find it ironic we’re sneaking in through a fire escape, when this place was shut down because people couldn’t escape the fire?”

“Let’s try to respect those who gave us the urban explorers dream location.” Goal pouted.

Rufus scoffed, “My dream location would be one of those spooky mental hospitals in the woods, that was also used to perform unethical experiments in an attempt to make some type of super soldier, that ultimately they lost control of and were destroyed by. But I guess potentially haunted by holiday shoppers' works too.”

The scavenger rifled through his pockets, producing a hand-held camcorder which he shoved into Argus’ hands.

“Okay, start filming.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re in charge of recording our adventure!”

Argus scowled, “No, I’m in charge of dragging Goal’s body back to her Father when this all goes wrong. That’s all.”

“It’s gonna be ages before we get to anything exciting, so just make yourself useful in the meantime, arsehole.”

“Oh I could end this whole excursion right here junk rat.”

Goal stepped between the two, pushing them apart by their shoulders.

“We agreed- no fighting, they’ll be enough of that if the guards find us. Please play nice.” She pulled her sadded eyes, “For my sake?”

Rufus stuck out his tongue in victory, while Argus muttered something under his breath and shoved the camera into Cletus’ hands, ignoring his confused protests. Pleased at the resolution, Goal turned and led the group across the cracked ground to a rusted stairwell that still clung to the outer wall. Red flecks flitted through the air as each scaled the steps, Rufus causing a mighty groan in the structure when he pushed forward to reach the door first. While chained, the crowbar he pulled from his coat made short work of the forgotten door, opening a dark hole into the depths.

At the back of the group, Cletus spared one last glance at the outside, flicking on the camera with a forlorn sigh.

“If this recording is the only thing they find of us, let it be known I was totally against it all.”

[mysteryshopper1]

Mystery Shopper Australia partners with leading Secret Shopper Companies to provide businesses with valuable insights into customer experiences. Through discreet evaluations, these companies help enhance service quality, improve customer satisfaction, and boost overall performance. If you're looking to optimize your business or join as a mystery shopper, Mystery Shopper Australia is your go-to resource.

[cxeinc]

How to Choose the Right Secret Shopper Company for Your Business Needs?

Choosing the correct secret shopper company is crucial for companies looking to boost customer service, sustain brand standards, and attain meaningful insights into their operations. With so many mystery shopping companies available, the choice can be overwhelming.

Before going ahead, let us understand mystery shopping.

What is Mystery Shopping?

Mystery shopping, also known as secret shopping, is a process businesses use to assess their service quality, team behavior, and overall customer experience. It involves deploying trained individuals to act as regular customers, observe interactions, and evaluate diverse service standards without revealing their identities.

Unlike other data collection forms, such as customer feedback or surveys, mystery shopping delivers a neutral and firsthand account of how services are offered at the base level. This strategy helps businesses find areas that require refinement, assures compliance with brand policies, and sustains consistency across multiple touchpoints.

This article will help you guide the selection process and find the best mystery shopper companies that align with your business goals, assuring you get the most value from your investment.

Recognize Your Business Goals

Before engaging with any mystery shopping service, it is critical to define your objectives. Do you want to?

Improve customer service and staff behavior?

Evaluate the presentation, quality and employee knowledge of products?

Ensure compliance with brand policies and service standards?

A retail store might focus on how employees engage with customers, while a hospitality chain may prioritize service quality and delivery. Clear goals ensure the service aligns with your expectations and delivers targeted insights.

2.      Choose Industry-Specific Expertise

Not all secret shopper companies specialize in every industry. To gain relevant insights, look for a partner with experience in your sector.

A transportation provider would require a mystery shopping service with experience assessing customer interactions and focusing on quality delivery standards. Choosing an industry-specific partner ensures the evaluation meets industry norms and expectations.

3.      Evaluate Reporting Capabilities

The best mystery shopping companies deliver thorough, actionable reports that can be used to make informed decisions. Assess what type of reporting the company offers—are they delivering real-time analytics, extensive summaries, or tailored recommendations?

Daily reports deliver service consistency across multiple customer journey touchpoints and quarterly performance insights.

4.      Assess Their Reputation and Case Studies

Look for companies with proven track records. Research reviews, client testimonials, and case studies to understand the company’s strengths.

If a mystery shopping company has worked with recognized labels in your industry and delivered measurable results, it’s a satisfactory trustworthiness indicator. Client success stories provide insights into the company’s ability to meet your expectations.

5.      Consider Flexibility and Customization

Every business is unique, so choose a mystery shopping service that offers customizable solutions. A flexible provider will tailor their approach to your needs, ensuring you receive relevant data and actionable feedback.

A retail store with seasonal collections may require more frequent evaluations during peak seasons and periodic assessments for promotional events. Customization ensures your business gets the precise insights it needs to grow.

6.      Understand the Costs and ROI

While budget is essential, it is equally important to focus on the value provided. Assess the mystery shopping service based on its potential return on investment (ROI).

A company that offers higher-quality insights, better-trained secret shoppers, and advanced reporting tools may have a higher upfront cost but will likely deliver more significant long-term benefits by preventing revenue loss and enhancing customer experience.

Make an Informed Decision

Choosing the right secret shopper company involves:

Understanding your goals.

Selecting industry-specific expertise.

Ensuring the service provides meaningful insights with detailed reports.

The best mystery shopping companies can help businesses determine areas of concern, build transparent customer relationships, and enhance operational efficiency.

Partnering with a company that delivers customization and proven results assures your mystery shopping actions align with your business strategy and drive measurable success.

Ready to elevate your customer experience? Partner with a trusted mystery shopping service today and unlock valuable insights for your business!

About the Author: CXE, a recognized industry leader, works with airports, hospitality, food and beverage, retail, and business and government clients to create some of the nation's most innovative and successful customer (CX) and employee experience (EX) improvement programs. With a stronghold in the airport arena, CXE is known for designing strategic airport customer experience and service culture programs that span all airport passenger-facing teams. 

CXE builds each client strategy utilizing a comprehensive approach to CX and EX, including service measurement, training, recognition and appreciation programs and performance coaching. CXE has earned the trust of airport executives and service partners, including airlines, security, TSA, retail, concessions, and duty-free operations teams in over 100 airports across North America. CXE is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland and brings together some of the industry's most successful customer experience professionals to help clients BOOST employee engagement, SPARK customer delight and DRIVE organizational success.

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberchase: Known South Korean Releases (part 1/2)

Hello all,

I live in the U.S., and I grew up watching Cyberchase. It's still one of the most nostalgic kid's shows for me. I starting digging into international releases to help document them, particularly the different language dubs.

I recently got ahold of some DVDs of Cyberchase from South Korea. I was able to find two releases. One of them covered 12 (out of 26) episodes from the first season. The other one covered all of the episodes from the eighth season through the eleventh season. My high-res scans of the first set are over here.

And then, my high-res scans of the second set are over here.

Before I dive into the content, let me explain how I got them from South Korea to the U.S. Maybe someone here will find it useful. Beyond just Cyberchase releases, I've seen South Korean releases of other nostalgic shows that surprised me. Case in point, does anyone remember "Time Warp Trio"? It was a children's show on Discovery Kids from 2005-2006 about three kids with a magic book travelling through time, meeting historical figures, and trying to save the universe. I have seen some scattered DVD releases in the U.S., but I've never seen a full release over here. And yet, South Korea apparently loved it so much that all 26 episodes made it on a DVD box-set.

Anyway, with Cyberchase, I found the two releases that I'll be talking about on a site called yes24.com.

However, due to the site only shipping around Korea, I had to go through an intermediary service called Harumio.

One of their services is "Personal Shopper". You give them information on the item that you want (website link, physical store location, etc). You give them money for purchasing the item, the shipping, and a small service fee. They buy the item, handle communication with the seller, and bring it to their warehouse in South Korea. They send you a picture of the item. And then, when you are ready, you ask them to ship it to you. They handle whatever forms are required for the international shipping. I've only used this service once, and everything went well for me. I've used similar intermediary services for Japanese imports several times in the past.

Anyway, I hope that's useful for someone. But let's talk about the Cyberchase releases. Let's start with the older one, which is the more interesting one for me.

So, we get some artwork of the kids going through the vortex that connects the real world to Cyberspace. I've seen this same cover art (minus the added Korean text) used for one of the volumes released in Australia, as well as another volume released in Italy. The smaller art of the kids should be pretty familiar to anyone who's been with the series for awhile, since it gets used on alot of things. I can also see a marker for "Volume 1". I haven't seen any other releases by this company. Maybe this particular company only did one volume.

The back of the box tells us that we are getting four DVD cases. All together, we get 12 episodes from Season 1. All of them debuted during January through February of 2002.

Lost My Marbles (Season 1 Episode 1)

Zeus on the Loose (Season 1 Episode 6)

And They Counted Happily Ever After (Season 1 Episode 8)

R-Fair City (Season 1 Episode 3)

Sensible Flats (Season 1 Episode 5)

The Poddleville Case (Season 1 Episode 7)

Snow Day to be Exact (Season 1 Episode 4)

Secrets of Symmetria (Season 1 Episode 10)

Clock Like An Egyptian (Season 1 Episode 9)

Castleblanca (Season 1 Episode 2)

A Day at the Spa (Season 1 Episode 11)

Return to Sensible Flats (Season 1 Episode 17)

The box mentions a company called EPLIS, and it gives a URL of www.eplis.co.kr. They still exist, and they have that "Time Warp Trio" DVD box-set that I mentioned earlier. They no longer feature this Cyberchase DVD, as it is out-of-print.

Let me zoom in on that copyright date towards the bottom. I see one for 2001, and another for 2013.

Now, 2013 is surprisingly late to be releasing only season one episodes. At the end of 2013, Cyberchase was exiting a roughly three year hiatus and bringing out season nine.

I think there is more to this though. The disk data for all four of them is from July 26, 2009. It seems odd that they would create a disc image in 2009, but then hold onto it all the way until 2013.

Additionally, the four different DVDs in the pack all have different artwork, rather than sharing a common style with the box-set.

I suspect that these four individual DVD cases were released by Eplis outside of this box-set either late 2009 or early 2010. Maybe they were released in a different box-set, but I suspect that they were released as individual DVDs. Then, in 2013, Eplis bundled them together in a single box.

You'll notice that they made the same mistake that the Italian DVDs did. Their screenshot for "Lost My Marbles" is actually taken from the pilot "The Poddleville Case" (or more likely, the tweaked version of the pilot that became Season 1 Episode 7).

I really like the artwork that they picked for the first DVD case in the box, "Lost My Marbles. I believe it is supposed to show a hallway in The Hacker's Grim Wreaker ship, though the colors have been noticeably tweaked.

I have seen this artwork used in one other place. It was the background for the ending of "How It All Started: Episode 2", part of the official prequel web comic for Cyberchase.

Of course, the version that was put out on the website in late 2001 or early 2002 was cropped and compressed to make it more accessible to internet users at the time. The South Korean DVD cover is the highest-quality I have ever seen for that piece of art, and I am glad to have preserved it.

And here we have the case wrap for the second disk. We get the classic art of the kids going through the vortex. The back reveals that they used a screenshot from "Lost My Marbles" with their write-up for "The Poddleville Case". So, they did mix those two episodes up.

I also really like the artwork that they used for the third disk. The title is "Clock Like an Egyptian", and they actually used artwork that was based on the episode. I've seen this artwork used on one of the Italian releases as well.

They also picked an excellent screenshot for Secrets of Symmetria. He's just going ham with the Symmetrizer.

And now, we arrive at the final disc from this set. I've seen this artwork used on Volume 4 of the Australian release of Cyberchase by MRA Entertainment. The kids are all laying on top of each other, as if they just tripped and fell over each other. Inez is at the bottom the pile. Jackie is laying on top of her. And Matt is leaning against Jackie with his arm around her waist. The kids don't seem to mind though, and Hacker is leaving, so I guess everything is fine.

It took me a little bit to notice a mistake in the tiny art at the top left.

Do you see what I see?

They snipped off some of Jackie's hair! How Rude!

These models are the same stock art that was used in one of the desktop backgrounds and the "Meet the Cybersquad" pages.

Now, here are still frames from the DVD menus of these four DVDs. You will notice that they use artwork based on episodes from Season Two.

True Colors (Season 2 Episode 4)

Hugs & Witches (Season 2 Episode 1)

Totally Rad (Season 2 Episode 2)

All the Right Angles (Season 2 Episode 5)

The third one is especially silly, as the original artwork showed Matt pointing at The Hacker, angry about him taking control over Radopolis. But they removed The Hacker from the shot. So, what's Matt so mad about? Also, Nezzie gets banished.

But it's really the second one that bothers me the most. Why is Matt now all alone in his quest to save Ada Lovelace? The original artwork, as seen on Volume 10 of the Australian release from MRA Entertainment, had Jackie and Inez helping.

Well, okay, so Jackie was struggling to open the door, and Inez was broken, but they were trying.

Now, one thing I need to extract from each of these DVDs is the menus. I showed still frames, but they actually have small animations on the characters. Sometimes Digit hovers around. Other times, characters move their arms. Since I can only put one video per post, I will need to make separate posts for those.

Unfortunately, after watching the credits on these episode, I couldn't find a panel crediting any of the voice actors/actresses who did the Korean dub for this release. The dubdb site doesn't have that information either.

I would like to extract the Korean audio to ensure that it is preserved on the Internet Archive. This was pretty straight-forward when I did this for the Italian dub. That method worked with the Italian DVDs because each of those DVDs held the Italian audio on its first audio track. However, this South Korean release actually put the English audio on the first audio track and left the Korean audio on the second audio track. So, my original method doesn't work here.

I am still experimenting with different methods. Here is a small clip, running for about a minute and a half where we get to hear Matt, Jackie, Inez, Digit, The Hacker, Motherboard, and Dr. Marbles. It's from that part of "Lost My Marbles" where The Hacker infects Motherboard with the virus. I burned-in some English sub-titles that came on the DVD.

I will make a follow-up post discussing the second Korean DVD box-set.

[andydrysdalerogers]

Yours Submissively ~ Pamper

Steve Rogers X OFC Isabella Davis

Summary: Five Years after the events of Civil War, Steve Rogers has moved on from avenging and has started his own business, Grant Inc. He has a secret that would turn his world upside down. And he's good at keep that secret. Until he meets the woman with violet eyes that could bring him to his knees. Now his mission is to make her, his. But she is the key that could bring the world into balance... or chaos.

And she has no idea.

Series Warnings: slow burn at the beginning, smut, angst, sexual themes of BDSM, dom/sub dynamics, kidnapping, loss of virginity, (and a bunch of others that will come up)

A/N: the taglist is open!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: Communication

Series Masterlist ~ Main Masterlist

Arriving at the penthouse, Belle immediately went to her “room” in the apartment.  She looked around while Steve followed and leaned on the door frame.  He watched as she inspected the bed, vanity and dress, which was filled with clothes.  She picked up a tank top and saw that it was her size. She looked at Steve.  “Bucky has a great eye for sizes.  I just gave it to the personal shopper at Nordstroms.”

“All of these are for me?”

“Of course.  I said I would take care of everything.”

“Steve, this is too much.  You’re taking me shopping as well.”

Steve grew upset.  “Isabella, you promised to try.”

“I didn’t know it would be getting a whole new wardrobe. This is a lot.”

“Ok, fair but I want to do this for you.”

Isabella sighed.  “Fine. You’re right; I did promise to try.” She moved to her bag and removed the few items she had packed.  She hadn’t been kidding about the stuffed bunny, but she also brought her favorite perfume, her makeup bag and a blanket.

“Blanket?”

She looked up at Steve.  “Yeah, sorry.  It was one of my dad’s.  When I get scared…” she trailed off.

“I understand. But you know, no harm will come to you.”

Belle was grateful.  “Thanks, Steve.” She placed the empty bag in the closet and headed for Steve.  “So what did you have planned now?”

“Thought we could sit and talk. Mrs. Lewis made some desserts for us.”

“Sure.”  Steve took Belle’s hand and went to the living room.  Steve had set out some blankets and pillows and had a bottle of wine on the table.

“It’s Moscato.  I saw it at your apartment.”

“It’s my favorite.  I’m more of a sweet taste kind of girl.”

“I saw that.  You loved that cheesecake way too much.” Steve chuckled as Belle glared at him.

“Cupcakes and cheesecake are God’s perfect foods,” she said with conviction.

“Really?”  Steve slid his arm around her.  “And what if I ate said cupcake off of you?”

Belle shivered. “It’s up to you if it’s the perfect taste.”

“I could find out from you.” He kissed her behind her ear.

She held in the moan and moved herself away.  “Ok, I thought this was a getting to know each other kind of thing.”

“I was trying to get to know you.  Just in a different way.”  Steve smirked.  “Fine, favorite music.”

“80s.  Perfect for dancing and singing along. You?”

“40s, also perfect for dancing and singing.”

They went back and forth on the questions.  Belle inched closer and closer to Steve as the wine and the time started to get to her. Soon she was asleep on his shoulder.  He had learned so much and made mental notes on how to make her stay with him more comfortable.  He lifted her gently and took her to her room.  She had changed earlier to a camisole and unicorn pajamas which had made him chuckle.  He got her under the covers and kissed her forehead.  “Good night sweetheart,” he whispered.

The next morning, Belle woke up disoriented.  How did she get here?  She recognized the room and remembered her evening with Steve.  He was interesting and funny.  She liked his company.  But when she looked over to see the other side un-rumpled, disappointment flooded her.  She liked sleeping next to him, his warm body a comfort.  He kept the dreams, the nightmares away. She stretched and headed for the shower.

She came downstairs to find Steve and Bucky seated on the couch, sipping from mugs.  She stopped, unsure of how to act around Bucky. All of their interactions started on accident, so she froze in the doorway.  Steve, however, heard her and turned to face Belle.  “Good morning sweetheart.”

“H-Hi,” she stuttered.

Bucky cleared his throat.  “Good Morning, Belle.  I see we went for fully dressed this morning,” he said with a smirk.

Steve glared at his best friend.  “Shut up jerk.  Don’t embarrass her,” as he saw the pink flood Belle’s cheeks.  He stood up and went over to Belle and gave Belle a peck on the lips. “How did you sleep?”

“Ok.”  She didn’t want to give away the nightmare she had.  “Umm, did you want me to make some breakfast?”

“We can go out, if you want.”

“No, its fine.” Belle straightens up. “French toast?”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to, Steve.” He smiles, melting her a little. “Will Mr. Barnes be joining us?”

“Mr. Barnes?”

“I don’t know how to address him.” Belle flushed again.

“You can call him James or Bucky, sweetheart.  Unless you want to keep it formal with him.”

“I’ll do whatever you say.  He’s your friend, help, wait, shit.”  She covered her face.

Steve chuckled. “Breathe, Isabella. He can be your friend too.  His number is in your new phone as well.  I want you to be comfortable.”

“Ok.”  Belle took in a deep breath.  “Bucky, will you be joining us for breakfast?”

“Only if you are ok with it,” he called back with a smile and a wink. “And that you continue to wear pants.”

Isabella groaned from the reminder of the last meal they shared and buried her face into Steve’s chest.  He laughed and held her close. “I can kill him if you’d like sweetheart.”

This got the laugh he was looking for.  “Maybe later. I’m going to start cooking.”

He kissed her forehead.  “I left a mug of coffee for you on the counter.”

“Thanks.”  She headed in and looked for her ingredients.  She saw the mug and opened it to see it has cream already in it.  She sipped and noticed it was made how she liked it.  She smiled.  The consideration Steve took to remember how she prepared her coffee from over a week ago was sweet.  She pulled breakfast together and served it on the dining room table.  “Gentlemen, breakfast is served.”

Steve and Bucky came in to a surprise.  Belle had worked quick but pulled off an amazing breakfast of french toast, bacon, and fresh fruit.  Orange juice and a carafe of coffee sat in the center.  “Isabella, you did all this?”

She shrugged.  “No big deal.”  Steve sat at the head of the table with Bucky and Bella on either side.

He took a bite and stopped.  The warm vanilla, cinnamon flavor spread in his mouth and he closed his eyes.  He savored the bite.  “Isabella, that has to be the most amazing french toast I have ever had.”

Bucky hummed in agreement. The girls that Steve brought previous couldn’t cook and he avoid dining with Steve on the weekends.  But he knew he needed to make an effort if he got food like this.  “Seriously, its good.”

“Thanks guys.” Belle ate, avoiding eye contact, embarrassed by the praise.  “So what is the plan for today?”

“Today is shopping and than the benefit.  I figured that you would like to pick your own dress for the party.”

“What’s the theme?”

“It’s a Monte Carlo theme event.  You can play some casino games, dance, anything really.”  He took a sip of coffee.  “Its not as formal as the gala from a few weeks ago.”

“Ok.  Well, then I’m going to clean up and grab my purse.”  Belle stood and reached to take the plates when Bucky stopped her.

“You cook, I’ll clean.  The least I can do.”

“Thank you Bucky.”  She stood up and left the room.

Sitting in the back of the  SUV, Belle began to realize the enormity of attending an event with Steve.  The press would be there, taking her picture.  She started to get nervous.  Steve felt her tense in his hand.  “Isabella?”

“I’m sorry.  It just hit me  how big of a deal it is to go tonight.”  She paled a little bit more.  “All those cameras…” she trailed off.

“Ok, relax, its ok.”  Steve rubbed  his thumb over her knuckles.  “You don’t have to walk in the front.  I can have Bucky take you through the  back.”  He pulled her hand up to his lips.  “I promise.  Nothing is going to happen to you.”  He could feel her relax.

“I’m sorry.  It’s just, I’ve never been in the spotlight.  My dad kept things very quiet.  Especially when he was on work trips.  This is all new to me.”

“I’ve got you sweetheart. I’ll  take care of  it.  Let’s find  you something ok?”

Bucky let them out at Bloomingdale’s and Steve took her up to the dress area and took a seat. Belle looked  around but was intimated by the amount  of gowns.  She looked  lost until a woman approached.  “Hi, I’m Suzy Phillips.  Mr. Rogers sent me over to help you pick a dress for tonight.”

Belle looked over at Steve who looked up from his phone and smiled at her.  He sat on an oversized couch.  Belle turned back to Suzy.  “Thank you Miss Phillips.”

“It’s my pleasure.  So I know its not a super formal event but do you know what you are looking for.  With your dark hair and amazing eyes, you would look killer in anything really.”

Belle blushed at the compliment.  “It’s a Monte Carlo theme so I was thinking black.”

“Good choice.  You have long legs,” Suzy looked her over, “and I think a shorter dress would work.  Nothing scandalous but just enough to tease.”  Suzy started to pull dresses and taking them  back to the dressing room.  Belle followed and tried dress after dress.  Belle got frustrated until she got to the last  one.   It was a strapless sweet heart dress with a tulle skirt.  She tried it on and it fell just to her knees.  It was flirty and fun. “I know just the shoes,” Suzy said.

She left and came back with a pair of black stilettos pumps but the shoe and heels was covered black sparkles.  “You are going to look amazing in this.”

Belle gave a genuine smile.  “I don’t have to show him, right?”

“No,” Suzy smiled.  “Let’s leave it as a surprise. I’ll take it up and ring it up.”

Belle got dressed and headed out to Steve.  He stood up as she approached.  “Did you find something sweetheart?”

“I did.  She is wrapping it up for me.”

“I don’t get a sneak peek?”  Steve raised an eyebrow.

“Nope. Sorry.  Have to find a way to surprise you.”

Steve huffed.  “As long as they match these, its fine.” He pulled a black velvet box from his pocket.  For you.  He pinched it open to show a pair of drop earrings of sapphires and diamonds.  “They don’t match the exact color of your eyes but they should help your eyes sparkle.”

Belle stared at them.  “I can’t…”

“Yes, you will.” Steve pinched her chin, forcing her to keep her eyes on him. “Please.”

“Thank you,” Belle whispered as Steve got closer.  He kissed her gently, but the intensity was no less than before. The stood with their foreheads pressed together until he kissed her nose and pulled her to a different part of the store.  It had lingerie of different styles.

“Pick what works, I won’t look.  I need to get a new tie.”

“Blue,” Belle blurted out.  Steve looked at her surprised.  “Dark blue, to match my earrings.”

Steve smiled. “Yes, dear.” He kissed her forehead and left.  Belle stopped and selected her undergarments.  Everything was packaged up as Steve walked back in.  He handed his card and signed, never bothering to look at the total.  He took the bags from Belle, and they walked back to the exit.

Bucky jumped out to help with the bags and Steve helped Belle into the car.  They drove to a café for lunch.  Over soup and sandwiches, Steve asks, “so do you know how to play any casino games?”

“Uh, blackjack because its easy and like basic poker,” Belle replies, a twinkle showing in her eye.

“Basic?”

“Yeah, five cards, best hand, whatever.  I’ve played a couple of time with MJ and Peter. Usually with candy as our bets,” she says with a giggle.

“Well, the benefit had an entry fee, which I took care of, and they will hand us our chips to play with.  I think the most chips at the end of the night win a prize.”

“That sounds like fun.” 

Steve looked at his watch.  “We gotta go.  I have someone coming by to help with your hair and makeup.”

Belle just nodded, getting used to the opulence that Steve provided. Steve took it as a good sign.  They left the diner and head back to the penthouse.  Belle went to her room with her bags and laid everything but her dress out.  She changed into a silk robe after slipping on her undergarments.

“Belle? Are you ready?” Steve called through the door. She opened to find another man and woman with Steve.  “Belle, this is Marco and Marie.  They will help with your hair and makeup for tonight.”

“Nice to meet you.”  Belle was whisked to her bathroom where there was a director’s chair set up.  Marco started to work on Belle’s hair while Marie started on her face.

“Half up, yes, with curls,” Marco said after looking at her dress.  “Flirty.”  Belle nodded. 

Marie kept her makeup light, only highlighting her eyes but adding a bright red lip.  “No need to add to your eyes, just mascara but let those lip pop.”

An hour later and Belle was getting ready to put on her dress.  Steve came by his shirt still unbutton at the top.  “You almost ready?”

“Just my dress,” Belle replied.  “And shoes, I guess.”  She fastened the earrings on. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“You look beautiful already sweetheart.”  Steve came and kissed her forehead.  “I’m just finishing up. See you in a few.”

Belle stopped to calm her heart.  The man was going to be the death of her.  She pulled off the robe and stared at the black corset with blue ribbons.  The panties matched with a little blue bow and a garter holding her thigh high stockings.  She slipped the dress over her head and realized she needed help with the zipper, getting it only halfway up.  She slipped on her shoes, grabbed her clutch and headed downstairs.  Waiting was Steve in a black suit with the dark blue tie.

He turned as he heard her heels and drew in his breath.  She looks gorgeous in her strapless dress and he felt his cock twitch in his pants.

“Hi,” she said.  “I need help with the rest of the zipper.”  She made it to the bottom and pulled her dark hair away. Steve moved to pull the zipper up, running a finger along her spine, causing her to gasp.  He spotted the top of the corset and fought the urge to start kissing her back.  When he finished, he spun her and took a step back.

“You look exquisite, Isabella. If I hadn’t promised to attend, we wouldn’t leave.”  Belle gasped at his comment.  “Now I can’t wait to get home.  So let’s go before I change my mind.”

NEXT

Taglist:

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@jennmurawski13-writes

@firephotogrl74

@tinkerbelle67

@before-we-get-started

@bunnyforhim

@alexakeyloveloki

@amiquette

[lonelysatoru]

one piece characters as goodwill workers

Luffy

somehow became a team lead (nobody knows how)

before he was a team lead he used to always get in trouble for always going into the breakroom for a “quick snack” (a full meal and 15 minutes laughing at the gc)

he used to never show up to work on time until he forced his roommates to come work there (roommates being zoro, sanji, and ussop)

hasn’t gotten asked to close since the time he fucked up the counting machine i the cash office so bad everyone was stuck there until 11:30pm trying to figure out how to fix it so that the store manager wouldn’t kill them (the cash machine was broken for months after)

works best in hardline

works morning shift bc that’s when sanji comes to work

usually works door because he’s super friendly and can carry a bunch of stuff inside at once

sorts through donations slow bc he gets distracted by the cool stuff

also isn’t allowed to price anymore bc he once put a vase worth $2,000 on the floor for 5.99 bc he thought it was ugly and didn’t think to look it up

whenever they get secret shopped and he’s at the door they get high scores

when ever he has to roll carts he takes forever because the regulars like to stop him and talk to him (and he could talk forever)

got banned from dressing the mannequins because he’d put the ugliest shit known to man on them for a good laugh

got employee of the month once and never ever let anyone forget it

songs along to the songs that play over the speakers EVERYDAY, regardless what song it is

uses the company card to buy food for everyone

is the person that buys cupcakes for a employee birthday or milestone 🥹

zoro

is also a hardliner

he’s only allowed to do sorting tho bc he’s rude to the people at donation door

their lowest score was when he was at the door in luffy’s absence (made a side comment about someone donating their garbage, or as he called it, useless shit)

got wrote up BAD for that too but he didn’t care

he’s better at sorting than luffy is bc he doesn’t get distracted and thinks a lot of the stuff is trashy

also always shows up to work on time and doesn’t ever miss a day

pretends to be annoyed when luffy sings along to the songs over the speaker but got super concerned the one day luffy didn’t sing along

has never gotten employee of the month and despises it so much bc sanji always makes fun of him for it

disappears for a realllyyyy long time every single day to go to the bathroom (goes to sleep for 20 minutes)

got in trouble for taking super long bathroom breaks so now he cuts his breaks down to 15 minutes and doesn’t get in trouble for it bc they don’t have the employees to fire him

usually works afternoon shifts bc that’s when ussop comes to work

only works there bc luffy begged and bribed him with the fact that they offer gym memberships through one of their programs

got banned from using the intercom bc during closing he got asked to make the closing call and went “attention goodwill shoppers. if you’re still in here at 8pm you need to get your shit and go. i wanna go home”

always takes his lunch with ussop bc he works in the front and is always willing to take him to go get something to eat if he’s still hungry after the lunch sanji packed

hates closing bc the people that show up around that time don’t leave fast enough for him

whenever he has to grab price checks from the front customers stare at him bc they think he’s hot

got made fun of by luffy bad when a grandma tried to set him up with their granddaughter after he helped her take her stuff out to the car

is the guy the cashiers call to grab stuff from top shelves

sanji

is a PRICER in hardline

works very quickly and efficiently bc he doesn’t like getting in trouble and wants to impress the store manager (happens to be nami)

has gotten employee of the month 3 times and rubs it in zoro’s face BAD

has gotten asked to help at other stores a few times and always smirks at zoro while they ask bc he knows zoro will NEVER get asked that

is always making side comments about zoro while he prices, which always leads to them fighting but they stop whenever nami comes into the back cuz they know to shape up when she’s in the area

always gets the store bonuses bc he noticed the super expensive items before they go out and sends them to ecom

they always make count when he’s the one pricing, even if it’s a slow day at the donation door

is the designated training buddy for new comers so he knows how to do everything in the store

drives luffy to work in the morning so that he’s not late

always makes lunches for zoro, ussop, and luffy (also makes lunch for nami and gets so red whenever she comments on how good his food is)

brings baked goods to work for everyone to eat sometimes and pretends he doesn’t like the praise

takes full advantage of the grocery and gas option goodwill has for workers (they pay for employees groceries and gas)

writes those stupid little praise cards for everyone in the store but swears he only writes ones for the women in the store

always goes home for his lunch break

sits in his car for his 15 minute breaks bc if he sits in the breakroom with luffy he loses track of time and they end up getting in trouble (once sat their for 40 minute cackling with luffy and a coworker)

ussop comes to him and tells him what areas in the store needed to be decorated and he keeps it in mind by putting his decorations in a different cart

when ussop calls for a price check he goes to get it to see if he’s having an anxiety attack (can always tell over the speaker no matter how crunchy it is)

when he goes up front to get price checks he never notices but people stare at him when he walks by

gets asked what kind of cologne he’s wearing everytime he steps foot out onto the floor

usopp

is a cashier

got super bad anxiety working up front by himself the first few weeks he started, but once he got used to it he was able to hide it better

gets REALLY bad anxiety when he’s left up at the front alone bc someone called out and they’re spread thin

never ever forgets to tell everyone the return policy

whenever he finally gets backup he gets told to roll carts or fill up the endcaps of the aisles until he feels calmer

dresses the mannequins bc he has the best fashion sense/eye for display out of the other employees

excels during holiday seasons bc he’s fantastic and bringing together the random donated items

always takes his lunches and 15 minutes breaks at the same time

always goes on lunch with zoro so that they can get food

was the unlucky soul who got stuck with luffy until 11:30 when he fucked up the cash machine

begs nami to switch the station to the throwback station every thursday bc at night when everyone’s gone he gets to sing along to california girls at the top of his lungs (zoro always tells him to shut up)

gets pretty good reviews when the secret shoppers comes to his register bc he’s super easy going and will have a conversation with anyone

knows all the tea in the store and more often than not ends up sitting with nami in her office or while they price new goods and just GOSSIPS

keeps trying to convince sanji to become a store manager since he knows how to do every job in the store

nami

is the store manager

rules the store with a iron enough grip that they know not to mess around too much, but loose enough that everyone knows they can come to her with anything and talk

isn’t super strict about the dress code unless one of the big bosses is coming

she loosely follows the rules and policies goodwill sets in place if she thinks they’re stupid

for example: there’s a rule that employees can’t buy the color of the week. but she’ll let you buy the color of the week if you want it (she just doesn’t give them the employee discount)

lowkey hates being the store manager bc she always has a ton of paper work and meetings and emails to tend to like everyday

prefers to help in softline over hardline bc luffy’s off key singing makes her head hurt. plus sanji and zoro’s bickering also irritates her

on the rare occasions one of them isn’t there she’ll go back there and stay bc usually luffy without zoro/ zoro without luffy is just less annoying

is super serious about everyone making count and sending stuff to ecom bc she wants her bonuses (also bc if they can reach their budget continuously the workers can get raises but she’ll never say that)

whenever a customer is being rude to her workers they know to call her bc she’ll kick them to the curb IMMEDIATELY, regardless of if they were gonna pay for their things or not

gave zoro the title of “security guard” bc if a customer is particularly aggressive she gets on the unofficial pokémon walkies and calls for him. as soon as he comes out from the back and the trouble maker sees him they ALWAYS take the base outa their tone and leave 😭

okay i’m all outa ideas 🫡