A reminder on Pret A Manger’s micromanaging, fear managing weekly mystery shopper scheme run by HGEM.
Even if I make “advertising” for HGEM, I do this for a reason, as they employ many “power-tripping” mystery shoppers who lord it over staff on purpose and enjoy how staff suffer and have to kiss butt all day. And even when a mystery shopper awards the individual “outstanding card” (not a literal card, but £50 or £100 cash reward to ONE staff member), word is out that Pret at times delete the comments and NOT give the award.
Quote of an anonymous person who contacted me saying they know Pret staff who receive the mystery shopper reports and manipulate the results in favour of Pret’s pockets AND who also knows Pret workers in shops, quote:
“I know people who conduct mystery shopper reports and individuals working at shops whose reports have been affected. In some cases, when someone is nominated for an “outstanding performance” by the mystery shopper, they should receive an extra £100 that week. Unfortunately, there have been instances where the “outstanding performance” line in the reports received later by the Pret shop has been left empty, with comments deleted, preventing anyone from receiving the extra £100”
End of quote.
Also, please see my media page of my work with the press, especially when people like Pret staff and friends of staff leak issues to me that I pass on to journalists.
I received the above anonymous message and believe it because of the numerous times many shops did NOT get the bonus straight after the big summer and winter party. Not to mention all the other times Pret either take (steal as in wage theft settled out of court, or “borrow” from low-wage staff).
Side note, Pret are £700 million in debt while under private equity pressure to double in size worldwide by 2026. So, they’re not only hiking prices, as well as having “technical issues” on their app that customers cannot get the perks or drinks, but also taking from staff at every turn possible. Pret did that already before the pandemic, before the debt, and before the customer deaths and injuries became public and bad press increased. But now it’s much, MUCH worse!
Hence, customer complaints, bad press and staff turnover are through the roof.
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Since many years Pret implemented extremely strict mystery shopper questions to test staff on the tiniest points and fear manage them. HGEM is the company employed by Pret since around 2016 or 2017 to send mystery shoppers every week to every shop. Before HGEM it was another company. Side note, HGEM also run mystery shopper visits to Pret’s close friends itsu who’s CEO now since November 2024 is Clive Schlee who owns half of itsu and used to be Pret’s CEO and is CEO Pano Christou’s mentor. Itsu staff are equally exploited and treated badly.
Many people who sign up for HGEM love to power-trip over low-wage staff. I encountered a few of them on social media, and 9 out of 10 times they are insulting, rude, thin skinned, arrogant, entitled and power-tripping when a I point out how mentally harming this emotional labour scheme is.
Little reminder on the excellent article by journalist Timothy Noah, “The Enforced Happiness of Pret A Manger“.
Excerpts of mystery shopper reports throughout the years and different shops:
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For more on what I call emotional labour “abuse” I list a few very good articles on my page: “The Dangers of Emotional Labour”
I write this today because some thin-skinned guy on Facebook tries to insult me after I explained how horrible this scheme is and how I became suicidal. I will not get into great detail to keep it short and as I covered this many times and more and more customers as well as the press know now that Pret are NOT friendly, but force staff to pretend a happiness.
I was reprimanded by my manager after the mystery shopper, whom I rename as “misery” shopper for a reason, commented that I didn’t smile. This was days after I buried my brother, Pret and my management knew about it, but had no mercy. I went home after my shift often passing by the bridge.
And as usual, with arrogant, entitled, power-tripping people, they try to insult you for pointing out the abusive tactic and the mental health deterioration of staff due to this mystery shopper scheme Pret put in place.
I just put some screenshots of the exchange on Facebook yesterday and today. My main comment was hidden after they reported me to Facebook. Via Facebook reporting, they used the bogus reason of “suicide” even though I simply stated a FACT that I became suicidal during this mystery shopper abuse while bereaved.
Please click ctrl and + (plus) to increase the screenshot for better read, and ctrl and – (minus) to decrease again.
At the bottom I will post only a few of the many staff reviews about the “misery” shopper scheme and how they suffer.
My first comment which is now removed. And I write so blunt on purpose as I almost lost my life in this horrible company:
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It’s clear that this is a Facebook BOT making “decisions”, NOT a human, as it gives mixed messages. At first my comment goes against the rules, then is does NOT. 😀
Here again, another case study.
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So it DOES. 😀
The technology “teams” are in reality bots, not humans. The decisions come SO FAST, within seconds, AI operated.
If the Facebook bot wouldn’t have removed my comment, I would never put it onto a wider platform, but now it’s spread out across the Internet. Thanks for reporting HGEM and/or thin-skinned miser shopper. 😉
Before the reporting and hiding of my comment, a thin-skinned guy who seems to feel addressed as if he is a mystery shopper tried to insult me. Yes, I give him attention on my blog to show how power-tripping people are who get a little “influence” to lord it over low-wage workers in the hospitality industry.
This Simon Fin wrote a comment to make HGEM aware of my post as if the HGEM social media person won’t get notified. It’s also very typical for thin-skinned people like this to claim that they don’t care, and then continue to write over and over, trying to insult as if that does anything.
He also tries to distract, not answering if he is a misery shopper. He certainly sounds miserable.
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Some Pret staff reviews regarding the mystery shopper:
Also, Pret make it EXTRA hard to achieve weekly bonus to avoid paying bonus AND individual outstanding card rewards. It’s all on purpose to avoid spending money while still fear managing staff via the misery shopper.
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… and so on and so forth …
Now Simon Fin, go and throw a childish fit and go on your power-tripping reporting rampage, as if I’d give a flying fnck! Happy researching and trying to figure out how to retaliate. You’re just one of a few thin skinned people who has no leg to stand on.
THE MOST poignant ex Pret staff review to date – everything people need to know about work conditions and mental health problems in Pret A Manger is summed up in the following review:
“This job can annihilate every piece of humanity inside of you … You will lose everything that makes you human.”
Nothing to add to that!
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I worked at Pret A Manger and survived systemic workplace bullying during bereavement that involved HR, the top leadership, HQ and even the now “retired” former CEO Clive Schlee. Schlee has been appointed CEO of itsu in 2024 by Julian Metcalfe who gave him the CEO spot at Pret many years ago.
I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather speak out to help others. For an overview of important blog entries of my experience with Pret, please visit “My Ordeal with Pret A Manger”. The little arrow to the right next to each heading will lead directly to the post.
An incomplete list on what other Pret staff say about Pret’s bullying environment: Caught in the Act Bullying at Pret and What shop MANAGERS & HQ staff say about Pret incl. CEO Pano Christou.
I tell my story for the first time verbally in below audio player interview on a podcast by The Adam Paradox, and wrote two articles in the Scottish Left Review as well as mentioned by the BBC.
Please also see the MEDIA page for more on my work with the press.
NEW LinkTree
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Thank you for reading/listening.
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Interview:
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Bullied during bereavement in Pret A Manger 
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