Secret Shopper

## Episode navigation

**"Secret Shopper"** is the sixth episode of Season One of *Superstore*, and the sixth episode of the show overall.

## Summary

*Amy feels competitive when Jonah aces his employee test, the staff try to identify a secret shopper.*

## Plot

In the Break Room, the staff are watching a video of a "secret shopper" that corporate sent to the Richmond Heights store to spy on typical staff performance. Garrett mentions that staff at stores that performed poorly were fired and those that performed well received raises. Dina is confident that she can spot a secret shopper if one is sent to the store. Mateo hopes the shopper comes to the store so he can show off his corporate knowledge, having scored 93% on the test. Jonah says he received a perfect score which astounds Amy as she considers him bad at his job. Jonah proudly shows Amy a framed photo of him in the hallway commemorating his perfect score and he is wearing a name tag with the name "Ace".

Amy asks Jonah to stock charcoal in the Patio department but he points out that corporate wants this in Grocery. Amy disagrees and doesn't care that it goes against policy. A boy picks up a girl in a small car. (♫ Cameo - Word Up! ♫) Dina is on the look-out for the secret shopper and starts grilling customers. She approaches a woman shopping for dog food and verifies her purchases and aggressively asks about her dog. An attractive woman asks Garrett for help with men's hats and while enthusiastically serving her, Mateo interrupts and says Garrett is a rapist. The woman leaves and Mateo explains that he is putting down staff to make himself look good in case any customers are the secret shopper. Garrett lies that at one Cloud 9 store, the secret shopper was an employee which concerns Mateo. A woman sprays bronzer on her beauty pageant daughter. (♫ Bread - Everything I Own ♫)

Jonah stacks charcoal in Grocery while Glenn worries about the secret shopper. Amy asks Jonah why he disobeyed her and Glenn vouches for putting charcoal in Grocery not wanting to make any mistakes. Glenn lauds Jonah's knowledge, test score and comments that Amy hasn't done anything impressive in a while. In Patio, Jonah gives Amy a jar of olives as a peace offering while a customer and Garrett asks where the charcoal is. Amy tells Jonah not to go over her head to Glenn and to hang up signs in Patio that charcoal is now in Grocery. Jonah says there's a policy against that which exasperates Amy. Dina interrogates a grieving condolence card shopper who she brings to tears. In the Surveillance Office, Mateo is watching the monitors and is joined by Glenn. Mateo suspects the secret shopper is Jonah which sends Glenn into a panic.

In Glenn's Office, Glenn laughs nervously at Jonah. He asks a bewildered Jonah if he is in trouble and then asks for a raise which Jonah says he deserves. Glenn is overjoyed and shares sour candy with Jonah. Someone draws a penis on the portrait of Jonah. (♫ Tommy James and the Shondells - I Think We're Alone Now ♫) Amy returns to Patio to find Jonah hasn't hung up the signs. Over the P.A. system, Amy asks Jonah to report to Patio and they proceed to have an argument over the P.A. for all to hear. A teenager joins in with various gags and finally Amy swears at Jonah and hangs up. In Glenn's office, Amy is rebuked by Glenn but is interrupted by a phone call from his wife Jerusha whom he tells about his raise. He tells Amy to get along with Jonah unless she wants to work moving inventory. Amy is next seen moving large boxes. Dina slows claps at an elderly black woman looking at a bed. Dina says her cover is blown and then yells into the woman's broach.

Jonah seeks an apology from Amy but isn't successful so points out they need some toys that are stocked on a top shelf. Amy gets in a forklift but is unsure how to operate it. She refuses Jonah's help until she crashes into some boxes. At customer service, Mateo has bought some meatballs for Jonah which Garrett says Jonah hates. Garrett takes the meatballs and then lies that Jonah likes a certain cake which Mateo runs out to get. Standing beside Garrett is a man taking notes that he identifies as the secret shopper. Jonah and Amy take turns trying to operate the forklift and proceed to damage a number of items. (♫ Onyx - Slam ♫) Finally, Amy topples over a whole shelving unit which dumps many boxes and their contents onto the floor. A woman looks inside the shorts of a black mannequin. (♫ BTO - Let It Ride ♫)

Amy and Jonah are laying on the floor throwing stuffed toys and start to open up to each other. Amy is taking college courses and found it annoying that Jonah was talking about his perfect test score. Jonah confides that he flunked out of business school. He suggests they just walk away from the mess they made and say that some bolts broke on the shelving unit. Jonah accidentally starts the forklift which runs amok into the store and chases Mateo down an aisle. In the Break Room, the staff are watching the secret shopper's video of the forklift incident. Glenn says that the store scored better than the Richmond Heights store so their jobs should be safe. Amy says that the secret shopper was the same guy as last year. The video shows Dina manhandling the elderly woman, trying to get at her broach which she thinks is a camera.

## Cast

### Main cast

America Ferreraas Amy DubanowskiBen Feldmanas Jonah SimmsMark McKinneyas Glenn SturgisLauren Ashas Dina FoxColton Dunnas Garrett McNeillNico Santosas Mateo Liwanag
### Featured cast

Jon Miyaharaas BrettSelisha Shertickas SarahJudd Lawrenceas HenryAndy Loboas TravisMariana Toscaas HeatherBrendan McNamaraas Cloud 9 EmployeeWill Hinesas ManagerDiona Reasonoveras Pet OwnerSeema Lazaras Attractive WomanKent Avendioas Lost CustomerSean Gunnas Card ShopperBrendan Caltonas TeenagerAnne Johnsonas Elderly CustomerNick Bushas Secret Shopper

## Running Gags

* Amy's name tag: Amy wears a different name tag in every episode. For this one it's "Sylvia". Jonah wears an "Ace" name tag.
* **Crazy Customers and music**: For all customer interludes and music see Secret Shopper (music).
* Glenn's tie: Many clouds. At the episode end he wear cartoon clouds.
* **Raccoon**: Introduction of this gag. Amy asks Jonah to grab a mop and clean up after the raccoon.
* Spitzer Holding Company: At the end of every episode, the Spitzer Holding Company title card lists 3 of their "specialties". In this episode, they are "Real Estate", "Wetware Technologies", and "Rare Gemstones".

## References

* Employees from another Cloud 9 store caught on video by the secret shopper are trying to get tickets to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
* Dina and Garrett argue about Blade Runner and the character Rick Deckard.
* When Jonah won't follow Amy's direction on where to put items, she says unless he does, everyone better enjoy being MapQuest.
* Glenn makes references to Gorillas in the Mist and Bed, Bath & Beyond replacing "Mist" with "Midst" and "Beyond" with "Beyoncé".
* Dina mentions Billy Joel to an aggrieved man shopping for a condolence card.
* A teenager takes over the intercom and mentions Howard Stern.
* When watching the video the secret shopper made of Cloud 9 Store 1217, Dina admires the video and says the shopper probably had C.I.A. training.

## Trivia

* This is the first episode where Jonah wears a different nametag. For this episode, he used "Ace".
* According to Glenn, the secret shopper found that the Richmond Heights Cloud 9 store had a meth lab in their basement that was a front for a dog fighting ring.
* "Señor Cloud" salsa ("Shots and Salsa") can be seen behind Jonah as he stacks charcoal.
* The Warehouse debuts and the Surveillance Office and Glenn's office make an appearance.
* Cheyenne does not appear and Nichole Bloom is not credited.
* Goof: In Glenn's Office, as Glenn talks to Jonah thinking he is the "secret employee", his collar is unbuttoned, then buttoned when he asks for a raise, then unbuttoned when he mentions a tin of candies, then buttoned when he eats a candy. Also, the black lamp behind Glenn is pointed left, then right, then left.

## Quotes

“*You know you're just asking someone to draw a penis on your face, right?*”— **Amy**