How do you decide when to apply or accept a job?

So I'm pretty new to mystery shopping. When you sign up for some of these companies you get dozens if not hundreds of emails a week. Out of curiosity, what is it about an email that stands out to you to make you want to apply for the shop? I need to figure out ways to filter through all the emails. Is it a catchy subject line? Is it plain and simple /short and to the point emails?

Just curious what the opinions were of people who have been doing this longer than me.

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First I look at scheduler name. I have learned what schedulers I don't want to bother with (never seem to award me a shop but just leave my application pending as a last minute backup shopper; are not responsive to emails; are routine spammers sending emails for jobs thousands of miles away). Those just get checked and sent to trash.

Second I look at company. Some schedulers I will work with work also for some companies that are just too much trouble to work with.

Third I look at job

Out of 30 emails I probably open no more than one or two.

Since I'm new to MSing (only 2.5 months in), I look at the type of job it is and decide if it seems interesting or within my scope of skills. Then I consider the fee/reimbursement. Finally, I look at the due date/schedule. I have a f/t day job, so I have to pass up on a lot of lucrative shops and audits because I need to be at the place that pays the mortgage 40 hours per week.

Since I don't have the experience that Flash does, I can't really judge it by scheduler or company just yet. I'm also only signed up with about 30-35 companies right now, whereas Flash is signed up with scads of them. So most of my work comes from about 30% of those companies and I've learned pretty quickly what they offer, for what price and in what location.

I used to see a life coach pretty regularly.... back when they were called bartenders.

Like Flash I also instantly delete most of my messages (all from Intellishop so far) because I have my favorite schedulers and MSC's. When it's an MSC I like and the title reads "new client" or similar, that piques my interest and I'll open it.

I should learn how to have the spammy ones send to trash immediately.

Shopping Santa Barbara and Goleta, CA.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2015 08:30PM by gojiberry.

There is also the factor to remember that the vast majority of emails are for jobs you likely already saw on the job board of the MSP(s), so you know what they have to offer. So a 'HUGE BONUS' of an extra buck still is not going to cut it. "Urgently need help! Shoppers cancelled!@#$%' still offering the same fee I didn't take them off the job board for this month, last month or any of the previous 12 to 24 months is not going to cut it either. Schedulers who consistently do that sort of stuff are among the instantly deleted emails.

99.9% of the emails I receive are not even in my state. Therefore, I waste a lot of time opening emails. Is that normal? When schedulers send out a mass email with a number of different states, yet I don't even live in any of those states.

@Kristie6923 wrote:

99.9% of the emails I receive are not even in my state. Therefore, I waste a lot of time opening emails. Is that normal? When schedulers send out a mass email with a number of different states, yet I don't even live in any of those states.

Most of my email are of cities in my state. But some aren't. i think I've deciphered which those are already and delete them before opening. Some mscs are more spammy than others.

Shopping Santa Barbara and Goleta, CA.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2015 10:10PM by gojiberry.

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How do you decide when to apply or accept a job?

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