There a few companies I've been signed up with for a while, most of which I've successfully completed multiple shops. There are some clients that either seem to be snatched up in the blink of an eye, or don't seem to hit the job board very often. I've wondered if these are given to shoppers who have performed the shop before (on a rotation) or if I just miss them. I was considering reaching out to the schedulers to let them know I'm interested and to check if they are still being shopped but wasn't sure if that might be considered unusual. Has anyone done this successfully? I don't need specifics unless you want to share - just hoped for some feedback even if it's "well, it can't hurt!"

tsk- Definitely contact your schedulers. Most schedulers welcome knowing when shoppers are interested in particular shops. It can't hurt

I have called schedulers on occasion when requesting a shop in the neighborhood that I was going to visit. I was

not always successful but every time I was met with appreciation from the MSC.

Inside Evaluators Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tsk- Definitely contact your schedulers. Most
> schedulers welcome knowing when shoppers are
> interested in particular shops. It can't hurt


Plus it keeps you in the minds of the schedulers once those jobs come out, or when the job needs a last minute shopper to come through for them.

Thanks! I appreciate the responses!

A little "gentle marketing" to schedulers never hurt. Most schedulers really appreciate knowing which shoppers are full time, for instance. Or, you might ask what it takes to become a "preferred shopper" for a client account that is of particular interest to you. Sometimes asking one such question will get you the answer to another question, such as being told, "Oh, you are already a preferred shopper, but the rotation on those assignments is 12 months now."

The schedulers I have reached out to, have become very helpful and friendly, knowing I want to work for them.
When job is not available, they always say, will remember you for next month. Never hurts to build a relationship
with a scheduler/MSC that has jobs in your area, you will be remembered.

Just came back to add this.... schedulers always hear from shoppers when things have gone WRONG in a big way. I try to be sure to get in touch every now and then to tell them GOOD news! That seems to be much appreciated.

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The schedulers I have reached out to, have become
> very helpful and friendly, knowing I want to work
> for them.
> When job is not available, they always say, will
> remember you for next month. Never hurts to build
> a relationship
> with a scheduler/MSC that has jobs in your area,
> you will be remembered.


And also when they have a pilot program in your area you will probably be the first one they go to to shop the new client and give feedback.

"Please, I'd like to do your jobs," translates to "I'm not likely to flake," which translates to gleeful gratitude from the schedulers. It never hurts to ask.

Wanted to post a follow up! I reached out on 10/11 to the scheduler who scheduled the last round of jewelry shops, with no response. On 10/18 a different scheduler (same MSC) sent out an extensive list of these shops. I was able to grab one on the job board itself, but the message didn't seem to matter. I am not sure if this is because of the scheduler change or just how this MSC interacts, as this will be my 1st shop with them. I also reached out to a smaller MSC for whom I had done a hotel shop in February to let them know I was still interested in shops - they are just expanding to my area so only have a few clients, so I wasn't sure of the rotation. Sure enough, they responded right away thanking me for my note and asking me to touch base next month! So, so far I would say reaching out doesn't always make a difference but it COULD and doesn't seem to have hurt. Thanks to all for the advice!

tsk,
Reaching out often works much better when you have already done at least one successful shop for the MSC. But, you are correct; some MSC's corporate cultures are not shopper friendly and some are.

OK, here's a little twist on this...

Over several months, I developed kind of a relationship with a scheduler for a particular MSC through emails. I'd inquired about altering the date of an upcoming shop once. A couple of times, after entering my application(s) on the board, I would email this scheduler to say I'd be doing a route through that area that day, and would love to add the shop(s) I'd applied for. Now and then there would be an email for other reasons. Occasionally, our emails would even have a little fun in them.

Soon, (s)he was giving me nearly every shop I applied for. (The scheduler's name could be either gender.) If I applied, I got it nine times out of ten. Heck, 19 times out of 20.

Suddenly, the shops that used to be handled by this scheduler were being handled by a new scheduler. Now I'm lucky to get even half of the jobs I apply for. My grades are mostly 10 still, with an occasional 9. I miss these shops!

So... how would you more experienced shoppers handle this situation?

Getting as many as half of the jobs that you apply for aint bad. I suggest that you continue to call the new scheduler when you want help constructing route. Most schedulers love route shoppers because they can knock off a big swath of shops in just a few days. Thay may be the best way to get more shops. But, I would not begrude the other shoppers their turns. Besides, there are many clients that insist on having a wide variety of shoppers to better represent the population (or their multiple target groups) and your original scheduler may have been ignoring such needs.

Reaching out to schedulers and msc's will greatly vary by company. At some you are just a number and they couldn't care less. Others will go out of their way to help a proven route shopper. Some schedulers between companies do talk so if you are good you will get asked to do jobs.

I've said it many times on here, you need to establish a relationship with them. Be friendly, jobs done on time, good reports that dont require much editing and be reliable. Don't flake & dont cancel ever(changing the date is fine). No exceptions. That sounds harsh but some of the reasons I see shoppers on here for canceling, I would never do(find a way to change the date!).

If you want the good jobs for the least amount of work, you have to have 100% completition of jobs you do. If you are assigned 12 jobs, and complete 9, that is likely worse then not doing any, because now filling those 3 holes will cost them alot more then giving someone else the route you had.

In due time you will be given routes first, access to new clients before others, guaranteed work every month, first choice on shops before they hit job boards and other perks that some of us seasoned route shoppers have.

StormCloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK, here's a little twist on this...
>
> Over several months, I developed kind of a
> relationship with a scheduler for a particular MSC
> through emails. I'd inquired about altering the
> date of an upcoming shop once. A couple of times,
> after entering my application(s) on the board, I
> would email this scheduler to say I'd be doing a
> route through that area that day, and would love
> to add the shop(s) I'd applied for. Now and then
> there would be an email for other reasons.
> Occasionally, our emails would even have a little
> fun in them.
>
> Soon, (s)he was giving me nearly every shop I
> applied for. (The scheduler's name could be
> either gender.) If I applied, I got it nine times
> out of ten. Heck, 19 times out of 20.
>
> Suddenly, the shops that used to be handled by
> this scheduler were being handled by a new
> scheduler. Now I'm lucky to get even half of the
> jobs I apply for. My grades are mostly 10 still,
> with an occasional 9. I miss these shops!
>
> So... how would you more experienced shoppers
> handle this situation?


-----
I feel your pain. I just stopped applying for the shops and ignored the new schedulers cries of help saying that people had canceled on her and now she needed help. Interestingly enough the scheduler that I had a similar experience had a name that could go either way also. I know the scheduler in my story was female because she had called me a time or two asking for help. I'm very curious if it's the same scheduler.

You're the shopper in Oregon, right? That I recently deduced from the thread about pumping your own gas (and had wondered if you were after a previous post I remembered where you'd mentioned shopping Fred Meyer's)? If I am remembering your handle correctly, and you *are* a fellow Oregonian, it very likely is the same scheduler.

Did the previous scheduler's first name start with 'M', and the first part of her two-part last name have a "Mc" in front of it, and the second started with "H"? I figured she was a she, but since I never spoke on the phone with her, wasn't sure. I really liked her, and she offered kind words when I had to reschedule a couple of shops due to the illness and later death of one of my pets. She was easy to work with once when I asked for a one-day extension on a report due to my own illness, too.

And like I said, she gave me almost every shop I applied for. I had to wait for my 30, 60, or 90 day rotations to be up, it wasn't like she waived that or anything; except for a couple of times at a small rural town's grocery location when all area shoppers apparently were out of rotation.

What general part of Oregon are you in, just out of curiosity? I'm in the mid-Willamette Valley.

StormCloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You're the shopper in Oregon, right? That I
> recently deduced from the thread about pumping
> your own gas (and had wondered if you were after a
> previous post I remembered where you'd mentioned
> shopping Fred Meyer's)? If I am remembering your
> handle correctly, and you *are* a fellow
> Oregonian, it very likely is the same scheduler.
>
>
> Did the previous scheduler's first name start with
> 'M', and the first part of her two-part last name
> have a "Mc" in front of it, and the second started
> with "H"? I figured she was a she, but since I
> never spoke on the phone with her, wasn't sure. I
> really liked her, and she offered kind words when
> I had to reschedule a couple of shops due to the
> illness and later death of one of my pets. She
> was easy to work with once when I asked for a
> one-day extension on a report due to my own
> illness, too.
>
> And like I said, she gave me almost every shop I
> applied for. I had to wait for my 30, 60, or 90
> day rotations to be up, it wasn't like she waived
> that or anything; except for a couple of times at
> a small rural town's grocery location when all
> area shoppers apparently were out of rotation.
>
> What general part of Oregon are you in, just out
> of curiosity? I'm in the mid-Willamette Valley.


----

That's me. That was her. I can't get those easy $15.00 shops now to save my stinking life. I was able to get one of the $27.00 shops that you have to talk to like 22 people for, and that's it since the scheduler change. We've only got two stores out here though. I'm wondering if the scheduler is giving those shops out only to shoppers who are able to help with that other account for $20.00 that can never get filled because the pay sucks and the places are over shopped so they can never fill them. I can't do those because I can't stay in town until 6PM to do them. I leave work at 4:00 and live 25 miles from town. I'm in Central Oregon. I moved over here from Portland about a year ago.

Ooo, I love Central Oregon! Mid, North, or South? I especially love the high desert area.

And yeah it's the same with me. I just did the $27, 22-people shops tonight and need to do my report. Those are a little exhausting, with all the walking (but that's just because of my bad back/hip)... but not difficult. Just tedious. And I shop there regularly anyways. I made my own note sheet with the departments arranged in walking order, and it makes it a LOT easier to keep track of things.

And those $20 ones? You mean the restaurant ones? Yeah, the pay sucks, but I will do my two local ones when I'm eligible just because I like eating there. I've picked up an out-of-town one here & there when they fit on the end of a route. But all the ones she keeps trying to fill lately are too far away & not on a route, so I haven't been able to help.

If she's giving preference on other shops, to the shoppers who take those... that means there are shoppers in my area going WAY out of their way for a low-paying (almost reimbursement only, and then just for one person) meal shop. Either that, or they live near the restaurants, and are coming WAY out of their way to do the shops in my area that I used to get... shops that don't pay enough to travel for, unless you can work them into a route.

But then, I actually am acquainted with one shopper (the son of some friends of my Dad's from church) who DOES go way out of his way for those $20 eat-out shops... not only that, he takes his parents (he's single). So apparently he's not in this to actually make a living, just to have some fun.

Whatever. I wish they had never changed schedulers! I wonder what happened to "M"?

StormCloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ooo, I love Central Oregon! Mid, North, or South?
> I especially love the high desert area.
>
> And yeah it's the same with me. I just did the
> $27, 22-people shops tonight and need to do my
> report. Those are a little exhausting, with all
> the walking (but that's just because of my bad
> back/hip)... but not difficult. Just tedious.
> And I shop there regularly anyways. I made my own
> note sheet with the departments arranged in
> walking order, and it makes it a LOT easier to
> keep track of things.
>
> And those $20 ones? You mean the restaurant ones?
> Yeah, the pay sucks, but I will do my two local
> ones when I'm eligible just because I like eating
> there. I've picked up an out-of-town one here &
> there when they fit on the end of a route. But
> all the ones she keeps trying to fill lately are
> too far away & not on a route, so I haven't been
> able to help.
>
> If she's giving preference on other shops, to the
> shoppers who take those... that means there are
> shoppers in my area going WAY out of their way for
> a low-paying (almost reimbursement only, and then
> just for one person) meal shop. Either that, or
> they live near the restaurants, and are coming WAY
> out of their way to do the shops in my area that I
> used to get... shops that don't pay enough to
> travel for, unless you can work them into a route.
>
>
> But then, I actually am acquainted with one
> shopper (the son of some friends of my Dad's from
> church) who DOES go way out of his way for those
> $20 eat-out shops... not only that, he takes his
> parents (he's single). So apparently he's not in
> this to actually make a living, just to have some
> fun.
>
> Whatever. I wish they had never changed
> schedulers! I wonder what happened to "M"?


----
To be honest I didn't realize there was a Mid, North or South to Central Oregon. LOL! I grew up in Massachusetts. I'm a total transplant. I live in Sisters. I like the pub in our area that is covered on that $20.00 shop, but my husband was out of work for two years, and the mystery shopping was supplementing my income. If the shop pay didn't cover a night out completely, we didn't do it. Now we have money since he's working, but like I said, I'm 25 minutes from the closest one.

I don't mind doing the $27 shop with 22 people. I actually used to snatch them up whenever I could. I keep notes in my phone. My first one took almost two hours on site because I ran into a co-worker who wanted to be all chatty. She has a hard time filling those shops in my area though so she let me have one of those, but no nice and easy $15.00 shops. This month I didn't apply for the full store shops because I had too much editing to do, and I was in a mood where I decided she had just annoyed me too much and I wasn't going to bother.

I'm not overly-familiar with the three segments on a personal visitation basis, or anything (although I really *wish* I was!) but the mid part is a bit more desert-y than the north and south parts. At least that's the impression I've been left with. I guess it's just that since the state is so big, "central" covers quite a lot of area! Sisters is a lot different than The Dalles or Klamath Falls, at least in proximity to any other point ~ population density and some other stuff, too. For instance, it's a *lot* closer to me than K. Falls, and somewhat closer than The Dalles.

I *LOVE* Sisters! Oh, I just love it over there. I've been in that area several times, but have only driven through the north-central part, and the closest I've been to the south-central part is Crater Lake. But my Dad used to do surveying for the state department of water resources back in the late 50's, and he's driven nearly every square mile of the central & eastern parts of the state, and surveyed it!

As a third-generation Oregonian, you'd think I'd have visited a lot more of my state. But nope! I started showing dogs young, and could never leave them long enough to visit the areas far-flung from me, and have too many dogs to take along with me & be able to stay anywhere (and not being able to afford an RV!) No longer show them, because of money & personal disability issues, but still have several from those days. And their ages are spread so someone's always a 'senior' needing special health considerations.

I ran into my sister on one of those $27 shops, and she knows what I do. She leaned in & whispered "are you working?" and when I said yes she kept it quick. Hee! I haven't gotten one of the nice & easy $15 shops since the new scheduler, either. Or wait, maybe I did get one. But still... HUGE difference since "M" was there!

I wish the pub shops would at least reimburse for two to dine, also! I really do enjoy eating there. At one location here, the one closest to me (only a little over 5 minutes away in good traffic) I always get the same server. He remembers me, and has become quite familiar/friendly. In a good, nice way, nothing creepy. I wonder if he's figured me out? Although it wouldn't be odd for someone from the neighborhood to go there as often as the rotation allows. In fact, they'd likely go *more* often!

StormCloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm not overly-familiar with the three segments on
> a personal visitation basis, or anything (although
> I really *wish* I was!) but the mid part is a bit
> more desert-y than the north and south parts. At
> least that's the impression I've been left with.
> I guess it's just that since the state is so big,
> "central" covers quite a lot of area! Sisters is
> a lot different than The Dalles or Klamath Falls,
> at least in proximity to any other point ~
> population density and some other stuff, too. For
> instance, it's a *lot* closer to me than K. Falls,
> and somewhat closer than The Dalles.
>
> I *LOVE* Sisters! Oh, I just love it over there.
> I've been in that area several times, but have
> only driven through the north-central part, and
> the closest I've been to the south-central part is
> Crater Lake. But my Dad used to do surveying for
> the state department of water resources back in
> the late 50's, and he's driven nearly every square
> mile of the central & eastern parts of the state,
> and surveyed it!
>
> As a third-generation Oregonian, you'd think I'd
> have visited a lot more of my state. But nope! I
> started showing dogs young, and could never leave
> them long enough to visit the areas far-flung from
> me, and have too many dogs to take along with me &
> be able to stay anywhere (and not being able to
> afford an RV!) No longer show them, because of
> money & personal disability issues, but still have
> several from those days. And their ages are
> spread so someone's always a 'senior' needing
> special health considerations.
>
> I ran into my sister on one of those $27 shops,
> and she knows what I do. She leaned in &
> whispered "are you working?" and when I said yes
> she kept it quick. Hee! I haven't gotten one of
> the nice & easy $15 shops since the new scheduler,
> either. Or wait, maybe I did get one. But
> still... HUGE difference since "M" was there!
>
> I wish the pub shops would at least reimburse for
> two to dine, also! I really do enjoy eating
> there. At one location here, the one closest to
> me (only a little over 5 minutes away in good
> traffic) I always get the same server. He
> remembers me, and has become quite
> familiar/friendly. In a good, nice way, nothing
> creepy. I wonder if he's figured me out?
> Although it wouldn't be odd for someone from the
> neighborhood to go there as often as the rotation
> allows. In fact, they'd likely go *more* often!
----

Sisters really is awesome. It's super quiet here. I think our police cars were built without sirens, I haven't heard a single one since I lived moved here. The only noise is on Friday nights when the high school football games are going. I didn't realize just how far sound could travel! wowzers. I never really thought of The Dalles as part of Central Oregon. We just always call it part of the gorge. I thought K Falls was part of southern Oregon, but again, I'm a transplant so I make up my own names for things. LOL.

I showed sheep when I was a kid. My sister was going to get into showing dogs but I think when her Peke knocked up her mini dach that changed things. I managed to get around most of the state on the fair circuit, but when you consider how small Mass is compared to Oregon, me getting around most of the sate is probably like from Portland to Eugene.

Yeah there is a huge difference in the account now. Although, the new scheduler seems to be doing a better job of getting the shops filled at least here. Our pub has three pubs and a movie theater. One of the pubs is a cigar bar. The other scheduler was always scrambling at the end of the month and begging people to take several of the shops. The new one seems to be filling the bulk of them. There are only two shops open right now for the pub for the remainder of the month. One of course is for the cigar bar. I did that shop three times before I knew it was a cigar bar. I'm sitting there eating and i'm smelling smoke. Then I see some guy light a cigar in front of the bartender. I'm sitting there fuming because as you know, no smoking in restaurants which I am soooooo thankful for! I texted my husband about it. He pulled up the website and informs me that I'm in a cigar bar. I had always sat outside prior to that trip. I won't be doing that shop again until the weather gets better and I can sit outside and read.

I hope you don't keep getting the same server. It would be hard to come up with new food and beer questions all the time. I have that problem with the grocery store shops I do for a different company. You have to come up with "hard" questions. You're not allowed to ask where an item is. So I have questions like....... Do you have lunch meats with no Nitrates? Are Gala apples good for eating or are they more of a baking apple? What is in the Filled Longjohn? How long can I freeze these steaks?........I'm afraid of reusing the same questions even for different people because you have to put the question and answer into the report. At least the $27.00 shops at the place with the 22 people, you have to be vague. I asked where the item was. He brought me to the item. If you get the same server, you can't get away with saying, "What type of bun does the hamburger come with?" That's my go to food question at the pub. The best part is that they all answer the question differently. I had one guy tell me it was sourdough. I had a hard time talking about the food. I actually said something like, the bun was very tasty, but if it was sourdough, it wasn't made correctly because it tasted nothing like sourdough.

I really think they should up the pay and decrease the amount of shops that they do. Did you know that you can order off of the happy hour menu? It only works if you do the late night or theater shops though since the 6PM is after happy hour. If they covered the whole meal for two people, we might do them more often, but I'm not driving 25 miles one day for a $20.00 discount on dinner.

I saw a different post that you had about wishing you could see what companies have shops in your area before you apply. I sent you a PM with a list of all companies that I've shopped with here in good old Central Oregon. I know some of them have stuff in the Valley. I'm assuming Mid Valley is like somewhere between Salem and Eugene. I know there are several stores in common from here to there.

Well, yeah, the Dalles is the Gorge, but in the middle of it; and K.Falls is Southern Oregon, but it's not *our* Southern Oregon, and it's certainly not Eastern Oregon yet, so... heh... I guess my mind is just more specific when thinking of such things.

And, I'm in Salem! Have been for 40 years now. Which is my entire life. Until 2000, I had never traveled further north than the Longview, Washington area, further south than Eugene & Florence, nor further East then Bend! In 2000 I went to California for the first time. In 2001, I went to California again, then to Rochester, New York for a retreat for Motherless Daughters ~ and got to see Niagara Falls while there, so have technically been to Canada, too, now. I was there a week before 9/11. Not right near NYC, but still it felt weird that I had just arrived home before that happened. Even though I wasn't in NYC, I'd have been stuck unable to fly if I'd been there just a week later. The last time I was in Sisters was 2002, I think... driving through for a family reunion in Bend. I stopped to take some photos of the Three Sisters.

And yes, at the one place I do get the same server! I ask questions about the specials of the day, and the new/specialty beers listed. Once I finally asked for a recommendation for something new to try. I thought for Fred's, you *could* ask where something was located? There's another grocery shop where you can't, but I thought Fred's you could. Although I usually don't. I will, however, ask if they carry something (even if I know the answer). I LOVE going during Happy Hour! I can actually make some money then! And as a night owl anyway, the hours don't bother me a bit.

I got your PM but haven't had time to respond yet. I'm signed up with many of the companies you listed, but not all... I will be investigating the others! Thanks for the assist!

You might want to take the discussion of the wonders of Oregon into either PMs or start a thread in the greneral cht area, where others may well want to chime in. Afterall, they won't be looking here for an Oregon discussion.

I'm not "carping," just suggesting.

StormCloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, yeah, the Dalles is the Gorge, but in the
> middle of it; and K.Falls is Southern Oregon, but
> it's not *our* Southern Oregon, and it's certainly
> not Eastern Oregon yet, so... heh... I guess my
> mind is just more specific when thinking of such
> things.
>
> And, I'm in Salem! Have been for 40 years now.
> Which is my entire life. Until 2000, I had never
> traveled further north than the Longview,
> Washington area, further south than Eugene &
> Florence, nor further East then Bend! In 2000 I
> went to California for the first time. In 2001, I
> went to California again, then to Rochester, New
> York for a retreat for Motherless Daughters ~ and
> got to see Niagara Falls while there, so have
> technically been to Canada, too, now. I was there
> a week before 9/11. Not right near NYC, but still
> it felt weird that I had just arrived home before
> that happened. Even though I wasn't in NYC, I'd
> have been stuck unable to fly if I'd been there
> just a week later. The last time I was in Sisters
> was 2002, I think... driving through for a family
> reunion in Bend. I stopped to take some photos of
> the Three Sisters.
>
> And yes, at the one place I do get the same
> server! I ask questions about the specials of the
> day, and the new/specialty beers listed. Once I
> finally asked for a recommendation for something
> new to try. I thought for Fred's, you *could* ask
> where something was located? There's another
> grocery shop where you can't, but I thought Fred's
> you could. Although I usually don't. I will,
> however, ask if they carry something (even if I
> know the answer). I LOVE going during Happy Hour!
> I can actually make some money then! And as a
> night owl anyway, the hours don't bother me a
> bit.
>
> I got your PM but haven't had time to respond yet.
> I'm signed up with many of the companies you
> listed, but not all... I will be investigating the
> others! Thanks for the assist!

---
Fred's you can ask where something is. I can't for the other grocery store or the warehouse thing that's kind of like a mini super walmart. It has everything, but not a lot of anything specific. I also have to wait in a department for five minutes for the grocery store before I go seek help. Fred's I just run around checking all the aisles until I find a person to stand next to. The sucky part about Fred's though is that I can't prepare. With my other grocery store, I can prepare the questions ahead of time since I know I have to visit Meat, Produce and Bakery/Deli. For Fred's you never know where you'll find a person, so it's hard to come up with questions ahead of time. Since you can ask where something is, it makes it a little easier than the warehouse though. The warehouse thing you can't ask where something is and you never know where they'll be. So you have to find someone and then come up with a question about something in that aisle before the person takes off.

StormCloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Suddenly, the shops that used to be handled by
> this scheduler were being handled by a new
> scheduler. Now I'm lucky to get even half of the
> jobs I apply for. My grades are mostly 10 still,
> with an occasional 9. I miss these shops!
>
> So... how would you more experienced shoppers
> handle this situation?

It could be the MSC or the client wants more variety in shoppers. One restaurant chain I edit used to have a limited supply of shoppers so the shoppers would get their pick even before rotation was up. Great for me because these shoppers either did a terrific job originally or I had worked with them and they'd improved their reports to be much better. Now, the schedulers have more options and ugh! Some of the reports I get make me wanna cry. I miss the good old days when the same handful of shoppers would do most of the restaurants every month or so. That was bliss.

AlwaysAngie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> StormCloud Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Suddenly, the shops that used to be handled by
> > this scheduler were being handled by a new
> > scheduler. Now I'm lucky to get even half of
> the
> > jobs I apply for. My grades are mostly 10
> still,
> > with an occasional 9. I miss these shops!
> >
> > So... how would you more experienced shoppers
> > handle this situation?
>
> It could be the MSC or the client wants more
> variety in shoppers. One restaurant chain I edit
> used to have a limited supply of shoppers so the
> shoppers would get their pick even before rotation
> was up. Great for me because these shoppers either
> did a terrific job originally or I had worked with
> them and they'd improved their reports to be much
> better. Now, the schedulers have more options and
> ugh! Some of the reports I get make me wanna cry.
> I miss the good old days when the same handful of
> shoppers would do most of the restaurants every
> month or so. That was bliss.

----
It's still handled by the same scheduling company, it's just a new scheduler. I personally think it was either burnout since she had such a hard time getting the pubs filled, or they let her go because she was having such a hard time getting the pubs filled.

Whichever it was, I still miss her. She was nice on a personal level, and assigned me lots of work!

Tsk,

To answer your question:

Yes - absolutely reach out to the Scheduler; it's much better to cultivate the relationship than not.

What tickles me pink and purple polka dots, are those new shoppers who can run with a job. It's absolutely awesome watching their scores steadily increase; they've taken the feedback from Editors and followed it. I actually LOVE working directly with the shoppers.

Those that take the initiative and email me with questions are memorable. Those who step up and say, "I can't do the shop on that date, but if you need a backup, call me ASAP" are memorable.

Those shoppers who ask me for clarification before a visit; or those shoppers who email me after the visit and say, "You wouldn't believe how great the food/bar/staff was", are always going to stick out in my mind. It doesn't mean I am going to assign a plum job - as some who know me could attest to that fact.

Being kind, or just plain friendly, is not something that anyone should need to ask to do - it is something that should be done naturally to and for everyone, with no expectations in return.

(Believe me, those little notes really make me smile when they pop up in the email - it's unexpected, delightful, and can often make a great day!)

StormCloud Wrote:
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> Whichever it was, I still miss her. She was nice
> on a personal level, and assigned me lots of work!


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I miss her too. I was hoping that the warehouse shops with a different company would make up for my lack of Freddy shops, but the warehouse scheduler forgot she had told me that I could have the location near work this month. I didn't get either of the shops I applied for. She felt bad about it when I said something about it and offered me a different location, but they were way too far away from my house. So, no Freddy shops for October, and no warehouse shops for November. I'm feeling like the red-headed step child these days.