Just ordered my pizza and they offered me a special 3 item pizza with drink that was $8 less than the 2 item pizza I am required to order. I had to refuse the special so I am sure they now know I am the shopper. Who else would turn down a lower priced offer? I did tell him I did not want to be tempted with the add ons.

Idiocy. The client holds MSCs and shoppers to improbable requirements. After placing the call to order, I listen to the recorded offerings before my call is picked up. The recording has more attractive offerings than the one/two-topping, original crust, 14" requirement. Whatever, Papa John. You're the man, but shoppers and your employees, are not stupid.

Hmmm.... Who here has worked in that sort of a job?

Based on the experience that I've had, it would not be uncommon for someone to reject an attractive offer, simply because, by golly and by gum, they had decided what they wanted, and no one was going to sell them on something else.

And, as an afterthought, a confession that, as a customer, I have often reflexively rejected an offer, without stopping to consider whether it was a better buy.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2014 06:01AM by Ishmael.

I usually just say "no thank you", but if they try to push the special on me, my prepared response is, "They've already spent 30 minutes arguing about what toppings to get. I really don't want to make any changes."

Ok I've read enough comments to see that I'm not alone. I did this shop twice as a favor to the scheduler who called and begged me. The first time it was rejected because they said that I ordered a thin crust rather than an original crust. Not having been provided a menu I thought the thin was the original. I didn't know they had more than 2 crusts. The pizza was the worst and was badly burned besides. I paid for a pizza that went in the trash. I did it again the second time because the scheduler said that he would reimburse for the first rejected shop. He said that the pizza crust was the only issue and so I would be fine. Yeah right. This one was rejected due to the photos being the wrong size or format. I can't remember. I didn't do anything differently than the first time. Wtf. The manager "Brandy" was verrrry unpleasant( I won't use the word that is most fitting.). So now I had to pay for 2 pizzas that went in the trash! NEVER again!!! I tell everyone I can not to ever do these. I would love to know if PJ knows the bad PR that is being created by this company. I also wonder if they actually use the shops and just use this as an excuse not to pay and pocket the $. Just wondering!

Ok, in defense of MSC, they do have explicit directions for these. It clearly states that the pizza is to be only "original" crust and that the pictures must be 1600 by 1200 resolution. However, unless the shop is heavily bonused, I am not doing them anymore. It takes a long time to upload the photos which can only be done one picture at a time and there are many to be included with the report. I also don't like that they will only reimburse $1 for the tip which is definitely too low in the area where I live.

PJ is the worst! AND their pizza is bad too.

Ok, I have to admit I have my PJ badge now. I did my first couple of shops this month. Got the promo offer for a 3 topping with a 2 liter of soda that would have been less than my 2 topping and turned it down like an idiot. "No thanks, I just really want my two topping pizza and that is it" or "I don't drink soda" or whatever other BS blurts out my mouth. There are just so many silly requirements for these that make the shops goofy. NO BACON AND ONION - like what is that all about? For some reason you can't mix certain combinations of the "approved" toppings. At least the report is easy; I spend less time writing it than I do with taking, editing and uploading all the photos I have to take. They are in pretty dire need of shoppers in my town and they called me the day I signed up to take one. Most of my family is ok with the pizza, so I will probably continue to do them, but only for a good bonus.

InPlainSight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are just so many silly
> requirements for these that make the shops goofy.
> NO BACON AND ONION - like what is that all about?
> For some reason you can't mix certain combinations
> of the "approved" toppings.

This is almost certainly because these two toppings don't photograph very well by themselves and these two in particular don't photograph well even with each other.

I did a bunch of these bonused once, but I've quit getting calls about them because I haven't done one in about six months now.

InPlainSight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ok, I have to admit I have my PJ badge now. I did
> my first couple of shops this month. Got the promo
> offer for a 3 topping with a 2 liter of soda that
> would have been less than my 2 topping and turned
> it down like an idiot. "No thanks, I just really
> want my two topping pizza and that is it" or "I
> don't drink soda" or whatever other BS blurts out
> my mouth. There are just so many silly
> requirements for these that make the shops goofy.
> NO BACON AND ONION - like what is that all about?
> For some reason you can't mix certain combinations
> of the "approved" toppings. At least the report is
> easy; I spend less time writing it than I do with
> taking, editing and uploading all the photos I
> have to take. They are in pretty dire need of
> shoppers in my town and they called me the day I
> signed up to take one. Most of my family is ok
> with the pizza, so I will probably continue to do
> them, but only for a good bonus.

Everyone knows that bacon & onion combo is a dead giveaway that you're a shopper and no client would ever want us to do anything to give ourselves away.....

They are already calling and emailing me personally to do August shops. I guess the 90 day rotation got compressed down to 9 days in my case. I told them I wouldn't do it without a decent incentive. The wife's GI system doesn't tolerate tomatoes and you can't change sauces on their shops, so I have to make/buy dinner anyway. I think the pizza is ok, but overpriced. I'll do more for a payment, but free pizza or $5 doesn't cut it for me. So far they haven't ponied up, but time will tell. I'm just anxious about messing up photos and getting stuck for the cost of the pizza I didn't want in the first place.

OMG. I guess I'll never do one of these even though I love PJ. My all-time favorite pizza is bacon & onion only. Jeesh!

>
> Everyone knows that bacon & onion combo is a dead
> giveaway that you're a shopper and no client would
> ever want us to do anything to give ourselves
> away.....

I guess I'm not "everyone" as I have no idea why this combo is a dead giveaway. I don't remember ever ordering a bacon and onion pizza.

kenasch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Everyone knows that bacon & onion combo is a
> dead
> > giveaway that you're a shopper and no client
> would
> > ever want us to do anything to give ourselves
> > away.....
>
> I guess I'm not "everyone" as I have no idea why
> this combo is a dead giveaway. I don't remember
> ever ordering a bacon and onion pizza.

Did you forget to turn your sarcasm detector on?

Sorry, didn't expect sarcasm on these boards!

I want to buy a bacon and onion pizza just because I can't! LOL

InPlainSight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They are already calling and emailing me
> personally to do August shops. I guess the 90 day
> rotation got compressed down to 9 days in my case.

The first MSC I did PJ shops for, which is the one that I have done the most for, has been known to say "to hell with the rotation" to get shops scheduled. This may be part of the reason PJ is trying so many different MSCs.

I just got an email about one of these shops today. The scheduler said there was a "nice bonus" attached to it. Well, the pay was only $5! The store is 8 miles away from my house. That shop fee might reimburse my gas. I've read too many horror stories here about Papa John's shops. I don't think I'll be trying one anytime soon, especially for such a low fee. Now, if they came back with a better bonus, then I maaaay reconsider...

I just got an email about a bonused PJ shop with an MSC that I'm new to, so I'm hesitant on taking it. Pay of $20 and reimbursement of $40 makes it enticing, but I have to go over a toll bridge to get to this location, so not sure it's worth it. The picture requirements in the shop post are scaring me away with it's specifics of angle, razor blades and sharpie writing.

Challa, they aren't that hard!

Have your photo ID card and numbered squares already filled out and cut out. Have your razor blade clean and ready to go. Clean off your work space. Then go pick up the pizza. I use my kitchen table, and stand on a chair to take the pictures. If you're using a digital camera that has the little green focus box in the middle, use that to center it on the middle of the pizza. Make sure the camera is staring straight down at the pizza, and that you can't see the sides of the garlic sauce cup, just the top. Make sure your photo ID card is the the left, in every photo.

Take multiple pictures of each shot you need, upload the best ones.

When you get to the part about the slices, stay in the same spot and just keep rotating the box for your pictures. This helps keep your photos consistent and ensures that the slice point always faces left.

Oh, and I keep a cheat sheet of instructions for these taped inside one of my kitchen cabinets.

The money and reimbursement may help to disguise the pizza is inedible. Even the homeless on the street corner turn this stuff down!

There's a Pizza Hut ad showing on the sidebar of this thread right now, LOL.

Ya know what's funny, a DIFFERENT MSC also messaged me today to do a PJ's shop for them too....different location, though. That one is not even offering bonuses, but did say shoppers are put in a drawing for money. No thanks.

I'm debating the $60 one, though....worst that can happen is I'm stuck w/the two pizzas.

Challa, it's bonused at $60?? Or pays $20 and reimburses up to $40?

There is one of the MSC's that will allow you to get extra food (they encourage it as they realize that it varies our orders enough so we don't get recognized) but only be reimbursed for the pizza they want you to get. The PJ's in my area count the special for 3 toppings to be valid for less (so I could use it for 1 topping, 2 topping, or even cheese only). My favorite is when they have something like a 2 liter of soda come "free" with the purchase of the pizza. That means that the MSC will reimburse for the pizza and my soda to take to work the next day is included. I also use the reward points created from the web orders to get extra sides (such as a cookie).

The other MSC's will only let you get the pizza and that is it. I do not deviate from the order at all on these.

I do at least 10 pizzas a month as they feed my teenage son and I think of it as an investment as I at the minimum double my money over the month it takes to cash out. I just have to print off the different forms that the different companies use (as they are all similar but different) and watch which company I am doing each shop for.

I have a Samsung point and shoot camera that works perfectly for these that I got from Amazon. I either put the pizza on the stove (if I am at home) or in the back seat of the car (if on the road) to take the pictures. I even carry an extra knife in the car for the cheese ones.

FYI...The best place to get the knife for the cheese pizzas is The Dollar Tree as they have a four pack of "paring" knives for a dollar. They are super sharp and short enough that they take up hardly any room in my bag and easy to control to cut the slices. The best way to cut them without smashing the cheese is to cut them from the bottom of the crust (after you take the flip view pictures).

Sorry, should have clarified, the $60 was a $40 reimbursement for 2 pizzas, a pay of $7 and a bonus of $13....but it would cost me $6 to cross the bridge to get there, so not much of a 'take' on this for the stories that I've read here.

Yeah, no, LOL. Especially because you are doing twice the work, with two pizzas. I never take even the single ones unless they pay $13 and bonus at least$5-$8... and that's a location right around the corner from me, no toll fare.

Normally the reimbursement is enough for me, but with PJs I only do them for the pay, since it's anyone's guess whether my kids will eat it that day or not. Once in awhile I'll do one of these on lunch for the guys at work, but the location near my work barely bonuses, and I only do them then.

If you like their pizza, it's totally worth it. I just hate their crust so it's not pizza I like to eat.

I know some MSC's let you order other food but how do they figure out the price of the pizza that you're directed to order? If you get a special, say 3 pies for $30 (this a made up price) do they only reimburse $10 for your required pizza?

I also find it hilarious when they say "$40" reimbursement when two pizza's to their specifications cost anywhere from $22-$26. Still expensive for what you get but no where near $40.

I've been doing a lot of Papa John's shops (there's two within easy driving distance of my house), and have a pretty large chunk of change invested. When the MSC called last week about doing another one I told them I had to put them on hold until I got my check from the first batch.