I'm sorry - My favorite is when you go to apply and it's past due and you cannot even self schedule NOR can you get anyone to respond! I tried to pick up a dinner shop with Quest for the best last weekend via their web site not an email, and the dates stated 10-16-14 to 10-14-14. 1- it was backwards. 2- I was trying to help by getting it done Saturday. and then I called and it said that they are only open M-f 8am to 5pm CST or the likes. No email for a scheduler, nada ...

Ya - am my favorites ... Bonus attached ------- $1.00? way to entice me.

[ DELETED ]

Please do not post the same message more than once on the forum. -- Jacob

Ever hear of Max Klinger?

On a more serious note, there are a lot of guys who could pass for women with a wig and minimal makeup. When I'm clean shaven and with a wig, I can pass for my mom [or could when she was living]. It might be worth asking the scheduler if you could do the shop in drag, or as a transvestite. And, given today's fashions, it would require only a minimal investment in clothing.

As I sit here in a coffee shop, I glanced up and saw a female Caucasian, about 25-30 with black hair, but razor shaved on the right side of her head...so who's to say?

snarf47 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> In the last 2 months I continually received
> e-mails to do Costco shops for some kind of creme
> or lotion and and you had to be female....I'm a
> guy! Some of these were bonused at $50 to $60, too
> bad I don't qualify...
>

@Paula Wolf: Paula, from reading your post, you still sound quite upset, even though you ultimately prevailed and got paid in the end. Since it sounds like it took extreme effort on your part to make it so, I understand your desire to exact justice. Unfortunately though, when a member makes multiple emotional posts regarding the same incident(s), it diminishes their creditability.

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

(heart)

And her multiple posts have been reported.

klstern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Give us better pay. Who wants to do a $14 shop
> for cell phones (no you don't have to buy
> anything) but by the time we complete the shop -
> 30 mins inside, plus driving, plus report time
> (1/2 hr - 1 hr) it's not worth it. My time is
> worth more.

Schedulers have no control over the shop fees. Trust me, I sympathize with you on this. I only schedule the shops, I have no control over the fees.

> Several times we decide to go out at the last
> minute for dinner and it's an urgent / bonus shop
> but I don't get an answer - as a scheduler you
> should know that we don't always plan on going out
> to eat until that day. If it's an urgent shop
> then accept our shops.

As a scheduler who does mystery shopping, I strive to respond as soon as possible to any inquiry by a shopper. All of my emails that I send out have my email address and phone number so a shopper can email, call or text me. It is my personal goal to be as available as possible for the shoppers. I know how frustrating it can be.

For the shoppers that get mad at the shop fee, don't accept the shop. It's "your" choice to accept or decline. No one is putting a knife to your back. Schedulers are doing their job and we should be lucky to even get these jobs. The way the economy is these days, I'm surprised the companies don't do away with mystery shopping.



I hope to be a Scheduler soon. Trying to get my resume out there. After 14 years of Mystery Shopping, I guess it's about time I applied.

Resume post?

frugalcouponwife Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For the shoppers that get mad at the shop fee,
> don't accept the shop. It's "your" choice to
> accept or decline. No one is putting a knife to
> your back. Schedulers are doing their job and we
> should be lucky to even get these jobs. The way
> the economy is these days, I'm surprised the
> companies don't do away with mystery shopping.
>
>
>
> I hope to be a Scheduler soon. Trying to get my
> resume out there. After 14 years of Mystery
> Shopping, I guess it's about time I applied.

I understand the limitations of email, but there are filters as well. You can run your shopper database through a filter that pulls only certain distances. Run it through another for sex or age. This way there is a targeted list. It seems to me that this is something that a company should be able to do. A few extra steps for a scheduler, yes, but better results I am sure.
The reason that e-mails are sent with multiple states and to an entire database is that it is easier than narrowing down a list. (Yes this is all opinion, because I am not a scheduler).

I wish there was a Schedulers section on the site so I can gripe about the things Shoppers have done that grind my gears. I actively mention some of the feedback here to my employer but it would be awesome to share our side of things. E.g when a Shopper tries to weasel a higher shop fee after they've completed the shop or when they lie saying you never educated them about an assignment :/

That's a good idea. Why not make that suggestion in the Meta area where it will get feedback and additional comments and capture Jacob's attention?

dixiewhiskey, just an additional thought....why don't you offer to write an article, from the scheduler's perspective, for Mystery Shopper Magazine? You could describe a typical week or month--the highs and the lows--in the life of a scheduler.

(heart)

I second what Stilllearning just said!

I agree with most of the complaints above but as annoying as that stuff is, I was chuckling as I read them so they can't be too bad.

Here's the truth about schedulers, my life is easier and my wallet fatter with them then without them.

I applaud all schedulers. I can't imagine the stress of it all. Shoppers flaking would be a huge one for me.

I wouldn't do it. I couldn't take it.

It would be very interesting to hear the schedular side of things. Bet there are some good and interesting stories to be told.

Im not sure what happened but Samantha bumped my $6 fee to a $14 fee just the other day, so don't be so quick to get rid of dear Samantha. LOL!!

However, I have a vent to share, I scheduled a shop today for tomorrow, and dear ole Alan sends me an email telling me he changed my shop from tomorrow to today. His sweet email reads ** Please read carefully - it will save you time, money , and resources ** Hi! I've assigned the >>>>> shop you requested, for TODAY!!! Here are a few details to make your mystery shopping experience an enjoyable one.

Are you serious???? I scheduled the shop to go with my route, you idiot!! I have called the company I scheduled the shop with. I don't even know who this guy is, his signature is Alan J, Account Manager, KSS International, Inc. I know they exchange shops but I have never had a scheduler change my date and then let me know. Usually, (like Celeste) emails first asking if its okay. I would jump over burning logs for Celeste, but this Alan J. not so much. I told him to remove me from the shop all together. I scheduled it to fit my route while I work my jobs. I am still boiling over this incident.

Schedulers, yes we are independent contractors for hire, but we are the ones that schedule the jobs around our lives not the reverse. Get over it!!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
To the schedulers that are on this list too, my vent is not intended at all for you guys. I don't know ya'll and I don't know anything about the companies you schedule for. I have had mostly great schedulers except lately with Market Force, I think I made somebody's crap list over there. Not sure why, just told the truth.
I just want to clarify to those wonderful schedulers lurking around here unless you are Alan with kss, I have no beef with you.
Thank you all for the comments, some have made me laugh.
I hope everyone has a good hump day~

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2014 01:03AM by krazie4coupons.

I find it very interesting how when certain people were shoppers they made snarky comments about tightwad schedulers and now the shoe is on the other foot about how they can't pay the shopper a decent amount.

I know this has probably already been stated, but I get so frustrated when I apply for a bunch of shops that I'm trying to plan a route with and they just sit there for days on end with no action. I don't get it! I would think that they would want to get the ones for later in the month scheduled ASAP so they can focus their attention on the ones that are coming due THIS WEEK with no one scheduled.

Then (and this is jut my own issue where I need to figure out a better system) after a few days I forget which companies I've put requests in with and have to go hunting to delete apps for day's I've already fully scheduled.

And when they let you know mid-way through the last day they're due that you finally got awarded the shop in the city 40 miles away.

stilllearning Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dixiewhiskey, just an additional thought....why
> don't you offer to write an article, from the
> scheduler's perspective, for Mystery Shopper
> Magazine? You could describe a typical week or
> month--the highs and the lows--in the life of a
> scheduler.
>
> (heart)


I spoke with Jacob about that already actually. Just trying to find a time to talk further about it. I've been working a 7 day work week as a Scheduler for the past three weeks (office w/ full time hrs) plus MS, running my second business and being a Mom! Trust me, there is much I would like to write about!

I have worked with Jolaine Otey of North Fork Research and consider her one of the best.

I could not find Mystery Inspectors INc on Google-is that their actual name?

NY Shopper...only msc I know asking for eye color is E***, and that was on apartment shops...which I will no longer do. On their report, after submitting it, another full set of the same questions pop up that have to be completed before it is Finally submitted...easily 2+ hours of frustration! But, I get several emails a year from them thanking their shoppers. What is funny, my shops are scheduled by either HS Brands, Kerns or QSI. I am an "employee" here in Vegas, so the 50-70 emails I get a day are from them representing the companies you are shopping for. I think that lessens my frustrations.

Hahahaha! !!! I get those! I am reading along and so agree! RBase MS....sweetheart. ..but I have shopped them all so there should be a button that disqualifies me for the shop. jmrw tons a day! They never call me. I love BARE...Jennifer sends me on these $50 shops for surveys and management feeds me after 2.5 hr shift.

Jotey,

Thank you for answering my question. As I said, I'm still what "I" consider new to this and am easing myself into everything. I figure that it's better to go slow to hopefully keep mistakes to a minimum.

I am keeping the actual company counts low and shop types low, until I feel that my work is consistent and "I" feel like "I" KNOW what I'm doing vs "hoping that I got it right" PLUS, I'm still working on how to keep things organized, in an old school pen and paper method. I like physical backup for everything now popped into computers.

I have seen many companies, fortunately or unfortunately, ask for eye color.

JOTEY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As schedulers our jobs are to get shops filled and
> submitted to our client. Schedulers do this by
> sending out mass emails, making phone calls to our
> shoppers and cold calling businesses to recruit
> new shoppers. This is the only way we can fill
> shops.
>
> The mass emails are done by downloading a large
> excel file from our SASSIE system that is within a
> certain radius from a zipcode. I will say at
> times, the system is totally off based and I will
> contact someone that was supposed to be 15 miles
> away and they respond telling me they are 50. This
> is obviously something that we, as schedulers,
> have no control over.
>
> We have 4 schedulers that work in office five days
> a week. We help each other to get these hard shops
> and locations filled so we can meet our clients
> deadline. Since we work as a team you may receive
> emails from different schedulers. We are a NJ
> based company and we are not familiar with every
> city. We do our best to group shops and locations
> together.
>
> Jolaine Otey
> North Fork Research (ICCDS)
> Scheduler

I love you and appreciate you Jolaine. I wish you would offer something different than Italian Subs as I would work for your fees plus food if the food was better. The other convenience store shop needs its own questions as they do not have the same items like coffee timers and live deli clerks. Maybe you would not have to work so hard if you mention this to your clients.

Thanks for the insight Jolaine- Do you have schedulers who also work from home or only 4 total at ICCDS?

Also- Jolanie- In trying to be as nice as possible, why does one ICCDS scheduler think it is OK to send out emails like easy shoe shop -pays $24 dollars to then read the email to find it is 2 $12 shops that are with area traffic sometimes 1-2 hours drive time away from each other? To me, this is something that makes it so I do not trust ICCDS as a professional and respectable company. It is a misleading subject line. The email subject should say shopS or earn up to... It is not you who sent the email, but another ICCDS scheduler who I assume is full time based on the amount of emails they send.