First, 8 inches on Saturday. Monday will bring another 8 inches or more, then more to come on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Doesn't mother nature realize it is the end of month?!? I will however, look for those bonuses and make the trek out there in the Jeep! So schedulers, I want to hear my phone ring for all those flakes that won't go out in the snow here in NE PA!!!!!!

Flake is a rather strong term to use when shoppers are considering that their personal safety due to inclement weather and potentially hazardous road conditions is more important than getting a shop done. Just because you may be comfortable driving in 8+ inches of snow doesn't mean another shopper will be.

I'd be hitting the slopes in NH, VT or ME. Hopefully you got powder instead of the icy crap.

We had 6 inches of heavy wet snow here yesterday. I'm walking to the end of the alley again today to view the road I have to get on to get to the main roads which I'm sure are clear. And if it's anything like the icy slick mess I saw yesterday I"ll be rescheduling. Winter sure can put a dent in my shopping!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2015 02:57PM by CoffeeQueen.

I has to reschedule 3 times because of snow and ice. MF was very understanding. I contacted them directly. I'm going to do them today. Safety first. I am not a flake...

I think you are getting our storm from a few days ago.

Well thanks a lot for sending it my way. And I agree with Dante. I value and love my life and I am not risking it for any amount of money. I'm one of the luckiest people in the world so why chance it?

Do we need to come up with a new word for people who don't do their shops due to safety concerns or some other ok reason? Flake seems to have a nasty conotation even if the OP'er didn't appear to be using it in a derogatory way?

Snow and flakes do go hand in hand.

Geez folks! Nobody said you have to go out and work in the snow. Would you rather I had said, cancellations or snowflakes instead of flake? I am an avid snowmobiler, so I love driving in the snow in 4WD. But, I won't drive when it's icy. Where I live I put my life in jeopardy each and every day with NY and NJ tourists (sorry if that's you) here in the Pocono Mts. that don't use their directionals and use the center turning lane for passing instead of turning.

I took the word "flake" to be tongue in cheek. Or maybe a play on words suggestive of "snow flakes."

I'm sure the MSC's consider them to be flakes because they don't have time to verify the weather report for every shopper who begs off due to weather and the result is the same: shop didn't get done, need to reschedule or get a new shopper.

I've got a 4WD Super Duty truck; snow wouldn't stop me either but it would stop my shopping friend who only has a Toyota Echo.

Kudos to loghomelover for seizing the moment. I hope your phone rings off the hook with bonus offers.

Seriously, some awfully thin skins around here sometimes. I thought it was a great post.

I know I have pretty crappy snow driving skills. (And no big SUV or 4WD to mask it) And for my safety as well as others on the road I won't venture out if the snow gets above 3 inches. Since I have two jobs that require a lot of driving, my solution was to work like a dog in the fall, and then take next month off and go to Australia. No snow there!

Next year however, I'm going to have to take a month and a half off. I forgot end of January is when the white sh** starts hitting the fan.

@bgriffin wrote:

Seriously, some awfully thin skins around here sometimes. I thought it was a great post.

Which post?

SNOW.. SNOW..SNOW..WHEE! SERIOUSLY...

Being retired gives me the option of choosing my shops. I go lightly in the winter and watch the weather reports before scheduling. I have performed shops over the past 8 years when most people would not venture out. The average motorist should not copy me.

I love driving in the snow. I respect ice and because I have been trained to drive in emergency situations both as a volunteer and in my past employments. I know how to go out when everyone else was coming in out of the snow and ice. My vehicles are stocked with blankets and first aid kit and other survival equipment. I can be safe up to two weeks if I am stranded and do not leave my vehicle.

A first responder appreciates the fact that most people stay home. It gives us plenty of room and less obstacles or hazards like SUV's that think they can go anywhere at any speed. They forget they also have to stop and turn. I stop when other people drive past these SUV's and offer aid when they crack up. I mention SUV's because they are involved in most of the winter incidents I stop at.

I will not gamble my vehicle to make a few dollars. Let me think. Do I want to wreck my vehicle for even a $100 bonus? I am not a moron. If it gets that bad the police will order everyone off the roads and the businesses will close. If the businesses are open and you show up and you are not a first responder or tow truck or plow driver they know you are the mystery shopper.

Your attempt to perform the shop will not give the client a fair evaluation. Stay home and ask the schedulers for a “mulligan” (do over). All they can do is cancel you as a shopper. That is better than the reality that unless you are a first responder you should not be out there. Do not risk your life.

Some MSC (like market force) tell shoppers that shopper's safety come first. All MSC's should have an understanding with their clients that human life is more important than the performance of a mystery shop and put that into their guidelines so the shoppers do not take foolish chances.

While there are always going to be exceptions, I'm sure most MSCs do not consider shoppers begging off because of weather to be flakes. We have even had schedulers publicly state on this forum shoppers should always choose to be safe rather than risk life and limb for a mystery shop.

Yes but I really didn't get the impression the OP meant any insult by it. It seemed to be a lighthearted post with no ill intention and I found it amusing.

My comment had nothing to do with the OP and thought his comment was a play on words. We usually have several threads doing the same thing during the winter. I think it's important shoppers do not feel they should go into dangerous situations to avoid really being labeled a flake.

Absolutely agree. It read like you were agreeing with the people who were complaining that he used the word flake.

I always thought the word FLAKE meant that you just didn't do the shop, did not call to re-schedule, and/or did not notify your scheduler.

well, it IS WINTER so you never know WTF will happen day to day.

@iagal wrote:

Do we need to come up with a new word for people who don't do their shops due to safety concerns or some other ok reason? Flake seems to have a nasty conotation even if the OP'er didn't appear to be using it in a derogatory way?

I have a word for the shoppers that don't go out because it's not safe, I call them smart.

I live in the northeast and based on the grocery shop I did yesterday, I think EVERYBODY within a 50 mile radius went out yesterday so they didn't have to do any driving today or tomorrow. I was in line at the checkout counter for 19 minutes! When I got to the question that asks if it was an acceptable wait time, with the instruction to not say "No" for circumstances which were outside of the store's control, I actually had to answer "Yes," it was an acceptable wait time.

"Flake" is definitely not the word for cancellation or rescheduling because of snow. It is called being responsible.
MSPs know weather is a problem at times and if one doesn't maybe it is time to work for other MSPs.

As for me, it is a blizzard with maybe 16 inches so far. It's hard to tell because of large drifts. A state of emergency was declared and a driving ban imposed.

Market Force cancelled a shop of mine because of the weather.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2015 07:54PM by vlade5394.

I cleared my schedule for today and the next few days because, according to the National Weather Service, we were all gonna die here at the Jersey Shore. We only had 1ft. of snow and the roads are clear. What to do, what to doooooo. Is $25 enough to do a KMart audit? They say it's easy with no photos. Are they pulling my leg?

I find the Kmart audit easy. Here's a link to a recent post and my thoughts:

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

As for the price...I need at least $30 to do it, more if the store is further away. But I don't know the specifics of your business so $25 might work for you.

Thanks James...I'm gonna try to get more for it......oh wait! Do I need a tablet?

@PeggyShoppy wrote:

I live in the northeast and based on the grocery shop I did yesterday, I think EVERYBODY within a 50 mile radius went out yesterday so they didn't have to do any driving today or tomorrow. I was in line at the checkout counter for 19 minutes! When I got to the question that asks if it was an acceptable wait time, with the instruction to not say "No" for circumstances which were outside of the store's control, I actually had to answer "Yes," it was an acceptable wait time.

If those people would follow FEMA guidelines and have several days of food and water on hand they wouldn't have been slowing everyone down. Myself, I follow the prepper guidelines have at least a weeks supply on hand, an emergency generator or a huge UPS that I can power from the car. Ice storms are truly no fun. Now that I have all of that we haven't had nary an ice storm.

I find much of the last minute shopping before storms here is for fresh and perishable food that can't be stocked weeks in advance.

I would much rather have milk that is not mixed from a carton. And fresh fruit.