I have always felt if I shop a place and I know you shop a place, we are not breaking any ica by having a private conversation and mentioning both the client and msc.

@bgriffin wrote:

I have always felt if I shop a place and I know you shop a place, we are not breaking any ica by having a private conversation and mentioning both the client and msc.

You really like thin ice, don't you? Ok, I'm registered with every MSP on the list and 143 more, so 'obviously' we are registered with the same companies. So how about PM me with who shops X, Y and Z?

In fact I never saw any exception in any ICA that indicated I could discuss their confidential or proprietary information with another shopper registered with them.

That's not at all what I'm talking about, but I am fairly certain you know that. If we are having a discussion about the Fantastic Widgets shop and how long they normally take us I have no problems saying "I wish SuperBIG MSC would drop that stupid widget question so they would take 5 minutes less."

If you want to discuss the Fantastic Widgets shop and you know you both do the shops there is no reason to mention the MSC at all. And since, as is the case with the fatherly pizza shops, some clients are shopped by multiple companies, you can't automatically assume that the person with whom you are in conversation is shopping Fantastic Widgets for the same company as you are.

It really boils down to doing your best to honor your agreements. Jacob and his moderators do an excellent job of trying to MAKE us be compliant to our agreements in open forum because yes, there is the tendency when discussing the Fantastic Widgets to say "I wish SuperBIG MSC would drop that . . ." But ultimately we are the ones responsible for honoring our agreements. And you have been around long enough to have seen shoppers chastised by MSCs for posting too much information and those shoppers rushing back over here to edit their posts. And 'too much information' varies a lot by MSC. If I recall correctly, for one it was a disclosure of fee, for another it was too much information about the questionnaire, etc.

If a scheduler has loose lips about the shops of companies other than they one they are scheduling you for in that particular interaction, you should probably wonder about their ability to keep YOUR information confidential as well.

To get this back on track, video shoppers in particular know what other video shoppers are working on or that they have worked specific projects. It is not unusual for us to be on the same conference calls, copied on emails, even asked to forward emails. We also have a more direct and open line of communication with schedulers. How often do other shoppers forgo a local shop and tell the scheduler so and so will be here on a route next week, I'll be speaking to them later today and ask if they can pick it up for you?

Some of the examples you provided were based on assumption by a shopper rather than concrete knowledge. As to the scheduler who discussed a shop with me, she had no reason to keep it a secret. She schedules for the other project as well. It was much more efficient to mention her available shops on the same call.

My sense is that video shopping is different than regular shopping because yes, you know each other, sometimes share equipment, certainly need a high degree of cooperation and coordination because the nature of the beast says rotation times are very long. But realize that most shoppers reading your comments live in a different universe and that is one where competition among MSCs and confidentiality needs are much different. And I hope you would agree that in non-video shopping the kind of sharing you are talking about is not appropriate.

@syzygy wrote:

I am just signing up for a new msc (new to me, that is).. Their application asks for "Mystery Shop References (companies, contact persons, telephone numbers, email addresses)" This sounded a bit over the edge to me, so I came here to look for an answer. Thanks for the info. This is like having friends at our fingertips. Thanks for all the help.

I provided all that information a few times, listing several MSCs and contact details on an application, and later realized there were no jobs in my area for those MSC (and there never have been). It was too much work for nothing and very annoying. Now I will only list a few company names with no contact information. It's worked out fine.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2015 06:28PM by nycrocks.

I usually state that I am currently contracted with over 80 mystery shopping companies and leave it at that.

If they ask you should be honest and tell them. Very few work for just one company. That said, if they don't ask no reason whatsoever to proactively tell them.

I don't mind listing some of the MSC's I've worked with BUT I do make an exception right now for one company because they are outsourcing their scheduling to another MSC who is awarding the same jobs for $7 less and so I feel they are asking me if I shop for that company in order not to show me that the same jobs are available at a higher pay through them. So I prefer not to answer for that reason.

My reply to the question is, "I am registered with approximately 50 Mystery Shopping companies. I have been in the business for 13 years and have completed thousands of assignments. Due to confidentiality agreements, I am unable to list names of corporations. Thank you." Thus far, I have never received a rejection to an application.