What is your favorite type of shop and what type will you never do again?
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ten foot pole apartment shops
favorite gas station audit or mystery shop and post office.
favorite gas station audit or mystery shop and post office.
I enjoy evaluating leasing agents in home communities. It gives me a chance to view home decor and nice color schemes. I also enjoy viewing the landscaping. I see great ideas that I can utilize at my home. It's all I can do to keep my iPhone in my pocket and not take pictures. The pay is good too!
I enjoy doing a variety of assignments. That way I don't get bored. I can't say I don't like purchase and return shops, I just feel like I am working double time for little pay unless it is a video shop. If they are not a video shop I would say they are my least favorite.
I enjoy doing a variety of assignments. That way I don't get bored. I can't say I don't like purchase and return shops, I just feel like I am working double time for little pay unless it is a video shop. If they are not a video shop I would say they are my least favorite.
I LOVE the pricing audits. If you do the same stores a couple of times, you can breeze through them. I also enjoy the high end restaurants. The reports are time consuming but worth it to me.
My favorite shops are all the Market Force Shops. Quick reports!! I will never, ever, ever, ever...do another fitness shop or Car dealership shop.
The high end restaurants are quickly getting on my do not do list. The reports take forever!
The high end restaurants are quickly getting on my do not do list. The reports take forever!
My favorites are bank shops. I recently completed 6 quick shops netting almost $100.00. Once guidelines were digested the shops called for the same format throughout, quick and uncomplicated. The reports were easy and made easier yet because almost without exception the bank officers involved were all very knowledgeable, well trained and adept at dealing with potential new customers. I have done several more series of bank shops since then and will take all I can get in the future.
my favorites are bank shops and reveal shops (usually for sandwich shop least favorite are heath club​
Shop I would probably never do again would be a grocery audit for TrendSource. It is the only job I have ever abandoned (not proud of having done that, by the way). I spent over an hour and wasn't even a quarter way through the list. I would have to be offered several hundred dollars to attempt that again.
My favorites are tobacco compliance shops. They can pay very well with bonuses, I can usually make routes, and they're no more than 5-10 minutes (in store and report inclusive).
My favorites are tobacco compliance shops. They can pay very well with bonuses, I can usually make routes, and they're no more than 5-10 minutes (in store and report inclusive).
I like apartment shops and will never do Ikea again!
My favorite is taking photos of menu board. They easy and pay ok. But i like diversity in mystery shopping. I hate apartment shops, too much to remember.
I most car negotiation shops. They are my favorite as I am most challenged. My never again shop would be Ikea. This is a major inventory shop. Between the shop and the travel and the report it took me 11 hours. I am much smarter now because that is my "never again". I do not like fast food shops, because I believe in eating very well. I will do those occassionaly.
I see a lot of Second-to-none shops, the food clients are decent chains but in my area it is only reimbursement only and no fee. I see a lot of people complaining about ACL doing that, I was wondering how come nobody complains about Second-to-none doing it? Is it because the reports are much easier? I have yet to do a shop for them, so don't know what the reports are like.
@aby_e wrote:
I've only been doing this a couple of months, but I've got to say my least favorite are the car dealerships. Way too intense. So I don't do them for less than $40. Target apartment shops are a lot of hassle and hard to plan a route around. Plus Ellis reports are the worst. I don't like fast food shops because I don't consider free fast food pay. I always feel I should be paid a lot more than the $5 extra to eat it, so I guess I could do it for $20. My favorite would have to be anything from Second-to-None. Their reports are the best!
I like a variety as well, so far I have enjoyed car washes, convenience store, chocolate store, coffee shop, coffee capsules via recorded call, major department store ( I got to try on clothes that cost $3000), plastic brick store, airline ticket counter.
Not too excited about the grocery store with the 9 interactions! Also, I really enjoyed doing dining shops over 10 years ago, and that's the reason I got back into it recently, but I would say I'm now finding I'm more luke warm on dining shops. The reports are way too tedious. I rather just go to my favorite restaurants and order the dishes I want and not have to worry about keeping track of everything and ordering within the requirements.
Not too excited about the grocery store with the 9 interactions! Also, I really enjoyed doing dining shops over 10 years ago, and that's the reason I got back into it recently, but I would say I'm now finding I'm more luke warm on dining shops. The reports are way too tedious. I rather just go to my favorite restaurants and order the dishes I want and not have to worry about keeping track of everything and ordering within the requirements.
You want to stay away from the Swedish furniture dealer that wants you wot walk all over their warehouse and ask questions a customer never asks. That company asks ambiguous questions and puts items in different departments as props. If you do not evaluate the item in the proper department they void the shop. You do not get paid. You gave them a report with many questions for free.
God shops are casual dinning shops that pays enough so you do not dip into your pocket are nice.
God shops are casual dinning shops that pays enough so you do not dip into your pocket are nice.
Favorites: Grocery stores, department stores, casinos, my favorite steak house chain
No way: Car dealers, payday's, audits, phone calls, apartments, pizza, Chipolte, all FF unless In-N-Out Burgers gets into MS.
No way: Car dealers, payday's, audits, phone calls, apartments, pizza, Chipolte, all FF unless In-N-Out Burgers gets into MS.
@Tlt14 wrote:
Shop I would probably never do again would be a grocery audit for TrendSource. It is the only job I have ever abandoned (not proud of having done that, by the way).
You said it for me Tlt. That was my very worst shop. I did not abandon it and it took me four hours. The smallest big grocery store in town...2 employees and they did not seem to have most of what was on the endless list but I still had to look in several depts for each exact item just to make sure!
My faves are the one time shops. I did the Barnum and Bailey circus and loved it. I also did a taxi company comparison shop. Took a taxi to and from work, to and from a shop, to and from grocery shopping, got paid well and rode in style to all those places. My favorite restaurant shop was the Gold members room at The House of Blues in New Orleans.
I always ask to take photos in during the apartment shops. I say that I would like to take a photo to see if my dining room table or bedroom furniture would fit, or I say that I am looking at a number of apartments in the area and I would like to take a photo to jog my memory. The leasing agent always agrees to allow me to take a photo of the model.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2015 12:46PM by Msbabs233.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2015 12:46PM by Msbabs233.
It's cool to read through this thread and see all the different types of shoppers. 
I too like variety. My favorites are the shops that seem the most natural for me- restaurants (from fast food to fine dining...they usually don't ask for anything that would make me stand out), grocery stores, gas stations (unrevealed), chocolate/candy stores, kitchen stores, hotels, easy/quick alcohol compliance shops, and the post offices. They always get brownie points if it's something I need or would use anyway.
[ETA: That's probably why half of that list is food-related, ha ha. I live by myself and make very, very few food purchases that are not reimbursed by an MSC.]
My 10-foot-pole list includes any revealed assignment. I've done hospital and big-box audits where the employees knew in advance that an auditor was coming, etc., and I was fine with those. But I do not like when it's partly a mystery shop and then you reveal yourself part-way through. No, thank you. Not a fan of the shops that make you ask strange questions that no typical customer would ask (...although who IS a fan of those?). Also I have never done a car dealership and don't intend to. I do like the oil change shops, though! They fall in the "something I need anyway" category.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2015 06:20PM by RedRose22.
I too like variety. My favorites are the shops that seem the most natural for me- restaurants (from fast food to fine dining...they usually don't ask for anything that would make me stand out), grocery stores, gas stations (unrevealed), chocolate/candy stores, kitchen stores, hotels, easy/quick alcohol compliance shops, and the post offices. They always get brownie points if it's something I need or would use anyway.
[ETA: That's probably why half of that list is food-related, ha ha. I live by myself and make very, very few food purchases that are not reimbursed by an MSC.]
My 10-foot-pole list includes any revealed assignment. I've done hospital and big-box audits where the employees knew in advance that an auditor was coming, etc., and I was fine with those. But I do not like when it's partly a mystery shop and then you reveal yourself part-way through. No, thank you. Not a fan of the shops that make you ask strange questions that no typical customer would ask (...although who IS a fan of those?). Also I have never done a car dealership and don't intend to. I do like the oil change shops, though! They fall in the "something I need anyway" category.
Happily shopping the Pacific Northwest. Shopping since 2013
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2015 06:20PM by RedRose22.
@aayaey wrote:
I see a lot of Second-to-none shops, the food clients are decent chains but in my area it is only reimbursement only and no fee. I see a lot of people complaining about ACL doing that, I was wondering how come nobody complains about Second-to-none doing it? Is it because the reports are much easier? I have yet to do a shop for them, so don't know what the reports are like.
I have only done the cable company shops for Second to None. I haven't seen them post food shops in my area. But yeah, I would definitely not do reimbursement only shops unless it is something I have to pay for regularly, which does not include fast food.
My favorite are the golden arches if there is a good bonus. Pay me to eat? Heck yes!
I will NEVER, EVER to another prepaid credit card shop. The shop was easy, the activation was scary! Towards the end, I refused to give the rest of my information -- you were connected to an off-shore (sounded central american) boiler room --you could hear the operators in the background talking, and they wanted my name, address, phone, ss#, date of bith, father's name etc., etc., etc. I walked away from it, rather than have identity theft.
I will NEVER, EVER to another prepaid credit card shop. The shop was easy, the activation was scary! Towards the end, I refused to give the rest of my information -- you were connected to an off-shore (sounded central american) boiler room --you could hear the operators in the background talking, and they wanted my name, address, phone, ss#, date of bith, father's name etc., etc., etc. I walked away from it, rather than have identity theft.
I love audits for the gas stations and other types of audits. But will never do best buy. I HATE the golden arches and I cant stand the grocery shops. They pay very low and require too much on the report. Cell phones are kinda fun. But one company asks way too much from you. Oh I love internet shops. Oh and the funeral homes freak me out.
I haven't done a funeral home shop but I did a Memory Care/Alzheimer's shop which left me depressed for days. Never again no matter how good the fee.
Current favorites are high-end restaurant shops, but there are a few I won't do because of tedious and redundant reports. Past favorite was a Target grocery shop that required a purchase of $50 so a message would pop up on the cashier's screen. The cashier was supposed to ask if you wanted a Red Card. Report was something like 10 questions.
10-foot pole are car dealerships and $9 gas station shops.
10-foot pole are car dealerships and $9 gas station shops.
NOTE: I'm not on the forum every day. If someone comments on my post, I might not reply right away. I've been a shopper since 1991. I've never done any work for a MS company in any other capacity.
Bangs - Home of one of my favorite singers: Coffey Anderson, Hillbilly Gangster ;-)@MDavisnowell wrote:
A few years back I was auditing a station down in Bangs (yep, a real place)
On the payday loan shops, you can buy a money order instead of getting the loan. 5 minute shop (at most) with a 15 minute form, and a company that you'll never, ever have to chase payment with. Give me as many as possible.
Ten-foot pole list: recorded phone shops.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2015 08:04AM by MrEToomey.
10 and a half foot pole shops-- Apartment
Favorite-- self storage and usps A and B
Favorite-- self storage and usps A and B
Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
bank teller shops to me are by far the best. the worst is the pinkberry shop. the fact that the reimbursement does not cover the cost and you have to beg for the extra dollar is unacceptable. basically that website is just a flat out lie, as their 1 shop is a deception. dollar is a dollar, but it's the principal of the thing. i'd rather them be honest, and set the fee at $9 instead of $10, and fully reimburse. oh, and the scheduler is awful(in my opinion). plus the yogurt is gross, and it's too long of a report for the pay.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2015 12:58PM by jay225.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2015 12:58PM by jay225.
I too like the bank shops for they are quick money and if they are out of the way an end of the quarter you can get big money. The one's I will not take any more are the long winded shops that are all narrative I am not a writer. Food shops can be good if you can find the right Mystery shop company, it pays for a fine meal but little else. They one I would like to try is the Casino shop and the resort shop but 5 hours for the Casino and they say you can't record it and the Resort needs a better credit score than I have.
I have not done a Pinkberry but I keep seeing the LAX and Honolulu airport one for a fee of $45! I guess nobody is traveling. I've been getting emails about it daily. Even if the reimbursement does not cover, the fee should be plenty.
@jay225 wrote:
bank teller shops to me are by far the best. the worst is the pinkberry shop. .
@aayaey wrote:
I have not done a Pinkberry but I keep seeing the LAX and Honolulu airport one for a fee of $45! I guess nobody is traveling. I've been getting emails about it daily. Even if the reimbursement does not cover, the fee should be plenty .
Absolutely, I love doing the airport Pinkberry shops when I have the chance. I've done HNL and OGG, but the OGG location is easier due to location. The HNL shop is located in the main terminal but most of my travel is out of the inter-island terminal. The MSC website had a glitch during my first shop, but the shop was still worth the effort. The MSC owner has been a pleasure to deal with.
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