What to do when the shop is out of business
Warning: For Full Access Please Log In or Create an Account (Free)
Just tell the MSC the location was closed and send them the pictures. They will most likely pay the full shop fee or at least a portion of it.
@tcurione wrote:
This is my first post here so please be nice. I have just started doing mystery shops and have completed just two shops so far. Did well and was complimented both times by the editor. Now, I am doing my third shop, which is my very first with intellishop, and the place in question is no longer in business. I have triple checked all information. I have taken pictures that will document all of this, doing exactly as the help documentation says when this happens. I'm nervous that this will make a negative first impression of me with Intellishop.
How often have the more experienced people here run into this situation? Are the mystery shop companies as understanding as we'd like them to be in this situation? Any other advice?
hello...as long as you've documented that the biz is not there there shouldn't be an issue. it's happened to me a few times without problems. i think, tho, there as some msc's out there that may cut down the fee for a closed location but i'm not sure.
You did exactly right. Take pictures and document that the location is closed. Sounds like you are off to a good start. Welcome to the forum.
It is never your fault if the company has gone out of business. And it does indeed sound like you have documented it as best you can. One more step I would suggest and that is to call the phone number of the place that they most likely gave you with the address. If the phone is answered, see if they have moved to a new location. This gives you leeway to indicate to the MSP that the business is no longer at 123 Main but has moved to 456 Jones. Do you want me to reshop them there? Or if the phone is just disconnected, you can say with certainty that you visited the location, the business was gone and a check of their phone number showed the phone was disconnected.
On another note, I've learned the hard way to be sure to call the location to ascertain that the address is correct and that they are, indeed, still in biz. After having driven x amount of miles and finding a location closed or moved a great distance and then getting a "closed shop fee" of something like $3 or something doesn't make me a happy camper. Live and learn, I guess.
Welcom to the forum!
I've only run into this situation once before, but the MSC (not intelli-shop) apologized and paid me a small fee for the trouble.
Since you've triple checked, don't worry about getting on their bad side... this was not your fault. You just need to explain the situation and I would expect any good MSC to understand. It's also not unreasonable for you to ask nicely for a fee to cover your inconvenience. Can't guarantee that request will be granted, but you acted in good faith and should be compensated for your time.
I've only run into this situation once before, but the MSC (not intelli-shop) apologized and paid me a small fee for the trouble.
Since you've triple checked, don't worry about getting on their bad side... this was not your fault. You just need to explain the situation and I would expect any good MSC to understand. It's also not unreasonable for you to ask nicely for a fee to cover your inconvenience. Can't guarantee that request will be granted, but you acted in good faith and should be compensated for your time.
Welcome to the forum and welcome to the usually fun world of mystery shopping! I don't think a closed location will negatively impact you at all. File your evaluation with supporting photos and all will be fine. You may not receive the full shop fee, however.
Some companies tell you to call first to see if they are open. The MSC might only pay a token fee like $3 if the place is closed, no matter how far you drove.
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.
I've had this happen a few times and never had to ask for a fee. It was paid automatically. You should be fine. No one will think this was your fault.
Thank you for the responses! Hopefully they will respond just as kindly!
Be sure to take a picture of the closed location. GfK pays $3 for a closed shop fee and requires that you go there, no matter how far, and obtain the picture. Even if you CAN prove via newspaper articles and TV news clips that the location is closed. GfK requires that you go and take a photo or they give you a citation. I am not sure what Intellishops payment policy was. Ath Power paid me the full fee a few years ago for a teller shop where I arrived to find the bank closed due to a power outage. I took a photo the sign on the door, and offered to go back. I was told that it was not necessary, and that they would pay me the full fee.
You seem to be off to a good start!
You seem to be off to a good start!
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
Sometimes the report has a question like "is this location open for business?". When you answer no, just answer the questions that then come up.
If a location that is near me is known to be closed, I will take it on purpose knowing that the report is simple. I do not drive out of my way though unless I know the msc makes it worth it.
Last time i took a home appliance shop from gfk that is known for a long report and so had a hefty bonus. I took it, drove the half mile from my house, and entered the closed shop report on my phone in the parking lot in less than 5 minutes. I got $3 plus a percentage of the hefty bonus. This was better than any of the quick phone app shops.
If a location that is near me is known to be closed, I will take it on purpose knowing that the report is simple. I do not drive out of my way though unless I know the msc makes it worth it.
Last time i took a home appliance shop from gfk that is known for a long report and so had a hefty bonus. I took it, drove the half mile from my house, and entered the closed shop report on my phone in the parking lot in less than 5 minutes. I got $3 plus a percentage of the hefty bonus. This was better than any of the quick phone app shops.
Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.
I just had a closed intel audit one at a staples. While the staples was out of business and they had one of those spirt stores renting the space for the halloween months. I was paid half the fee which was stated in the guidelines.
Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
Another thing I do besides taking pictures, is talk to a nearby tenant and ask if they know anything about the closed business. Oftentimes they can tell you how long it's closed, if it is being remodeled or permanently closed.
I report that as well.
I report that as well.
@tcurione wrote:
This is my first post here so please be nice. I have just started doing mystery shops and have completed just two shops so far. Did well and was complimented both times by the editor. Now, I am doing my third shop, which is my very first with intellishop, and the place in question is no longer in business. I have triple checked all information. I have taken pictures that will document all of this, doing exactly as the help documentation says when this happens. I'm nervous that this will make a negative first impression of me with Intellishop.
How often have the more experienced people here run into this situation? Are the mystery shop companies as understanding as we'd like them to be in this situation? Any other advice?
Why do you feel like you're giving a negative impression for something that's out of your control? You should be fine. Even if they aren't any specific instructions in the report about addressing permanently closed locations, just communicate it to your scheduler and they'll advise you if there are any additional instructions.
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
Can anybody give me advice here? The guidelines are not very clear. It is a new client for the company and they must want every single location shopped, because there are at least 20 on the board. There is one location with the address listed is in the downtown mall. I've confirm it on the clients website, but this location has not been in the mall for several years. Given that it is downtown, the location has since been turned over. Funny enough, I think I have shipped the client that took the space, with the same company.
The guidelines aren't very clear on this one. The company is Performalogics. Does anybody know their policy with closed shops?
The guidelines aren't very clear on this one. The company is Performalogics. Does anybody know their policy with closed shops?
I haven't worked with this company that I know of. Are they being scheduled by a scheduler you can contact? You might send them the information you have and asked 1) do they still want it shopped and 2) what proof they would like that it is no longer there (since in malls there frequently aren't suite numbers and you may need to pop into the current store and pick up a business card to show someone else is in the suite) and 3) what is their policy for paying for closed locations.
I have a couple of schedulers I keep posted on new locations being built out of clients they have and also of locations being closed. I just dropped one such email in the hopper today because a new client will be opening fairly soon.
I have a couple of schedulers I keep posted on new locations being built out of clients they have and also of locations being closed. I just dropped one such email in the hopper today because a new client will be opening fairly soon.
Yes I emailed them asking what the policy is for closed locations.
Thanks for everyone's help here! The response from Intellishop has been polite and encouraging, and they told me I did exactly what I needed to do. Everything has worked out!
I'll add one more aspect to think about.
Inside schedulers are usually pretty reliable to give you accurate instructions on how to proceed.
HOWEVER
outside schedulers are another story.
I've had more than once where I encountered a closed location with no stated instruction about closed shops.
I've had outside schedulers tell me to summit the report and state what happened
To only have the MSC come back and say they do not use closed shop locations and do not pay a closed shop fee
There are several MSC that do NOT pay closed shop fee and outside schedulers don't care if they waste your time having you submit a useless report.
Inside schedulers are usually pretty reliable to give you accurate instructions on how to proceed.
HOWEVER
outside schedulers are another story.
I've had more than once where I encountered a closed location with no stated instruction about closed shops.
I've had outside schedulers tell me to summit the report and state what happened
To only have the MSC come back and say they do not use closed shop locations and do not pay a closed shop fee
There are several MSC that do NOT pay closed shop fee and outside schedulers don't care if they waste your time having you submit a useless report.
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.