You are posting in a PUBLIC forum and asking for opinions. Just because you do not like some of the responses does not mean that you have the right to tell someone not to post. You have the right to whine about the same thing over multiple threads and I have the right to respond. I am sure you canceling shops for next week will make another shopper very thankful for the holiday season.

@Sybil2 wrote:

You are posting in a PUBLIC forum and asking for opinions. Just because you do not like some of the responses does not mean that you have the right to tell someone not to post. You have the right to whine about the same thing over multiple threads and I have the right to respond. I am sure you canceling shops for next week will make another shopper very thankful for the holiday season.

I love it when shoppers in my area cancel at the last moment. Bring it on!

Me 2!

If you look there are specific Black Friday ONLY shops that pay very well. And I am not talking about super crowded stores either.... pays to dig.

From the scheduler view point:

Shops auto-assign on a lot of the different platforms. Sometimes, we'll assign an application after a flake because it looks like a brand new application. (We didn't realize that the shop was requested weeks prior.) We're human and we make mistakes. Scheduling is a hard job. That one shop that you sent several emails on? While you were sending the scheduler 4-5 emails, 100 other shoppers were also sending them 4-5 emails asking them questions about different projects and shop requirements. In one day, the average scheduler sees anywhere from 200 to 800 emails that need to be answered, they also need to recruit for shops, check on past dues, etc. etc. etc.

If a shopper is respectful towards me, explain that they can no longer shop(even if they had applied for it that day and I assign it within minutes) I remove the shop without penalty and I don't prejudge them when assigning the next shop.

That said, if a shopper is constantly sending me emails about changing dates, is rude in the email, calls me names, cancels shops, or takes several prompts to finish the shop? I'm probably not going to use them.

I get it's frustrating when things like this happen. We're not trying to be difficult. We're just trying to get what can be a difficult and stressful job completed. It's not done with any malicious intent.

Keep the communication open, keep it respectful, and keep your word and schedulers will go out of the way to find you work.

This is a good thread tackling a tough subject. Everyone has skin in the game here.

I keep a list of my pending applications in my Notepad app. (It's the same place that I list the jobs that I want to keep an eye on in case they get bonused, and the ones that will be released soon that I will want to jump on immediately.) If the job hasn't been assigned after a couple of days, I know that it's a backup/flake assignment, and I usually withdraw my application.

a one-day holiday that focuses on eating like pigs and watching football?

And what is wrong with that? My plans exactly.

And I forgot to mention some wine, beer, soda and iced tea. Plus, there is nothing like left over turkey and hot turkey sandwiches stretching it to a two day holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

You forgot PIE! Can there be PIE? And whipped cream? And eating leftovers for days......

Of course there will be pie. Hopefully, pumpkin pie made with brown sugar and Eagle Brand milk. And yes, yes, topped with whipped cream. Yea!

Blueberry pie with Haagendas vanilla. Almost forgot. And cranberry sauce, not usually served during the year. And yes leftovers for days. Love to take a cold turkey leg out of the fridge and eat it with buttered rye bread. It is a bit melancholy however. I can still picture my family, most of whom are departed, sitting around my Thanksgiving table and Thanksgiving tables of the past. Reflective.

Gosh we used to have blueberry pie. That is a lost food..... wish it would be more popular....

@LIJake wrote:

Blueberry pie with Haagendas vanilla. Almost forgot. And cranberry sauce, not usually served during the year. And yes leftovers for days. Love to take a cold turkey leg out of the fridge and eat it with buttered rye bread. It is a bit melancholy however. I can still picture my family, most of whom are departed, sitting around my Thanksgiving table and Thanksgiving tables of the past. Reflective.

Some of the responses in this thread are harsh, at best. I realize it's a public forum, but why do people have to be so nasty?

Just the other day, I was updating my Marketforce profile pages and saw that "accept auto shops" was checked. I DID NOT check that box, they checked it for me. That said, they NEVER auto assigned me a shop. I unchecked it and saved. I didn't realize that anyone auto assigned shops. So there's good information in this thread. It's helps to have a thick skin in order to deal with all of the harshness.

BECAUSE it gives them a platform to brag about how tough, practical, organized, gifted, busy, smart, and all powerful they are compared to the rest of us -- which is a sure sign they really believe they're inferior and don't measure up.

@Joytron wrote:

. . . why do people have to be so nasty?. . .

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

I love that this thread has become at least in part about Thanksgiving Dinner. I have one completely off topic hilarious joke to tell about Thanksgiving and then I'll show myself out:

The regular size Reddi Whip, 6.5 oz can has a listed servings per container of...... can you guess?
37
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hah aha hahahaha ahahahahahhahahah!
Good one, right? Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm elderly and get sick without notice and can't get my shops in on time. 85% my shops are extended due to my health and they never cancel my shops. The reason I think their so understanding is because I receive all 9-10's. If you received a citation, it'd show on your shop log.
The reason you get a shop without a sufficeint amount of time to complete is because they're desperate ​so you are in the driver's seat.

Eating like pigs? Hysterical! I agree we all eat a bit more than we usually do on a typical Thursday, but I never thought my family and I ate like pigs. LOL. Thanks for putting me in a better mood today!

@pammie8223 wrote:

@Sybil2 wrote:

@pammie8223 wrote:

I agree, I also think that they should not auto assign on the week of Thanksgiving, is it just me or is that kind of unusual planning?

You are being totally unrealistic. Everyone should cancel all work for an entire week revolving around a one-day holiday that focuses on eating like pigs and watching football? Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving. I am sure it is not a favorite holiday of the Native Americans.

Many shoppers love working around a major holiday. We get to pick up all the highly bonused shops that others flake on with the impending end-of-the month soon to follow.

As far as Maritz auto-assigning, YOU agreed to it at the end of your report from the previous rotation. If you did not want to work the entire Thanksgiving week, you should not have agreed to the auto-assign and break your contract with them. They did not randomly pick you out of thin air and assign shops to you. Time for a reality check.

Sorry Missy didn't ask for your opinion, I'm speaking about me. Dang do you always have to have something to say.

@Chilo wrote:

I'm elderly and get sick without notice and can't get my shops in on time. 85% my shops are extended due to my health and they never cancel my shops. The reason I think their so understanding is because I receive all 9-10's. If you received a citation, it'd show on your shop log.
The reason you get a shop without a sufficeint amount of time to complete is because they're desperate ​so you are in the driver's seat.

I don't want to admit that I'm "elderly" but I'm a senior citizen. Any difference?! I had to cancel two shops due Monday (because of illness) for two new MSC's that I have never shopped for. Both schedulers were amazingly nice and hoped that I felt better. I have several illnesses that I cannot control. I did an auto shop on Tuesday and I was sick with some kind of flu. Did you ever have to test drive a car when you're feeling spacey and like crap?! Now, I'm screwed and won't be able to shop for several days due to an exacerbation of asthma.

Thank you for your advocacy! I'm a social worker and I know how important this is. Keep up the good work. : )

I get really frustrated because they give you such a short window. By the time a shop I want is posted they want it done in 2 days. I try to schedule way before that and usually and not available when those short notice shops come up. I have way overbooked myself a few times and regretted it big time.

Yes, I agree, and have had similar experiences with schedulers. I realize they have other things in their lives, but they need to do their job so we can do ours.

In that case tell the scheduler to go head on and do it her own damn self.

The first Thanksgiving was a joint occasion with newcomers and Native Americans building and enjoying that time together.
I am part (3 parts) Native American and several other kinds of nationalities and I don't hate or harbor any will at all toward any kinds of peoples.
I mean I do strongly dislike arrogant destructive philosophies. But, that is about it.

Is it possible that the scheduler has other commitments, too, and doesn't just sit at a computer all day? Maybe you should try some of those anger management classes that the Domestic Violence offenders have to take if you get that upset over something like this.

@kkdidit2xs wrote:

I applied for a shop over a week ago. Never heard anything. I am an Advocate for the Court for Domestic Violence Victims. I was asked to go to court with a Woman that needed our help. I checked my E-mail as soon as I could that day, (yesterday) and I saw that I was accepted for that assignment. Yep, It was do that same day. (yesterday). Oh and it had to be done at a certain time. I would not be out of court and done with the paper work until late. So I could not do the shop. I emailed the scheduler back and told her that if I would have known days sooner I could have done the job. I pretty much told her that it was really stupid to assign a job at 10:07 am that is do that same day, and had to be shopped between 10 am and 3 pm. I am just angry. Oh and I most likely got a flake citation. Not my fault. I do have another life besides shopping. They expect us to complete jobs by their deadline, so why cant they assign jobs in a timely manner to meet our deadlines? Sorry, this case I heard the other day in court, brought back memories and the email just was icing on the cake. OK done venting.

When that happens I just email the scheduler back and tell them that they waited too long and I am no longer available. I've never had a bad reaction so far.

If I get no reply, I delete the app within 48 hours. My time is valuable and with no reply, I can find plenty of other work to replace the deleted one. Eventually they will have to bonus the shop if it is not assigned, then I grab it!

If it takes a scheduler more than 24 hours to schedule a shop I cancel the offer to perform the shop as the shop is probably given to another shopper. If the shopper flakes the scheduler will assign you the shop like you are available 24/7 and sit at your computer 24/7 waiting for the assignment. The schedulers must make up their minds, and they usually do, quickly. If you see the shop offered repeatedly it is probably rejected by experienced shoppers as being not worth the time to perform it.

Hi kkdidit2xs,

I just think the scheduler is trying to get the job done and offering you the opportunity. Also given the shop is so distinct the scheduler probably felt "maybe it will get done and we will both be paid?" There are rare times when I do the shop on the day it is assigned. I am a stickler for my time. You should not get angry with the scheduler or mystery shopping company. Just communicate to them what you told us here. That is the great thing about being an independent contractor. You determine how to proceed and if you even want to proceed.

The work you do is special. This company may offer similar type shops in the future. I doubt they would hold this type of incident against you. This is business. Do no take it personal. Just communicate this is unacceptable in the time frame presented.

Good luck in your endeavors.

I don't agree with you. The shops should be assigned at least 2-3 days in advance. I think the scheduler has a responsible to their employees. If the shop was assigned to me the day of the job, I would reply to the scheduler and tell them because I hadn't heard from them, I went ahead and planned my time according to my needs period. I think the schedulers should be more professional and do their jobs to help the shoppers. We all have lives outside mystery shopping.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2015 03:08AM by mollycosmo.

Why are you so nasty?