As both a shopper and a scheduler I would like to share:
As a shopper I have done this "fired pizza" many times. Last year my husband shattered his ankle, had to have 2 surgeries and on top of that he was "down-sized"(75-95% of the people he worked with were "down-sized". At the time one of our daughters and 2 grandsons lived with us. The "fired pizza" shop was a welcomed shop in our home. It meant my husband and I could go on a monthly date(when rotation was 1 month). To most shoppers, a 23 mile, 35 minute trip(if the traffic wasn't too bad) to a shop with a Max. reimbursement of $18 may not seem "worth it" but for us, it meant we could have our date and not "break the bank". After 32+ years of marriage we still enjoy our dates. This was time that we could spend together, just the 2 of us. Many might complain about "it's only a reimbursement" to us it was/is a "date" we look forward to. I knew/know when I was/am eligible to shop here again. This is how I began thinking of becoming a scheduler.(My scheduler Charlotte Cawthon,(who is absolutely AWESOME!!!) suggested I check into scheduling, as I knew when my rotation was). Are the reports long? Yes, but then again, I have some shops that are super easy to input. In the end it seems to balance out AND I am free to choose OR refuse ANY shop!
This brings me to the scheduler side:
As a fairly new scheduler(Sept. 2015) I am still learning. What I can tell you about being a scheduler is:
For me it is a chance for to help my shoppers to find, understand and do the best shop/report that they can. Whether it is an $18 reimbursement or an $100 reimbursement shop I treat ALL of my shoppers the way I would want to be treated. To me and the other schedulers, ALL of our shops are highly important and the reports our shoppers submit are valuable. I work just as hard to fill an $100 shop as I do to fill an $18 shop. Each shop I have as a scheduler is important to me. Are some shops harder to fill than others? Yes, but what "job" doesn't have it's challenges? As a scheduler, I want to do my best and I can not do that without my wonderful shoppers! I appreciate each of my shoppers, I have made friends with some. I am friendly and outgoing and I care about my shoppers and what is going on in their lives. I would like to think my shoppers look forward to hearing from me and do not think "I dang, "another email about shop XYZ". I take time to listen to my shoppers whether thru text, email or a phone call and they know when I ask about their day I am sincere.
So, that is a little bit about me as a shopper and a scheduler.
I do have a parting example I would like to share:
My husband and I were just discussing this the other day. It pertains to reimbursement vs being paid a "fee" for a shop.
We have done shops for 123 company for a "wings chain" and have seen company XXX offer another "wings chain"
A brief comparison:
Company 123 pays a shoppers fee of $5 plus max reimbursement of $20 for dinner.
Company XXX has a max reimbursement of $25 for dinner.
Please explain to me why one would be preferred over the other....They both pay the same! The only difference is in the wording and how it is presented.
Thank you for allowing me to share.
littless2