5 hour Bus Ride Shop for $65 + $15 Bonus + Bus Ticket Reimbursement ($54)

Would you do this shop? You get on and off the bus 4 times, "hop on and hop off" and observe the behaviors, dress code of the bus driver at each stop. You also note the ticket agent for certain behaviors. You wait for the next bus and get back on. It's a tourist-type bus and if you are vacationing in this popular city, it's a great way to kill 5 hours.

Would you do this shop for the pay? It works out to $80 for the shop fee and your bus ticket for $54. My only thing is being stuck in a bus most of the day but you do get to explore the areas before you get back on to get the next bus.

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Clarification please: Must the shopper thake the very next bus (presumably leaving little time to explore) or can the shopper take any subsequent bus, as long as all 4 changes are made? The answer may well determine whether or not it might be worth it.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

It would depend a lot on the parameters. Do I have 4 required 'hop offs' or can they be my choice of 4 out of perhaps 15? Am I required then to catch the next bus or can I go do something and come back to pick up the next bus.

Since I don't know what city, let me pose Washington DC as an example. For me the 'hop off' would be the museums rather than the Capitol, White House or memorials. So I 'hop off' to see Air and Space, the Corcoran, the American Textiles and the National Portrait Gallery. That would make it a lovely day for me as I would want to spend about an hour at each of those museums and would be pleased to rest and ride around between them.

@walesmaven wrote:

Clarification please: Must the shopper thake the very next bus (presumably leaving little time to explore) or can the shopper take any subsequent bus, as long as all 4 changes are made? The answer may well determine whether or not it might be worth it.

Hope this answers your question:

I hope this is okay to post the guidelines as I have not mentioned the MSC or the Bus Company.

[ let me know if this is not okay, thanks!)

FOR THE 5 HOUR TOUR:

Board the bus at the address on your Shop between 8am and 11am.

-Board the bus, noting associate behaviors, dress code and professionalism.

-You must "hop off" the bus at 4 of the stops and "hop on" the next bus that arrives (you can spend as much time exploring each area as you’d like)and make the same observations of the bus and associates. All stops are listed in the brochure supplied by the ticket agent.

-You must take photos of the staff, record staff names and bus numbers for each of the buses you board.

-This shop will take 5 - 6 hours to complete.

-You must ride at least 4 buses to be paid for this shop.

I didn't see the part about taking photos of the staff, recording staff names and bus numbers (but the bus numbers make sense, to match them with the drivers).

@Flash wrote:

It would depend a lot on the parameters. Do I have 4 required 'hop offs' or can they be my choice of 4 out of perhaps 15? Am I required then to catch the next bus or can I go do something and come back to pick up the next bus.

Since I don't know what city, let me pose Washington DC as an example. For me the 'hop off' would be the museums rather than the Capitol, White House or memorials. So I 'hop off' to see Air and Space, the Corcoran, the American Textiles and the National Portrait Gallery. That would make it a lovely day for me as I would want to spend about an hour at each of those museums and would be pleased to rest and ride around between them.

It looks like you can make any 4 stops (hop on/hop off) but the more places you decide to explore, would that make your day longer and by how much? (vs, someone who jumps off and on the busses, just trying to get the shop done with

...

No.

So my hypothetical Washington visit should work assuming that the busses run fairly frequently and not just 8AM to 4PM or some such.

This is a little contradictory to me. "hop on" the next bus that arrives (you can spend as much time exploring each area as you’d like)" So do you catch the next bus or the first available bus after you have taken time for sightseeing?

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

I agree with Lisa; the instructions are contradictory, and not just a little.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

My sense is that they don't care as long as you have been on 4 different busses with 4 different drivers. Of course getting a driver name will be fun because name tags are worn on the left, you approach the driver from the right with no real way to get in front of them and most drivers turn their head towards incoming passengers at best, but don't turn their bodies.

I might do it once for $80 if the report and preparations (reading guide and memorizing scenario requirements) took no longer than 20 minutes. My suspicion is that the report probably will take a long time and would be the deal-breaker.

I figure the report will be 4 small reports on the busses and probably a short report on buying the ticket (unless it can be purchased directly on the first bus). So this is not a deal I expect would be a money maker so much as a tourist ride.

Sounds like a fun day to me. Even better if I could squeeze in a few shops during the stops. Not a huge money maker but I have done worse. When I was taking the bus during my wheelchair days I would have loved to mystery shop them. Some of the drivers were kind but most were just jerks who were angry that I was in a wheelchair which meant a little extra work for them. One driver was so incredibly rude to me that I pretended that I was a mystery shopper and began taking notes. I did not even know that the bus routes were shopped at that time - just wanted to make the driver paranoid.

I'm thinking if they're quoting 5 hours, that's the very minimal time in which you could possibly complete the shops. Probably means you hop right on the next bus or your time is shot (if you're doing this to earn money). The report would probably take at least 1 hour (for the first time). That cuts you down to $13.33 per hour. Not great, but not bad. Just one little kink could take you down to much less though. A bus breaks down midstream and your shopping for free. Like Flash said, if its in a fun city with lots to see it may be worth it, but the buses would have to run day and night.

Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.

I suspect you could use your ride or your wait time to do the bulk of the report so that once you were finished the wrap up and submission would be super quick.

No thank you. Not my cup of tea.

This is an interesting thread for me. Just yesterday when I saw a hop on hop off bus waiting at a stop near my house I thought....hmm, I wonder if these are ever shopped? And here is your answer today. Although I have lived here for 30+ years it might be fun to take this bus if a msc paid my fare and a fee. I can sometimes hear someone telling info aboard these buses about the landmarks they pass. I would definitely sign up in a minute but only if the first hop on location is an easy drive from my house and they provide free or reimbursed parking as the middle of hollywood parking would eat up my entire fee. But, I would do it only once and then never again!

I shopped a DC operation recently, AA, simple report, and used this type of tour in Paris but not shopping it. In both cases I found the trip to be incredibly valuable. Short of hiring a personal driver, There's no other to quickly take in the big points of a major city without having to get a car then hunt for parking. I plan to use them more whether I'm shopping them or not.

~
up, up, down, down, left, right,left,right, B,A, start.

We have used this type of tour of London and of Key West. It is convenient in that it lets you see a lot that is outside of the normal tourist area and if something is interesting, gives you a chance to visit and then hop back on the bus. It is sort of a 'once and done' thing, though.

Take as much time sightseeing as you want, but you MUST get on the next bus?

Too contradictory for me. I would have to have that contradiction resolved IN WRITING before I'd risk an all-day shop and be out of pocket for it to boot!

My wild guess: I think they mean: Stop 1, Seattle 1:00, next bus at 2:30. You have an hour and half to sightsee, eat lunch, do your report.

When they say you must get on the "next bus" I think that's what they mean. Otherwise ...waiting, riding, exiting and waiting, riding, exiting.... for the next bus "rinse and repeat" 3 x more times would take all day!

I am too hyper to do this kind of assignment "unless" I was in Seattle (example) and had a day to kill riding busses...not my favorite thing to do on vacay~~!

@Flash wrote:

My sense is that they don't care as long as you have been on 4 different busses with 4 different drivers. Of course getting a driver name will be fun because name tags are worn on the left, you approach the driver from the right with no real way to get in front of them and most drivers turn their head towards incoming passengers at best, but don't turn their bodies.

I was thinking the headlines would read: "Mystery Shopper run over by bus trying to capture the bus drivers name tag."

I have not read all of the replies so please forgive me if I am being redundant, but it depends on what is required in the report too. Are there a lot of narratives etc.?

Sounds fun. I would do this as a tourist, but not necessarily as a money-maker. Unless, of course, I could work it out to take the hop-on, hop-off buses to destinations where there was another shop waiting for me.

Now scheduling travel shops for the day after Christmas through mid-January.

I'd do this shop in a hot New York Minute in DC. Or just about any where else I've done the tour buses as a travel agent. Those suckers cost a fortune. Hop on and off to visit what I want to visit and then hop back on to see something else I want to see without babysitting a minimum of 20 people who are of the age who should know better...as the commercial says...Priceless.

What a concept I get paid for something I did as part of my job for years. I might actually be able to enjoy the tours.

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2016 04:38AM by MA Smith.

I wouldn't do it as a money maker but could see doing it if I was a tourist. I live in a touristy city and did this kind of bus once when a friend visited. Personally I like the less structured visit but definitely see how this kind of tour is a good fit for some folks. In my town, it gets you to lots of parts of the city without having to navigate publuc transportation.As for getting names, the drivers introduce themselves, more familiarity means more likely you'll tip them.

I'd try it. Around my area there are many tourist areas and hot spots I'd love to visit but haven't. Would love to hear how long the report is and what types of narratives are involved.

Since you are an independent contractor,and your say the shop pays $80.00 plus reimbursement of $54.00 which totals $134.00. As to the "hop on" and "hop off", that is your perogative as to how this is done. Please remember that you are running a business and getting paid in the future. Calculate the hours at the max of 6 hours (I never calculate the lesser hours) especially because this a new shop. Now the pay rate is $22.33 per hour. If you are satisfied with the shop guidelines and the pay, then go ahead and do the shop. As a long time shopper, i would not because my lowest number to do any shop is $25.00 per hour.

I question the accuracy of this part of the "Instructions":

-You must "hop off" the bus at 4 of the stops and "hop on" the next bus that arrives (you can spend as much time exploring each area as you’d like)and make the same observations of the bus and associates. All stops are listed in the brochure supplied by the ticket agent.

I would like a verification that this is EXACTLY what the instructions say or if the poster added comment in parenthesis saying you can spend as much time exploring as you want. The lack of a space after the comment makes me believe that.

If that was added by the poster, it is clear that you CANNOT spend as much time as you want but must take the next bus as it clearly says.

If I am wrong about that comment being added, then the instructions are contradictory and I would not take the shop without clarification from the MSC.

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5 hour Bus Ride Shop for $65 + $15 Bonus + Bus Ticket Reimbursement ($54)

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