I just got an email from RBG that I find a little offensive. Anyone else get that email and feel the same way?

I got it. Skimmed but did not read completely. This e-mail is apparently the 3rd in a series of these e-mails with integrity guidance. I guess I missed #2, but I saw the first one. The first one was discussed on the forum, here's a link:

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

I find them pretty offensive also. To me, it has the tone of an adult lecturing a child. I'm neither a child nor their employee, I'm an independent contractor that chooses to perform contracted work for them when they offer it to me.

^^^^^Absolutely this! Most offensive bunch of drivel I have ever received from any MSC bar none.

Shoot I deleted it without reading it. I find the last two were enough for me. Might dig it back out.

Liz

The ones who need these won't read them. The ones who read them don't need them.

@pinchers81 wrote:

The ones who need these won't read them. The ones who read them don't need them.

Exactly. So that makes these newsletters merely drivel and crap and offensive to their good shoppers.

If RBG is having a problem with integrity in its shoppers, I'd suggest that they proactively change their screening program. RBG, like most MSCs, sets no requirements beyond having an internet connection and takes anybody who applies, then addresses all shoppers at the same level, the lowest common denominator.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I just got an email from RBG that I find a little offensive. Anyone else get that email and feel the same way?

yep

I worked with them on grocery store audits for about 4 months. Ended up that the seasoned mystery shoppers were just copying prices from old spreadsheets and weekly ads. Then, the client asked that photos of the actual prices of the tags in the stores of products where photographed. By then, I no longer did their shops but were still included in their emails. Every email talked about price discrepancies. It turned into the client asking for a current store photo of the tag on every item you were pricing. I'm surprised the client hasn't left. Guess they were told to have their shoppers give valid info or else... Don't know for sure but won't be working for them again. They treat you like your in preschool. No juice for you, go sit in the corner, go take a timeout young lady...

Well, it sucks that a few bad apples made them feel as if they had to take this recourse, but I still don't like the condescending tone or attitude of them towards everyone as a group. I am sure other MSCs have shoppers who give invalid information and falsify reports, but I don't get lectured by the other MSCs. RBG needs to figure out how to deal with their dishonest shoppers without losing the shoppers who DO have integrity. I am not going to deactivate myself, but I will likely be doing less shops for them in the future unless they are hugely bonused. Not like I do a lot for them now...haven't done a shop with them in probably 6 months or so.

I am not offended by them any more than I am offended by a poster to this forum who states an opinion. I see it as their opinion and definitions about what they want in their shoppers and since it is what I do anyway, it is no skin off my nose one way or the other. If I judged every message I read on this forum by its tone or every email I got, I would probably spend a lot of time being annoyed. RGB is simply defining what they want. Many companies slap those definitions in their shop guidelines, making their guidelines long and annoying reading. Then there is the company that over and over in different font sizes and colors warns shopper not to lie. My response is to glance through the RGB email to make sure there is not a comment with which I have substantial disagreement and then move on. I see no reason to take offense.

Frankly I would prefer they distribute an email and then put their information in their shopper training so that when they have someone cheating on shops they can quote chapter and verse as they terminate them for cause than that they treat us all as liars and cheats. I have never given RGB reason to believe I am anything but truthful and they have never treated me poorly. There are plenty of other companies whom I have never given reason to believe I am anything but truthful and they have slapped on requirement after requirement for me to prove my truthfulness without increasing fees. This later group is who penalizes us all, every time, every shop because they don't deal with their cheats.

"P.S. Feedback from our series has been so positive that we are going to continue with a Fall Series in the next few months. We will focus on writing narratives and how to accurately retell the events of a shop without inserting personal opinion. If you have any other topics you would like us to cover, please send those topics to us."

I guess we're just a bunch of curmudgeons. Or they didn't look for feedback here. Lol!

I call BS on that one, pinchers. We have a pretty good cross-section of shoppers here and the reaction is overwhelmingly negative. By claiming that it's been "so positive", aren't they are violating their integrity? Leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'm redirecting their emails to spam.

@PasswordNotFound wrote:

I call BS on that one, pinchers. We have a pretty good cross-section of shoppers here and the reaction is overwhelmingly negative. By claiming that it's been "so positive", aren't they are violating their integrity? Leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'm redirecting their emails to spam.

yep, they're like donald, a multiple offender who keeps offending & doesn't have a clue

I suspect they have personally received almost 100% positive feedback because I certainly would not bother to contact them to criticize and at the same time it is apparently very easy for a handful of folks to criticize over and over and over here.

If you find them offensive, just delete them. Shoppers on this board are not all those in the industry and many of the things they have taken their corporate position on are things shoppers have debated here.

@Flash wrote:

I suspect they have personally received almost 100% positive feedback because I certainly would not bother to contact them to criticize and at the same time it is apparently very easy for a handful of folks to criticize over and over and over here.

If you find them offensive, just delete them. Shoppers on this board are not all those in the industry and many of the things they have taken their corporate position on are things shoppers have debated here.

"Shoppers on this board are not all those in the industry and many of the things they have taken their corporate position on are things shoppers have debated here. would you like to let us in on what study you can point to that corroborates your statement?

@parkcitybrian wrote:

would you like to let us in on what study you can point to that corroborates your statement?

How about a little common sense? There are shoppers on Volition that don't come here, shoppers who are still shopping (that I know of because we continue private email contact) who won't come here anymore and many shoppers who introduce themselves as having been shopping for months or years and just found this forum. Sorry, Brian, the world does not revolve around you and this forum. There is a quite significant world outside.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2016 07:40PM by Flash.

I'm sure only a very small percentage of shoppers ever make their way to our forum, and even fewer stay to contribute.

@parkcitybrian wrote:

@PasswordNotFound wrote:

I call BS on that one, pinchers. We have a pretty good cross-section of shoppers here and the reaction is overwhelmingly negative. By claiming that it's been "so positive", aren't they are violating their integrity? Leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'm redirecting their emails to spam.

yep, they're like donald, a multiple offender who keeps offending & doesn't have a clue

Let's leave politics out of it, since we DO have a good cross-section of shoppers -- and since it's been agreed upon that we would. If that has changed, I'd be happy to begin posting more along those lines.