"Never Again!"

Currently trying to write a New York Fries report and it is so long and the page keeps prompting to save that I lose focus fast. I'm realizing now that the shop is not nearly worth the "free" meal for my daughter and I, and $8. IF (that's a big if) I do it again, it will be a location I have already been to this round, and I'm going to get the Fry Society so that those questions are simpler.

What are your "Never Again" shops?

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All fast food shops and all but one purchase and return shop. (I need to go to that location about once every 60 days anyway to have lunch across the street from the better-than-average-fee P&R shop. Even better, if I am patient it gets a really nice bonus.)

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.

I don't do FF shops either but that has nothing to do with the MSC or the report. It has to do with their so-called food. Not for me.

Ikea comes to mind if it is still shopped. Purchase/return, not making two trips for the price of one, thanks anyway.

Live consciously....

Ikea is still shopped. That was one shop I really enjoyed!

Food shops are on my "never" list.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Last I checked it was $13 for a P & R so that makes $6.50 a shop. No thanks!

My ne'er do again shops ARE:

The extremely boring $9 education phone shop (K-12).

The surplus store where there is NEVER anything for $5 purchase. They only seem to have cabinets and flooring. I ended up buying two cabinet knobs!

Used to love the storage facility shops but the extensive narrative has gotten out of hand for a particular company.

The super expensive pot-ware store in the mall where it's difficult to find anything under $10.

I always have to look at the deep-discount table.

The party shop (used to love this one) even though it paid little and had a $3 reimbursement. My main peeve on this one was when you were considering assigning yourself this shop, it would say: Times to do shop: "Scheduler will advise." Invariable it was always after 3 p.m. and many times after 6 p.m., Never, ever normal 9-5 hours. So, I quit doing it.

I won't do P&R (purchase & return) shops unless heavily bonused. I also will not do a North Face store again. Hideously long report, and the editor nitpicked excessively (plus it was a P&R). I won't do GNC vitamin store audits again, and no more Lowes because I don't care for the msc.

Totally agree about the North Face store. My editor was fine, my report went through no problem but, as mentioned horribly long and poorly designed. Cable company shop also.

If there is a lot of narrative, best to copy your narratives the first time and save them all in a document. Next time you can use the saved document to draft your responses based on your latest visit. Then as your go through the report tweek your narratives as needed, copying them into the report.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson

@isaiah58 wrote:

If there is a lot of narrative, best to copy your narratives the first time and save them all in a document. Next time you can use the saved document to draft your responses based on your latest visit. Then as your go through the report tweek your narratives as needed, copying them into the report.

Disclaimer for newbies: It is fine to use an old shop narrative as a template but be sure to change it to match the new shop's details. Just simply cutting/pasting an old narrative (even if it is so general that it fits the new shop too) will get you suspected of fraud and possibly deactivated from the MSC and any other MSC's that scheduler works for (some schedulers work for multiple companies). If it is so general that it could be for any restaurant, for example, maybe you did not include enough details. It is unfortunate that there are fraudsters out there but the schedulers do encounter them and sometimes will post stories on this forum about them.

Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.

Which is why I write each report in my own words for each one, even if I just wrote another report 5 minutes before. 9/10 the detail is the same but I phrase it differently. It is tempting though.

At minimum, keeping a copy of ones narratives will rescue you if you are asked for additional information or to fix something, or in the worst case have to resubmit a lost report. Even if you do not reference previous narratives, putting narratives together before starting to submit your report will help you immensely.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

Last I checked it was $13 for a P & R so that makes $6.50 a shop. No thanks!

My ne'er do again shops ARE:

The extremely boring $9 education phone shop (K-12).

I was considering that education phone shop. What is bad about it? I was offered a bonus on a shop, but did not take it in time.

I won't do Buffalo Wild Wings, I find the food absolutely inedible.

Won't do North Face or other P&R shops. HP rep shops. I stopped doing McDonald's shops this year.

@calicakes wrote:

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

Last I checked it was $13 for a P & R so that makes $6.50 a shop. No thanks!

My ne'er do again shops ARE:

The extremely boring $9 education phone shop (K-12).

I was considering that education phone shop. What is bad about it? I was offered a bonus on a shop, but did not take it in time.

It was so bad I was falling asleep live on the phone!

I like doing grocery shops, but the one for the client where there is a Customer Service Complaint about some product that you NEVER actually bought, but have to put in a complaint to CS as though you did, and then see if they allow you to get another one of those products for free......I can't do those anymore!!! I just can't stomach it, acting like I bought something but can't prove it, and asking for another one....nope...."NEVER AGAIN!" If & when the Client ever takes that scenario out, then I'll do those again, but NOT until then!!

I will try almost any $15 shop at least once, but these qualify for "never again."

Most phone shops
Car dealership shops
Sr living written shops
Sr living video shops paying less than $100
Any shop under $10, and $10 shops unless there are several grouped together w/no narratives.
Any shop that requires too much narrative for the job fee
Any shop that pays no fee.
Any shop requiring next-to-impossible scenarios
Any shop that compromises my health or safety
Any shop that does not have a fair time spent to fee paid ratio (avoid most fine dining shops for this reason)
Any shop that pays less than $100 and requires me to ask for illegal substances or services

How's those BWW burgers? (: There should be food quality questions because I couldn't believe a burger could taste so bad!

- Not doing any for any Kern schedulers! Personally think they are an extremely rude bunch.
- Not going to do any that have 45 photos for $20.
- Any scheduler that emails me and says "Name your bonus!" and then when I do fails to comprehend why.
- $9 phone shops for education...BORING!

I will not do anymore Eddie Bauer shops because you have to purchase an item to get the receipt and they give you only a $5 spending allowance. The last time I was in the store earlier this year, I could find only 2 items under $10 so I had to buy 1 item I don't even want for $7. I will also never do any more fast food shops except for 5 Guys Burgers, Fat Burger or Nando's. They are my favorite.

@indianyooper wrote:

- Not doing any for any Kern schedulers! Personally think they are an extremely rude bunch.
- Not going to do any that have 45 photos for $20.
- Any scheduler that emails me and says "Name your bonus!" and then when I do fails to comprehend why.
- $9 phone shops for education...BORING!

What is your problem with Kern? They are one of my favorites.
It takes me about 3 minutes to snap 45 photos. Whether or not it's worth $20 depends on the other shop factors.
I agree on the phone shops.

in my personal experience they are quite rude. not saying thats the norm just my experience. my preference. i might do shops for them at some point.
45 photos isnt the issue...20 bucks is.

i suppose i should say id do anything if the price is right...knowwhatimsayin!

i find their food indelible...in a positive way.

I used to do the $9 shops when they were for charter school in PA (same company, different scenario), and they just took too much time. In order to get all of the required information required at least 30 minutes on the phone, sometimes time on hold to talk to someone, and then time to write an extensive narrative. I decided that generally, there are other shops I would rather do. For $20, I would not hesitate to do another one. BTW, I am in a 2-party state and they didn't allow recording the call, so lots of detailed note-taking.

@calicakes wrote:

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

Last I checked it was $13 for a P & R so that makes $6.50 a shop. No thanks!

My ne'er do again shops ARE:

The extremely boring $9 education phone shop (K-12).

I was considering that education phone shop. What is bad about it? I was offered a bonus on a shop, but did not take it in time.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

Tried to delete post because my experience was attacked, disputed by the biggie wannane here, as usual no one can have an opnion opposite of the proclaimed pop peeps

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2016 09:25PM by spicy1.

The wanna be company has been around longer than I've been mystery shopping. I originally did shops for Kinesis through Kern back in 2008.

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.

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