Isn't it ironic, don't you think....

There seems to be several common themes to posts on the forum on a consistent basis. One of these recurring complaints is communications between schedulers and shoppers, editors and shoppers, and even MSCs and shoppers.

Communications seem fine when the scheduler has a shop to fill, but often falls short once the job is accepted or there is a problem with the shop or reporting or payment.

One would think that people who work in the field who's primary purpose is to report on and improve CUSTOMER SERVICE and CUSTOMER RELATIONS would also be excellent at the same. All too often it seems that the MSC shouts from the rooftops to their prospective customers 'pay us to help you improve your customer service' meanwhile their internal processes and customer service is sorely lacking...

Isn't it ironic, don't you think?....

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

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It is ironic and indeed over time shoppers tend to decide working with companies that behave that way is just not worth it.

I don't like companies who sit on applications for days or weeks at a time, so I tend not even to apply for work with those.

I don't like companies that seem to feel that endless hoops are necessary for a shopper to go from interest in the job to finally getting paid. If you want a certification for the client, let me take it at my convenience before I ever apply for your job because it may well be that once I see what you want, I may be unwilling to do that and better to not apply than to get the job and cancel in disgust.

Deadlines are sauce for the goose as well as for the gander. If there is no decent response time, especially to shop performance issues, that is a company that to me is not worth bothering with.

I could go on and on, but there are shops in my area I would be pleased to perform if the client were smart enough to move to a company that was more amenable to working with shoppers. And from time to time MSC wise up and move their shops to scheduling companies that are better for shoppers to work with.

Nor more ironic in the reason we do a ship is to improve customer service. Yet we report month after month and the same restroom is a mess. There are not enough employees etc. I did a valet last month it took 60 minutes to get my car. Though wow this month should be better. Nope. That 60 was now 90 minutes to get my car.

We actually have no idea how the MSCs treat their customers since we are not them. Technically they are our customers and I marvel at the lack of customer service some of the shoppers provide

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.

Lisa,

I see your point and it is valid for sure. However, I view the customer service within our field as a two-way street. I view customer service in the broadest possible interpretation. To me personally, customer service is how a business treats all people it comes into contact with, including but not limited to; retail customers, wholesale customers, internal customers (employees), external customers (ICs), partners, interns, trade organizations, and so on. Basically any human or corporate relationship a business encounters while conducting their business operations.

Basic communications skills should ot be limited to just your retail customers. A MSC would soon falter without the cadre of external customers (ICs) that are essential to their operations. I view us as no less important. Perhaps my terminology is not the best in this example, but I still think it serves its' purpose and makes the point I would like to make.

Just my humble opinion...

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2016 07:17PM by msimon-2000.

I get what the OP is saying.

My routes are long in driving hours and mileage. I need to be able to communicate when I'm 200 miles from home and a shop goes wacky.

If I can't get hold of a scheduler by email, phone or text and find out from the editor I have to go back, that particular scheduler is on my 10 ft pole list.

The scheduler who asks me to pick up a shop and cannot be bothered to give me the basic requirements of the guidelines and I find out I need to record, sit around for an hour and my reporting timeframe is less than 24 hours. That scheduler is on the 50ft pole list.

My favorite is the scheduler who sends the threatening emails when my area is on national news because of flooding or ice storms. I just delete those emails from said scheduler and the MSP.

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!

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Isn't it ironic, don't you think....

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