I did a big run today, resplendent with healthy bonuses attached to my low hanging fruit shops. It was a wondrous day until I arrived at my Dads so I could write a heavy narrative report.

Imagine my sadness when I saw an email from one of my favorite scheduler's and she was asking me to pick up another shop. The shop only required me to sit around in the same building for about a half hour. I couldn't go back by then. I would have loved to help this scheduler. Dang the senile iPad and my mobile hotspot in the middle of nowhere.

My thoughts boil down to this; if you want to turn down shops that you feel are beneath your time, travel and trouble. Do it!

But do not get on this forum and criticize the people who know that building relationships with scheduler's is paramount to earning more money in the long run. Taking the small jobs has led schedulers reaching out to me who're willing to work with me establishing routes and giving me a chance.

Do not belittle the shoppers that may only have time to do quick shops because of full time jobs or family obligations.

I don't personally know the reasons why anyone does mystery shopping for a living, part time or just as a lark. I know why I do it. I have no right to question any other shopper's motives. I have my own and they have theirs.

We are all business owners. It's our ownbusiness plans and no one else's.

I believe I've said my piece. If the mods feel the need to delete the post, I understand.

Sure, and that's everyone's prerogative, to choose.

Most of the posts about low paying jobs have to do with the posters true feeling that if we all get together, we can make changes to the system. That makes me so happy I could cry. I mean, that is the underlying cry for most political campaigns, together we can change things. Most are not banging on other shoppers, although that may be read into it, but are banging on the MSCs.

They just don't know what else to do but to come here, on this forum that is for us and about us, as a collective group and ask for collective behavior. Unfortunately, the "us" on this forum is not really a "we" in the sense that they would like it to be.

But the logic is all wrong. Deciding not to do low paying jobs drives bonuses offered to reliable shoppers rather than raise the basic fee for the shops. Shops I used to do for $7 + reimbursement I now do for $20 or $25 + reimbursement because when the fee dropped by $1, shoppers (including me) got annoyed and stopped doing them.

I perceive two distinct perspectives being presented. Some members focus on the dollar amount, picking a certain number, then despite never having performed any of the jobs they hypothesize as to why they pay so badly.

Then we have the insightful and informative assessments, by members familiar with a shop, clearly detailing their position.

The GFK retailer audit is a good example for me. On your feet constantly for at least 8 hours inputting data along with the other requirements. The fee is very bad on a per hour basis. But the fee itself is higher than the "low pay" threshold being improperly targeted. The $8 inventory check that takes 15 - 20 minutes total time, from start to finished report, pays much better on an hourly basis.

When accepted and performed on an informed basis, many of these shops have merits based on their pay.

A $10 reimbursed meal plus $8 fee is a great paying opportunity involving about one hour of my time including local travel and reporting it. Of course I agree a reasonable increased fee is necessary when the MSC needs someone to travel outside their local area, that's on a per location basis. I earn my fair share of bonuses, but choose to not wait for them. A couple of the shops I do pay just as well as those targeted shops that pay $40 for hours of time from start to finish, plus I do not pay taxes on the reimbursed part.

When I have 2-4 well paid garage shops in the city, I need someplace to hang out in climate controlled comfort for from 25-40 minutes, preferable with good Internet service. That lets me enter reports while my garage shop is "timing out." Getting a coffee and/or a small snack with just reimbursement suddenly becomes a good way to spend that time without "renting" the use of the Internet by paying for that coffee or snack out of my pocket. Better still if I can get a lunch plus a small fee. On their own, I would not consider those jobs. Context is everything in this business.

I don't think some people get the idea of "fillers shops." Good. More for the rest of us.

When I have an account open shop at one bank for one MSC and an investment shop at the same bank with another MSC, I am tickled pink when I can make a trifecta (thanks for the term, Lisa) at the same bank with yet another MSC. I don't mind that the filler is low paying.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2016 03:57PM by HonnyBrown.

I feel my views on the whole low pay thread issue is most similar to @spicy1 's comment. I don't get offended by these complaints and do feel that they are ultimately attempting to aim for an outcome that is good for all shoppers.
I think the reason these threads go downhill so fast is mystery shopping is an industry with too many variables (type of shops, payscale, shopper's motivation) for any kind of unified front to be presented on the shoppers' side.
This type of work is far from average. There really isn't much that's "par for the course" for all shoppers. That's the beauty of mystery shopping for some (like myself) and the bane of it for others.

Exactly! People shop for different reasons!

A person who shops to supplement a lifestyle (ie, reimbursement only shops at high end restaurants) and someone who shops for cash are in two very different categories.

The people who make a decent living shopping have different standards than those who are just starting.

@N-TownShopper wrote:

I feel my views on the whole low pay thread issue is most similar to @spicy1 's comment. I don't get offended by these complaints and do feel that they are ultimately attempting to aim for an outcome that is good for all shoppers.
I think the reason these threads go downhill so fast is mystery shopping is an industry with too many variables (type of shops, payscale, shopper's motivation) for any kind of unified front to be presented on the shoppers' side.
This type of work is far from average. There really isn't much that's "par for the course" for all shoppers. That's the beauty of mystery shopping for some (like myself) and the bane of it for others.

If I feel the pay is too low for my travel time and effort, I pass and leave it for a newbie. I was a newbie not too long ago, and the low paying shops are a good place to start to gain experience.

My point was I do not know how any other shopper's business plan. And it's not my business to criticize another shopper for how they choose to plan their day or their business plan.

My business plan is all about I can incorporate purchasing items that are less expensive or fresher. If my low paying jobs that require all of 15 minutes of my life help with my grocery bill or even better sell things I found along my routes...that's what I'm going to do.

Now if you want to start a boycott of shops that you feel are beneath your time and trouble... Go ahead and do it!

I will personally love the bonus money that will eventually end up in my pocket.

I know for a fact I can make over $200 a day with the low paying jobs without bonuses and my time with narratives is minuscule. I enjoy making well over $30 an hour. Is it a long day, heck yeah!

I was trying to make the point that not one of us has the right to criticize any other shopper and the shops they choose to fulfill.


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