I was told by my Sister-in-Law that she calls a scheduler daily at MF and that he hands her bonus assignments. She lives only 40 miles away and begged me for information about this company to do some local assignments a few months ago (BIG MISTAKE) but now she and her friend has worked their way into my territory. She insinuates that she is told of assignments that are not on the job board? Anyone know if MF works like this? I have noticed a lot less assignments in my area going on the board too. I am just worried that if I begin calling them, they will see it as bugging them and give me the axe. I've heard others say that they have gotten the axe for less.

Realize that there are many layers to their job board and it is fascinating to me just what I can view in my area depending on the mileage I put in with the 'Advanced Search'. It is also fascinating what shops I can see when I put in the zip of another excellent shopper that they cannot see. Rotation comes into play it would appear, perhaps maximum number of shopper visits to a particular client total, etc. I can only speculate on the parameters. Then there are the little quirks--at one point I mentioned to a scheduler who was calling for a bonused FF that I really don't like the food. I no longer see their FF shops for that client (which does NOT break my heart at all!)

My guess is that your SIL may be being allowed to pick up shops that she can't see on the default job board, and don't suggest she use 'Advanced Search'. 'A couple of months' is not likely to have given her such a stellar reputation that calls to a scheduler would make much difference. Sign up with other companies and don't bother letting her know that there are other companies out there. Remember that your average shopper sticks with it less than 6 months or so and that relatively few make it to the 1 year mark. If they think MF is the only game out there, they won't last long.

I get calls with offers of bonuses. Usually they are for jobs I have access to though.

The 'odd' thing here is the SIL indicating that she places the call to the scheduler. Yes, I frequently get incoming calls from schedulers offering bonuses, and unless it is a truly last minute cancel or flake, I generally can see the shop on the board.

There is currently one shop sitting on the board in my area with a low fee and a reimbursement that does not cover purchase requirements. While once this was a sought after job so you never saw them on the board for more than a few minutes, the 'status and prestige' is gone and the reality check is that you cannot perform this shop without incurring a loss on your purchase and the fee is not sufficient incentive to overcome the problem. We are arriving at the 'do or die' window for the shop and yet the little dog shop sits. I'm doing my mental calculations for how much it will take to haul me out of bed early to run do it . . . It certainly will require more than doubling the fee!

I can't remember the reason, or even the company, but i did have one scheduler offer me a couple of shops, that she said she does not post on the board. Maybe these are shops they do themselves, or ones they don't make enough money on...ect.?

There are several companies that do not even have a job board. All jobs are scheduled by phone or email. Some may have you report on a website, but others the reports are by email.

These are specifically "Blue Portal" jobs. I get schedulers call me from both the blue and purple portals for jobs that sit on the job board. It worried me a little that they could just call each day and get assignments that haven't been listed on the board yet because I have specific assignments that I enjoy doing each month especially while I am out doing less than enjoyable assignments.

That may be it that she is being told of jobs not on her default board. I have been shopping for a year now so I have acquired about a hundred other companies to work for. I have very little competition for those jobs. She has asked repeatedly over and over for other company that have work. I told her that for our area, the others have very little work. (Which is true!) I happened to give her MF, CORI, and Ritter which happen to have the most work posted. I do hope you are right and they lose interest. She originally wanted to be able to enjoy jobs very close to her but she and her friend have abandoned everything else to do shops now.

Flash Wrote:
> My guess is that your SIL may be being allowed to
> pick up shops that she can't see on the default
> job board, and don't suggest she use 'Advanced
> Search'. 'A couple of months' is not likely to
> have given her such a stellar reputation that
> calls to a scheduler would make much difference.
> Sign up with other companies and don't bother
> letting her know that there are other companies
> out there. Remember that your average shopper
> sticks with it less than 6 months or so and that
> relatively few make it to the 1 year mark. If
> they think MF is the only game out there, they
> won't last long.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Realize that there are many layers to their job
> board and it is fascinating to me just what I can
> view in my area depending on the mileage I put in
> with the 'Advanced Search'. It is also
> fascinating what shops I can see when I put in the
> zip of another excellent shopper that they cannot
> see. Rotation comes into play it would appear,
> perhaps maximum number of shopper visits to a
> particular client total, etc. I can only
> speculate on the parameters. Then there are the
> little quirks--at one point I mentioned to a
> scheduler who was calling for a bonused FF that I
> really don't like the food. I no longer see their
> FF shops for that client (which does NOT break my
> heart at all!)
>
> My guess is that your SIL may be being allowed to
> pick up shops that she can't see on the default
> job board, and don't suggest she use 'Advanced
> Search'. 'A couple of months' is not likely to
> have given her such a stellar reputation that
> calls to a scheduler would make much difference.
> Sign up with other companies and don't bother
> letting her know that there are other companies
> out there. Remember that your average shopper
> sticks with it less than 6 months or so and that
> relatively few make it to the 1 year mark. If
> they think MF is the only game out there, they
> won't last long.


I have always wondered about their weird search feature,and how sometimes different shops come up depending on how you do the search. Most the time if I find a shop using a different zip code or whatever, it is a shop I have never done before, so I didnt think the rotation thing could be it.

I don't know, maybe there really are some sort of behind the scenes reasons for the search weirdness, but I have a strange feeling it's simpler than that -- like a piece of crap search system! lol

MF has called me and said, "I have a so so job that is 17.9 miles from your house, how much will it take for you to do it?" One scheduler also warned me that if I only take bonus shops then they will put you on as web schedule and will not call you for bonuses. I don't know if they are blowing smoke or not but whatever bonus I ask for, they say, "Let me see if the system will approve it." I haven;t called them and asked for jobs though. It's possible that the locations are hard to fill and when that person offers to take it they are offered a bonus.

I would wait for a scheduler to call and then after breaking the ice through conversation, ask if that is true.