This isn't a rant and really isn't even a problem, I just have a question about A Closer Look.

I just received an email that they had accepted my lodging shop and sent it off to the client. They also attached a file with some general tips and pointers about doing shops......but did not critique my report. I was looking forward (really I was) to some constructive critisism of where I could improve and it doesn't seem I received any. Is this typical? Or is it that after your first shop they just send you the general file about what their clients are looking for? No big deal, I'm just curious.

Was it your first shop? What specific feedback did you get?

audrialyn30 Wrote:
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> Was it your first shop? What specific feedback did
> you get?


Yep, it was my first shop, and I didn't get any specific feedback and I was really hoping for some. I just received a general guideline of what their clients are looking for and common mistakes - but it wasn't specific to my report.

Unless you did something wrong you probably won't get any feedback except the Thank-you-your-report-has-been-sent-to-the-client. You must have done good.

Ditto what AustinMom said. The editors are wonderful and would point out any grammatical or spelling errors. You obviously followed all the guidelines.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2013 02:48AM by CAscotch.

I just cancelled a shop with ACL. They only offer reimbursements, no fee. I have done 3 of them with no fee and $25 reimbursements to get started, hoping for restaurants and hotels in the future, as I have done so with other companies.

Well, after reading the requirements for this first dinner shop: 2 adults to visit the bar first, then dinner ordering 2 beverages, 1 app to share, 2 entrees, 1 dessert to share. The reimbursement is only $60. There is no way the bill will be $60 or under, more like $90 - $110. Pastas are $24 and hamburgers are $15. In addition, they require a visit to the retail store and make a purchase, reimbursement is only $5.

The requirements are just too much for only $60 for dinner and bar, plus $5 retail. Would you do it? I'm used to dinner reimbursements of $130 to $175.

Does ACL have fine restaurants with higher reimbursements?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2014 07:06PM by ShopperFun99.

ShopperFun99 Wrote:
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> Does ACL have fine restaurants with higher
> reimbursements?


I have done some $100 shops for them, I wouldn't call them high end places.

ACL tends to have chains rather than individual restaurants. I have done a $130 lunch and a $160 dinner which I would call pretentious dining but not fine dining despite the white table cloths, cloth napkins and chair service.

I completed one shop with A Closer Look. I received a pleasant call about my first report and a welcome. I received a second shop which I haven't done yet.

Go into your log, Click on Events, My History and see if there is an email. This is all I have gotten and it is good. The only thing I did wrong was pay to much of a tip. You are required to pay 15% to 18% no more at their restaurants.

Yes they have high end restaurants.

Did you check the menu at the restaurant before deciding to cancel. $60 is enough at some restaurants.

ACL has a mixture of sorta high end ($100+ dinners) all the way down to oddly restrictive $25 lunch/dinners shops, all with no pay. I suspect they have a group of actual high end ($200+ reimbursements?) restaurants that are hidden from me since I have only completed three shops for them.

I might take more of their shops if I knew there were great shops waiting for me after I proved myself. However, for now, might as well take the $200+ reimbursement and $20 shopper pay available from at least a couple other companies in town for fine dining.

I think the board will disagree with me, but I find ACL reports as time consuming as Coyle and some other high end companies, without the pay and larger reimbursements I would expect for that amount of work. Several of the reimbursements amount to a very high discount instead of a full reimbursement, unless you really penny pinch while ordering.

artvndlay Wrote:
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> ACL has a mixture of sorta high end ($100+
> dinners) all the way down to oddly restrictive $25
> lunch/dinners shops, all with no pay. I suspect
> they have a group of actual high end ($200+
> reimbursements?) restaurants that are hidden from
> me since I have only completed three shops for
> them.
>
> I might take more of their shops if I knew there
> were great shops waiting for me after I proved
> myself. However, for now, might as well take the
> $200+ reimbursement and $20 shopper pay available
> from at least a couple other companies in town for
> fine dining.
>
> I think the board will disagree with me, but I
> find ACL reports as time consuming as Coyle and
> some other high end companies, without the pay and
> larger reimbursements I would expect for that
> amount of work. Several of the reimbursements
> amount to a very high discount instead of a full
> reimbursement, unless you really penny pinch while
> ordering.


You will get more. Be available, open to assist the schedulers and you will see that there are actually quite a few of them out there which are high end. Once you shop with them a while, build up a reputation of being reliable and reasonable, they will reach out to you with shops directly. I get texts from a couple of schedulers, usually a "help me with this one and pick what you want next month and it is yours" things. Highest reimbursement so far was $280 with parking.

ShopperFun99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just cancelled a shop with ACL. They only offer
> reimbursements, no fee. I have done 3 of them
> with no fee and $25 reimbursements to get started,
> hoping for restaurants and hotels in the future,
> as I have done so with other companies.
>
> Well, after reading the requirements for this
> first dinner shop: 2 adults to visit the bar
> first, then dinner ordering 2 beverages, 1 app to
> share, 2 entrees, 1 dessert to share. The
> reimbursement is only $60. There is no way the
> bill will be $60 or under, more like $90 - $110.
> Pastas are $24 and hamburgers are $15. In
> addition, they require a visit to the retail store
> and make a purchase, reimbursement is only $5.
>
> The requirements are just too much for only $60
> for dinner and bar, plus $5 retail. Would you do
> it? I'm used to dinner reimbursements of $130 to
> $175.


that shop only pays 50.00 here.....I'm not touching it.....

Their hotel shops with room service dinner and buffet breakfast are great if you have the hotel's rewards program! I picked up about 10 free nights last year at various hotel chains, just from ACL hotel shops.

What I hate are the new reminder calls ahead of every shop. I have never flaked on ACL and deeply resent this "friendly" request to re-verify that I will be doing my assigned shop.

You have access to the instructions and budget ahead if time so you should not have had to sign up for it and then cancel.

ShopperFun99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just cancelled a shop with ACL. They only offer
> reimbursements, no fee. I have done 3 of them
> with no fee and $25 reimbursements to get started,
> hoping for restaurants and hotels in the future,
> as I have done so with other companies.
>
> Well, after reading the requirements for this
> first dinner shop: 2 adults to visit the bar
> first, then dinner ordering 2 beverages, 1 app to
> share, 2 entrees, 1 dessert to share. The
> reimbursement is only $60. There is no way the
> bill will be $60 or under, more like $90 - $110.
> Pastas are $24 and hamburgers are $15. In
> addition, they require a visit to the retail store
> and make a purchase, reimbursement is only $5.
>
> The requirements are just too much for only $60
> for dinner and bar, plus $5 retail. Would you do
> it? I'm used to dinner reimbursements of $130 to
> $175.

This is one of my favorite companies to shop for. Yes, the reimbursement is not always enough to cover the meals, but I have dined out on them 1-2 times per month and my entertainment budget has shrunk to about $20/month. Also, they are pretty willing to be flexible and are one of the most willing top be flexible companies out there. Possibly you have to work with them a bit before this is your experience, but it definitely is mine.

I agree with Scheherazade. I do find their reports to be time consuming and rarely get a "fee". If the restaurant is nice and I like the food I find it worth my while to get compensated with the meal alone. I generally do not go over more than a few dollars and some of the shops I have done have a $3 fee...I am not sure why $3 makes any difference at all when you are spending several hours on the shop instructions and report and the reimbursement is for $100 plus with a nice meal. Jobs must vary a lot from one city to the next. Right now in my market there are lots and lots of pizza shops with a relatively small reimbursement only and even though the reports are probably easier I doubt the work involved on any ACL report, from past experience, is worth the reimbursement only on these types of shops. I am waiting for their "better" shops to return to my market or at least a cheap dinner that is reimbursed that I can walk to. My fave right now has a 50 age limit or I would do that one each time. I have seen bonuses on some of the pizza shops but the locations are several gallons of gas away and the bonus always seems to be $3. I can eat good pizza in my own neighborhood and spend less than the gas and time costs for these shops.
On the other hand, I never worry (so far) that my shop will be rejected as they seem to like my style. The editors are reasonable and the staff is responsive if for some reason you run into a problem with an editor or a job. There are other companies that I have stayed away from for fear that after laying out a large sum of my own money the shop will be rejected for some unknown reason. For this I still consider ACL to be one of my favorite companies and still accept those wonderful jobs when I find them on their website. I am a part timer and not trying to pay my rent with mystery shopping so for me it is like the barter system. I barter my time and report writing abilities for a meal or something else I would otherwise either not buy due to the price or would spend my own money for.

Well, it is a lot more than $10 over $60 if I had done the shop. I am in a major metropolitan area and the restaurant menu here are much higher. For what ACL required: bar drinks, then 2 beverages, 1 app, 2 entrees and 1 dessert. With $15 for hamburgers, $24 for pasta and $28 for shrimp, plus 10% tax, 18% tip, I'm lucky if the dinner/bar expense is below $100. I shop for other high end companies where I am covered for full reimbursement plus a small fee.

For their high end steak house, I order the cheapest wine, which is around $8 (BTW, I don't drink). When they ask if I was celebrating a special occasion during the phone reservation, I usually say it's anniversary, or birthday; they comp the dessert. That's one way I stay under the reimbursed budget.

Yes, and if it works with the time period, I arrive during happy hour, get the drink in the bar and if allowed carry that into the dining room so I/my guest husband has wine to drink with dinner at a lower cost. I also ask if soup is allowed for the appetizer and if so it cuts the outlay for that requirement by quite a lot. It is too bad they limit the reimbursement so that it is difficult to get a mid priced entree unless you use some other tricks. I have been told they use the average dinner check to figure out how much to reimburse but I think the average diner may not always order an appetizer and a dessert.

I like ACL, but their shops require lengthy write ups and many times I have a lot of money out of pocket. For this reason, I have really slowed down my shops with them. They have always treated me well, but I don't have the time for the long reports anymore.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/2014 03:50PM by txshopper09.

I too have slowed down the number of shops I do for them. I was averaging 3-4 hotels a month for awhile but have decided I'd rather pay $50 on Priceline and not have a report.

Yes, I have limit me shops as well. When I did all of the smaller shops, I was given more opportunities to do the higher end before they ever got on the job board. I don't get the offers anymore since I don't do the deal low end ones, but then again I don't really care lol

No high end $200. restaurant shops to my knowledge. I've shopped with them for several years, receive special invites for non posted shops, but never anything that would be in the $200. range.

They have one client that has a $250 reimbursement. It can also be done alone. Not sure how often the client is shopped though.

wanderwoman Wrote:
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> No high end $200. restaurant shops to my
> knowledge. I've shopped with them for several
> years, receive special invites for non posted
> shops, but never anything that would be in the
> $200. range.

There is one in my area for $250, dinner for two. Another shopper beat me to it, but with the new format, I added myself as a backup.