I liked when I could just go to the board and schedule what shops I liked by looking at if they had targets, at their distance, if they were recorded, etc. Ive been receiving emails that seem to be a distinct change from that. The emails ask in advance how many shops you want assigned for October without providing any details about the shops. Another email says if I do 1 of 5 shops in the next few days that are ridiculously far that I will be fastracked and guaranteed shops for next month.

I like EMPS the company. I do not know if this is a new company policy or a decision the scheduler is making on their own

I haven't seen e-mails like those at all. Maybe it is just a certain scheduler. You have to admit it is kind of funny about fastracking and guaranteeing shops for the next month when all their shops are self-assign.

I have received emails saying that I can get the next month's shops assigned early and they are not on the board yet. But the email only gives the cities the shops are in--not the address of the apartment. I don't want to go look at an apartment in an area where it is obvious that I am not going to rent.

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> I haven't seen e-mails like those at all. Maybe it
> is just a certain scheduler. You have to admit it
> is kind of funny about fastracking and
> guaranteeing shops for the next month when all
> their shops are self-assign.


I like EPMS. I wish they would leave the shops as self assign where we can actually see the apartment, the address, and if there was a target. These emails and this specific scheduler do concern me. This scheduler has done a few things via email in the last few months that have raised my eye brow. It is a shame because I have had a great working relationship with EPMS.

I'm getting them also and I've never done anything work for them.

Yeah I think it's funny that they are trying to multi assign when you have this 3 calls/day for 3 days policy and never know if and when you'll reach the target. I found it much more challenging trying to schedule other shops around EPMS ones unless it's shop anyone. It's like Forrest Gump said, "ya never know what you're gonna get."

I've shopped for them since 2008 without problems until recently. I picked up a last minute, bonused ($10) apt. shop FAR from my house to help out a scheduler. It took the usual hour onsite to do, plus an hour drive time round trip, then another 2 hours to write up, etc. (FOUR hours total!!) I got a check from them where they docked me my $10 bonus, no explanation. I called and they claimed my direct deposit had "rejected"... "no account found" according to bank. I re-confirmed all bank info on record, and it was CORRECT.

I told them they owed me my $10 and was told.. drum roll please... "We are physically not capable of cutting checks anymore and the next direct deposit won't be until the 22nd." Funny, since they had JUST cut me a $35 check to pay me for the shop??? I asked if they could just cut me a $10 check and was told NO. The ONLY way I would get paid the $10 they owed me was to pick up ANOTHER shop!!!!! Really? Are you kidding me? Are they that desperate to get their shops filled? I deactivated my account and will never shop for them again. Funny, in the last week since this all happened, I've been bombarded with available shop emails in my area. I feel bad for the schedulers. If EPMS accounting department is pissing off shoppers, they don't stand a chance of getting people to accept their low-paying shops. Try Remington instead... they START apartment shops at $40 plus $12 in available bonuses!

I am a fairly new shopper and I have done a few for EMPS. I find the fact that I have to change my name all the time annoying, I mean if I was looking for an apartment it makes sense to me that I would look around at other apartments, so who cares if they know I have looked at other places... Also I don't know how much longer I can stand the 2 hours it takes to repeat myself several times in the report. On the other hand they do pay well I think, and they pay on time. Hopefully they will re-do their reports soon.

I like EPMS. They do pay on time--by direct deposit on the 22nd of the month. They are never going to change their reports. I think they have even gotten longer recently since they added the customer experience section.

shopper64, an hour onsite? Rarely do I have one go over 30 minutes and many hit 20 to 25 minutes. Are you letting them show you multiple apartments? If so, try to limit it to one when you can, two at the most. Being decisive about what you want or don't want will save both you and the agent a lot of time.

Ummm, yeah shopper64, an hour onsite? That's just not good. Either you were very vague about your apartment needs or the leasing agent was just not very good in determining your needs. You should be out of there in 25-30 minutes, tops. That is in the guest card, amenities tour, and no more than 2 apartments, if necessary.

Also, I feel your frustration on the $10. I had a similar issue where I changed my bank info and forgot to change that in their system and was docked $10 for the paper check. Although a little miffed, I didn't sever it because I knew that I could make up the difference in a future shop. As it is, I developed a relationship with a couple of regional schedulers that send me the shops that I prefer (non-targeted) and with a bonus. The $10 that I lost on that shop a couple of years ago is something that I made 25 times over.

Even though you've had history with them, I just wouldn't sever your relationship with them or any other company unless its really, really bad. I can understand multiple transgressions yet if its just one isolated incident, make your adjustments and see how you can get paid even higher on the next job. It will come.