Refusal to Pay for Shops
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bgriffin Wrote:
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> I was thinking the other day, Starbucks would be
> an excellent client for that company.
Starbucks when it was shopped had so many specifications -what drink/size you have to purchase based on time of the day/month/location, order you have to do things inside, measure the temperature/weight of the drink, measure time for cashier preparation, time restriction to wait between going to next location, etc. The client was very strict and they had the MSC throw out a shop for any minor mistake, because they were doing both quantitative and qualitative translation of the data. They had found that the time for preparation of the drink was directly related to sales.
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> I was thinking the other day, Starbucks would be
> an excellent client for that company.
Starbucks when it was shopped had so many specifications -what drink/size you have to purchase based on time of the day/month/location, order you have to do things inside, measure the temperature/weight of the drink, measure time for cashier preparation, time restriction to wait between going to next location, etc. The client was very strict and they had the MSC throw out a shop for any minor mistake, because they were doing both quantitative and qualitative translation of the data. They had found that the time for preparation of the drink was directly related to sales.
JASFLALMT Wrote:
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> Hi Squash,
>
> Maybe in some areas, but we always get the
> smallest sized drinks (why not when there is a
> fountain for refills?) and it still comes out to
> over $18 for the two of us after tax unless I get
> water. Good for you that the prices have not gone
> up in your area yet!
My last visit, I got a chicken burrito and a large drink for $8.82 after tax. So a small would bring that down to $8.61 or so (if I remember right), barely over $17 for two.
(I remember when it used to be $7.90 after tax for a chicken burrito and large drink. Those were the days.)
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> Hi Squash,
>
> Maybe in some areas, but we always get the
> smallest sized drinks (why not when there is a
> fountain for refills?) and it still comes out to
> over $18 for the two of us after tax unless I get
> water. Good for you that the prices have not gone
> up in your area yet!
My last visit, I got a chicken burrito and a large drink for $8.82 after tax. So a small would bring that down to $8.61 or so (if I remember right), barely over $17 for two.
(I remember when it used to be $7.90 after tax for a chicken burrito and large drink. Those were the days.)
KateH Wrote:
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> Starbucks when it was shopped had so many
> specifications -what drink/size you have to
> purchase based on time of the day/month/location,
> order you have to do things inside, measure the
> temperature/weight of the drink, measure time for
> cashier preparation, time restriction to wait
> between going to next location, etc. The client
> was very strict and they had the MSC throw out a
> shop for any minor mistake, because they were
> doing both quantitative and qualitative
> translation of the data. They had found that the
> time for preparation of the drink was directly
> related to sales.
How much did they pay on these shops? Hopefully at least $10+R with all that b.s. to do.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Starbucks when it was shopped had so many
> specifications -what drink/size you have to
> purchase based on time of the day/month/location,
> order you have to do things inside, measure the
> temperature/weight of the drink, measure time for
> cashier preparation, time restriction to wait
> between going to next location, etc. The client
> was very strict and they had the MSC throw out a
> shop for any minor mistake, because they were
> doing both quantitative and qualitative
> translation of the data. They had found that the
> time for preparation of the drink was directly
> related to sales.
How much did they pay on these shops? Hopefully at least $10+R with all that b.s. to do.
I wouldn't do it for $10 plus reimbursement! It would have to be $15 + to get me to go.
What a scattered thread!
Maybe it would be better to say "Need to vent" vs. "What do you think," then those who want to help or learn could just step around the venting spleen, while others so inclined could wade in and contribute their own.
AustinMom showed supreme restraint by not replying full force and turning this thread into a bloodbath. Kudos, AM.
Photographing everything is great advice, Bunny. Saved me a shop when I reported no restroom and the client said there was. I had actually photographed all the doors in the GS. Turns out one of them was a restroom, but marked as something else, and I had a photo. Got paid and saw the guidelines change for the next month requiring the shopper to ask for the restroom.
I always photo a deficiency that I think a client may try to reject a report over. Learned that one the hard way when a C-store restroom flooded out into the general service area. Could've proven it had I used the cell phone. Manager balked (probably a big health code violation there). MSC wouldn't demand to see the in-store video. Report rejected.
Re. minor errors... Ours is not to question why. Just do it. Be thankful when the MSC lets something little slide. Learn from it when they don't.
Oh, and Chipotle doesn't quite cover two meals with add-ons near me.
Maybe it would be better to say "Need to vent" vs. "What do you think," then those who want to help or learn could just step around the venting spleen, while others so inclined could wade in and contribute their own.
AustinMom showed supreme restraint by not replying full force and turning this thread into a bloodbath. Kudos, AM.
Photographing everything is great advice, Bunny. Saved me a shop when I reported no restroom and the client said there was. I had actually photographed all the doors in the GS. Turns out one of them was a restroom, but marked as something else, and I had a photo. Got paid and saw the guidelines change for the next month requiring the shopper to ask for the restroom.
I always photo a deficiency that I think a client may try to reject a report over. Learned that one the hard way when a C-store restroom flooded out into the general service area. Could've proven it had I used the cell phone. Manager balked (probably a big health code violation there). MSC wouldn't demand to see the in-store video. Report rejected.
Re. minor errors... Ours is not to question why. Just do it. Be thankful when the MSC lets something little slide. Learn from it when they don't.
Oh, and Chipotle doesn't quite cover two meals with add-ons near me.
If the MSC uses the shop and the client is pleased with the shop, the MSC should pay the full rate to the shopper regardless of minor infractions. Otherwise they are exploiting our work for less money. Editors are generally unaccountable cowards who dole out phantom decisions and criticisms while avoiding phone calls. If only the tables could be turned and we could dock their pay for the misspellings and incorrect facts in the emails they send to us.
elcarev, the reimbursement is now $27, that doesn't cover 2 meals, a bag of chips and 2 drinks? You must live in a really high end area...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2013 03:44AM by JASFLALMT.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2013 03:44AM by JASFLALMT.
My bill at Chipotle is always $8.18. That is always for a burrito (veggie my fave) and the required chips. I only order a drink other than water when I really need one. For me it's a one person job. The fees have not gone up in my area...still $25 but since the report and the job itself takes a whole lot longer to do then your normal upscale fast food it is appropriate to give us more than just the reimbursement. I doubt many people would do this job for reimbursement only.
I ususally do Chipotle by myself, and the bill is always between $9 and $11, depending on if I order soda or a side of guac or not. I took someone once and it was still under $20. But the reports are so time consuming that I hate having just $7 left over after the meal cost! So, I probably will keep doing them by myself.....
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Some time ago, I did a shop for one of the MSCs - the report was fine said the reviewer - but, my review and remarks were too positive. She would let it go this time , but next time I did a shop, I should be more discerning.
IOW, I should make up negative stuff?
This particular shop was very positive - because the employees all seemed to be very willing and happy to assist me.
But, I should look for negatives more closely?
Sheesh!
IOW, I should make up negative stuff?
This particular shop was very positive - because the employees all seemed to be very willing and happy to assist me.
But, I should look for negatives more closely?
Sheesh!
Tatjana Wrote:
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> Some time ago, I did a shop for one of the MSCs -
> the report was fine said the reviewer - but, my
> review and remarks were too positive. She would
> let it go this time , but next time I did a shop,
> I should be more discerning.
>
> IOW, I should make up negative stuff?
>
> This particular shop was very positive - because
> the employees all seemed to be very willing and
> happy to assist me.
>
> But, I should look for negatives more closely?
>
> Sheesh!
The reviewer who craved more negativity should look in the mirror and criticize his/her worthless existence.
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> Some time ago, I did a shop for one of the MSCs -
> the report was fine said the reviewer - but, my
> review and remarks were too positive. She would
> let it go this time , but next time I did a shop,
> I should be more discerning.
>
> IOW, I should make up negative stuff?
>
> This particular shop was very positive - because
> the employees all seemed to be very willing and
> happy to assist me.
>
> But, I should look for negatives more closely?
>
> Sheesh!
The reviewer who craved more negativity should look in the mirror and criticize his/her worthless existence.
It's more that if you give all greats you need to give comments to justify it. They would like you to be more critical because the management if very critical and discerning. However, if you go in at 11:00 a.m. for a lunch shop right after they first open for business for the day, chances are the restaurant is superbly clean and the food is going to be piping hot and extremely fresh. Also at that time there are usually few customers present. If it isn't busy, the team members are going to be very attentive and unlikely to make any mistakes with service. In this case you just need to back up all your greats with comments, even though generally you don't have to give comments for many of the ratings you give a "great" for. If the beans look great, you can comment on the fact that they looked properly cooked and had plenty of moisture in each pan, if the steak is great, you can comment on how you saw pink in the pieces and it appeared moist, etc.
In addition, down at the bottom of the report there is a box asking what the best thing about your visit was. That's a box pretty much for the editor to view. In that box you can explain further how awesome everything was! Even so, I can generally look very carefully, even when it looks generally clean from my first impression, and find a few things out of place. Usually at the drink station, there is a buildup of grime in the grooves of the stainless steel barrier, same with the trash area where the trays go. Sometimes you can find food crumbs in the windowsills next to tables by the window. Often the glass doors have fingerprint smudges on them. Idealistically, there should be someone cleaning those doors frequently but usually they don't get cleaned during any of my visits. Even a few minor food spills under empty tables that aren't swept up during your visit is a no-no. And most of the time, in my experience, no one is making table visits in the dining room.
In addition, down at the bottom of the report there is a box asking what the best thing about your visit was. That's a box pretty much for the editor to view. In that box you can explain further how awesome everything was! Even so, I can generally look very carefully, even when it looks generally clean from my first impression, and find a few things out of place. Usually at the drink station, there is a buildup of grime in the grooves of the stainless steel barrier, same with the trash area where the trays go. Sometimes you can find food crumbs in the windowsills next to tables by the window. Often the glass doors have fingerprint smudges on them. Idealistically, there should be someone cleaning those doors frequently but usually they don't get cleaned during any of my visits. Even a few minor food spills under empty tables that aren't swept up during your visit is a no-no. And most of the time, in my experience, no one is making table visits in the dining room.
JASFLALMT Wrote:
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> elcarev, the reimbursement is now $27, that
> doesn't cover 2 meals, a bag of chips and 2
> drinks? You must live in a really high end
> area...
Nope. My bad. I misread the reimbursement referenced earlier in the thread. That would cover it. Thanks!
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> elcarev, the reimbursement is now $27, that
> doesn't cover 2 meals, a bag of chips and 2
> drinks? You must live in a really high end
> area...
Nope. My bad. I misread the reimbursement referenced earlier in the thread. That would cover it. Thanks!
Well, with regard to my positive shop, the shop was a grocery chain. I wrote comments for each area,giving reasons for the positive review - even in the end, I wrote a fairly detailed assessment of my shop, even pointing out the types of assistance I was given.
Funny how I've done the same for the hardware shops, not mentioning names of associates - never was I asked or told to be more negative.
OTOH, I've also been negative for some hardware shops and gas station shops - so I do have a history of objectivity. I suppose this reviewer didn't have those reviews in front of her.
Funny how I've done the same for the hardware shops, not mentioning names of associates - never was I asked or told to be more negative.
OTOH, I've also been negative for some hardware shops and gas station shops - so I do have a history of objectivity. I suppose this reviewer didn't have those reviews in front of her.
Ahhh Tatjana, my bad. I thought you were referencing Chipotle. The MSC that does them is very stringent as this is their VIP client and I think they only have one other client besides Chipotle. I get what you are saying now.
You need to photo the claim ticket before you return for the shop. I do these frequently. I find an out of the way corner or walk out the side door & capture the claim ticket, both sides if requested. For the MSC, they don't want us to ask for a receipt unless it is offered, so they are optional. Both sides of the claim ticket are required. Either use the camera on you cell phone or bring a digital camera with you.
The MSC's need people to complete their shops, so refusing to pay but sending in the report is unlikely, especially if they are a well-known or long time MSC. That few dollars would mean nothing to them. For the client & the MSC, the claim ticket is the only proof that the shop was conducted, because the claim ticket is how they verify that the car was in fact claimed. That is how their accounting dept verifies the parking revenue, it is part of their control procedure. Understandably, an all cash or nearly all cash business has to verify that their staff are not stealing from them. For the attended parking lots that I do, they want to verify whether the attendant used their override card to open the gate to ensure that they are not stealing the cash.
Cheers !
ShopperFun99 Wrote:
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> What do you think of completing a shop with your
> own money, not to mention time, then the Scheduler
> said the client refused to pay for some silly
> minor error? Well.....they already got the
> written report with all the comments that they can
> use to improve their business. They have all they
> wanted. So, even if they pointed out the one minor
> flaw in your report, they got your report for
> free. Sometimes I wonder if it's the Scheduler or
> the client who refused to pay.
>
> One example is a valet shop for a long time MSC.
> I uploaded the receipt which shows the Claim
> Ticket number. I could not upload the claim
> ticket because the valet refused to give it to me.
> I did a well-written report, but was not paid a
> fee or reimbursed for $23.
>
> Sometimes they asked me if I want to redo. Redo?
> And spend another $23? Not to mention time, gas
> and time to write the report. No, thanks.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2013 09:25AM by Sandman619.
The MSC's need people to complete their shops, so refusing to pay but sending in the report is unlikely, especially if they are a well-known or long time MSC. That few dollars would mean nothing to them. For the client & the MSC, the claim ticket is the only proof that the shop was conducted, because the claim ticket is how they verify that the car was in fact claimed. That is how their accounting dept verifies the parking revenue, it is part of their control procedure. Understandably, an all cash or nearly all cash business has to verify that their staff are not stealing from them. For the attended parking lots that I do, they want to verify whether the attendant used their override card to open the gate to ensure that they are not stealing the cash.
Cheers !
ShopperFun99 Wrote:
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> What do you think of completing a shop with your
> own money, not to mention time, then the Scheduler
> said the client refused to pay for some silly
> minor error? Well.....they already got the
> written report with all the comments that they can
> use to improve their business. They have all they
> wanted. So, even if they pointed out the one minor
> flaw in your report, they got your report for
> free. Sometimes I wonder if it's the Scheduler or
> the client who refused to pay.
>
> One example is a valet shop for a long time MSC.
> I uploaded the receipt which shows the Claim
> Ticket number. I could not upload the claim
> ticket because the valet refused to give it to me.
> I did a well-written report, but was not paid a
> fee or reimbursed for $23.
>
> Sometimes they asked me if I want to redo. Redo?
> And spend another $23? Not to mention time, gas
> and time to write the report. No, thanks.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2013 09:25AM by Sandman619.
i just did a shop for automotive insights and submitted the report and it was returned because if a few typos I was. told to correct it and resubmit the report which I did it was sent back saying the couldn't use IG and stated he didn't understand why I resubmitted it when the told me too. this company is a flake company. shoppers beware I have removed myself from them
I have completed at least sixty shops for Automotive Insights and had a few reports returned for corrections. The editor was helpful and the returned report was accepted.
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.
"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.
I have completed a couple of shops for automotive insights and never had a problem. As far as I am concerned they are a good company to work for.
Thank you for your positive comments regarding Automotive Insights. I am the editor on the account. Unfortunately, it was not just a couple typos in the report that was failed, but the wrong vehicle was shopped for. When the report was returned to the shopper telling him it could not be accepted due to the fact that he shopped for the wrong vehicle, he then changed the report to state he shopped for the correct vehicle.
I don't know about y'all, but I love it when I hear both sides of the story.
Thanks!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2013 05:51PM by Canuck.
Thanks!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2013 05:51PM by Canuck.
It sometimes makes for interesting reading, yes?
And the other side of the story makes much more sense. AI is not known for trying to throw out shops. In my case when some reports from a route were returned, they acknowledged the report was confusing and provided clear cut explanations. We all worked together to get it right. I also shopped the correct vehicle
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.
"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.
NOT shopping the right vehicle is not a minor infraction. I mean, come on now. No wonder it was rejected. And the report was changed to the right vehicle? What nerve, lmao!!
It DOES make for an interesting read..
It DOES make for an interesting read..
Canuck Wrote:
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> I don't know about y'all, but I love it when I
> hear both sides of the story.
>
> Thanks!
I totally agree. I like it when the other side tells us the story.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know about y'all, but I love it when I
> hear both sides of the story.
>
> Thanks!
I totally agree. I like it when the other side tells us the story.
expect the unexpected
I appreciate EditorBecky's professional and succinct explanation about the rejected shop. Straight to the point, factural, and without unnecessary, embarrassing detail.... I just hate it when MSC representatives come on here to tell their sides and just give out way too much information! It's not necessary; not everybody wants a "reality TV" explanation of everything.
Thank you, Becky!
Thank you, Becky!
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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