I have had a number of medical or personal emergencies, mostly concerning my late husband, but the MSC almost always rescheduled the shop if they could. If they couldn't, the scheduler usually checked on the medical development. Never had they asked for proof or anything. I guess I was very lucky. Once I suggested to the scheduler to please give it to someone else but this was what she said, "No, with you at least I am sure it will be done correctly."

I don't rely on my cell phone either as I seldom use it for mystery shopping. I use my email and my landline or ask someone to contact so and so if there is an emergency.

I was upset when I posted, so I will fill in details for you.

There are two MSPs involved.
MSP 1 contacted me (via email) 1 week before the shops were due to ask why I hadn't done 2 restaurant shops and if i would be able to get them done before the end of the month. I replied with a photo of my hand with the IV stuck in it and said that I was in the hospital and would not be able to complete the shops. I also apologized. All photos are geocoded now. I thought it might be useful.

MSP 2 I called and asked for a reschedule to two days out from the date I picked, one week ahead of time. In other words, the shop was scheduled for April 1. I called to ask if I could reschedule it to April 3 because I have doctors appointments and would not be back in town until April 3 and would be able to complete the shop. I don't see how this is flakey or at all inappropriate. They just don't allow any reschedules at all - even if when you picked the shop you could have picked April 3. I think that this is not the proper way to treat people. I've performed a great many shops for Mystery Shopper Services.

Ironically, the shop that they refused to reschedule is back in the system saying you can do it anytime from 4/1 to 4/30. I mean SERIOUSLY, what the heck??? I just wanted two more days. Now someone can technically pick it for 4/30. I'm disinclined to pick it up, even if it is $27 and fairly easy.



MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cherubino, please clarify. You had two shops you
> couldn't do and the company contacted you rather
> than you contacting them? Why didn't you call
> them at the first opportunity so they could
> reschedule with another shopper? It sounds to me
> like you're on heavy medication after your
> hospital stay and you're confused about what's
> going on. When on medication sometimes we can be
> really screwed up and not realize it.
> Nevertheless, if you have any more shops scheduled
> please call those companies now. If you can't
> handle it, reach out to someone else who can look
> at your job schedule and make calls for you. It
> sounds like you're drifting mentally. I'm not
> trying to criticize here but I don't think you're
> up to par.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2014 09:45PM by cherubino3.

squireparty Wrote:

> I get that we are talking about business here and
> that things need to get done - Understood. But
> somewhere in there we have lost the human element
> of this and I personally find this appalling.

DING DING DING.

THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

What a difference a little bit of information can make. It was hard to tell the sequence of events from your first post. Generally I exercise my option not to work with certain companies if I don't care for their policies. It also sounds like you also were not penalized in any way. I'm just the type that wouldn't be bothered by someone I don't really know failing to express sympathy. Just like some people think we are a number, there are schedulers I have absolutely no relationship with other than seeing a confirmation email when a shop is assigned.

After all, how much sympathy do we show when a scheduler says she has to get someone to do that two dollar, five interaction, unbonused shop in order to keep her six little children from starving? (I'm exaggerating, of course, but there was a thread a few months back about schedulers who use sob stories.)

I realized that I didn't make my point clear. My point was, that in the case of the scheduler telling a shopper her problems, there was no strong consensus on the forum that the shopper should be be sympathetic, or help out the scheduler. In fact, if I remember rightly, there was a consensus that it was unprofessional of the scheduler to try to get sympathy or help.

So, from that standpoint, to the extent that we take that attitude, should we expect any attitude from the scheduler, when we tell our woes, other than, "Gotta get these shops filled now. Bye!"

I'm not saying that that's how it should be, but just wondering if there's two sides to the story.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2014 09:28PM by Ishmael.

Dear Ishmael, you bring up an interesting point. It's not so much sympathy toward a scheduler, it's just that no one likes to waste their time. I actually had a shop offer that was deemed so important to get done that the company flew someone out to a small town in Montana because they could find someone to do the shop. That's a huge hit. If anything, some of the contracted companies ought to realize that their shops suck.

*BUT* when you do have a shopper who is asking for a two day extension on the shop that's not due until the end of April so she can keep it and get it done, I say go with that shopper.

Ironically, the shop that they wouldn't reschedule just two days out for me is still sitting and waiting to be picked up by another shopper. I'm disinclined to pick it up again, even though I can pick it up if I want. Further, the due date on the shop is 4/31. So they certainly could have rescheduled it for me.


Ishmael Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> After all, how much sympathy do we show when a
> scheduler says she has to get someone to do that
> two dollar, five interaction, unbonused shop in
> order to keep her six little children from
> starving? (I'm exaggerating, of course, but there
> was a thread a few months back about schedulers
> who use sob stories.)

Ishmael Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> So, from that standpoint, to the extent that we
> take that attitude, should we expect any attitude
> from the scheduler, when we tell our woes, other
> than, "Gotta get these shops filled now. Bye!"
>
> I'm not saying that that's how it should be, but
> just wondering if there's two sides to the story.


I was happy to still do the shop, just two days later. And, as I have posted, the shop is back in the system and saying you can do it anytime from 4/1 until 4/30. It's a bit ridiculous when I was just asking for 2 days and the attitude I got was that they don't allow reschedules for any reason and they would just put it out for someone else to get - even if that attitude makes them very difficult to deal with. Ultimately, while this was fun for awhile, it's not fun anymore when people can't work with you for a very good reason like being in the hospital causing you some scheduling problems.

mVentix is another one that won't allow reschedules although they usually give a five day window. Like you, if they had refused the reschedule I wouldn't take the shop off their hands, at least not until they got desperate and added a bonus

cherubino3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> squireparty Wrote:
>
> > I get that we are talking about business here
> and
> > that things need to get done - Understood. But
> > somewhere in there we have lost the human
> element
> > of this and I personally find this appalling.
>
> DING DING DING.
>
> THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.


Thank you!

Cherubino, thanks for explaining. I guess I was the one drifting mentally. I have that problem from time to time. Hope you're feeling better, and yes, it would be good if we could all be more considerate of one another. Yes, this is business, but we shouldn't forget the importance of treating each other well.

I am just going to give this one thought. Last year I was scheduling for a different company. There was a re-shop, that was given back to me to schedule on the last day of shopping for the month. I scheduled the shop, with a giant bonus (out of my pocket) and the shopper flaked on it.

My contract was terminated with the company. There is no extra details that I am leaving out. One re-shop that a shopper did not complete, and I lost my full time income, because that one re-shop put the companies contract with the client at risk. (Not going to lie, that still hurts me, because I really worked hard to get someone to do it, and in hindsight I would have driven the 6 hours to complete instead of losing my contract.. sigh.)

I say that to say this. If a company that I am working with has the rule that there are no re-schedules, then I am following that rule. No bending, no looking the other way. My contract hangs on me following the guidelines. That has nothing to do with me wanting to be mean, not caring, being a jerk etc. It has to do with the fact that if I bend the rule for your 10 dollar shop, I am risking the job that supports my family. (only two kids, not six, like Ishmael said. lol )

cher states:

We get no job security.

BOB'S comment:

That's employee talk; we're independent contractors.

cher continues:

We don't have an organization or union that truly protects our interests as shoppers.

BOB'S opinion:

Thank God.

cher concludes:

And not enough money earned to make it worthwhile.

BOB'S query:

As you feel that's the case, why remain in this industry?

I'm only addressing the above points. The main topics of the original post seem to be a concern that sympathy wasn't extended and that the shopper wasn't accommodated. Those issues have received several comments and mine wouldn't contribute anything new to the situation. Just remember folks, this IS business.

On a separate note: I agree with Kris the scheduler concerning the matter of shopper dependability. Unfortunately, many MSCs are unwilling to sufficiently pay for true professionals that possess the ability to compose intelligent reports AND are as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.

KristynScheduler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> .... One
> re-shop that a shopper did not complete, and I
> lost my full time income, because that one re-shop
> put the companies contract with the client at
> risk. (Not going to lie, that still hurts me,
> because I really worked hard to get someone to do
> it, and in hindsight I would have driven the 6
> hours to complete instead of losing my contract..
> sigh.)
....

Thank you for sharing that. It's an absolutely heartbreaking insight into the world of the scheduler.

May I ask if the shopper who flaked gave any explanation, (even a lame 'I forgot'), or if he or she just dropped off the earth?

And, if you're willing to even talk about it, was it a inherently difficult-to-fill shop, one in a remote location, or was it just a case of things going badly wrong?

It was a restaurant shop, in his town... his excuse was that his plans changed.

It was not a hard to schedule shop at all, but it was for a window of time, dinner, so by the time I realized he flaked, it was too late to do anything. Since the re-shop came at almost noon the same day, it was very difficult to find someone on a Saturday afternoon, to ask to do the shop. He stepped up, and then flaked.

That being said, everything happens for a reason and I truly love the company that I schedule for now.

But on the other side of it, as much as this site has a LOT of complaints about things that have happened. I easily have 10 times more reliable shoppers than not, and most shops go off without a hitch. Most shoppers who have been at it for a while are pretty proficient at what they do. Hopefully that is the thought about schedulers as well. Most are hardworking and helpful.. with an occasional bad egg.

KristynScheduler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was a restaurant shop, in his town... his
> excuse was that his plans changed.
>
> It was not a hard to schedule shop at all, but it
> was for a window of time, dinner, so by the time I
> realized he flaked, it was too late to do
> anything. Since the re-shop came at almost noon
> the same day, it was very difficult to find
> someone on a Saturday afternoon, to ask to do the
> shop. He stepped up, and then flaked.
>
> That being said, everything happens for a reason
> and I truly love the company that I schedule for
> now.
>
> But on the other side of it, as much as this site
> has a LOT of complaints about things that have
> happened. I easily have 10 times more reliable
> shoppers than not, and most shops go off without a
> hitch. Most shoppers who have been at it for a
> while are pretty proficient at what they do.
> Hopefully that is the thought about schedulers as
> well. Most are hardworking and helpful.. with an
> occasional bad egg.

Gotta say I love your attitude! More power to you. You sound like the kind of scheduler I like to work with - positive energy all the way around.

Thanks Squire

dspeakes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Hey, grab that laptop out of the back of my car.
> I need to tell someone I can't do a $10 job for
> them this afternoon and I can only reach them by
> email," before I passed out from the pain


I am imagining this actually happening and how nonsensical it would sound to any non-MSer, not just a paramedic.
Great (and amusing) example of where our priorities should be in times of crisis.

Here was my problem. I was considering an average week and an average issue. It would have been different if I realized the trip to the emergency room was because most of the bones in my body were broken and my week was filled with over 150 $10 shops from at least 40 to 50 different companies.

I can't imagine doing this job anymore without a smartphone for access to email, contacts, calendar, navigation and Internet.

@shopperBob were you talking to me? It's Cherubino3, not 'cher.'

The industry needs improving. I have gotten a series of relatively high-paying shops. But when the chips are down, I feel that there are some valuable protections afforded to real employees that we are not offered. And I feel that at times the companies do cross the line into treating us as employees rather than independent contractors. But, generally, if the shop pay is high enough, I will consider it. I cannot work a regular full time job for health reasons, which recently just got worse. I am lucky enough that my husband earns enough for both of us to live well. It was fun and interesting and sometimes rewarding.

@KrystynScheduler in a job where you are an employee, and not an independent contractor, they would have to have a reason for firing you, or try to work with you. And you could apply for unemployment insurance to get you through until you found something else. Idon't believe that they treated you fairly, even though you are happier with your present scheduling company.

Considering the nature of the business, the MSP A might drop Shopper C for how s/he did a shop for Client X, Client X might subsequently drop MSP A. But Shopper C works for MSP B which got the new contract for Client X. I've watched luxury shops rotate through several MSPs.

Fun, interesting, and rewarding sounds like a really good job. I'm sorry this didn't work out for you but not everyone is cut out to be an independent contractor. Some thrive better in a regular 9 to 5 environment with supervision and a Friday paycheck. This isn't for everyone--hope you can find something you like better.

When it comes to mystery shopping I would not trade the options of being an independent contractor for the protections of an employee. The larger MSCs price assignments with an eye toward the IC making no more than minimum wage. They would never hire their mystery shoppers as full time employees so forget about any real perks. And unemployment insurance? No way. First the meager pay would not translate into more than a few bucks and in Missouri at least, if you are terminated with cause you do not get unemployment.

@Cherubino3

There are definitely perks to being an employee.. benefits, etc... but for me, as a single parent, the ability to work a job that allows me to drive my kids to school, pick them up, be at every volunteer opportunity in school, and schedule from the comfort of my lawn chair in the summer... is priceless.

Plus I am a people person, and this is a great way to interact with people from all over the country..

Kristyn, I'm glad you told your story here. I try to be accommodating of desperate schedulers without being too greedy and I'll try a little harder in the future. But I do have to meet my own needs financially because I have a 100 mile drive to 95% of the shops I do. I would not, however, flake for less than hospitalization or an accident that left me without wheels to get to the shop I committed to. Every request for a date adjustment I've ever made came with "I can do this on the assigned date, but if you can change it, it would really help me out."

I think there is a bit of "boy who cried wolf" though -- we get a barrage of emails every week begging us to move mountains for peanuts so it's hard to sort out the "please help me save my job" requests from "I want to get this scheduled and done with so I can put my feet up for the rest of the month."

I imagine trying to get all of your jobs done by the deadlines is a lot like herding cats. Just when you think you've got them all in the box, one jumps out and runs under the couch.

cher inquires:

@shopperBob were you talking to me? It's Cherubino3, not 'cher.'

BOB'S reply:

This is a perfect example of a rhetorical query.

cher continues:

The industry needs improving.

BOB'S opinion:

I agree, but that's true for all businesses.

cher states:

I feel that there are some valuable protections afforded to real employees that we are not offered.

BOB'S position:

Although I've zero interest in either being a "real employee" or having any protection, I agree that any trumps none.

cher expresses:

And I feel that at times the companies do cross the line into treating us as employees rather than independent contractors.

BOB'S 11+ yr. experience in this industry:

I've yet to encounter this situation, but it's entirely possible I've been fortunate.

Cher, your verbiage suggests a considerable dis-enchantment with this business. As you've stated that you and your husband live quite well, you're in the position to have fun, dabble in interesting assignments and sometimes be rewarded; many shoppers are not so blessed. For them, this IS business.

I learnt the hard way years ago. Always take your phone numbers and schedulers numbers with you for emergency use. You can always leave a message of why you can't shop or have to cancel. We all make mistakes and learn from them. I find all of the MSC will be thoughtful if you are a good shopper for them. Remember they have thousands across the country shopping.

My question is, do I still try to apply for shops with these companies that I could not complete due to my hospital visit or do I wait awhile? There were two shops I completed but flaked on the reports. On these dates my family and friends said I was going down hill. First time ever I did not complete a report.

I would apply again with those companies, snorkle. Did you contact the MSC on the assignments you completed but did not submit a report?: What did they respond? I'm betting most schedulers can understand a legitimate hospital emergency.

Yes I did. I even apologized to a company that I thought I had a shop with and didn't. The shop was written on my calendar. Better to be safe than sorry. You can see how confused I was. I have taken a respite since we need our memories for our work. Things are getting better, but surely understand how those in a not self induced coma feel when they come out of it.