The Absurdity of Lowe's Mystery Shopping Commissions

Let me get this straight: recently you paid me between $72-$112 for each individual Lowe's shop. Now, I'm supposed to be thrilled that I am among the select shoppers you are offering a monthly Lowe's route for a grand total of $144 for 12 separate visits?!

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They sure weren't offering $72 to 112 in my neck of the woods. Around here, people snap them up fairly quickly, and I suspect that some will be delighted to lock in some assignments.

Remember that it was a mass mailing, not a personal mailing. You're not supposed to feel thrilled; you're not supposed to feel insulted.

You are a Select Shopper now. With that designation comes certain expectations. Do you feel special? Will you disappoint this company after they have placed their trust and faith in you? Is your leg wet, and were you told it was raining?
(That ain't rain, friend.)

I hear you vabvol. I was getting $72 a shop too and now I also was selected for a route of 12 for $144. Of course I won't be doing them at that price.

I am a patient man. I will wait it out. In my five years as a mystery shopper, waiting has proven to be the successful route time and again.

$40 is the top fee I've seen in my area.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

I got the impression that you very not obligated to do the future shops. But you(meaning the first shopper) would get first grabs on the subsequent shops before anyone else. It is like the other shops, on the report form asks if you would like to be considered for there quarterly shops. And if you reply Yes, then if ask what days. And you reply No, you move on.

The bonus incentive did not appear to be a problem. As long as I have a choice, I will continue to chose.

I did a bunch of em for 80.00 a piece a week after signing up for some 50.00 shops. No way am I signing up for a route of 12.00 shops. I had a scheduler call and ask me to do one of the last remaining shops of the quarter, and she wanted it done that day. But did she want to pay me 50.00 to do it in a hurry? Noooo.

Wow! I'm jealous! The most I ever got for a Lowes was $30!

I to had the 50 run and one that was 80 (plus the standard pay). The only way I will pick up one is if its filling a vacancy on a current run. .

I didn't even do the shops when they paid out at $80 in my area. For me, these are on the "OH HELL NO!" list.

O.o o.O

Happily shopping New England and beyond!!!!!

I gladly did them for $30 with the old company. The stores were within a few miles of where I work, and the report was quick. I don't care for the new msc and their reporting software seems clunky and time-consuming. I did one for $11 with them and swore never again.

Kathee70, I picked up a bunch of those 80.00 shops in New England. I don't like the new company's report format but it's the same report as the old company's. Different scenarios, same report. I could do them in my sleep.

buteos Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kathee70, I picked up a bunch of those 80.00 shops
> in New England. I don't like the new company's
> report format but it's the same report as the old
> company's. Different scenarios, same report. I
> could do them in my sleep.

They don't seem that hard, the guidelines (at least for the old company was pretty straight forward) and I do a lot of work for the new company so the format isn't the problem. I just don't want to do them... that's ok though... more for you guys!!

O.o o.O

Happily shopping New England and beyond!!!!!

Oh, and I also received an email today... you know,

you are a preferred shopper, you have done these, we are giving you first opportunity, blah blah...

I never did one of these shops for them, still got the email.

LOL

O.o o.O

Happily shopping New England and beyond!!!!!

Kathee70, and to think I put in all that hard work just so I could be thought of as "preferred."

I have shopped for that company more this year because of the clients they now have. This "marketing technique" is one of many pet peeves. They must think mystery shoppers have very low IQ's to not figure out this is BS. They lose efficient, professional shoppers because of this strategy.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2014 12:39AM by cjbstar.

Did 8 Lowe's shops (7 @ $92 and one for a bit less), and had to turn down two more. I'll take the Lowes shops @ $36 each if they give me a regular route. Negotiations are going well.

=============================
Expert investigator and evaluator with PV-700, PV-500EVO, AstroScope 9350NIKS-3PRO, B&H DNV16HDZ-M Full Infrared Night Vision Camcorder

I got one for $92 and one for $72... no way I'm doing them for $12 each, even with the MSC being as nice as they are and easy to deal with.

Arguing with fools is like playing chess with a pigeon...
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Not scheduling for ANY company.

Most of the <oops! Don't name the MSC!> employees are nice but I find them anything but easy to deal with. Their calls frequently frustrate me. The whole process could be so much easier than it is.

Mod note: I think you forgot that the client is named in the thread's subject line!

buteos Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most of the XXXXXXXX employees are nice but I find
> them anything but easy to deal with. Their calls
> frequently frustrate me. The whole process could
> be so much easier than it is.

buteos, please edit your post. Since we have been discussing the MSC's client, it would be good to edit out the MSC name.

I have found them to be very easy to deal with and accommodating.

Arguing with fools is like playing chess with a pigeon...
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Not scheduling for ANY company.

DanteInOH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have found them to be very easy to deal with and
> accommodating.

I think it all depends on who you get when you call.

Some of the folks there are so cranky - even about the most simple thing (e.g, paperwork not available on their site or unclickable links to paperwork) - that i dread having to call about anything.

Others there are great to work with.

I've learned that if someone sounds cranky i find an excuse to get off the phone. Then I call back hoping to get someone else.

This is a shame, since this month I am doing so much work for them. But their attitude has really put me off signing up for more shops for them next month.

I snatched up the one 2 miles from my house because as a new homeowner, I am there every week practically anyway. I took the one year commitment for $144.

Are you guys telling me you get $36-72 PER SHOP for Lowes? I've never seen anything that high. $18 is the highest in my area.

dmh426, it depends on where you are. I have a lot of Lowe's shops within 50 miles and I don't see those high fees much either. One location is rather isolated and the most it has paid is $40. Most of them go for $12.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

Yes dmh, I did one for $92 and then, 10 days later, returned to the same location and did a different scenario for $72.

============================
dmh426 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I snatched up the one 2 miles from my house
> because as a new homeowner, I am there every week
> practically anyway. I took the one year
> commitment for $144.
>
> Are you guys telling me you get $36-72 PER SHOP
> for Lowes? I've never seen anything that high.
> $18 is the highest in my area.

Arguing with fools is like playing chess with a pigeon...
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Not scheduling for ANY company.

I have two people I deal with now, one of whom handles shops from every team. Sue G (team 4) is one of those people and Sandy C (all teams) is another.

==========================
junk1958 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DanteInOH Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I have found them to be very easy to deal with
> and
> > accommodating.
>
>
> I think it all depends on who you get when you
> call.
>
> Some of the folks there are so cranky - even about
> the most simple thing (e.g, paperwork not
> available on their site or unclickable links to
> paperwork) - that i dread having to call about
> anything.
>
> Others there are great to work with.
>
> I've learned that if someone sounds cranky i find
> an excuse to get off the phone. Then I call back
> hoping to get someone else.
>
> This is a shame, since this month I am doing so
> much work for them. But their attitude has really
> put me off signing up for more shops for them next
> month.

Arguing with fools is like playing chess with a pigeon...
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Not scheduling for ANY company.

dmh426: I am another who receives between $27 and $92 per shop. The closest is 9 miles and the furthest is 200 miles ( I was on a mini-vacation so it was really only 50 miles out of the way).

DanteinOH and NHGirl1970: that's crazy to me!!! Wow. I live in a pretty metropolitation area- Syracuse, NY (go ORANGE!)-so I am pretty sure they offer the $12 because there are plenty of shoppers around here who will do them. I am going to wait on the others in the area and see if they start raising the price for the routes.

Thanks for the info!

I must not know what MSC has Lowe's, or our town has way too many shoppers, because all I ever see are really cheap ones that pay very little and have you go to multiple departments. They are way too much work for the pay.

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The Absurdity of Lowe's Mystery Shopping Commissions

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