I've done two pizza shops for STN. The first time they did not want to pay me, due to how I arranged the slices...
I wrote the help desk a three paragraph email regarding the lack of specific instructions on their "pizza shops",
They've since changed the instructions. If your familiar with their instructions, you'll know that they require you to use a box cutter to cut the pizza and nothing else (knife,pizza cutter,scissors,)

At first they offered no payment, only reimbursement for the pizza. They've slow started to increase payment and give bonuses when no one would take the job.

In my opinion, I think the jobs were too tedious for just reimbursement and a hacked up pizza. When I'm low on my regular shops I would probably chose to do another, but until then I don't bother.

The pizza just doesn't taste good. It tastes worst after you get done playing with it. I also get bad customer service. They don't like to answer the phone. I attempted to call one day for a 3 hour period. Drove to the store, called from my cell phone from the parking lot, walked in and couldn't hear the phone ringing. I believe the employees don't want to be bothered and just turn the ringer off. I asked if they were having phone trouble. I was told no, there's nothing wrong with our phones. I turned my phone towards the young man and said really? I've been calling for hours with no answer. Then he said yeah our phones have been acting up. I don't like driving somewhere to have a pizza delivered because their delivery area is limited. Too restrictive about the toppings you can select. Oh and the new MSC's fee is way too low. I hope they weren't thinking these shops would be snatched up. To date I have not figured out how they have managed to make tasteless, dry pizza sauce. I've have better pizza made out of biscuits by kids at my child's school in a toaster oven.

The MS in my area is reimbursement only. As someone stated, you cannot get the toppings you want, so why bother? Reimbursement only for a lousy cold pizza? STN offers a payment but their shops are too far away to make it worth my time. By the time I take pictures and make sure they are correct, the pizza is stone cold. And an additional cheese only pizza - yuk! On the other hand, if one company can offer payment, surely the other can.

Oni-San Wrote:
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> They've since changed the instructions. If your
> familiar with their instructions, you'll know that
> they require you to use a box cutter to cut the
> pizza and nothing else (knife,pizza
> cutter,scissors,)


Excuse me?? A box cutter? Are they insane? How the heck are you going to get a box cutter through a pizza given that the tip of the blade that sticks out is barely 1/4 inch if that? Or do you just score the crust with it to fold it and leave the toppings uncut? I can't even picture this.

Glad I don't do these shops.

On the other hand ... there's something ironic about asking us to use a tool generally used to cut cardboard to cut through a crust that has been said to taste like cardboard. Maybe that's where they got the idea.....

Yes, a box cutter blade. I use an Xacto.

I cut from the bottom through the crust, then through to the cheese product.

This is not a new requirement. The "mutilated pizza" version of this shop has been making the rounds of many different mystery shopping companies over the years. I'm starting to wonder if it is a requirement of MSPA membership to take a turn with this client. (Just joking )

Seriously, the box cutter or razor (I think) was always a requirement for that in my experience. I think they want a nice clean cut that the prohibited items don't give.

There is another version of this shop that requires no cutting.

I think the one I did I only had to flip a slice over, but not mutilate anything. I don't think I even own a box cutter -- or if I do, I would never be able to find it.

dspeakes Wrote:
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> I think the one I did I only had to flip a slice
> over, but not mutilate anything. I don't think I
> even own a box cutter -- or if I do, I would never
> be able to find it.

I have a special pizza box cutter that I bought on a Lowes shop.

It's just the cheese pizzas where you cut slices in half.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2014 03:10AM by Ishmael.

I can not help but think that the reimbursement shops are just pocketing the pay that the other MS were willing to split with the shoppers. If others can offer to pay such a difference there is definitely something NOT right! I am ONLY speculating, since I have wondered that same question and that was the best I could come up with

The more "suckers", oh...ah Hhmm, I mean shoppers, that they can find that are willing to do ONLY reimbursements or take a VERY minimal job fee, leaves MORE money in the "Till", making in possible to still pay high bonuses occasionally, while pocketing a considerable amount of money. I would be very surprised if the clients are not paying MS companies a very similar amount, keeping things competitive, maybe that is why they jump from company to company. One MS puts in a lower bid to complete the work, I don't know, but it does make a person think doesn't it.,. I read a post on this forum quite a while ago and I will touch on that, while adding my two cents to it of course

I apologize I am not sure who this information came from originally, but I have put a lot of thought into it since I read their posts. I have to thank whoever you are for making me think outside the box. I never dreamed I was hurting other shoppers from my actions, nor did I want too after I began to make more sense of all of this! Shoppers accepting reimbursement only and lowball shop fees actually hurt the whole community of shoppers. and how low ball shop fees actually being completed by unknowing shoppers. Affect us ALL!

The shoppers who do these shops at a low ball rate or reimbursement only, are hurting the shoppers who are trying to take a STAND and make the QUALITY OF LIFE BETTER FOR ALL SHOPPERS, by protesting in a sense, by NOT taking the shops UNDER THESE TERMS, forcing the MS to offer a fair competitive wage, otherwise they will not be able to meet their contract requirements with the client, which could ultimately get the MS fired!

The only way to get more money is to have a UNITED front of shoppers, unwilling to bend until a fair wage is reached. Of course I've been tempted to do the shops myself occasionally just to get the free pizza to give for a kids party or whatever, but I felt I was doing more good by avoiding them and holding out to make it possible for US SHOPPERS to make MORE MONEY later!

If MS companies see or realize that they cannot meet their contracted quota for the clients, then they will have NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY MORE MONEY! The alternative is the dropping of a client's account. It feels a bit like a labor union the shoppers doing the grunt work for reimbursement only or minimal pay are the one's (I believe they are called "scabs" that cross the picket lines to see the work gets done, till a settlement is reached. Unfortunately there will always be "fresh meat" and a sucker in every crowd, this hobby for some and profession for others is no exception, we just have no governing body above us to protect and guide us in that way, we are on our own pretty much. They get the new blood in and reject the report for whatever reason, some legit problems with the report, while others are questionable, the new shopper then does NOT get paid and the cycle begins again!

Now since this is somewhat hypothetical and I do not know for sure myself, I would love to hear if there is any TRUTH to this thinking! Any ideas? Agree or disagree? Maybe even just agree TO disagree? Keep it nice please

I don't know if any shopper will take this shop at reimbursement only, or for the initial fee.

There's a cinnamon roll shop I'll do at the low fee of $4, with $7 reimbursement. The $7 completely covers my cinnamon roll and lemonade, I'm there for 1/2 minutes, the report is 3 minutes tops, and I fudgin' love cinnamon rolls. I do it to treat myself after a long day of shopping, or work, or because my kids are being bratty, and it beats being at home. Am I hurting other shoppers by taking that shop for $4/$7? I don't think so.

The ones that I think truly hurt other shoppers are the $8-$10 cell phone shops, the $17 auto shops, the $15 bank inquiry shops, the $10 grocery shops. They are astonishingly narrative-dense for the pay, and can require considerable time outlay on-site. I imagine people love them because they require no cash outlay, but sooner or later, they realize they are hurting themselves by taking them at base pay. There's only so many car dealerships, banks, and cell phone stores in your area... They get more selective and stop putting out so often, and end up profiting more from it.

Shoppers who take reimbursement only restaurant shops do it for enjoyment, and maybe credit card rewards. It's a nice night out that might not have happened otherwise. Are they hurting other shoppers for not asking for a fee on top of reimbursement? Again, I don't think so.

I think restaurant shops don't really fall into that category. FF shops, this nasty ass pizza shop... different story. There is no enjoyment with these.

my dog will eat the pizza. I was about to take a picture ($25 bonus of course) and realized that I had forgotten the ID numbers. While I turned my back to get the piece of paper, the dog helped himself to a nicely cut slice. Of course that was not an acceptable picture for the Ms.

I can't understand why anyone would do the $10 grocery shop. Way too much work for the fee.

Why do they state that you must use a box cutter? Are they worried about jagged edges? I have a pizza slicer that I'm sure would cut just as sharp as a box cutter.

I haven't done one of these shops yet, and based on everything I've read, I think I'll continue to pass.

From what I read years ago, other types of cutting devices could compress the crust on the edges so it is not just the sharpness of the blade.

The pizza should be cut all of the way through when you receive. Seems if it wasn't they would want that documented.

There was a requirement for a long time to cut every other slice in half and fold them so that the new edges were visible. The cutting had to be done with an extremely sharp knife. The "requirement" was to use a box cutter with snap off blades that you can buy in hardware stores. They are inexpensive. They easily extend greater than the thickness of the pizza, and they are indeed very, very sharp when the edge is new. As soon as it dulls, you snap off the end of the blade and get a new sharp point and edge.

Cutting the pizza has absolutely nothing to do with whether it was cut correctly when received from the store. I used to think that by looking at the edge they could see if the crust was thick enough and had risen enough, and that the correct amount of topping were present.

I do not live in a delivery area and decline to go to a park to get it delivered there. I used to pick it up at the store when there was a reasonable fee, but one of the current MSC's has a requirement that it be photographed immediately and under no circumstances more than 10 minutes after you pick it up and I cant' get home in 10 minutes. I am unwilling to take a chance on having it rejected because the cheese is no longer melted or something else like that. When I last did these maybe six months ago, the cutting requirement had turned into a flipping alternate slices upside down requirement which was easier, but even less delectable.