"Cheap" hotel shops?
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Well, there's the Bates Motel in the movie "Psycho" but I am not sure who shops it
"I was looking to shop a hotel with a cheap nightly rate so if I messed it up I wouldn't lose my mortgage funds for the month..."
If a shop is the make-or-break of making your mortgage payment, don't do it. Not worth the risk. Some of the same MSCs who have luxury hotels have a few cheaper cousins as well.
I would start with high end dinner shops, if your goal is to make it to luxury hotels. It's not like you're needing the motel/hotel for the night, right? You're trying to go for the experience and constructive feedback. The high-end dinner shops are pretty high-narrative and you do detail every interaction, so it's good practice to hone your skills for tackling luxury hotels eventually. And that way, even if you screw up, at least you got something out of it, (dinner) rather than a cheap motel stay that you didn't even need.
Just my two cents!
If a shop is the make-or-break of making your mortgage payment, don't do it. Not worth the risk. Some of the same MSCs who have luxury hotels have a few cheaper cousins as well.
I would start with high end dinner shops, if your goal is to make it to luxury hotels. It's not like you're needing the motel/hotel for the night, right? You're trying to go for the experience and constructive feedback. The high-end dinner shops are pretty high-narrative and you do detail every interaction, so it's good practice to hone your skills for tackling luxury hotels eventually. And that way, even if you screw up, at least you got something out of it, (dinner) rather than a cheap motel stay that you didn't even need.
Just my two cents!
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Plan the work. Work the plan.
Plan the work. Work the plan.
Thanks BBird, that makes sense. I don't need the hotel room, just a more intensive observation/narrative than the retail shops that I am able to ace now.
Yeah, I've shopped both, and the cheap ones are a different animal entirely than high-end. You'd really be gaining no usable experience to put towards high-ends. Kinda like getting a horse and knowing how to take care of it just because you've had a cat. Sure they're both pets, but one requires a much bigger financial commitment and they require completely different levels of care.
I really would do the dinner shops for experience towards high-end hotels.
I really would do the dinner shops for experience towards high-end hotels.
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Plan the work. Work the plan.
Plan the work. Work the plan.
Hey! No tongue-lashing for asking for a recommendation of MSCs (and, notably, no recommendations yet given), constructive alternative advice offered, a little light-hearted psychohumor...
Nice thread everyone!
(It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?)
Nice thread everyone!
(It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?)
-30-
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2014 04:50AM by Shop2LiveinFL.
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“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
~ Jimi Hendrix
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain
“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2014 04:50AM by Shop2LiveinFL.
I have seen shops for lower end suite hotels. When I looked up the hotels (Tripadvisor and such), I decided that I wanted no part of staying in them. The shops did not compare to the ones for better hotels. As always, look before you leap.
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
I have no issue with staying in most cheap hotels personally and would actually prefer to do them in order to have a non staycation from home without working like a dog or even a cat with a saddle on. If I am on a road trip vacation I like the ease of the reporting for a motel that does not have much to report on...no spa, no dinner, no valet etc. Just as long as they have wifi it is okay with me. So if anyone knows companies that do these without mentioning hotel names, esp if they are here out west let me know. I am hoping for something along the central coast of california for next month!!! I especially need some mileage to offset my earnings this year when I have not driven far for jobs.
I think that Service Performance Group used to do the California locations of a national chain of lower-end suites. I wanted to take some during a vacation there. I agree that not having a multitude of things to look for and report about is a good thing. But the reviews of individual locations were awful (dirty rooms, dirty halls, drug deals in the parking lots, etc.)
I remembered incorrectly. The company which had lots of the low end suites in California (and that was a year ago) was A Closer Look. I just looked at their website and no hotel shops show up within 100 miles of SFO. [This paragraph was added on 9/18]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2014 07:28PM by myst4au.
I remembered incorrectly. The company which had lots of the low end suites in California (and that was a year ago) was A Closer Look. I just looked at their website and no hotel shops show up within 100 miles of SFO. [This paragraph was added on 9/18]
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2014 07:28PM by myst4au.
myst4au Wrote:
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> I think that Service Performance Group used to do
> the California locations of a national chain of
> lower-end suites. I wanted to take some during a
> vacation there. I agree that not having a
> multitude of things to look for and report about
> is a good thing. But the reviews of individual
> locations were awful (dirty rooms, dirty halls,
> drug deals in the parking lots, etc.)
I have been signed up with them for a long time but have not seen hotels or anything else lately. When I look at reviews online I generally read several pages of reviews and check carefully the date they were done as things can change and also one person's tolerance can be much higher or lower than yours so I find it helpful to see different points of view. I have only done one hotel where other people might have balked at staying there but I found the mostly what looked like long term residents to be basically nice people. Although there were lots of things wrong, the bed was clean and comfortable. The big issue there was the internet did not work so I could not start my report and I ended up with about 37 pics I had to report on. It was an adventure though. I am sure there are many horrible locations but fortunately I have not landed in one of them.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2014 06:44AM by sandyf.
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> I think that Service Performance Group used to do
> the California locations of a national chain of
> lower-end suites. I wanted to take some during a
> vacation there. I agree that not having a
> multitude of things to look for and report about
> is a good thing. But the reviews of individual
> locations were awful (dirty rooms, dirty halls,
> drug deals in the parking lots, etc.)
I have been signed up with them for a long time but have not seen hotels or anything else lately. When I look at reviews online I generally read several pages of reviews and check carefully the date they were done as things can change and also one person's tolerance can be much higher or lower than yours so I find it helpful to see different points of view. I have only done one hotel where other people might have balked at staying there but I found the mostly what looked like long term residents to be basically nice people. Although there were lots of things wrong, the bed was clean and comfortable. The big issue there was the internet did not work so I could not start my report and I ended up with about 37 pics I had to report on. It was an adventure though. I am sure there are many horrible locations but fortunately I have not landed in one of them.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2014 06:44AM by sandyf.
Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
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> I agree. For some reason, cats don't seem to like
> it when you put a saddle on their back and try to
> ride them! >^..^<
And horses are AWFUL lap-pets.
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> I agree. For some reason, cats don't seem to like
> it when you put a saddle on their back and try to
> ride them! >^..^<
And horses are AWFUL lap-pets.
------------------------------------------------
Plan the work. Work the plan.
Plan the work. Work the plan.
BBird0701 Wrote:
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> Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I agree. For some reason, cats don't seem to
> like
> > it when you put a saddle on their back and try
> to
> > ride them! >^..^<
>
> And horses are AWFUL lap-pets.
It would be a real "cat-tastrophe" if the horse bucked while on your lap
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> Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I agree. For some reason, cats don't seem to
> like
> > it when you put a saddle on their back and try
> to
> > ride them! >^..^<
>
> And horses are AWFUL lap-pets.
It would be a real "cat-tastrophe" if the horse bucked while on your lap
As the owner/caretaker of three horses, six house cats, and five ferals out in the garage (and two dogs, a sheep, and some chickens) ... I can guarantee you the cats do no work whatsoever, with or without a saddle, and the horses would do likewise if I gave them the choice.
That is all.
That is all.
Time to build a bigger bridge.
ACL does "cheap" ones. Be careful, though. The one I was assigned to was absolutely disgusting, with hair on the sheets, blood on the bedding, cigarette burns on the tub. It was one of those studio-type motels and the whole place reeked of garlic, curry and old trash. I had to take photos of every issue, and I ended up taking close to 75 photos!!! It was so not worth it!
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VickyS Wrote:
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> Just to clarify I am not trying to get anyone to
> break their ICA, and do not want the names of
> hotel chains that are shopped, but was interested
> in knowing which MSCs shop "cheap" hotels. I
> would like to eventually get into shopping for
> high-end hotels but I don't have the experience
> yet to be assigned and I am not comfortable with
> my skills to risk losing $500 + on a botched shop
> even if I were given a job. I was looking to shop
> a hotel with a cheap nightly rate so if I messed
> it up I wouldn't lose my mortgage funds for the
> month, but can't seem to find any on the board. I
> was hoping someone could let me know which
> companies shop these so I can ensure I am signed
> up for those companies and watch the boards.
> Thanks
ACL's cheap hotel shop if it is the same chain we are talking about was my first hotel shop and it was a nice way to get my feet wet without risking a lot of money. I have since done one other hotel shop - they seem to be hard to get here in Phoenix - for ACL at a much nicer place and it was a nice experience overall as the report was not that bad. From what I have read around here, the really nice hotels are hard to get and the reports are heavy narrative and I'd have to ask for myself anyway if this is what I am interested in? I don't mind typing up small amounts of money for reimbursement with an MSC that I have a good relationship with, but large amounts of money at risk in this economy? I think this is an individual choice, for some this will work, for others, this won't. I don't know that there is a right or wrong way to look at this, for me, it's what does and does not work for me and mystery shopping accommodates this in the sense that you don't have to take shops that don't work for you. One of the perks of the biz in my book.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2014 04:29PM by squireparty.
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> Just to clarify I am not trying to get anyone to
> break their ICA, and do not want the names of
> hotel chains that are shopped, but was interested
> in knowing which MSCs shop "cheap" hotels. I
> would like to eventually get into shopping for
> high-end hotels but I don't have the experience
> yet to be assigned and I am not comfortable with
> my skills to risk losing $500 + on a botched shop
> even if I were given a job. I was looking to shop
> a hotel with a cheap nightly rate so if I messed
> it up I wouldn't lose my mortgage funds for the
> month, but can't seem to find any on the board. I
> was hoping someone could let me know which
> companies shop these so I can ensure I am signed
> up for those companies and watch the boards.
> Thanks
ACL's cheap hotel shop if it is the same chain we are talking about was my first hotel shop and it was a nice way to get my feet wet without risking a lot of money. I have since done one other hotel shop - they seem to be hard to get here in Phoenix - for ACL at a much nicer place and it was a nice experience overall as the report was not that bad. From what I have read around here, the really nice hotels are hard to get and the reports are heavy narrative and I'd have to ask for myself anyway if this is what I am interested in? I don't mind typing up small amounts of money for reimbursement with an MSC that I have a good relationship with, but large amounts of money at risk in this economy? I think this is an individual choice, for some this will work, for others, this won't. I don't know that there is a right or wrong way to look at this, for me, it's what does and does not work for me and mystery shopping accommodates this in the sense that you don't have to take shops that don't work for you. One of the perks of the biz in my book.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2014 04:29PM by squireparty.
I'd like to work my way up to the luxury hotels since one MSC does shop them from time to time here in the Chicago area....always been a goal to stay at one (or more) of these nice places but of course the $$$.
Silver certified (since 2009) and willing to do shops all around the greater Chicago, NW Indiana, and Southern Wisconsin areas (including airports!.
>
> I agree. For some reason, cats don't seem to like
> it when you put a saddle on their back and try to
> ride them! >^..^<
They don't like wearing blankets or having ribbons tied to their tails either. ;-P
> I agree. For some reason, cats don't seem to like
> it when you put a saddle on their back and try to
> ride them! >^..^<
They don't like wearing blankets or having ribbons tied to their tails either. ;-P
annelehman Wrote:
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> Who remembers Freeman?
Ah, Freeman. Towards the end, they offered nothing that did not already have horror stories on Tripadvisor. Thanks to a couple shops before I caught onto that, there is an entire hotel/motel portfolio I refuse to take the kids to. Since I never saw properties shopped that weren't declared, "disgusting," that brand must not hold franchisees to any standards unless there are complaints. Yuck.
Thankfully I never had to fight to get paid. I bet there were people who cleared up the bedbugs picked up on shops long before they were paid.
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> Who remembers Freeman?
Ah, Freeman. Towards the end, they offered nothing that did not already have horror stories on Tripadvisor. Thanks to a couple shops before I caught onto that, there is an entire hotel/motel portfolio I refuse to take the kids to. Since I never saw properties shopped that weren't declared, "disgusting," that brand must not hold franchisees to any standards unless there are complaints. Yuck.
Thankfully I never had to fight to get paid. I bet there were people who cleared up the bedbugs picked up on shops long before they were paid.
I have seen some of those nasty hotel shops (the ones that TripAdvisor has the same address in three different names over 3 years) that have BEDBUGS in capital letters in every one of the reviews. I last saw the really bad one in the worst part of town. If the bedbugs didn't get you, the drive-by shootings would! I saw that one on Intellishop. It had a $20 bonus on it and still no one was touching it.
Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.
Makes me wonder about the ones Intellishop has in the St. Louis area...have entertained the thoughts of taking one of those....
Silver certified (since 2009) and willing to do shops all around the greater Chicago, NW Indiana, and Southern Wisconsin areas (including airports!.
A Closer Look does have at least one low end chain (the rewards program uses a freaking stamp card) and their reports are comparable to what you'd expect from the big chains. And their editors and schedulers are incredibly helpful.
You have to do at least seven or eight regular food joints to get that far, and they don't usually pay beyond reimbursement, but it's good experience in a positive feedback environment.
You have to do at least seven or eight regular food joints to get that far, and they don't usually pay beyond reimbursement, but it's good experience in a positive feedback environment.
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