I've been signed up with Confero for quite some time, but just recently did shops for them. In the past 2 weeks, I've completed 6 shops and I have one left scheduled for this weekend.

The first one was checked right away and I got a 10 on it. The last five I just got the score for today and they are all 8's. They give no idea as to why they were only 8's. I filled out the forms exactly the same way I did the first one. I spellchecked them all when I was done so I don't think they needed much editing.

I am pretty sure the same editor did the last five, but I'm sure a different editor did the first one. The last five have some sort of number at the beginning of the notes that the first did not.

Has anything experienced this with them before?

Also something odd I just noticed is that I received an email when the first shop was reviewed, but I did not get the email for the last five.

They are not very forthcoming with info, and rarely give 10's according to my sources and personal exp. See Hellbent's remark a few month's back.

**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

Yes, they rarely give 10s and rarely give constructive criticism but they pay for jobs that aren't rejected so what the heck, just figure their rating scale is 1-9 or 1-8 and move on.

"Also something odd I just noticed is that I received an email when the first shop was reviewed, but I did not get the email for the last five."

In SASSIE, an editor can choose to send the shopper the review or not to.

Sometimes, when a manager wants to push through a report, she just gives a 10. Not sure why. I don't know if this is true of Confero. I edit elsewhere.

I'd frame that 10! They're stingy with those.

I find they're very particular, sometimes to the point of silly, and sometimes the ding is for something not even in the guidelines. However, I always receive comments.

Jamiesan Wrote:
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> In SASSIE, an editor can choose to send the
> shopper the review or not to.

That was one of the reasons I was sure the last five were by a different editor.

> Sometimes, when a manager wants to push through a
> report, she just gives a 10. Not sure why. I don't
> know if this is true of Confero. I edit elsewhere.

That could be true, but the reason I thought the 10 was deserved was because I received comments on that one. That shops I received 8's for had no comments.

Mert Wrote:
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> I'd frame that 10! They're stingy with those.

Haha, maybe I will.

I once actually got a 9 instead of a 10 solely because the editor said that it was not possible that the target employees did everything right! Now that's really picky shopper scoring.

Then, the next quarter, I went back to the same site and saw that they had a big plaque displayed stating that they had got 100% on their previous quarterly shopper inspection! So, the employees got the 10, but the shopper did not!

I've done a lot of shops for them. The first 5 I did I were rated 7's and 8's, but the last 10 that I've done, I've received all 9's and 10's, because I figured out exactly what they wanted/needed in the reports. I love them!

my first with them wa sa ten all the rest have been 8's although i fill them the same like the rest of you, they pay on time so i dont mind, and in my area i can only do their shops once every three months due to the client rotation specs.

I just did 7 shops for them last month and was graded a 9 on each one. Reviewer comments were included on each on the site shop log and all read identically.

"Great job, thank you! Nicely written! Your report was well written and required little or no editing!"

Nothing to lose any sleep over. Flash is probably right ..... just consider their rating scale as 1-9 and carry on.

I did six shops for them a few month's back. I got 8-10's. I think different editors nngrade the shops. I did two shops, where almost the exact same information was put in and one was graded 9 and the other 10. I would not worry about it.

Isn't it sad when we advise shoppers NOT to be concerned about the grade with some companies because they seem arbitrary to start with and rarely come with useful information to do better next time? I certainly shake my head with Confero's ratings. They seem more like a power play than an attempt to get as good a report as possible now and in the future.

Flash Wrote:
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> Isn't it sad when we advise shoppers NOT to be
> concerned about the grade with some companies
> because they seem arbitrary to start with and
> rarely come with useful information to do better
> next time? I certainly shake my head with
> Confero's ratings. They seem more like a power
> play than an attempt to get as good a report as
> possible now and in the future.

Yep. I dont worry about the rating as long as I got paid on time. IMHO, it is a dumb idea for the company to come up with a rating, and yet does not have any information what makes the different between 9 and 10 report. It is all too subjective. I also do not understand a company who give this "Hero" citation (I forget which one). Can it be more lame and useless?

Hero citation ~ ~ ~ whoop-de-doo. Is it an indicator that will get us a plum assignment? A bonus? First consideration? Self-schedule? Nope.

Show us the money!

Well, with a couple of companies it will...but most it is just such a nothing.

**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

Confero, Inc. rarely gives a 10 score. Your report has to be perfect with no editing required :o)

We also keep that in mind when chosing shoppers. I consider an average score of 8 or 9 excellent.

Hero citations do matter - if I have a lot of applications and I see someone with a hero citation they get first pick. You are much more likely to be chosen for those "plum" assignments that everyone else wants.

Amy Mears
Project Coordinator
Confero, Inc.™
Customer Experience Research, Rewards, Results
www.ConferoInc.com

Find us on Facebook: [www.facebook.com]

Follow us on Twitter: [twitter.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2010 05:16PM by amym.

What exactly is a hero citation and how does one get it?

>
> Hero citations do matter - if I have a lot of
> applications and I see someone with a hero
> citation they get first pick. You are much more
> likely to be chosen for those "plum" assignments
> that everyone else wants.

Hi Amy,
So, I wonder:
Hero citation with mostly 8's.
No hero citation with mostly 9"s.

Both have track record with the firm.

Who gets the "plum"?

What if "hero" had mostly 7's, but the "non-hero" had 9's?

What if "hero" had mostly 6's, but the "non-hero" had 9"s? (Ordinarily I would not consider 6 good, but since Confero rarely's gives 10's, I am guessing that a 6 might be better there than it would be on my scale...)



And what would be considered a "plum" at Confero? (The firm has very little here so I can't say as I have ever seen anything I would consider being a hero to get...but that is me.)

**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2010 08:11PM by dee shops.

amym Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Confero, Inc. rarely gives a 10 score. Your
> report has to be perfect with no editing required
> :o)
>
> We also keep that in mind when chosing shoppers. I
> consider an average score of 8 or 9 excellent.

amym - Hello and I'm sure there are a few questions from shoppers that you can answer!

If an "average score" is 8 or 9 and you consider it "excellent", then a 10 is more than excellent? What if the score is 8 or 9, and the comments from the editor are "Great report. Minimal editing required". How does the shopper interpret that to deliver a 10 on the next report?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2010 09:03PM by Mert.

Hi Amy,
Thank you for responding. I truly appreciate someone from the MSC actually reply to the thread.

For me, if I am going to be graded as a shopper, I like to know EXACTLY how the grade is being done. I look at your company's site, and nowhere it explain how the grading system works, unless I miss it somewhere? Is 10/10 = no editing, 9/10 = 1 mistake, 8/10 = 2 mistakes? Does all editor has the same grading scale? I like clarification please.

Dee - you read my mind, I was going to ask the same questions! How does the "Hero" citation works in combination of the grading. And just curious, do you take the citation away if the shopper screw up or did not meet the deadline?

Great minds obviously think alike, sequoia....lets wait and see if amy comes back, and if so,in what time frame...

**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

At Confero, hero citations are given by the schedulers. For example, a shopper is MY hero if they are able to help with a last day shop on short notice or travel further than usual to complete an assignment.

Amy Mears
Project Coordinator
Confero, Inc.™
Customer Experience Research, Rewards, Results
www.ConferoInc.com

Find us on Facebook: [www.facebook.com]

Follow us on Twitter: [twitter.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2010 04:31PM by amym.

Regarding editor scoring: I was answering from a scheduler's point of view. I will have to do further research for the exact criteria the editors use.

10's are perfect, and perfection is a rare thing. In fact, I always tell my kids that "nobody's perfect". I HAVE seen scores of 10, so there must be some perfect people out there!

When I choose shoppers I consider an average score of 9 to be very,very good and an 8 to be very good. A score of 7 is average.

I do combine all factors when making choices: Shopper's history, their average score, citations and MSPA certification.

Amy Mears
Project Coordinator
Confero, Inc.™
Customer Experience Research, Rewards, Results
www.ConferoInc.com

Find us on Facebook: [www.facebook.com]

Follow us on Twitter: [twitter.com]

Thanks, Amy.

Well I am happy to hear I am "very very good." I already know I am not perfect. LOL.

**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton