Why I fell out of love with GFK.

I saw a big box retailer on my route and snapped it up before realizing it was with GFK.

32 pages of instructions.

They wanted to know about 5 different appliances and the top three recommendations for each appliance type.

They had at least 90 narratives no matter how you answered.

All this and you got rewarded with $15.

I did two of their fun and easy cellphone shops. The report took me a minimum of three frustrating hours each. They give you a detailed description of how to rate the service. Then they ask you in five successive narratives why you rated the way you did.

It is like trying to write a report for someone with both OCD and Alzheimer's. (No disrespect intended, just can't think of a better way to express the level of frustration I felt while writing those reports.)

Needless to say, I emailed the scheduler and gave them a frank and honest opinion of what was required for the appliance shop. I cancelled it 10 minutes after I got it.

After getting spammed with 30 to 40 emails a day for their horrible cellphone shops, I changed my profile to never get emails from them.

Fool me once, shame on GFK. Fool me twice and your emails stay in my spam folder.

In their favor, they paid super fast and rated my reports 10 each!

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I left them alone when I couldn't get a scheduler to respond. They are probably great for some people but for me it wasn't working out.

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Motivation increases when we assume large responsibilities with a short deadline.

I will add that the schedulers that I have had at GFK have been very prompt in their emails.
I have to be fair, even when frustrated. Isn't that a secret shopper motto?

@cammikun wrote:

I will add that the schedulers that I have had at GFK have been very prompt in their emails.
I have to be fair, even when frustrated. Isn't that a secret shopper motto?

I did not have that experience, I wish that I had, it was kind of an emergency situation.

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Motivation increases when we assume large responsibilities with a short deadline.

I quit doing their shops when I tired of their silly tests before every shop.

wow 90 narratives. That's 16 cents a narrative. A bargain!

= + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = +
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
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When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

I'd hate to be the editor of GFK reports. They know more than anyone how annoying GFK reports are. Doubt they are paid more than a shopper too.

I dumped them when I got sick of the stupid tests, too. Only made worse by the fact that they try to throw in several trick questions.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Haha - those trick questions are so insulting and time consuming. When GFK ups their pay I might work for them but not at what they are paying now.

You have to be very selective with GFK.

They also do things like take a photo outside, describe what was to the left, describe what was to the right, take multiple photos inside, and upload your business card/receipt.

Paranoia or overkill?

There are a hundred ways to cock up the report and have it invalidated. Luckily, I haven't had any rejected.

I was going to take some of the revealed audits for July, until I saw that there's a new test. Sheesh. It's not that I'm afraid of taking a test, its just annoying and time consuming.

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

I was going to take some of the revealed audits for July, until I saw that there's a new test. Sheesh. It's not that I'm afraid of taking a test, its just annoying and time consuming.

there is also much more work involved...6 extra photos and checking of other things. Sassie
is the worst system out there for uploading photos ever. One at a time...zzzz

Luckily, you have the ability as an Independent Contractor to decline to work for any company you like. Personally, even before I was a scheduler for them, GfK was one of my favorites to complete assignments for. Fast pay and easy work.

@cammikun wrote:

They also do things like take a photo outside, describe what was to the left, describe what was to the right, take multiple photos inside, and upload your business card/receipt.

Paranoia or overkill?

There are a hundred ways to cock up the report and have it invalidated. Luckily, I haven't had any rejected.

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 still do work for gfk when the price makes sense and they fit my
schedule. For the most part you can get a respone from schedulers
in a reasonable amount of time.

Dear Dante,

Thank you for your reply. I am a newbie, but I've read enough of your posts to know that you are a valued contributor to this forum.

You are correct, we all have the choice to pick and choose. GFK pays very quickly. The schedulers are all good people and I'm sure they all had experience in mystery shopping before becoming schedulers.

However, even a company that schedules mystery shops needs to be shopped from time to time.

Critiques and criticism can only be a positive thing. If people who work at/for a mystery shopping company are open to listening to the feedback of their contractors, that can only strengthen the company.

I have a dozen GFK shops open in my area. I'm terrified of even taking one that is across the street for fear that that $15 shop will take up my entire day.

I can only agree with many of you. The worst thing ever is to pick up a shop that you think is going to be quick and easy and the next thing you know your in your car 40 minutes later seeing each answer you make have another dozen questions and comments to it. The best is when you see the same question asked a dozen different ways and think to yourself it was only $15 that I accepted for correct. I will say though there mobile app for the ATT Audits was definitely a great thing. I couldn't imagine taking 30 photos with a camera and having to upload them. But again to the main point the cell phone and appliance shops need to be looked at and changed.

Well, c'mon. If shops were quick n easypeasy - then everyone would be taking them. I am, personally, a GFK fan - but get that it is not for everyone!

@Chix wrote:

Well, c'mon. If shops were quick n easypeasy - then everyone would be taking them. I am, personally, a GFK fan - but get that it is not for everyone!

Too many silly tests and too long reports for piss poor pay. So you get your piss poor pay quickly - big whoop-di-do!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2015 05:36AM by bestofbothworlds.

Now that GfK no longer has the wing shops in my area, they are going on my 10' pole list unless maybe there is a massive, massive bonus. The scenarios are way too detailed to be natural, and with so many very specific points to hit there is a much higher chance of failure with an uncooperative salesperson. Then, the ever-expanding reports.

Although, I had a great experience with a (telephone) audit. I would do that shop again.

Mod note: Please do not link a MSC with its client. This is a breach of Forum rules and probably an violation of your ICA as well

@bestofbothworlds wrote:

@Chix wrote:

Well, c'mon. If shops were quick n easypeasy - then everyone would be taking them. I am, personally, a GFK fan - but get that it is not for everyone!

Too many silly tests and too long reports for piss poor pay. So you get your piss poor pay quickly - big whoop-di-do!

exactly

This isn't quite the same as my own experience with GFK in London ( see my recent post today ) but the frustration I feel is the same and they do sometimes expect a lot of detail for little money!

I did one of those shops that required finding out the recommendations for washers, ranges, etc and cancelled five after completing one. I was at the location for over an hour. I felt bad for the salesperson because I felt like I was cutting into any commission they could have made with someone else. I could tell that the poor guy was annoyed after asking about the third appliance and then asking why the brand we are shopping was not recommended each time that it was not brought up. That specific assignment is definitely time consuming and not worth it when you compare it to their phone shops that pay $14.

The stores being shops have home appliances in the same area. The likelihood of being assisted by the same person for all appliances is 99 percent. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why someone keeps asking why a certain brand was not recommended multiple times, if said brand was really not recommended.

It's like going into CarMax and asking about SUV's, Trucks, hatchbacks, sedans, etc. then asking why Toyota wasn't recommended after being shown two non-toyota options from each car type.

@AnonymousGirl wrote:

I did one of those shops that required finding out the recommendations for washers, ranges, etc and cancelled five after completing one. I was at the location for over an hour. I felt bad for the salesperson because I felt like I was cutting into any commission they could have made with someone else. I could tell that the poor guy was annoyed after asking about the third appliance and then asking why the brand we are shopping was not recommended each time that it was not brought up. That specific assignment is definitely time consuming and not worth it when you compare it to their phone shops that pay $14.

The stores being shops have home appliances in the same area. The likelihood of being assisted by the same person for all appliances is 99 percent. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why someone keeps asking why a certain brand was not recommended multiple times, if said brand was really not recommended.

It's like going into CarMax and asking about SUV's, Trucks, hatchbacks, sedans, etc. then asking why Toyota wasn't recommended after being shown two non-toyota options from each car type.

You completely captured my feelings about the shop. Big commiserating hug to you!

AnonymousGirl - Thank you for saving me from myself. I was tempted to do one, not knowing exactly what would be required. I read your description, and there is no way I want to do that. It would be the same salesperson over and over again.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I made the mistake of taking one of these.
I had gotten the phone shops down to a science and thought it would be on par.
It was about 5x time the required amount of information for a whole whopping $1 more than a phone shop.
IN FREAKING INSANE
Compared to the phone shop at this MSC the appliance shop should be paying $70 to be on par.
I did it, I sucked it up,
and I would NEVER consider this shop again for less than $70
By the time you are done you are getting 18 product recommendations.
1st choice, 2 nd choice and why did you not recommend this brand in 6 product categories.

I think its insulting to shoppers to offer this for $15 for the amount of information required.
Even $25 is insulting.
I don't see how any shopper would do a second for $15 after completing one of these

After reading this thread, I am thankful I decided not to take any of the recent wireless shops.

I have done two of these. The first one was $19 and after doing the report, I said to myself that it was too long and I see now why they are sitting on the boards. I finally took another yesterday for $40 (and was already there due to a shop a mile down the street) and thought it was about right for the work involved.

Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.

Their latest shop, the computer related one is a train wreck on their part. It's obvious that they just copied the guidelines from the previous msc that had it.
They didnt bother to make any changes for the current scenarios and its littered with errors. One of the questions asks were employees wearing store x proper uniform.
Meanwhile, we are not shopping store x(previous msc was) we are shopping store y. Then they completely botched the scenario part and whoever put
it together was either clueless, rushed, or just did not care. Question asks which of 3 statements did gfk assign to you. Of course gfk did not assign
any of those statements and instead listed a different scenario in the shop comments. (Previous msc had it listed where it should be).

The good part about the shop is it's the easiest they have ever had since it has no comment boxes and no narrative at all. So it's quick.

I don't know what's going at gfk but this might be a case of them growing to quickly for their own good without the proper
support staff to back them up.

I felt bad after doing the appliance scenario. The results are garbage. Way too many questions. I did my best but no way is the data going to give an accurate picture.

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Why I fell out of love with GFK.

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