What do you think of MarketForce's new policy regarding reporting?
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Thinking it over, how can a deadline be a range? A range is when you want it AFTER time A, and BEFORE time B, such as after 12:15 but before 2:30. A deadline can't be both 8 and 12 hours. If I report in the 9th hour, I'm within the 12 hour deadline, but have missed the 8 hour requirement. It's not logical.
I don't know if we know if one client or multiple clients has brought about this change. The big client MF has around here that is on all the corners (feels like it anyway) is having troubles, if you've been watching the news lately. They are finally losing out to competitors and they are having customer service issues. It makes sense that they may be part of this tightening process as I've heard they are paying a lot of attention to it to try to get them back to being the clear #1 in the marketplace. I've been hearing this on the news off and on all year.
BTW - I'm another one without a laptop or tablet. I do not even have a smartphone with a data plan, so all my reports are done when I get home, have lunch or dinner, if appropriate, and then get on the PC for the afternoon/night.
BTW - I'm another one without a laptop or tablet. I do not even have a smartphone with a data plan, so all my reports are done when I get home, have lunch or dinner, if appropriate, and then get on the PC for the afternoon/night.
Stoopid is as stoopid does. Stoopid bites the hand that feeds it. Stoopid starves....
I saw the notice but signed up for shops anyway. I typically report my shops after midnight. On weekends we may go out after a shop and and I don't report sometimes until after after 3 am. I reported a shop last weekend after 3 am and got the "Notice of Incomplete Report," saying I could ignore the notice if I was within the time requirement. In this case it was 12 hours, so the report wasn't due until 8 am. My shop went through OK.
I took a closer look at my shop assignments, all assigned after the 8-hour notice came out. I have 6 different companies to shop. One has the 8-hour deadline, 4 have a 12-hour deadline, and 1 has no deadline on the CPI, but the guidelines have a 12-hour deadline. The 8-hour deadline is for what is probably MF's biggest client.
In June and July, Gapbuster burst back on the U.S. scene, and all the shops were for this same client. Then I got an email from Gapbuster thanking me for the shops but that they were going to stop for a while and assess how their comeback went.
i wonder if the 8-hour requirement is so MF can show the client they provide reports faster than Gapbuster? It doesn't appear to me that MF is worried about getting reports for other companies sooner.
I took a closer look at my shop assignments, all assigned after the 8-hour notice came out. I have 6 different companies to shop. One has the 8-hour deadline, 4 have a 12-hour deadline, and 1 has no deadline on the CPI, but the guidelines have a 12-hour deadline. The 8-hour deadline is for what is probably MF's biggest client.
In June and July, Gapbuster burst back on the U.S. scene, and all the shops were for this same client. Then I got an email from Gapbuster thanking me for the shops but that they were going to stop for a while and assess how their comeback went.
i wonder if the 8-hour requirement is so MF can show the client they provide reports faster than Gapbuster? It doesn't appear to me that MF is worried about getting reports for other companies sooner.
NOTE: I'm not on the forum every day. If someone comments on my post, I might not reply right away. I've been a shopper since 1991. I've never done any work for a MS company in any other capacity.
I had a supervisor call me after I said that I would finish the report the next morning. I was called to do dinner reports for a client that since they changed the report no one seems to be doing because there are still 30 on the board and only 3 claimed. I told the scheduler that I would not be doing any dinner shops for them as I cannot finish a dinner, drive home 30-40 miles and write a decent report. I was told that I would be given an extension until the next morning. I took it after they included a significant bonus.
Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
So far my CPI's for MF still states 12 hours. When I've not submitted the report that day, I get an email in the following morning. Usually if I complete the report during the morning there is no problem.
Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
Another interesting part about their big fast food client is the question that you have to read carefully before you answer Yes or No to. I'm sure it's a detail checker but if you're used to the way they used to phrase it you might get dinged or worse.
I'm always cautious when I answer those pre-qualifiers. I hate the quizzes and things though. We spend a lot of time (or at least I do) in prepping for a shop and then boom, I discover there's some quiz or something. I wouldn't mind as much if it was truly just the technical part of it, but I had one the other day that was super long with a ton of obvious questions. It just seems so redundant. I've had a couple of others like the MF one where it feels like they are just trying to mess you up. I give it one shot and then move on.
Yep, I caught that question too. But I missed it on a shop I'd never done before, and am now ineligible for it. Boooooooo........
NOTE: I'm not on the forum every day. If someone comments on my post, I might not reply right away. I've been a shopper since 1991. I've never done any work for a MS company in any other capacity.
Well, they are pre-qualifiers. They are trying to see if the person applying has any reading comprehension at all and if they pay attention to detail. Apparently MS'ers DO need more than just a pulse!@Orrymain wrote:
I'm always cautious when I answer those pre-qualifiers. I hate the quizzes and things though... I've had a couple of others like the MF one where it feels like they are just trying to mess you up.
Yes, but didn't we do in the application process? 99% of the apps I filled out contained a sample shop. In fact, just filling out those apps shows you know how to read and comprehend. As I said, to me it's a ridiculous redundancy. But ... that's just me! :}
Maybe it's just been a long time ago that I signed up with most of my companies - 2008 - and maybe things have changed - but I only recall a couple of tests and the only sample shop I saw was a written paragraph about a shop - and the same paragraph could be copied and pasted into each one. The applications in most cases are so easy and redundant that they are mostly filled out by my browser autofill or by Roboform. In most cases, I received an acceptance so quickly that I think most companies do not review the applications or the writing samples. With the exception of a few companies, I think MSCs approve whoever registers. I think in many cases a person with poor reading comprehension or poor writing skills could easily register and be accepted.
@dmp777 wrote:
I was unaware of the new deadline...glad I saw this post in the newsletter. I live out in the middle of no where And usually travel 150 round trip miles to complete shops.....with that in mind I usually plan a route of at least 5 shops....when I am done travel back home I usually need to unwind eat dinner then start on reports. If I complete a MF shop as my first or second shop it is nearly impossible to get it in under 8 hours. And when I am traveling 150 miles you best believe I do some shopping of my own while I am out. Lol and what if there is a road closure as was the case when I was doing a shop the other day for another company I had to back track and drive an extra 60 plus miles....when you live in backwoods Texas that is life......not sure MF is really taking it all into perspective......
I couldn't have said better myself. I live in the middle of nowhere TX myself. It's nothing for me to leave the house at 3am and not get home until after 9pm. I do try to get reports started from the road, but a lot of my areas have spotty cell service, no public library or establishments that offer free wifi.
And I also try to get some of my own shopping accomplished as well, because the nearest decent grocery store is a 50 mile roundtrip. Plus it provides a much needed break in the day.
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!
I have had concerns because I am seeing this as a general trend. It is not only Market Force that has been shortening the time frame during which we can submit the reports. I've even seen some as short as two hours for a phone shop.
"Evolve thyself and lose all hate...." Orphaned Land
I'm feeling rather frowny about this recent change, because I tend to route MF shops on trips to and from the city, which are generally all day long. By the time I get every shop inputted, it may be almost morning, and I will stay up all night until I finish. In the past, I was told that as long as I had them done by 5-6 a.m. I was fine. Now, I'm not sure. I have also noticed they seem to have outsourced some of their customer service to less knowledgeable and flexible employees who are more difficult to work with. I have some schedulers saved to my contact list, and I find I get better service when I call those to discuss jobs, bonuses, etc.
Hmmm, I hadn't noticed any changes. While it may disrupt a schedule here and there, I usually get myMF reports out of the way quickly -- they are so quick and easy to complete. Very little comment required and very few POVs as well. I love doing assignments for MF.
Contact the Help Desk and ask them to re-verify for you. Lots of people have an occasional problem with a pre-qualifier or even the logs. I once cancelled a shop I didn't mean to, and the Help Desk was very understanding and reinstated it for me.
I must say I did not see any new guidelines on times. I had 3 shops this past weekend. I got them all in at about 12 hours after shopping and had no problems. I have never had problems with MF. Only ever had one shop rejected and that was my fault. They may not have huge bonuses, but they give me consistent work, easy reports, and they call with my shops, allowing me to only deal with shops that have bonuses. I use other companies for my homeruns, but for consistent singles with an occasional double thrown in, they are great.
I too have moved MF off of my primary list. They call me all of the time and I just refuse the shop and tell them I cannot do.
When the 8 hours limit comes into effect I hope they speed up their website. Waiting for the page to load is getting really old...
@teriraia wrote:
When the 8 hours limit comes into effect I hope they speed up their website. Waiting for the page to load is getting really old...
And often times they have one question on a page.
"Evolve thyself and lose all hate...." Orphaned Land
They posted a True or False quiz. One of the questions said, "I must report my shop within 8 hours." Answer: False. The 8 hour window has not started yet and they will notify you when it does, plus you will see it on your CPI 
My biggest issue with Market Force is their utter lack of communication. Their Help Desk would get a terrible review if I was mystery shopping mystery shopping companies in terms of customer service. Ironic, huh? However, I put up with it because I like picking up shops with bonuses. I agree with what someone else said earlier in regards to this report deadline. I always complete my reports within an hour of getting home. I hope this shorter deadline means there will be more declined shops, so they will repost them with a higher bonus for me.
@SunnyDays2 wrote:
They posted a True or False quiz. One of the questions said, "I must report my shop within 8 hours." Answer: False. The 8 hour window has not started yet and they will notify you when it does, plus you will see it on your CPI
They certainly seem to be reading our forum and responding to posts, don't they?
I would feel better about it if it were more mobile/ tablet friendly, and it did not take so dang long to go through the survey. I haven't had an MF shop with long narratives yet, knock on wood.
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A lot of MSC owners, editors and schedulers do read this forum and they are well aware of who many of the shoppers are when they complain and bash a particular MSC.@AustinMom wrote:
They certainly seem to be reading our forum and responding to posts, don't they?
I'm reviving this topic because I noticed today that MF says their reporting changes are taking effect:
Reports need to be submitted online as soon as possible after completing your shop. We will try to keep the shop open for 8 hours, but there is no guarantee we will be able to do that if deadline requirements mandate that we move quickly.
I'm worried about this. I usually submit my reports to them within 8 hours, but the policy makes it sound like they can change the reporting window at any time without prior notice to the shopper. Am I over-thinking it?
Reports need to be submitted online as soon as possible after completing your shop. We will try to keep the shop open for 8 hours, but there is no guarantee we will be able to do that if deadline requirements mandate that we move quickly.
I'm worried about this. I usually submit my reports to them within 8 hours, but the policy makes it sound like they can change the reporting window at any time without prior notice to the shopper. Am I over-thinking it?
Shopper in California's Bay Area
I have kids to feed and put to bed. It's not realistic to stay at home Moms when they push the "benefits of mystery shopping" to us ha ha
The times that I've screwed up is late at night when I was tired. Even when I thought I was careful I messed up. So I do them early.
Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
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