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Advice please - target at least "suspects" he is being shopped!

September 21, 2011 03:49PM
Hi all,
I am a relative newbie, having been doing this about 14 months. I've got a college admissions shop that the target pretty much refused the required onsite and tried to direct me to someone else in another nearby community. Scheduler is still determined to have me "keep trying" but by now the guy has talked to me and has all my contact info (no alias used here). He will certainly recognize me and wonder what I am switching fields of interest. I have already communicated to the scheduler that I think I am "blown" on this and retreat may be in order.
I even suggested a drop in "hey there, here I am!" approach if she insists on going forward but she wants to follow the client's request for an appointment first. Nice bonus here but it really smells like trouble to me. Has a required outlay of admission fees to be reimbursed that is pricey. Any suggestions?
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September 21, 2011 05:18PM
If you are uncomfortable going forward, and the reasons you cite do sound that way, you need to tell the scheduler you cannot move forward with the shop and need to cancel. Of course that will get you no pay for what you have already spent time on. In this day and age of lots of unemployed folks trying shopping and fewer clients being shopped, a 'nice bonus' on a shop that normally would look attractive at the base fee tends to imply that either the shop is not performable or is in a location where there are precious few shoppers. Unless this is a shop out in the boonies I would strongly suspect that the bonus is lipstick on a pig.
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September 22, 2011 01:17AM
My big concern would be if your cover is blown and the shop can't be finished will you NOT get the reimbursement. It is one thing if you lose a reimbursement on groceries or something you could use, but if you don't get reimbursed that is money you are out for no purpose for you. I would be very leary of going forward with this one.
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September 22, 2011 01:41PM
Flash and Shelly,

Thanks so much for your responses. Flash, I think you were right on the nose of this barnyard dress-up issue. Something is going on here. Despite my prying emails, I couldn't get the scheduler to volunteer much. I do realize how difficult their jobs can get at times trying to persuade people to take on unpleasant assignments. They are obviously just being required to follow orders, too.

I have let her know I am not willing to continue. One thing I mentioned to her is that a shop that is going to produce problems for the person being evaluated also has the potential to cause real problems for a shopper who has provided detailed and accurate personal information.

Anyway, as always you were extremely helpful and it is much appreciated!
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September 22, 2011 05:28PM
Flash - loved the "pig's lipstick". So appropriate.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
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September 22, 2011 08:58PM
I have never understood why someone would avoid a shopper. If they know someone is a shopper, why wouldn't the target just really do it up right and get a good score? The fact that targets avoids shoppers has never made sense to me.
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September 23, 2011 04:12AM
annie727 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Flash and Shelly,
>
> Thanks so much for your responses. Flash, I think
> you were right on the nose of this barnyard
> dress-up issue. Something is going on here.
> Despite my prying emails, I couldn't get the
> scheduler to volunteer much. I do realize how
> difficult their jobs can get at times trying to
> persuade people to take on unpleasant assignments.
> They are obviously just being required to follow
> orders, too.y
> Yes they want you to keep on w/it b/c hey need to get the shop done in the timeframe. I say drop it and move on. You did your best.
cyn
> I have let her know thI am not willing to continue.
> One thing I mentioned to her is that a shop that
> is going to produce problems for the person being
> evaluated also has the potential to cause real
> problems for a shopper who has provided detailed
> and accurate personal information.
>
> Anyway, as always you were extremely helpful and
> it is much appreciated!
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September 23, 2011 11:20AM
writer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have never understood why someone would avoid a
> shopper. If they know someone is a shopper, why
> wouldn't the target just really do it up right and
> get a good score? The fact that targets avoids
> shoppers has never made sense to me.


The manager I had just simply did not want to fool with it. She did not really want to fool with any one. The employees who were dealing with the customer across the desk were instructed to get all the information and see if she was available. Usually she was not. She answered very few calls also. She was on duty the required hours but was very seldom available.
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October 03, 2011 06:53PM
Flash.....lipstick on a pig....roflol....I needed that today....blessings.
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