As you engage with various MS companies fellow shoppers, what is you preferred method of being contacted by them...?

1. No active solicitation. You go to their job board when you feel like it.

2. E-mail solicitation for jobs based on your geo area or shopper expertise?

3. A targeted and personal phone call advising you of an opportunity in your geo area or area of expertise?

Since I am on the computer so much during my day, I prefer an email that spells out everything including any bonus. I do not like to play cat n mouse with them on the telephone, especially when my husband is asleep during the day.

Is this just a general question or are you gathering information for a specific MSC?

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> Is this just a general question or are you
> gathering information for a specific MSC?

It is a general question that I beieve is applicable to the entire community. We will certainly use information gathered.

To a great extent it depends on the kind of rapport built with the company. There are some companies with whom I correspond primarily by email, while with others it is by phone and others I never communicate with--I go to their board, select work, do it, report it and get paid with no interaction at all.

What is exasperating is companies/schedulers that email the same job day after day, week after week until someone puts the poor job out of its misery. Then we start the process anew the following month. Those kind of email harassments I can definitely do without and companies have had their email privileges turned off because of them. Similarly companies who never have jobs in my area but send emails for things hundreds or thousands of miles away 'just in case I happen to be going there'.

I have already terminated the company that seems to only be able to talk on the phone that wheedles you to 'help them out' for substandard pay.

When a company is good to work with, I am perfectly happy to work with them any way possible--phone, email or job board.

Come on Flash you don't like to get an e-mail listing all of the jobs in your area which is then followed by the scheduler sending individual e-mails for each and every job?

My favorite is from the last 2 weeks. I responded to job posting e-mails to point out that they are sending me duplicates. The first time the scheduler e-mailed back, "So you emailed just to tell me this?" Well, yeah, didn't mean to bother you, but thought you could help here. It happened again this week and she basically told me if I don't want to receive duplicate mailings I can opt out of notifications. Guess I need to just opt out of the company and BTW thanks a bunch for all your help beyotch!

Thank you for the comments thus far. -- Does it matter to you if a MS company is trying to build personal rapport through phone interaction? Is that something that might "tie you closer" to that organization or is it more of a bother?

dannedan Wrote:
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> Thank you for the comments thus far. -- Does it
> matter to you if a MS company is trying to build
> personal rapport through phone interaction? Is
> that something that might "tie you closer" to that
> organization or is it more of a bother?

It is a huge PITB. I don't mind talking on the phone to schedulers who are truly in a bind and asking for help quickly, but get to the point and get off the phone.

I shop daily, plus I have 3 kids and run a website. I don't have time for "rapport building" via t/c.

While enjoying an opportunity to speak with a scheduler I have been turned off by some companies who first call from numbers I do not recognize and then either don't leave a message, leave a message which is vague and/or unintelligible and then are not available when I call back. I also try to keep "normal" business hours. Since we're all in different time zones I've had schedulers calling anywhere from 7 to 9 at night and don't really feel like dealing with business during those hours.

Even though e-mail can be more impersonal it does allow a bit of flexibility and if the scheduler includes a call back number that is the best.

It is not the method of communication but the quality that makes a difference. A professional and courteous interaction can be achieved by phone or email, but it even can be achieved by the quality of a job posting. None of us like threats and warnings, whether they are that we will be photographed by security cameras that the tapes are reviewed or such as one charming instruction that yelled in all caps DON"T LIE!! It is never my intention to 'make friends' out of schedulers, though friendships naturally develop where there is a collegial atmosphere and mutual respect.

There are companies and schedulers for whom I have developed enough respect over the year that if they asked, "Are you available next Tuesday" they would get a 'yes' or 'no' based on my schedule and only THEN would we talk about job specifics and pay. These companies value my time and effort at least as much as I do and they don't waste it or nickel and dime me for it.

For me, since I have a full time job during which I can not be interrupted during the day, calls really don't work for me. Especially annoying are the calls that give no information and want you to call back. Getting a call about a huge bonus only to find it is a $3.00 bonus and hour away that must be performed between 10 and 1 is frustrating. Finding this out after a prolonged game of phone tag only makes it work.

I prefer to check boards. E-mails for a job should only be sent once a week unless there is a significant change in the shop information.

dannedan Wrote:
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> Thank you for the comments thus far. -- Does it
> matter to you if a MS company is trying to build
> personal rapport through phone interaction? Is
> that something that might "tie you closer" to that
> organization or is it more of a bother?


I work full-time and do this to pick up a little pocket money and eat out a little more. I prefer e-mail rather than phone calls because the calls almost never come at a good time for me. My pet peeve is one company - I suspect the same one Flash referenced - that telephones to beg and plead with me to "help us out" with distant shops in unpopular locations. Since their low-paying shops (which I will do if they are close by/near another job I am planing to do) are available for me to see and are self-schedule, I would have accepted the jobs if I wanted to do them without a phone call. Now, if they wanted to offer me a big bonus to do the shop, I would understand the call. But to call to tell me about the low-paying job I already knew about that is 50 miles or more from my area, making it a 3 hour job counting driving time and costing me way more to run my car than the shop pays, and ask me to do it "as a favor" is insulting. Usually when I say no, they argue a little but then move on to beg another shopper. Once in awhile when I decline and explain the distance and the expense in terms of car cost and my time, I hear from them "What if I can give you a $5 bonus?"

If you do video shops for a company it is best to have a close personal relationship with the schedulers. You should be able to call them and them call you. Outside of that I prefer emails for assignments. Those companies that are redundant and send multiple emails for the same work I turn them off on their site. I check them when I want to. I normally do work only for about 20 companies though signed up with over 130. If they do not have work in my area I stay registered in case they do later but turn off their notifications.

I like emails. I don't like phone calls from schedulers who leave undescriptive messages about "a shop in my area."
Tell me what the shop is at least!

I like emails only when they tell me of jobs within my radius (and they know it). I deplore the airport emails that say, "When you are traveling to the Carrebean", etc., as well as emails for other states. Emails perfered, and hopefully not the auto emails. I work monthly for one MSC that calls when they have a job they know I do within my mile limit, they are to the point, and I always help them out. I do not get many phone calls, as I don't work for the two MSC's that do it that way. I'm on my computer 5 hours a day, just send me a viable email, thanks...imagine if all the MSC's called, HELP!!

edited to add...I just got a frickin email from Private Eyes scheduling (sorry Lysa), telling me all their Oct. jobs everywhere in the world, Italy included. the thing was so long, I deleted it, there was nothing in my area....I don't want to be "Talked to"" like that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2011 03:33PM by Irene_L.A..

any of the above as long as it is not to frequent or late at night.

I'm not a huge phone fan. I especially do not appreciate the vague messages left on my voice mail. If you have an assignment for me in mind, lord knows you have 50 ways to get a hold of me, then kindly leave me SOME sort of detail.

"Hi Robin, we have a mystery shop in your area. Please call us back...."

I think there is a way to manage good use of technology and blend methods: maybe an email seeing if you're available/interested followed up with a phone call.

I also like to have conversations, not to be 'talked to' :-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2011 11:47PM by RobinMarie.

I am new to mystery shopping. I had a scheduler call me before 8AM on a Sunday morning. I thought that was a bit much.

You are kinder than me. I won't say what I would call something so incredibly thoughtless and inconsiderate, but "a bit much" does not begin to cover it.

I prefer e-mail but don't mind a phone call as long as the scheduler has his/her "ducks in a row" and doesn't have to scramble all over the data base to convey and/or confirm the job and any bonus. I recently had a new one who just couldn't seem to remember any of the info. on one screen once she moved to another. I felt like I was walking her through it, and her nasal valley girl accent really set my teeth on edge.

I prefer self scheduling via a job board, with an occasional email stating when new programs (not individual shops) are available. The occasional targeted/personal email is fine as well. Applying for a shop via a job board is fine, if they want a little more personal review over who does it. Please don't make me call to schedule.

If you make my phone ring, it better be because you're offering me a pile of money to do a job. Call me too many times about jobs that there is zero extra incentive, and my phone number will be changed to 000-000-0000 within your system.

I think the phone calls come in to play when they need a response. I believe the easiest method of communication would probably be email but myself, it may take me a while to respond as I do not have the up-to-date that allows me check emails on my phone.

I'm sure I miss out on a lot of things, but I rarely take time to check the job boards. I rely on the email. But... I have to weed out the duplicates of duplicates of duplicates.
I got a great one last week! It was listing of all the shopmetric assignments in my area. All different MSC, but all in my area. I loved that one and hope I get more. I must add, in the same token the jobslinger for Sassie companies is hard for me to follow and I rarely check it.

For video shops and highly paid shops, I prefer phone contact.

I like phone calls offering me a bouns for any shop that I have a history of doing. BUT, (and, yes, that was a yell), don't call me to offer me shops that I have repeatedly told you that I never do! One company has had its schedulers promise to note on my record, at least 2 dozen time, that I do not do fast food, period. Yet, at least 3 times a month, they call me to offer fast food and then tell me that, althoug my refusal is not currently noted in my profile, they will definately add a note to that effect. Yah, sure.

Also, NO ROBOCALLS! Disresectful; wastes my cell minutes; wastes band width; makes me want to never work for that company.

Finally, no emails that require me to open an attachment to see the message!!!!! Not happening.

Emails that explain the assignment, name the fee and ask me to self-assign are big winners.

danedan,
You stated that "we" will use the information gathered. I infer from this that you are affiliated with an MSC or a scheduling service. Please identify your organization and position whenever you post, if that is the case.

Last but not least....phone calls with huge bonus works.

To all who contributed here, I very much apperciate your thoughts and considerations. Your commentarty is valuable to our organization and will help us to refine the way we work. - Thank you for your time. I will continue to watch "this spot" for any future comments on the topic. -- A great weekend to all.

@walesmaven: While I reside in the US, I work for and with the European Division of BARE.

"fellow shoppers" was a bit misleading, eh?

I also asked that question several minutes after the original posting. Why did it take so long to get an honest answer?

dannedan,
It matters not where you are. common courtesy and the expectations of the forum members both demad that posters associated with MSCs or scheduling services ALWAYS identify themselves and their organization when posting. You were asked immediately whether or not you were working for an MSC and gave a very evasive answer.

If I see you posting here again without a sig line identifying your affiliation, I almost certainly will not be the first forum member to request that the moderator sanction you.

How do we want to be talked to? With honesty.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2011 01:09PM by walesmaven.