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Negotiating Rural Jobs? (Questions Re:Rural Shoppers $100/day Thread)

October 20, 2011 01:22PM
Hello & Good morning,

I've been reading these forums up, down, left and right for about a week, and yesterday made my introductory post.

One thing I've noticed, particularly with more experienced shoppers, and then on the "Rural Shoppers & 100 Dollar Days" thread - that y'all seem to be able to do the rural jobs - but you negotiate for a larger fee.

Where I live in Arizona, to get to one of the towns that has quite a few jobs sitting available (because it's so far out) it would take me about 90 minutes to get to the town. I would do these jobs and group them all together (they are with various MSC's) - but I don't want to do them for the $10-$12 fees.

Do I just use the "CONTACT" link and say "I'd be happy to do this job, but ....???" (but WHAT?? *laugh*)

How do you then work your way into getting those jobs so far away - AND getting them together in a route from different companies? Do you tell the "other" company, 'I'm performing a shop in area XYZ for MS Company ABC, and I'll be happy to take on this job for your company?" ??

I'd really hate to negotiate for one of them, have it assigned, then turn around and NOT get any of the other companies in that area.

Advice?

Thanks!

~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~

Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom
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October 20, 2011 02:04PM
Generally I usually wait until they get bonused vs. contacting the MSC to add a bonus. All it takes is one really good bonused shop to schedule a route around then you start adding other bonused/non-bonused shops to fill in along the route. It never hurts to ask for a bonus, but what I would do is e-mail or call them and tell them that you would really be interested in completing a job but it is pretty far from you, and would they be willing to add a few dollars to cover gas. Never tell them you are doing another job in the area, as far as they know you are just going there for the one job, they will be less likely to give you a bonus if they know you will be in the area and will probably pick it up anyways without one.

Triple Platinum Certified - Shopping South Central Kansas
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October 20, 2011 02:17PM
While I would not tell a scheduler who I'm working for, I will tell them there are other jobs I'm looking at before going to an area. They are going to realize that I'm not driving 2 hours or more each way for one job with a $50 bonus. And since I don't want to get stuck going that far for just one job it's easier to shoot straight with a scheduler and tell them if the number come together I will take the trip. By far the easiest routes to plan are those that start with a self-assign company and can be supplemented with others. I also don't try to base routes using jobs from companies where my only option is a "contact us" link. My routes always start with an MSC or 2 that I have a relationship with and can call or e-mail the scheduler directly.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
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October 20, 2011 02:32PM
I usually wait for the call or email announcing a bonus then I pounce lol.

Usually the bonus offered is a joke so I email them back with my asking price. If that works, great. If not, I don't feel I've lost anything. When asking for a bonus, I don't just pull a number out of my hat. I calculate the mileage, there and back, at $0.53/km, as Revenu Canada tells me to do.

Once I've got 1 highly bonused shop, I go to the boards and look for others in that town. If they're not bonused, no biggie as I'm going there anyways. If they're close to the due date and I'm familiar with the scheduler, I might drop them an email saying "I can do xyz shop in ABC town on whatever day. However, that shop is XX kms from my home. Can you provide a gas bonus?" You'd be surprised at how willing some companies are to get the shops done!

On some boards, like MF, when it's time, they invite you to contact them with an offer and that's what I do. I think the trick to getting good bonuses is not to be greedy but fair. Don't let them low-ball you - if they get you once at a low price, they'll think they can get it done every time for that price.

Bonne chance!
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October 20, 2011 02:39PM
This is where the 'art' of mystery shopping comes into play. Over time you will develop relationships with some schedulers and a reputation with some companies. When you call or email they will be more attentive than if it is some unknown shopper. Last month I was doing a distant shop and emailed a couple of folks saying "I am going to be in the XYZ area on [date] and would be close enough that I could reasonably drive over to do your ABC shop and your DEF shop if you could bonus them to $, which is what I performed them for you for in 2009 under similar circumstances." I got back an okay on one and an "It is too early in the month for me to be allowed to bonus" from another. Of course at the end of the month I was contacted to do the two it was 'too early in the month for' with my requested bonus, but the trip could not justify the bonus without other shops along the way so I had to decline. The scheduler struggled to find a shopper and eventually needed to bonus them above what I had requested. That is a frequent occurrence with those shops so perhaps she will realize she should have taken the offer while she had it and next time it will not be 'too early' if she has an offer in hand.
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October 20, 2011 03:03PM
Thanks everyone for the replies thus far and the suggestions on how you approach these more rural shop jobs.

There's one job - the date keeps extending another day or two - for an MSC I did. The shop is the same, but it only pays $12.00 with a small reimbursement. I got a 10 on the report and very nice comments, and I emailed with the scheduler a couple of times. (Wouldn't say I actually established a relationship though).

After I saw this job with the date getting extended, I started looking at other boards, companies I have NOT shopped with, and noticed this town is listed as being open on their boards too. Maps.yahoo.com gives me a 95 mile trip to this town. I wouldn't mind going down for the day - BUT, not for $12.00.

~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~

Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom
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October 20, 2011 03:40PM
You actually have a really good start there. Dates being extended are an attempt to get out of a bonus, but it also shows that nobody wants that job right now. Figure out how much you need to make that trip and then contact them and either offer a fair amount or let them make the first offer and you can counter. Just make it clear you can't commit to one until you have them all. If that date can be extended into infinity and beyond, the company may not want to budge. It's all part of the gamesmiling smiley

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
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