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EPMS

February 21, 2012 11:10PM
Hello All,

I have been a mystery shopper for some time but I have never done the audio shop (for apartment shops) for companies like EPMS. I see some pay pretty well. For the experienced apartment mystery shoppers, are they difficult shops? I see they send some type of equipment to use, I may want to check it out. What does the shop entail. Please advise.
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More Discussions About Ellis Property Management Services / EPMS (All Companies)
February 22, 2012 01:51AM
Before you accept check your city and state laws. The shopping company will say it is totally legal. But not necessarily true.
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February 22, 2012 02:17AM
The standard in the industry is for all employees of the leasing company to be informed they may be subject to recording for training purposes. When they sign off they are providing consent.

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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February 22, 2012 02:31AM
It's not a big deal. Now the video is another matter altogether. The video assignments can give the MSer a lot of anxiety before it even happens so it's important to learn to calm down.
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February 22, 2012 10:00AM
Legalities aside, Tigerlille, there are other worries. One shop I had with EPMS, all incoming calls were routed to an answering machine. This resulted in EPMS getting repeated recordings of me leaving my name and number. (EPMS did graciously acknowledge this was not my fault, and did pay me.)

The office hours EPMS lists can also be wrong, including days of the week. And the target may no longer work there, or may be on vacation, or pregnancy leave, or who knows what.

I've had the worst of luck with EPMS shops, but I cannot fault them. Me, before I take another EPMS shop, I will call the place on my own dime just to make sure *someone* answers the phone. And when they do, I'll ask about their office hours, each day of the week, and if they have apartments available at all, ever, before Doomsday.

D'Agosto


"What does it mean? You ask. I answer not/For meaning, but myself must echo, What?/And tell it as I saw it, on the spot."
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February 22, 2012 12:52PM
I find audio and video shops LESS stressful, since the target and the client cannot substantiate a claim that I violated my instructions. As a bonus, I can check the audio or video for anything that I may have forgotten.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2012 03:55PM by walesmaven.
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February 22, 2012 03:35PM
What she saidsmiling 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.
Reply
February 22, 2012 06:51PM
walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find audio and video shops LESS stressful, since
> the target and the client cannot substantiate a
> claim that I violated my instructions. As a
> bonus, I can check the audio or video for anything
> that I may have forgotten.


Is it common for our shops to be challenged? This has not happened to me yet. Do all companies let you know if you have a challenged shop?
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February 22, 2012 11:39PM
I cannot say what "all companies" do. However, I expect that if the MSC decides not to pay the shopper, they would notify same.

From reading several forums for 6 years, it does appear that there are a lot of challenged shops, and at best, the shopper spends a lot of time and energy refuting the charges.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Reply
February 23, 2012 12:13AM
And of course a challenged shop is one you remember for a long, long time. While some editors or companies handle the challenges very pleasantly, some of them throw it in your face as though you were a liar. So while less than 1/3 of 1% of shops I have performed have had any kind of challenge or rejection, I can remember every one of them! There were a couple that were resolved graciously and there were a couple that so lowered my estimation of the company/editor involved that bonuses would need to be astronomical before I would even consider working for them again. And of course in the forum context if someone mentions how wonderful ABC company is, I am likely to mention that 'I had problems with them.'
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February 23, 2012 02:47AM
Oh geez, here we go with the EPMS topic yet again. You all realize that you may have awoken "The Don" in Vegas for a Round 5 rant? smiling smiley
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February 23, 2012 03:39AM
Eric, don't say his name three times and we should be finesmiling 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.
Reply
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