Phone Shops - Love 'em or hate 'em?
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I've decided that I hate phone shops. They seem like a great idea, make 5$ during my breaks at work. They never seem to go well for me. For some reason I can role play like there is no tomorrow when someone is in front of me, I get on the phone and I'm an idiot. This one oil change shop had a phone portion and you're not supposed to tell them what type of car you drive. I learned to write down my made up car make and model because when the guy asked me for it, I went uh......um......hm.......yeah.......well, for some reason I can't remember what kind of car I drive, but it's a little four door sedan.
The worst phone shops are for places out of your area. There are these car dealership calls and I'm always afraid they're going to say something like 'How are you enjoying this weather?" and I'm going to say oh I love it, and they'll say something like "You like the pouring down rain we've had for a week?" Maybe I should hit up weatherchannel.com before I do them.
The reports always seem to take forever too.
The worst phone shops are for places out of your area. There are these car dealership calls and I'm always afraid they're going to say something like 'How are you enjoying this weather?" and I'm going to say oh I love it, and they'll say something like "You like the pouring down rain we've had for a week?" Maybe I should hit up weatherchannel.com before I do them.
The reports always seem to take forever too.
I love phone shops I do between 20-30 a day. I dont have to leave the house and do housework inbetween them. I had to end up purchasing a new unlimited cell phone with straight talk though. I was using all my family minutes up with the calls. We do not have a home phone.
cherisseep Wrote:
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> I love phone shops I do between 20-30 a day. I
> dont have to leave the house and do housework
> inbetween them. I had to end up purchasing a new
> unlimited cell phone with straight talk though. I
> was using all my family minutes up with the calls.
> We do not have a home phone.
Where are you able to find that many phone shops? I would love to do that one day a week and get out and do my other shops on a different day. That would be great extra money! I have a few that I'm doing this week, so if I like them all right I will try to start finding more.
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> I love phone shops I do between 20-30 a day. I
> dont have to leave the house and do housework
> inbetween them. I had to end up purchasing a new
> unlimited cell phone with straight talk though. I
> was using all my family minutes up with the calls.
> We do not have a home phone.
Where are you able to find that many phone shops? I would love to do that one day a week and get out and do my other shops on a different day. That would be great extra money! I have a few that I'm doing this week, so if I like them all right I will try to start finding more.
I like them a lot. But they are like everything else, you have to prepare. Going on line to get information I feel they may need like an address in there area or work just to name a few. If your prepared they are good. Quick and easy, simple reports, nothing to buy and no gas used.
It depends. There are certain companies, like for ACE (toot, toot) that I enjoy the phone shops and do them regularly. However, I've had to call for a "mother" who's going on Medicaid and although it paid a bit more, it so was not worth the extra pay. Nightmare! So I'm hesitant unless I know what I'm getting into. Otherwise, love 'em.
I have had a couple rejected due to once being identified and one due to too many transfers by the agent involved that I lost track of what i was doing. Then one person keeps calling me back.
I don't like talking on the phone in general, so that colors my view a bit. 
I don't mind phone shops that are quick and highly scripted, but I'll only take them if they pay really well.
I don't mind phone shops that are quick and highly scripted, but I'll only take them if they pay really well.
I have started using *67 every time I do a phone shop. That way at least the phone number gets blocked and I don't a call back. Some of the calls are very easy and some require way too much work for 3-5 dollars.
Insight - Are you using a Cell Phone to make your calls? If so, just go into your "Settings" and for your phone/display (or whatever it is on your phone) adjust the settings to NOT show your number.
I do that all the time when I make phone calls - I have it set to Private.
Problem is - I forget to turn it back, so whenever I call my folks or my brother they won't pick up! LOL
PS: For anyone wondering - I don't have a landline, and I've always used a cell phone for any phone shops I do. Some MSC's don't want a cell, but I don't think I know anyone any longer who has a landline!
Insight Wrote:
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> I have started using *67 every time I do a phone
> shop. That way at least the phone number gets
> blocked and I don't a call back. Some of the
> calls are very easy and some require way too much
> work for 3-5 dollars.
I do that all the time when I make phone calls - I have it set to Private.
Problem is - I forget to turn it back, so whenever I call my folks or my brother they won't pick up! LOL
PS: For anyone wondering - I don't have a landline, and I've always used a cell phone for any phone shops I do. Some MSC's don't want a cell, but I don't think I know anyone any longer who has a landline!
Insight Wrote:
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> I have started using *67 every time I do a phone
> shop. That way at least the phone number gets
> blocked and I don't a call back. Some of the
> calls are very easy and some require way too much
> work for 3-5 dollars.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom
Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom
If you get a continuation caller that keeps calling the best thing to do is answer it. I answered and "role played" again and explain a reason that goes with the scenerio that I dont need the service I called about earlier. I have had a couple of calls where they call and call.
The phone shops I completed I found them to be very easy and if I encounter any problems I'll immediately inform the company.
Phone shops run the gamut from worthwhile to rip offs just like any other calls. Of course I prefer the ones that pay well without a 2 hour report on a 3 minute interaction. I won't do calls through a third party recording device on general principle.
When a shop is worthwhile, I do whatever homework may be called for before doing it. Lets say I'm calling Trenton Ohio. I scribble out the alias I will give and any 'personal details' that may be asked just so I keep my story straight. If I am likely to be asked about where I live, I go to realtor.com and put in Trenton, OH and a proposed price range for a home that might correspond to the purchasing power I need to represent on the shop. That will give me an address and zip code of a home for sale. The price range I choose is roughly 4X what my purported income level is for the job.
When a shop is worthwhile, I do whatever homework may be called for before doing it. Lets say I'm calling Trenton Ohio. I scribble out the alias I will give and any 'personal details' that may be asked just so I keep my story straight. If I am likely to be asked about where I live, I go to realtor.com and put in Trenton, OH and a proposed price range for a home that might correspond to the purchasing power I need to represent on the shop. That will give me an address and zip code of a home for sale. The price range I choose is roughly 4X what my purported income level is for the job.
I'll tolerate phone shops but really don't like being recorded if I can help it.
Her Serene Majesty, Cettie - Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of Her Caprine Domain
r@inyDayZ3 Wrote:
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> Some MSC's don't want a
> cell, but I don't think I know anyone any longer
> who has a landline!
I LOVE my landline. It's the way the phone feels in my hands. It's much better than a cell. Although, speakers have gotten so much better than past years that I often have my phones, cell or landline, on speaker when I'm talking so I can multitask. I have a Bluetooth headset but ask me if I use it. Go ahead, ask. Whadda ya think? LOL
I'm not doing a phone shop for $3 unless there's NO narrative. Any $5 shop with narrative better only be a two or three paragraphs. Otherwise, not interested.
My favorites are the catering shops that are recorded but NO NARRATIVE is wanted, outside of the times of the calls made if multiple calls were made. It's a simple check to see if they offered pricing over the phone and with the date, time of call, associate's name, there are six or seven questions. Easy $5!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2012 12:05AM by AlwaysAngie.
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> Some MSC's don't want a
> cell, but I don't think I know anyone any longer
> who has a landline!
I LOVE my landline. It's the way the phone feels in my hands. It's much better than a cell. Although, speakers have gotten so much better than past years that I often have my phones, cell or landline, on speaker when I'm talking so I can multitask. I have a Bluetooth headset but ask me if I use it. Go ahead, ask. Whadda ya think? LOL
I'm not doing a phone shop for $3 unless there's NO narrative. Any $5 shop with narrative better only be a two or three paragraphs. Otherwise, not interested.
My favorites are the catering shops that are recorded but NO NARRATIVE is wanted, outside of the times of the calls made if multiple calls were made. It's a simple check to see if they offered pricing over the phone and with the date, time of call, associate's name, there are six or seven questions. Easy $5!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2012 12:05AM by AlwaysAngie.
My memory is so bad that I put the phone on speaker and then use my smartphone and just record our entire conversation. Makes it so easy to fill out the report and I know I'm being 100% accurate!
I hate phone shops. I did a $25 bank phone shops that lasted 7 days, playing phone tag with the banker. Never again! It was recorded which made it more difficult because I have to generate the call. The $5 catering calls came with a long report. I use *67 and give out my google voice number, so I don't have to deal with getting call backs.
Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@
~Polish Proverb~
~Polish Proverb~
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