I have been MSPA gold certified for years and it makes no difference in terms of pay. I get offers via email for high paying shops that have nothing to do with MSPA certification.

I do too!! I have yet to see "must be MSPA to perform shop"

However I did see they are saying "education requirements" on some shops. Haven't really noticed that before today.

Could have been there and I missed it. :-)

I think most companies that even allow you to list MSPA certification recognize that generally the Silver Certification is something that newbie shoppers get to "stand out" in a sea of newbies. One website I signed up with recently had 3 categories: Silver, Gold, CD Gold. Considering the sequence, I am concluding that that particular company held the Gold achieved by attendance less valuable than the CD Gold. But a number of serious companies don't even use the certifications.

You get better paying jobs by doing good work and being reliable for a company.

Realistically, if you had a new race car, were seeking a driver and had a stack of applications to go through, would you hire the guy with the learner's permit (Silver), the driver's license (Gold), the driving school diploma (CD gold), a driver who had lost all his races (or failed to finish) or the guy who had won a couple of races for you already (even if in another division)?

billienicolosi Wrote:
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> However I did see they are saying "education
> requirements" on some shops. Haven't really
> noticed that before today.
>
> Could have been there and I missed it. :-)

There are a number of upscale shops that have education and/or income requirements because the client is looking for folks who as closely as possible match their target customer. Similarly jobs often have age requirements for the same reason. Even when there are not such requirements, we as shoppers tend to select shops that match us by age and interests. I am not comfortable shopping in a store where the music and selections are geared to the 18 to 20 year old crowd, so it does not bother me in the least that the shop is restricted to shoppers under 30. In a pinch, I could evaluate as "looking for something cute for my granddaughter" but even that would be a stretch and not a 'normal target customer experience'.

I understand the requirements for a shop that's age, income specific.
I've done a couple of things because I was a grandparent and because I am old enough to have a child college age.

And I've done some shops requiring a certain type of dress.

I get a little spooked doing housing for Section 8 thinking my car is going to be a "dead give-away" Then I look around and notice cars newer than mine sitting at some of the apartments. :-)

But an education requirement for a "coffee shop" LOL!! Seems to me if you have enough upstairs to complete the application for most of these companies you would have enough to do a "coffee shop" or any other $4 shop.

I got another one and have posted it with another thread.
A requirement "if you've shopped this shop in the last 80 days you do not qualify to shop again and you will not be paid" Haven't seen this before. This requirement on this particular shop has changed in the past few days. I've done this one nearly every week for the past few months. As it happens it's one of those I was marking off my list.

A very interesting survey was released yesterday and commented about on the news last night:

"A RASMUSSEN REPORT FINDS 73 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SAY STARBUCKS COFFEE IS OVER-PRICED. WITH ONLY 6 PERCENT DISAGREEING.

BUT YOUR OPINION MAY DEPEND ON YOUR AGE AND YOUR INCOME.

50 PERCENT OF YOUNG ADULTS, 18 TO 29 GIVE THE CHAIN THE THUMBS UP.

ONLY 28 PERCENT SAID THE SAME.

AND THOSE WHO MAKE MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH STARBUCKS.,.

THOSE MAKING 20-THOUSAND ARE LESS DO."

I have to say I do like Starbucks coffee. But on the same note I can buy Starbucks and make it at home cheaper by the cup than I can buy it at Starbucks.

I keep a little bag of the Premium brands at home especially in the winter months when I nice hot cuppa Joe fits perfectly with the weather. :-)

So what you are saying is there were only 6% of the over 6 figure incomes polled? LOL!!

We typically drink Starbucks when we are traveling if one is around. And we have learned the Loves service station/food stores have a nice cup of HIGH Test coffee. It will sure get your motor running!!

There's a Starbucks here but I've never been inside. There doesn't seem to be a lot of business and I pass by it nearly every time I'm out.

I read somewhere in the business news Starbucks was going to close many of their stores.

I see more business at the book store coffee shop than I do at Starbucks.

No, the way the data cut was that 73% of those polled found the coffee overpriced, 21% had no opinion or had never had Starbucks and 6% found that the coffee was not overpriced.

When you slice the data differently and look only at "Young Adults" in the 18-29 year age range, 50% of them found the coffee was not overpriced. From the TV graphic in that group (you wouldn't guess it from the verbiage off the TV script quoted) 28% found the coffee was overpriced.

When you sliced the data by income, those with $100k per year income had less complaint about the price of a cup of Starbucks while those with $20k per year or less of income were more likely to find it overpriced.

There are really no suprises here--it is expensive coffee when compared with peers--the surprise is that 73% of those surveyed found it overpriced while only 6% found it not overpriced. Folks with more disposable income are more likely to find it not overpriced than those with more restraints on disposable income.

That could be true for most anything.  Those with more disposable income opposed to those with income restraints.

I see it everytime I'm buying groceries.

I noticed today on my business news retail stores had the biggest decline in spending in years over the last few months.

I know restaurants are having a decline in business. Places we used to have to stand in line to get seated are having empty tables.

I do admit I think Starbucks coffee is over priced. You pay for the name not the coffee. I'm happy with Love's $1 cup of extra leaded coffee!! :-)
If I was asked if I thought Starbucks was over priced I'd have to say YES.

Then I'd have to say all Premium coffee's are over priced. They make great Christmas gifts for the coffee lover on your list.

You have a great weekend Flash!!
My family is 30minutes out!!
I may have a chance in the early am's over the weekend to check in.

They hide their mediocre quality beans with all kinds of flavors and additives. Most people like all their flavored coffees because they start resembling coffee-flavored soda. I ordered tea once at Starbucks and it had so much crap in it that I couldn't taste any tea. The plain tea was awful.

The bottom line on coffee is what kind of beans do you start with. With tea, it's high-quality WHOLE leaves from certain regions, picked certain times of the year. I buy my teas from a tea shop that carries 150 varieties of whole leaves in big airtight metal canisters. After trying various tea estates in India and Ceylon, I have a few favorites. Starbucks will start with sweepings (bagged tea) and add a lot of flavors and sugar, but that still doesn't make it good tea. It's a sweet tea-flavored drink, like non-carbonated soda. Same with coffee.

I would agree that all of the flavored coffees and 'cutsy' teas are overpriced for the quality and you are right, the flavors mask the other deficiencies.

There is no question that even many folks who purchase these items would mark on a survey that they were "overpriced". But that wouldn't stop them from shelling out for them and thinking of it as "An affordable luxury." There is some indication that with less disposable income many folks are rethinking that "affordable" in "affordable luxury" and deciding that the money might be more productive in the gas tank so they weren't perpetually "cruising on fumes".

But this thread was about whether MSPA certification qualifies shoppers for better paying jobs. If we did a survey, I would vote NO because it is doing competent work for a company that will get you better paying jobs. . . just like in the rest of the "real world".

One of my companies--sorry, I can't think which one right now--has a notice on their website that MSPA certifications are available, but they know of no company that will not hire you or won't give you a job if you don't have one. That's odd, because I came across one that said they only use certified shoppers. I think they contacted me through MSPA because I was certified. Maybe this is a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Maybe the ones that do don't talk about it, much.

I have my gold certification and I still find myself fighting to get shops. Some companies do give me a fair amount, but I think it is because I have proven myself and volunteered to do a few crappy ones for them too. Some companies ask for certification, but I don't think it matters to them. One company that I work for says they prefer it, yet my friends do not have it, have only shopped a few weeks (compared to my year) and somehow they get just as many jobs as me. Go figure. It all depends on the company.

yes yes yes

sharkzfanz Wrote:
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> yes yes yes


So why not share more with us about why you feel this way?

dee shops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sharkzfanz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > yes yes yes
>
>
> So why not share more with us about why you feel
> this way?

I was wondering also why the strong Yes Yes Yes reply. I know many here have more experience than me, but I have yet to see a company that really pays attention to certification.

When I had done enough of this to know I would be sticking with it, I got Silver. I figured for only $15 and half an hour of my time, why not? If it got me one more shop than I would have, it paid for itself.

OTOH, I really don't see the value in Gold

Hmmm, I read the "yes yes yes" as confirmation that it all depends on the company, which poofoo80 had mentioned.

I am rather pleased that there has not been a huge push again to try to persuade folks, especially new shoppers, of the enormous value of certification. I find it pretty reprehensible and scammy that a lot of folks are out there trying to persuade new shoppers that they need to buy this or buy that or pay to sign up for referral services or conferences etc. etc. It is not as though shopping has great mysteries to be revealed. It is not as though anybody is proposing to provide more than basic information that can be gained here or on other forums or, by golly, figured out yourself. To me it feels like 'rip them off before they get away and throw in the towel on shopping'.

Not all shoppers will do well. If you can't write reasonably well and you can't read and follow instructions. If you don't have the flexibility to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, you will not succeed. You may get to do a few jobs, but without the basic skills and characteristics that would make you a valued employee in the 'real world', you probably won't make it as a shopper. None of the 'training' or 'certifications' or books or conferences or referrals will change those aspects one iota.

You get jobs by being in the right place at the right time and where it is not self-assign, by having built a reputation with the folks assigning the jobs. The rest of this is like the Emperor's New Clothes--a little group fantasy of how wonderful things will be if only . . .

My concern is the question... Most shops are sent to all shoppers in most cases but the scheduler will only assign to a Gold or in other cases Silver certificate. I used to schedule for kern scheduling who schedule for about 25-40 companies. They look at certification with each and every company they schedule for. If the company is using sassie and ask for your certification code then they will use it. It's clear when a scheduler schedules who has and who doesn't have a certification. Outside of sassie it is hit and miss with about 50-60% using them. This was evident based on the shopping conference last year I attended.

So Yes Yes Yes is the simplest answer. Of you want more shops and more high paying shops get certified. I asked myself one thing before getting it. Can I make up $15 to justify silver? Within 3 days I got an email from a company I was not signed up with saying they saw me on maps and offered exit interviews worth $200 total.

Then same for gold. How long until I recoup $99. This was simple again.

The key to me is yes you may not get more paying shops in every case but you WILL in 99% cases get an increase of shops. You will be seen higher up then the other shoppers without the certification or with a lower certification to you.

So to recap is Gold worth it? Yes, Yes, Yes!!!

Will you get more shops thus making more money? Yes, Yes, Yes

Does it depend on location? Sure, but no matter where you live unless your in the middle of nowhere it will help.. And hey if your in the middle of no where and there's only 5 shops per month anyway then don't worry about it.

Note:

Do I feel the referral sites are helpful? Yes. Do I feel you need to sign up for them? NO. Do I feel they are a scam? Yes and No.

Do I feel MSPA is a scam? NO, after scheduling I feel in no way shape or form and I know 100% it is looked at by a majority of companies.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2009 02:16PM by sharkzfanz.

Don't take this the wrong way, and I may be out of line here, but are you being paid by them or something?

Just one question sharkzfanz. Are you saying that Kern would take a gold/silver certified in PREFERENCE to someone with a good track record?

I smell a skunk in the wood pile here.

I do not have certification and have never put one cent into MSPA's pocket. I've been a shopper almost 16 years now and have never once been denied a shop because I wasn't certified. I have a good track record spanning years and I firmly believe that's what counts the most.

I get lots of shops from Kern schedulers and I do not have gold.

lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't take this the wrong way, and I may be out of
> line here, but are you being paid by them or
> something?


Ummmm. I said I used to be a scheduler.. I have not had ANY affiliation with MSPA or Kern in about a year...

Cettie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I smell a skunk in the wood pile here.
>
> I do not have certification and have never put one
> cent into MSPA's pocket. I've been a shopper
> almost 16 years now and have never once been
> denied a shop because I wasn't certified. I have
> a good track record spanning years and I firmly
> believe that's what counts the most.


Are you saying you have NEVER been denied a shop? Cause I find that hard to believe.. If the answer is yes how do you know it would not have made any difference in 16 years?

P.S. I don't care if no one is certified I am and it helps me the more people are the more competition..

dee shops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I get lots of shops from Kern schedulers and I do
> not have gold.


I never said you would not get shops...

Now that I replied to everyone lets make some statements..

** Just because you are not a gold shopper will not mean you will not be offered shops.
** Just because you are not a gold shopper will not mean you will know when you are denied a shop..
** My point is if you have 5 people who have close to the same experience and track record and 2 are gold certified why would the scheduler not select one of the gold shoppers???

sharkzfanz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now that I replied to everyone lets make some
> statements..
>
> ** Just because you are not a gold shopper will
> not mean you will not be offered shops.
> ** Just because you are not a gold shopper will
> not mean you will know when you are denied a
> shop..
> ** My point is if you have 5 people who have close
> to the same experience and track record and 2 are
> gold certified why would the scheduler not select
> one of the gold shoppers???

I am sure this is true for you, as why would you say it unless it was what you practiced as a scheduler.

While I have never been a scheduler, I have been an HR director and responsible for recruiting many many people to high tech startups in the Silicon Valley in my 9 years doing that...And I can honestly say that I have never seen a situation where any one candidate had the same experience and the same track record as any other...Therefore, I find it difficult to believe that MSer's are any different.

What I personally believe is more probable is that when all the candidates are an unknown to the company and/or the scheduler, the gold person will have first shot for certain certification-minded MSC's or schedulers, the silver second for certain certification-minded MSC's or schedulers, the shoppers with no certification would get the last shot for certain certification-minded MSC's or schedulers.

Is this smart? Perhaps not, when one considers the high number of new shoppers who get the certification, and the number of experienced shoppers who
prefer to keep their hard earned cash. But it is one method of discerning among shoppers. One.

I can say, as well, I have a HI friend with gold and she does get a few offers I don't get, but the ones she gets offered don't pay any better...and she has more years at this than me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2009 07:00PM by dee shops.

sharkzfanz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> ** Just because you are not a gold shopper will
> not mean you will know when you are denied a
> shop..


HUH? I think this was written in error. If we apply for a shop, we KNOW if we get it or not. Did you mean that you won't know that you are not getting offers you might have gotten if you were gold?

I think sharkz is saying you don't know if you lost it due to the fact that the person who did get it was certified.

I have seen a couple of Kern listings in my area that specify silver certified or higher. They only pay $10 for these particular shops.

I'm still NOT certified, but I can appreciate education. I always tell potential doula/lactation clients that I'm fine if they chose not to use my services, but that if they hire another doula/lactation consultant that they should make sure that person is properly trained.

I think that having a certification/education process *could* potentially weed out the "housecoats" and make mystery shopping more legitimate and higher paying. <<---flame away! But because the companies right now are NOT offering higher paying jobs for those with certifications, the certificate is junk.