We all understand that scheduling is a difficult task. Any good shopper, completes 99% of the assigned shops on time have have deemed themselves reliable. For those shoppers, when an unforeseen situation arises and they have a conflict, I would expect they would contact the scheduler ASAP to notify them of the situation. What do you do when a "good" shopper flakes on a shop when their record should indicate that something must have gone wrong for this to happen? What does your company do about these shoppers? Is there a naughty list somewhere? Is it impossible for them to get shops from that point forward or is there some sort of hall pass given for first time offenders? I have neve flaked on a shop until a couple of weeks ago. There was a problem with my e-mail as I converted from one computer to another and no longer had Outlook to check email. Apparently, my shop acceptance did not show on my new computer e-mail, and I never did the shop. I thought something was strange when the scheduler sent an e-mail saying I no longer needed to do the shop. I responded, "what shop?". When I got my old computer back from being repaired, I saw there were dozens of emails I never received on the new computer and the acceptance email was one of them. I sent him a letter profusely apologizing and never received a response or have heard from him again. Should I consider this company is one I should not expect to work with again?
Thanks for your input!

Although I'm not a scheduler, as an editor, I have seen great shoppers get a citation for flaking. I don't know how common it is or how many schedulers do that. I simply know that I have seen it in their shop logs, where schedulers put notes.

it depends on the company and if their scheduling dept is inside our outsourced. If you are a shopper who does hundreds of shops and never needs to make a change then I doubt it would affect you, even if they marked your account that you did.

If you are a shopper who has done only a dozen or two shops then they might look at it differently.

Also, it depends on what your excuse is. Saying only some emails came thru on your new computer and the rest went to your old one, is not the most plausible story from a schedulers pov. Especially since they have heard the "i didnt get the email" line many times.

It also depends on if that shop was an absolute deadline shop, and because you didn't do it, the msc missed their completition target, and also their bonus from the client. In that case, no matter who you are, you won't hear from them again for shops.

Depending on what company it is and how their operation is setup, I would contact someone else there.

Oh no techman01!! I may be S.O.L. based on your comment, which I understand. I know schedulers hear that line of "I did not get the email", but I was not trying to snow the scheduler at all. I REALLY did not receive the email in time. It was a perfect storm of bad luck, much like the last month has been since I got that blasted computer!!!! I suppose I should consider that relationship done as it was one of less than 10 shops I have done for them. I take every assignment seriously, so it just bugs me to no end when I know I was in the wrong but cannot correct it.

Totally agree with you Amie. I missed 2 shops and was flaked b/c they do not send confirmations. Only put it on shop log. I do not have time to check every shop log many times a day. Not fair and no reminder. Now I know.

I signed up with a company that did not send confirmation emails, and I ended up getting scheduled shops I didn't know about. I got emails when I didn't perform the shops. After the second time that happened I actually fired them.

Automatic reminder emails are one of the reasons I like SASSIE.

I LOVE that you said that YOU fired THEM. IMO more shoppers need to realize that have control over what they do and do not do for their clients. NOT the other way around. Never to be cocky, but to realize that as an IC, the MSP is your client NOT your employer.


sethd85 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I signed up with a company that did not send
> confirmation emails, and I ended up getting
> scheduled shops I didn't know about. I got emails
> when I didn't perform the shops. After the second
> time that happened I actually fired them.

I have always believed that I treated shoppers as I wanted to be treated. Have I ever forgotten a shop or had computer problems..car problems, etc.
Of course I have in the over 25 years I have been mystery shopping and five years as a scheduler. I have even had to drop things as a scheduler to
handle personal issues, they do come up. We all have them and we hope that others will understand when it happens.

The problem is that so many shoppers make up excuses on a regular basis that it is hard to believe what is real and not real. After mom or grandma
passes away for the fourth time in six months or there are so many car accidents.

I do know there are companies that track every email that comes into the office, do I agree with it? No, but it is their policy. Some companies track far
too much.

I do not put things in people's records that I would not want in my file. If a shopper misses a shop and I have time, I may call and ask if they want to reschedule or just move on. I am not going to dwell on why. It takes more energy than I care to deal with...I just go and try and get a new shopper. Life does go on.

JuneRSS, you are the type of scheduler shoppers dream of....giving a chance to reschedule in the event that something really did happen is a lasting good impression that would make me as a shopper want to work more with a company and take shops I may not otherwise take. My scheduler it's Cori removed one of my "flakes" becuause the location was not even open the day the shop was assigned. For awhile, I was ticked that I got a bad rating considering the situation since Cori only gives a drop dead, no budge date for the shop unlike most companies who give a date range. After the issue was resolved, I have done many shops with them, even taking a few of the lower paid ones.

The last time I had to ask for an extension because I had an accident, I emailed pictures to my scheduler even though she did not ask for them. I never lied to her but I knew some shoppers lied often.

The last time I had a medical emergency, I called one of my schedulers from the E.R. and would have gladly sent her pictures of me in the E.R. or my medical bills. That issue never came up because she knew she could trust me. I ended up staying in the hospital for three days and could not shop for more than a month.

My father has had multiple medical emergencies in recent years and recently switched to home hospice care. He will probably die soon. When the time comes, I hope my schedulers know I won't lie to them about my father dying.

If a scheduler doubts me, I can deal with it objectively as long as he/she is not rude or nasty about it. If he/she is rude/nasty about it, he/she can go to hades.

For me, shopping is not a necessity. I do it when it is convenient and fits my schedule. Once I take a shop I do not flake it even if I get an offer that is three times the fee and so close to home I can almost walk to it.

There are occasions that are legitimate emergencies like when the Governor of the state declares an emergency. If the scheduler can not handle that I do not need them. I am not going to a shop only to find the location is closed because of the weather.

Some companies like Market Force puts out notices to stay home if the going is unsafe. More companies should do likewise.

You will find what companies think you are only a "thing" to do their shop and what companies actually know their shoppers and have a heart. It is
usually the larger the company, the less they care. It is not always, but it is usually the case. You are only a number in their system. You don't
complete the shop, they have others that will. You don't complete the shop on time, some companies remove you from their list. It is the reason
some people lie why they didn't complete a shop.

But, I can tell you MOST companies will try and sort through the excuses and if they feel you are telling the truth there is nothing they can do. How
can they make you complete a shop if you are lying in a hospital. It did happen to me. I was in an auto accident. Or if your spouse or child has
something happen.

To be truthful if the company doesn't believe your excuse if it is real, the company is not worth working for. There are so many mystery shopping companies out there and so many jobs, go find one that really wants you as a shopper. Don't beg to shop for the bad companies.

You do have to remember schedulers at deadline may get upset or at the end of their rope if you cancel. The scheduler may be losing out of their pay and some may be taking a deduction on an entire project if you don't complete a shop. So, when you miss a shop near a deadline, please make sure you excuse is real. This is a real job for schedulers and many schedulers are working single moms trying to pay their bills and put food on the table for their family. Sometimes schedulers get stressed and lose their cool, too. Please understand that, too. Believe me they try not to, but they are answering to others trying to meet deadlines, too.