Just curious

It is in Canada.

Around here, only at the truck stops that I've been able to find! And I've only got one truck stop close enough to consider.

Taco Bell is a client for an MSP in the Pacific Northwest. Pay is $15, with no reiumbursement, even though it is now required that the shopper purchase two items both inside and at the drive-thru. Originally only one item needed to be purchased in each area. The heavily narrated report takes a minimum of a half hour, much longer if there were issues during the visit. Additionally, the client now requires pictures of both orders. The profitability of completing this assignment has diminished rapidly within the last year.

shopgal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Taco Bell is a client for an MSP in the Pacific
> Northwest. Pay is $15, with no reiumbursement,
> even though it is now required that the shopper
> purchase two items both inside and at the
> drive-thru. Originally only one item needed to be
> purchased in each area. The heavily narrated
> report takes a minimum of a half hour, much longer
> if there were issues during the visit.
> Additionally, the client now requires pictures of
> both orders. The profitability of completing this
> assignment has diminished rapidly within the last
> year.

That is nuts! Here in Canada, Taco Bell often pays $10-$13 per assignment plus re-imbursement. The report is long-ish but there is nearly no narrative and we only have to purchase one meal (it is specified whether it is a counter shop or a drive thru). I do plenty of shops for this particular MSP and I "heart" them....

mulva111 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That is nuts! Here in Canada, Taco Bell often
> pays $10-$13 per assignment plus re-imbursement.
> The report is long-ish but there is nearly no
> narrative and we only have to purchase one meal
> (it is specified whether it is a counter shop or a
> drive thru). I do plenty of shops for this
> particular MSP and I "heart" them....

I am truly envious, Mulva. Believe it or not, among all the reports I do on a regular basis, these are the worst. The client requires a blow-by-blow story about both the inside and drive-thru interactions, as well as commentary on areas of improvement. Care must be taken with all details, because the TB managers in this district are more than willing to fight the validity of a report if they receive a lower score, and they do so on a regular basis.

So basically, after ordering the non-reiumbursed required items, a shopper is making about $10. Figuring a half hour on a good day to write up the report, and a half hour for visiting both areas, that's about $5 an hour. That doesn't figure in gas, or extra time spent on visits with negative issues.

I used to enjoy doing theTB assignments, but the client keeps asking for more and more from the shoppers with no additional pay, and the MSC goes along with it. It's ridiculous.

WOW thanks, I'm not even gonna bother looking....thanks shopgal.

nanabelle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WOW thanks, I'm not even gonna bother
> looking....thanks shopgal.

The situation for TB shops might be different in your area, Nana, just as it is for Mulva in Canada. But here, it is just ridiculous. The owner even thinks the pay should be lowered more because it's a tough economy. Aaaaarrgh!