Shop Cancelled Last Minute - Can I Still Get Paid

A MSC just cancelled a major shop I had planned for next week at a casino about 6 hours from me. I had planned several other shops in the area because the pay was enough to cover my gas there and back plus make a profit. I printed out the guidelines, made the initial reservation call and organized all 42 assignments for the 3 day trip. Overall, I spent at least two hours on this assignment. Do I have any recourse on getting paid for at least some of my time? I now have to cancel all my other shops since the pay won't even cover gas. Really bummed....

Also, since I'm pretty discouraged, if you are tempted to chastise me or offer other unconstructive feedback, please refrain. I'm really only looking for help on this issue. Thanks so much!

Mystery Shopper since 1998; Author of Make Money Mystery Shopping available on Amazon in the Kindle Store.

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More About Cancelling Assignments

My only question is how 42 assignments are not adding up to enough for you to make the trip? Yes you are losing the fee from the casino, but how much time are you gaining. Casino shops are notorious for being time consuming.

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Yeah, I am not clear on the math either. But since going for three days, why not do a hotel shop or fill the casino spot with other shops? To answer your question though, most likely not. If the two hours was directly related to the casino shop, then no harm in asking, but unlikely. Sorry

The 42 assignments were at the casino. I have three others on the way and on the way back.

Mystery Shopper since 1998; Author of Make Money Mystery Shopping available on Amazon in the Kindle Store.

I'm sorry, I know you planned for this, but I don't see them paying for a job no longer available...they won't get paid either.
The Casino does take time, so maybe you can fill in that time with smaller jobs.
This is certainly not your fault, why would anyone hassle you......try and make it work!

Live consciously....

Are you signed up with any companies who do the hotel shops? That could help. Regal, Coyle, Buckalew, A-Closer-Look, to name a few, have hotel assignments available.

iamloved1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A MSC just cancelled a major shop I had planned
> for next week at a casino about 6 hours from me. I
> had planned several other shops in the area
> because the pay was enough to cover my gas there
> and back plus make a profit. I printed out the
> guidelines, made the initial reservation call and
> organized all 42 assignments for the 3 day trip.
> Overall, I spent at least two hours on this
> assignment. Do I have any recourse on getting paid
> for at least some of my time? I now have to cancel
> all my other shops since the pay won't even cover
> gas. Really bummed....
>
> Also, since I'm pretty discouraged, if you are
> tempted to chastise me or offer other
> unconstructive feedback, please refrain. I'm
> really only looking for help on this issue. Thanks
> so much!

42 assignments at the casino? One version of casino shops includes 8 interactions and another is around 28. Are you counting each interaction as an assignment?

I have spent much more time planning extensive routes only to have them cancelled. It happens and there is usually no recourse.

Yes, I am counting each interaction as an assignment--6 restaurant, 4 slot, 4 cage, 4 beverage, housekeeping, front desk, bell service, etc. I had 8 interactions the first day, 19 the second and 15 the third.

I emailed the scheduler and she is checking to see if I can at least get something. I understand they won't get paid, but the client cancelled the assignment AFTER the MSC hired the shopper (me). They should be able to ask for a cancellation fee since they did some work and I did some work before the shop was cancelled. I would think the client would need to give at least a month's notice (not just a week's) before they reschedule their evaluations. I asked for $20.

I will check into some of the hotel assignments but not with ACL - they only pay up to $15 for a hotel eval.

Mystery Shopper since 1998; Author of Make Money Mystery Shopping available on Amazon in the Kindle Store.

That would have been a lot of interactions and a lot of writing and the equivalent of 5 actual shops. I am guessing the majority of your time was taken in going over guidelines since there wasn't a lot of route planning involved. While some people spend a lot of time studying guidelines when first assigned, my tendency is to give them a quick once over to ensure there is nothing objectionable and then let it go until closer to the assignment. I also never print anything in advance. There are too many cases where things get cancelled or changed.

Since there are only a few assignments left, it doesn't sound worth a 12 hour drive. Did you tell the other schedulers the assignments were part of a route and contingent on that route? If so, there is a good chance they will understand your need to cancel because of the major shop being gone.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2013 01:47PM by CAscotch.

True, CAscotch. I only have to cancel three shops, but I NEVER cancel shops unless I absolutely have to. I will even take a loss to remain in good standing with my MSCs. And yes, the company has already said I get first dibs on the next assignment, so I won't toss out my work just yet.

Mystery Shopper since 1998; Author of Make Money Mystery Shopping available on Amazon in the Kindle Store.

If you choose not to cancel, maybe you can check out Amusement Advantage and see if they have anything fun to do nearby

Or you could actually just make a legitimate vacation out of it?

I've got a weekend trip coming up that I planned around a concert and I was scrambling trying to get shops in that area and coordinate everything just right when my husband suggested that maybe....just maybe.....we go and have fun and not work. Mind. Blown. I love that man.

This thread jinxed me! I was reading it and then I got an email from an MSC cancelling a shop I was really looking forward to. No trilobite for my son this weekend.

Clients often cancel shops, even whole routes of shops, at the last minute. I have never heard of a shopper getting paid for time prepping for a canceled shop. However, when I run video routes and a shop us canceled after I am already on the road, I have had several video MSCs insist that the client porvide me with a trip charge for each canceled shop. With any client that has more shoppers than they know what to do with clamoring for their assignments, I would not really expect the MSC to go to bat on behalf of the shopper.

I'm sorry for you loss. When constructing routes, I suggest that you always tell each scheduler that the whole route is dependent upon there being enough shops to cover costs. If that does not happen, I can then cancel the shops. That is not considered "flaking" in the route shopping world.

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.

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