Great, Amanda. You stood there and watched them? A few years back there was a scandal about Jiffy Lube, because they weren't doing the filter changes.

I remember how Jiffy Lube and other quick lube places were being criticized for not using "real" washer fluid, rather water that was colored blue.

No, I didn't stand there and watch the quick lube employees; I had to take some classes or show proof that I knew how to change oil, check fluid levels, etc. It involved making adjustments to the car -- change tire pressure and lower fluids a bit, mark the air, oil, and fuel filters.

I LOVE racking 3,000 miles on the car because I usually take the oil change shops that come up every month or so, but the one a few months ago was different.

Hello,

I have been searching for mystery shop companies that had hotel shops in Oklahoma. Could you tell me the name of the mystery shop company that you did the motel for?

Thanks

pobeegirl Wrote:
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> I have earned $250 during a shop at a Motel for 3
> days. I surveyed their breakfast bar.

Could you inform me on the mystery shop company that you performed the crown Plaza shop. I'm in search for hotel shops in Oklahoma.

Thank you.

Prosper Wrote:
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> I stayed a a Crown Plaza hotel and was 150.00 for
> the shop and reimbursement for the room at 277.00.
> It was in two parts. First part I checked in as a
> business women for a one night stay. On this one
> I evalueated the room and check-in. In the
> mornign I checked out and put my baggage in the
> car, picked up my notes and clipboard and went
> into the hotel. I walked up to the desk to the
> same woman who just checked me out and said"Good
> morning. I am here to evalueate your caterin and
> banquet service. From then on I was treated so
> well. It was great fun.Even got a free breakfast

Amanda,

Was this oil shop with the same MSing company as the others? I've taken some before, but I use synthetic oil and for a while my husband was ordering it and changing the oil, but he got too busy on his current job. I used to change my oil every time--until I had a car that gave me claustrophia if I crawled under it, and I spilled oil on my clothes. Somehow that did it for me. I haven't done it since.

$450.00 reimbursement only for a Las Vegas legal bordello shop--sorry, no further details will be posted here !!! (No, I am not married either).












JUST KIDDING!!!

There are some things I just didn't need to know, even if you are kidding.

Amanda Wrote:
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> I remember how Jiffy Lube and other quick lube
> places were being criticized for not using "real"
> washer fluid, rather water that was colored blue.
>
Worse than that. Washer fluid is just alcohol and water. They weren't changing the oil filters or making some of the other repairs they were charging for. They were caught by TV news investigators.

I AM IN VA BEACH VA, ARE THERE ANY HIGH PAYING JOBS HERE AND HOW CAN I BECOME A VIDEO SHOPPER

Akila,

Only someone who is living there can answer the local questions. It takes research and signing up with many companies so you will have enough assignments. Most big cities have many shops.

I haven't yet had a video assignment, so I can't answer that question, either. I hope I get one sometime.

In reply:

The "regular monthly" shops for this chain are found through a different company than the one I did the "inspection" shop.

I made $750 in one day. Five car sales shops 100 miles away.They were desperate
and wanted my 45 years experience in that field to shop a chain of dealerships
that was troublesome to the manufacturer who ordered the shops. To know misrpresentation, you must know the truth. I did and they paid for it.

Good for you, John!

No one at the electronics store MSP's have asked about my vast knowledge of building and repairing computers.
I could easily expose the staff in those stores, esp in the repair dept. I've done it when I'm there as myself.

Why do brothel houses need mystery shoppers?? Is that a joke!?

Yes, Amanda. One that we didn't need to know about. Arch can write about other things now.

Amanda Wrote:
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> Why do brothel houses need mystery shoppers?? Is
> that a joke!?

The "just joking" is tucked under the name box on the left.

I'm just 2 months into this business and recently scored an $80 prepaid visit at place I like to shop at anyway. It was an unadvertised shop that my scheduler set me up for. I had already done several shops for this ms company for pretty low pay, but she was impressed by the highly detailed reports I made for them. So, I guess it was a case of showing that I'd do my best work, regardless of the pay. The same scheduler set me up with a $25 prepaid visit a couple of weeks earlier for a shop that was EASY and literally had 6 questions to answer. Moral is: make your scheduler look good by doing a good job yourself, and she'll remember you!

Congratulations, wabbitmom.

Are all of you guy GOLD shoppers. I hear that is the best way to go. Does the DVD really work. The cost is $100.00. To get these jobs you are talking about. Help me out here PLEASE AND THANK YOU

No. I am not certified by anybody and have no intention of getting any certification. My personal opinion is very clear that these do little if anything to help a shopper perform more professionally and primarily serve to enrich those outfits that sell them. I may not be on the "favorite shopper" list of the few MSPs and scheduling outfits that are main supporters of the MSPA, but that does not break my heart as I am cherished by other companies that pay better anyway. Although I am registered with those MSPA supporting companies, if they choose not to offer or award me jobs it is their loss.

I've been wondering about getting certified also. But been Msing for 7 years and don't know if it is worth the money.
I seem to stay pretty busy. Husband is almost sick of eating out we have had over 20 dining shops in 25 days.
Would love to find out if there are really cruise shops.
I did have an offer for a casino and will next time.

I love the hotel shops especially in Lake Tahoe.

Best paying job was probably a Jiffy Lube Inspection where I had to take it to another authorized shop first to mark and make observations and lower some fluids. The guys there were a nervous wreck when they found out it was a mystery shop. But when I returned to have it rechecked Jiffy Lube had not refilled one of the fluids that had been lowered. I did get a Fuel Filter Service, Oil Service and Transmission service out of the shop total cost to my car was over $300 plus I made $50.

retriedlady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are all of you guy GOLD shoppers. I hear that is
> the best way to go. Does the DVD really work. The
> cost is $100.00. To get these jobs you are talking
> about. Help me out here PLEASE AND THANK YOU

I'm not certified. I've been building up my business by signing up with numerous companies and cherry picking which assignments I want to do...but that doesn't mean they all pay huge money. I'm willing to do some of the little ones, in order to improve my shop rating with those companies. For some companies, it has been working, and I get the shot at better shops. For others, we'll see. I suspect that there are some out there that won't ever offer anything more lucrative than a $10 cell phone shop to someone not certified. But, those companies will fall off of my radar if I'm getting better shops elsewhere. I don't completely rule out certification in the future, but I figure I need to pay my "dues" the old fashioned way. There really is no experience like on the job training. Even if I gold certified today, I don't think I'd be ready for some of the huge shops. Certification is training, but it's not experience. That's just me, though. I'm sure there are others out there that disagree.

Just wondering....Are you hearing that "certification is the way to go' from shoppers, or from websites?

debdream, if you have done the in depth hotel shops you have some notion of the work involved in these things. I suspect that a cruise is going to be about the same. I did see a cruise at Coyle Hospitality the other day, but it was very strange. The ship mentioned is not scheduled to be in the part of the world that is described in the cruise description in the 2008 or 2009 sailings schedule on their website. Coyle wants you to start out with restaurant shops with them before you do their hotels etc. Unfortunately they have had no restaurants anywhere near me so I haven't had an opportunity to work with them. As for sick of eating out, I know I am pushing it if we do 3 times in a week so I wouldn't dream of 20 out of 25 days!

Wabbitmom, I think you have a very productive perspective on this. On occasion it makes sense to clench your teeth and do a junk job to get the rating with a new company to increase your chances at the jobs you really want but certainly doing only junk jobs will do you no favors in the long run. Once you have a good score and a handful of jobs, back away from the junk or you will be only given junk in the future. (I'm reminded of the cereal ad "Ask Mikey! He'll eat anything." The issue is not so much certification or not certification but, as you have perceived, showing good results with your "on the job training" with these companies. Even the MSPA on their website indicates that certification MAY tip the balance toward selecting you IF all other things are equal. Sure, there are some companies--especially scheduling companies--that make noises about giving preference to certified shoppers, but I have not heard of plum jobs coming from these companies even to my certified and highly experienced friends.

Wabbitmom--are you the mother of Bugspost?

Sneakers...Nope, not the mom of Bugspost. (Guess I'll have to look up her/his threads to see what made you think I might be =). Ooops! Brain fade...it's the similar names, I bet. You may have guessed, we love wabbits. Our kids are in
4-H, and showing them is a family hobby. We have 15 of the furballs!

Flash...I'm right there with you. I'm only willing to do a few of the "junk" jobs, right at the beginning. I feel that if I've proven my observation and report writing skills over a couple of jobs, then it's time for them to loosen up a bit with their *plum* assignments. I've only been in the business a few months, so I don't expect them to trust me with a cruise shop...I wouldn't trust myself yet! But, they can offer me something besides (I kid you not) a $1.75 telephone shop. Hello, intelligent adult, here. Don't you have a $30-listen-to-a-Bose-radio-salespitch assignment, or reimburse a shampoo, cut, style, and tip shop? I think I've shown I can do it!!

Wabbitmom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sneakers...Nope, not the mom of Bugspost. (Guess
> I'll have to look up her/his threads to see what
> made you think I might be =).

Just a joke. Bugspost uses a Bugs Bunny avatar in the other forum, but she's here too.

Wabbitmom, try to get a few "junk" jobs in with as many companies as you can. Use Jobslinger.com to find out who has shopped your area recently and sign up with them to get yourself known. No matter how long you have been doing this, with every new company you are a "newbie" until you have performed a few shops well for them.

True, that. And that's my usual strategy. How else will they get to know you, right?

Flash Wrote:
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> No > matter how long you have been doing this, with
> every new company you are a "newbie" until you
> have performed a few shops well for them.

In a certain sense it is an advantage to the shopper to have the opportunity to build their reputation with each company. That way if you royally mess up with one company you still have an opportunity for a fresh start with the other companies. That way you also less likely to get "blackballed" because you rubbed somebody the wrong way.