nycrocks Wrote:
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> N-TownShopper Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I had to do an audit for an electronics store.
> It
> > sounded simple enough but...OH NO. I had to
> > scramble to find certain items. Employees kept
> > giving me the side eye and following me around.
> > (It was a revealed shop but it still got on my
> > nerves)
> > But the worst was the report. Detail about
> > everything, a million photos to upload, just
> GAH.
> > The guidelines said I'd need an hour and a half
> to
> > do the shop and another hour to enter the
> report.
> > I managed to do the shop in an hour but the
> report
> > took 3 hours. Add in travel time during Main
> Line
> > rush hour and that was a 5 hour shop. 2 months
> > later I got an email from the scheduler asking
> me
> > to do it again. I told her only if she paid me
> > triple the amount offered because it takes
> twice
> > as long to do as they claim it does. She never
> > responded. ;-0
> >
> > Close second was a NARS shop that had to be
> done
> > at the NARS counter in a Saks Fifth Ave. The rep
> I
> > evaluated was great, it was all her makeup
> > department cronies that were horrible. They
> > completly ignored me when I got there. I'd make
> > eye contact and start to approach them and
> they'd
> > actually turn their backs on me. I finally
> walked
> > up to one woman who was helping two other
> > customers and when they finished, they turned
> to
> > me and said "your turn!" So the b**** had to
> help
> > me. The majority of my shops are high end
> luxury
> > retail, and no one in any store of a similiar
> or
> > higher caliber than Saks ever treated me this
> way,
> > or anyone else for that matter. It made me wish
> I
> > had been shopping Saks instead of NARS.
>
> For the NARS shops, they've changed the guidelines
> now so you're supposed to make an appointment.
>
> I've shopped Saks for a different MSC at a NARS
> counter, and NARS at Saks for the MSC you're
> talking about. I've had all good experiences there
> but it can get very busy between 5:00 and 6:00
> p.m. during the work week. The weekends and
> Fridays are a lot less crowded. I have had to wait
> awhile before there too and it's such a small
> area. This was last year, when you had to take who
> was available, and ask if they worked for NARS. I
> think the MSC had so many freelancers that were
> evaluated they couldn't get paid for the shops by
> the client. Hence the new guidelines to make
> appointments with genuine NARS employees. This
> ought to reduce the problems you had, should you
> decide to do another one of these shops, since
> someone will be expecting you.


I did make an appointment but she was running late and had not yet returned from lunch when I arrived for the appointment.
I scheduled my time at 2:30 on a Thursday. The makeup department wasn't crowded. I saw only 3 other customers besides myself who were not simply passing through. (Makeup is right by an entrance)
It's good to hear they are not that rude to everyone however, assuming you shopped the same Saks I did.

bgriffin Wrote:
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> Who says I was a male hooker?


Also who says I'm a FORMER hooker?

Hey b, so yeah, TMI.

N'Townshopper, I shopped the flagship store on Fifth Avenue.

nycrocks Wrote:
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> N'Townshopper, I shopped the flagship store on
> Fifth Avenue.


Nice! I shopped the one in Bala Cynwyd, PA.

Cell phone and car shops.

bgriffin Wrote:
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> I didn't. It was the only way to make it through
> the night.


Boy, we really know how to ruin a good thread.

Buffalo Wild Wings. Grabbed one after a productive afternoon in the downtown area. Reviewed the requirements: buy 1 item from 4 categories. Had not ever eaten at one. Take out. Arrived, looked at the menu. The lowest items added up to $30, reimbursement: $15 & $5 fee. Then the scheduler emails me to say that management is a stickler for the 12 hour deadline and will drop the shop if I don't make it. Got it in.

Scheduler does email personal emails asking for help. But no more of these shops.

Ummm. You do realize that you only had to purchase 1 item and it could come from any of the 4 categories, not 4 items, one from each category?

Oops!

The K-12 phone shop and the dreaded IKEA come to mind!

Any shop with a long narrative..

Unless you are paying me $50 plus the original fee, don't ask me to write something the length of an article I would write for the local paper...

whosear:

I think you may have misread the guidelines you only have to order one item and can choose from the 4 categories given. That being said the pay is ridiculous for the report length and time you must spend at the restaurant. If they bonus it like $10 and you do by yourself it is ok. I do alot of them because I go to my location not on shop almost everyday anyway. If I did regularly frequent the location then hell no on the shop. Now they have another location that I have done which BTW is horrible with service and cleanliness but only if I am out that way for other shops or they bonus it ridiculous like they did once a $40 bonus. I dine alone but if I had a guest shop not worth it as reimbursment is only $25 lunch $20 takeout $15.
I hope this is helpful information to you and other readers. Oh and the location has the report the day after the shop was done.

Just offering this in a contructive manner, Chiptole because the report is extreme redundant overkill.
No way it should take a minimum of over one hour, no way.
Have done other restaurant reports that were comprehensive but
not belabored like this one. As examples, the shops for both
AVI and Restuarant Associates.

Arch Stanton Wrote:
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> Just offering this in a contructive manner,
> Chiptole because the report is extreme redundant
> overkill.
> No way it should take a minimum of over one hour,
> no way.
> Have done other restaurant reports that were
> comprehensive but
> not belabored like this one. As examples, the
> shops for both
> AVI and Restuarant Associates.



I decided to leave Chipotle alone after have done the training, the pay was not enough for the detail involved imo.

N-TownShopper Wrote:
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> And thank you to the OP for the info about the TGI
> Friday's shops. I had been considering taking one
> once its bonused high enough, but after hearing
> what it's like to do the shop and report I'll
> pass.

Friday shops are the worst and to take 2 people the reimbursement is not enough to cover it. Also, at least in my area, I have never seen them bonused for more than $10.... Never again.... errrrrrr, unless I'm not paying

I don't do any of those. Thanks to all you folks.

Upscale restaurant shops that do not offer a fee but require a minimum expense and reimburse only a maximum of $25.

Shops that require a picture of the cashier or the food or the menu on the board. Practically inviting trouble.

Grocery shops.

I dislike the MF vitamin audit, any car dealer assignment, loan shop, cell phones, etc.

Walgreens - Too obvious im a shopper and the report was a PIA. It was my first shop for that company and I have not taken any other shops from them for fear it will be more of the same.

Car/Motorcycle/Banking shops

Any mystery shop where I must take a photo inside the store/restaurant and its not a revealed shop/audit. I suck at sneaking photos.

Any shop where the sceanario makes me say stupid things I would never say normally.

Any shop where the scenario hasn't changed in...forever. Such a tip off you are the mystery shopper.

Like a certain wing shop.

Roll? You want a roll with your wings? O M G she wants a R O L L!!!!!!!!!
(employees putting away their cell phones to bus tables, surly cashier suddenly smiles, you get an extra wing in your order, etc)

Bank shops. It's like the Charlie Brown cartoons. Wa-wa-wa-wa. I don't even hear what the associate is saying anymore.

Recorded phone shops that require detailed narrative. Gee, you have the recording.

I don't mind the gfk shops but their sassie interface hates me in the same way Beyond Hello's used to. It takes twice as long to enter the report as it should.

Sarin Wrote:
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> Walgreens - Too obvious im a shopper and the
> report was a PIA. It was my first shop for that
> company and I have not taken any other shops from
> them for fear it will be more of the same.
>
> Car/Motorcycle/Banking shops
>
> Any mystery shop where I must take a photo inside
> the store/restaurant and its not a revealed
> shop/audit. I suck at sneaking photos.
>
> Any shop where the sceanario makes me say stupid
> things I would never say normally.


I really hate it when I have to say something scripted, I prefer an scenario with no script.

NumberNineteen Wrote:
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> Any shop where the scenario hasn't changed
> in...forever. Such a tip off you are the mystery
> shopper.
>
> Like a certain wing shop.
>
> Roll? You want a roll with your wings? O M G she
> wants a R O L L!!!!!!!!!
> (employees putting away their cell phones to bus
> tables, surly cashier suddenly smiles, you get an
> extra wing in your order, etc)

Ha ha, I just did my first one last month. Actually liked it and was hoping they would release a new rotation. I was definitely not tipped off by ordering the roll!

New car shops and purchase/return, I always feel like an idiot. I've never done them, but don't think I'd like revealed shops, loan shops or restaurant shops where you are given a gift card.

Sonic shops. I don't eat hotdogs or hamburgers at FF places. In my small town we have 5 FF places but its usually Sonic that needs to be shopped. Reimbursement doesn't cover cost of the meal. Why do they need to be shopped so often?

If I exceed purchase requirements in my reimbursement by 10% by ordering the least expensive items, I won't do the shops again and I will @#$%& about it.

After all, I seek to elevate the practitioners of my craft.

Sassysally Wrote:
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> Sonic shops. I don't eat hotdogs or hamburgers at
> FF places. In my small town we have 5 FF places
> but its usually Sonic that needs to be shopped.
> Reimbursement doesn't cover cost of the meal. Why
> do they need to be shopped so often?


I order under the reimbursement almost every time I go, and it's not like you have to actually eat the stuff, take a bit and throw it out.

I actually like Sonic, but I can probably eat an entire day's worth of calories with one meal. I just eat a little and give the rest to the next child in line.

I actually wouldn't mind going over the reimbursement for Sonic, it's just you can't special order anything so I'm stuck with ordering chili cheese dogs.

Price Chopper- interact with 12 employees and make a deli purchase. 12 employees, really? And it's very low pay. I will only do them when they get bonused.