I would like to know the difference between a shop going through a company like KSS or the company it actually stems from? For example, I have seen shops where I try to get them and my shopper rating is not high enough. But, a scheduler gets me the very same shop because I have a better rating for them.

Ok, I thought I asked this question yesterday, but the post disappeared somewhere. I was curious about who updates the presto maps and jobslinger once a job is taken. Jobslinger is constantly loaded with assignments that are no longer available. Presto maps is not as bad, but I have still found invalid shops there as well. Is this something the schedulers fix when they assign a location? Curious minds want to know!
Thanks for allowing us this Q and A.

KSS is a scheduling company. We can assign shoppers at our discretion when they apply at our site. We just need to be able to back up our reasons for assigning the shopper with the client. For example, we have worked with the shopper and they are dependable and write great reports, they have done these type of shops in the past, they have hero citations, etc.


Chix Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would like to know the difference between a shop
> going through a company like KSS or the company it
> actually stems from? For example, I have seen
> shops where I try to get them and my shopper
> rating is not high enough. But, a scheduler gets
> me the very same shop because I have a better
> rating for them.

jroby1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ok, I thought I asked this question yesterday, but
> the post disappeared somewhere. I was curious
> about who updates the presto maps and jobslinger
> once a job is taken. Jobslinger is constantly
> loaded with assignments that are no longer
> available. Presto maps is not as bad, but I have
> still found invalid shops there as well. Is this
> something the schedulers fix when they assign a
> location? Curious minds want to know!
> Thanks for allowing us this Q and A.


I don't know. Once a shop is filled, it was my understanding that it was off of job slinger and presto maps. However, I don't control the information posted there.

Why sometimes does the same shop pay more on the msp direct site than kss or vice versa (rare)?

Can kss offer bonuses and if so do they need approval from the msp the shop is for?

We do not set the prices or bonuses or pay shoppers. That is up to the individual MSC. They tell us how much we can pay, what we can bonus, and when we can bonus. That is out of our control, unfortunately.


BuffaloNY101 Wrote:
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> Why sometimes does the same shop pay more on the
> msp direct site than kss or vice versa (rare)?
>
> Can kss offer bonuses and if so do they need
> approval from the msp the shop is for?

Hi Sarah,
When a shopper applies for a shop, what kind of info shows up on your end about the shopper? Ratings, demographics, completed shops? Just curious what you see that makes you choose one shopper over another.

Kappa3245 Wrote:
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> Hi Sarah,
> When a shopper applies for a shop, what kind of
> info shows up on your end about the shopper?
> Ratings, demographics, completed shops? Just
> curious what you see that makes you choose one
> shopper over another.


When a shopper applies for a shop, I see the hero citations, the flakes, the cancels and the distance they are from the shop. I also can see any certifications they have, the number of shops they have completed with that company, and any comments they have written to me. Shoppers also have a shop log. That log lets me see what they were issued the flakes or cancels, what types of shops they have completed and their shopper rating. I use all of this to make my decision as to who to assign. Obviously, Gold and Silver shoppers get preference, and those with hero citations. I then judge who can go the earliest, who has a better rating, who has no flakes or cancels, etc.

It really is a case by case basis. But for example if Joe and Sally both apply for a shop and Joe is a gold shopper and Sally is not, Joe gets the shop.

or another example when both shoppers don't have certification. Bill and Sam both apply for the same shop. Bill has a shopper rating of 8 but can shop on Tuesday and has never flaked and has 30 shops on his log. Sam has a rating of 9, can only shop on Thursday, has a flake and 5 shops. I would pick Bill. Even though Sam's score is higher, Bill appears to be the more reliable shopper and can shop sooner than Sam.

Does that make sense?

Thanks for sharing Sarah- Being you are with KSS do you only see the MSO the shop is with (example Reality Check) or do you see all KSS companies?

seattleshop425 Wrote:
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> Thanks for sharing Sarah- Being you are with KSS
> do you only see the MSO the shop is with (example
> Reality Check) or do you see all KSS companies?


I can only see the MSC I am scheduling for. However, KSS also has a place to keep notes on shoppers. So if you apply on KSS, are a Gold or Silver shopper, or have a hero citation, I can see that. That will help me sway my decision. As many times we have more applications on our site than at the actual MSC.

Hi Sarah.

Does it make a difference if a shopper responds to your email about an available shop or goes directly to the MSC website and applies? I've done both and was wondering if the chance of getting the shop is better one way or the other.

Also, do you keep a list of back-up shoppers for every shop so that info. is readily available if the original shopper cancels/flakes or is there just the mass email and you wait to see who responds first?

Mcreader9 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Sarah.
>
> Does it make a difference if a shopper responds to
> your email about an available shop or goes
> directly to the MSC website and applies? I've
> done both and was wondering if the chance of
> getting the shop is better one way or the other.
>
> Also, do you keep a list of back-up shoppers for
> every shop so that info. is readily available if
> the original shopper cancels/flakes or is there
> just the mass email and you wait to see who
> responds first?


You are better off applying to the shop either at the MSC or KSS. When a job is first posted, I get 100's(this is not an exaggerated number) about people wanting the job. This is typically a one sentence response to a national posting. "I can do it." I then need to figure out what shop the shopper is talking about and manually assign it. Meanwhile, I have 7 apps on the location, all with ratings and log information I don't have to research. I'll assign the shops first, and then go through the email. It's just the most efficient.

Now if you were sent a direct email from me( not a job posting) responding to that is fine. (I will assign the first shopper that said they could it.)

I do keep back up lists of shoppers but I schedule over 1,000 shops a month. When I flake a shop, I will go through that months list to see if anyone has offered to help with that location. It just can take time to go through the list. Shooting me a email when I reach out, or applying on the shop is always the fastest way to get assigned. And it's the most appreciated by me.

So, do the Hero Citations and Flakes cross MSC lines within Sassie? If I received a Hero Citation with [Sassie MSC] ABC, but am applying for a shop with [Sassie MSC] XYZ, is the Hero Citation visible and a consideration?

I have a question. Does KSS ever schedule any shops that are not in a Sassie/Surfmerchants platform at some point?

If not, why do you think that is the case?

JenW Wrote:
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> So, do the Hero Citations and Flakes cross MSC
> lines within Sassie? If I received a Hero
> Citation with ABC, but am applying for a shop
> with XYZ, is the Hero Citation visible and a
> consideration?


MSC's can not see each others shoppers. However, if you are registered on KSS, we will record these citations on out site.

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a question. Does KSS ever schedule any
> shops that are not in a Sassie/Surfmerchants
> platform at some point?
>
> If not, why do you think that is the case?


We schedule over different platforms now. I'm partial to SASSIE. I just like the lay out better personally but have scheduled MSC's that use different platforms.

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a question. Does KSS ever schedule any
> shops that are not in a Sassie/Surfmerchants
> platform at some point?
>
> If not, why do you think that is the case?


KSS Currently schedules for MULTIPLE companies on ShopMetrics, Prophet, etc. We also work directly with companies that have their own proprietary platforms (i.e. we schedule about 4000 shops per month for Maritz, and several thousand for Kinesis).

We schedule on every platform that our clients are on. Sarah ONLY schedules KSS projects for Service Sleuth, so all of her projects are on Sassie.

No matter what platform our clients use, we post the shops ALSO on our KSS site to recruit new shoppers. If you apply on KSS and we need you, we will email you a link to our client site and ask you to register there. If you are already registered there, we will assign you on that site.

For ALL of the companies we schedule for, whether you apply on our site OR our client site, we are still the one who gets to pick who gets the shop and we assign you.

We do not assign shops on our site, because we are not a MSP, we are simply a scheduling company. The KSS Sassie site is simply used for recruiting purposes only and we keep the apps on that site for backup shoppers.

Hope that clears it up!

Lorri Kern
CEO
KSS International, Inc.