Thoughts on asking for distance pay
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I don't ask them. I tell them what I need to do the shop.
What's your time worth?
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
Try using the $0.56/mile rate as a start. Then consider if you want to request distance pay for your time to drive (what about $0.25/mile?). See if you'll even break even with what they're offering. Another strategy to consider is seeing what shops are along the way and if you can somehow make it a profitable route. If you see other shops along the way, you can see about asking for bonuses on those as well.
In the end, you have to ask yourself what would it take to make the shop worth it for you. Is reward, whether it's the reimbursement, pay, etc., enough for you to take it? What kind of profit are you trying to achieve out of this?
In the end, it doesn't hurt to ask, unless you believe it'll be assigned to someone else before your inquiry even gets looked at.
In the end, you have to ask yourself what would it take to make the shop worth it for you. Is reward, whether it's the reimbursement, pay, etc., enough for you to take it? What kind of profit are you trying to achieve out of this?
In the end, it doesn't hurt to ask, unless you believe it'll be assigned to someone else before your inquiry even gets looked at.
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
MBrookes, I would say yes, it is definitely appropriate. Calculate what it will cost you in gas to commute, and I would advise you to ask for at least that amount. Hopefully other posters can expand on that more...I have become a lot more confident and comfortable asking for more distance pay after reading this forum. 
Happily shopping the Pacific Northwest. Shopping since 2013
Most shoppers have their own "formula" for determing how much to ask. It depends on how much you're willing to work for. An example using round numbers might be: You want to make $20/hr. There are 4 shops currently offered at $15 each. You determine that it will take 4 hrs to drive, 2 hrs for all the shops, and another 2 hrs to write the reports - that amount of time builds in a cushion for the unexpected that always seems to happen. Since it's going to take you 8 hrs, $60 is nowhere near enough. You want a total of $160 or $40 each. You can call it distance pay, bonus, incentive, or whatever works for you. Contact the scheduler and say you are willing to accept the jobs only if they give you all 4 at a price of $40 each or $160 for the entire route. The scheduler will either say yes or no. If you don't ask, however, it will always be no. The first time your counter-offer is accepted, you feel like you're on Cloud 9!
Thanks everyone! I appreciate your input.
I told one scheduler I needed more $$ to do the route and he counter offered and I accepted. They can only do so much with their bonus pool. Tell them what you need and you can go from there.
I ask for extra all the time, even on shops that are in my
own town.
own town.
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There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
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When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
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When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody
It was only due to this Forum that I discovered that bonuses or incentives or distance pay could even be requested. If you search for the topic you'll find some excellent (and passionately advocated) methods of determining a request amount. It is quite subjective, and you will need to determine for yourself the price that you will need, and then you will actually have to ask. Don't forget to factor in the jobs that you can self-assign that are near, or along the route to, the shop for which you are requesting the bonus - they can help pay for the drive time and gas. Keep in mind, that the MSC may want to negotiate. Decide whether to shoot high with your first request so that they can talk you down, or to make a firm initial offer. Also, many shoppers seem to take it personally when a scheduler says 'no.' They will gladly, and rightly, pay someone else half of what you're asking if they can find someone else. If they only offer half of what you are requesting, they may already know that they can get someone else only 45 minutes away to take it for less than that price.
The first request is the hardest, so pick a number and go ahead and ask. Report back how it goes.
The first request is the hardest, so pick a number and go ahead and ask. Report back how it goes.
They can say yes or they can say no. The odds are 50/50. Go for it, always.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
If you want a simple formula ask for $1.00 per mile. Example: one shop at a distance of 50 miles one way (total 100 miles) ask for a total of $100. If you can 3 additional shops along the way and it adds 10 miles to the trip for a total of 110 miles ask for $27.50 per shop. The MSC is much more likely to approve $27.50 rather than $100. This is merely rule of thumb as traffic, location, area (eg inner city) and complexity of the shop all play a role in your request/demand.
I won't get into the formula I use but the above example is a 2 to 1 ratio income to expense. That is the minimum I will travel for and 3 to 1 or 4 to 1 is where I start to make some money. I don't ask for a bonus on every shop. If it is within a 30 mile radius I consider it in my range and a normal shop. If I can link togeter 6 or 8 or 10 shops within this range I will make money in excess of a 2 to 1 ratio.
You will figure out what works for you.
I won't get into the formula I use but the above example is a 2 to 1 ratio income to expense. That is the minimum I will travel for and 3 to 1 or 4 to 1 is where I start to make some money. I don't ask for a bonus on every shop. If it is within a 30 mile radius I consider it in my range and a normal shop. If I can link togeter 6 or 8 or 10 shops within this range I will make money in excess of a 2 to 1 ratio.
You will figure out what works for you.
Even those of us who regularly ask for bonus money also perform shops at the base rate or at take them after the MSC has added a small bonus. There are $10 shops I would do locally or add to a route in a heartbeat while there are $20 to $30 shops I would not walk across the street for.
There are so many factors to consider into a final offer. One MSC is offering a piddly bonus on a shop only 12 to 15 miles away from me on paper. Because of traffic flow it would be a minimum of one hour in driving at the very best time, who knows how long in holiday traffic. The shop has also just been bonused this week. Guess what, I've already been to that area twice this month and there isn't a damn thing left so this now becomes a stand alone shop with nothing else to offset the trip. The small bonus would have been enough incentive for me to add this shop.......a week to 10 days ago.
There are so many factors to consider into a final offer. One MSC is offering a piddly bonus on a shop only 12 to 15 miles away from me on paper. Because of traffic flow it would be a minimum of one hour in driving at the very best time, who knows how long in holiday traffic. The shop has also just been bonused this week. Guess what, I've already been to that area twice this month and there isn't a damn thing left so this now becomes a stand alone shop with nothing else to offset the trip. The small bonus would have been enough incentive for me to add this shop.......a week to 10 days ago.
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
techman01 Wrote:
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> I ask for extra all the time, even on shops that
> are in my
> own town.
You work in your own town? Other than Chipotle I can't remember the last time I did a shop in my town.
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> I ask for extra all the time, even on shops that
> are in my
> own town.
You work in your own town? Other than Chipotle I can't remember the last time I did a shop in my town.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
Ask for what it is worth to you. I have learned to not state reasons for my request. I don't state that it's last minute, or xx miles out in the boonies, no way to partner it with another shop. . . I just state what it will take. Cut to the chase, without rip-off.
@Mert - YES!!! They don't justify their rates, why should we? Here's my offer - take it, leave it, or counter-offer. You don't need a reason.
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