Question about first apartment shop

I scheduled an apartment shop for Monday, assuming I would perform the shop Monday.

Reading the guidelines, I notice it says to make an appointment and gives me options of what to do in case the agent doesn't call back right away, resulting in making an appointment on a later date.

I'm thinking -- actually hoping -- I can make the appointment for a later date because I have several other shops scheduled for Monday, and won't have much wiggle room in fitting it into my day. It's on my way home and quite a distance from my other shops that day. I didn't have access to the guidelines when I applied, so wasn't aware I had to make an appointment.

In my real life, decades ago, I lived in apartments, and always walked in as opposed to making an appointment to discuss renting there.

Is it common with apartment shops to have an appointment on a date later than the scheduled date? The shop was only scheduled yesterday.

Thanks.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More About Apartment Mystery Shopping

I'm guessing the shop is with Ellis?
One of the many reasons I don't shop with them.
All of the other companies I've done apartment shops for do not have that requirement. That does not mean that none of the others do. And I only do video apartments so I should probably just shut up because I could be completely wrong for written shops.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I'd reach out to the scheduler and let them know what's going on.

Somewhere in the Midwest, shopping / auditing full time since 2014. Will use PV-500 for food!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2015 12:10AM by AlexG.

It's not Ellis. I have sent an E-mail to the scheduler. I'm just concerned that it's the weekend and I probably won't hear from her until Monday. Thanks.

From what I have gleaned doing apartment shops is that as long as somebody calls you back you will easily be able to make a same day apartment. They don't seem that busy on weekedays.

I haven't done one with this scenario but if you leave a message maybe you can state on it that you need to come in that day b/c you will be in the area, etc.

If this is the MSC I'm thinking of (uses Shopmetrics, guidelines sound very similar) the scheduler was really nice about working with me through a messy apt. shop I had not that long ago.

I just keep my fingers crossed it's not Cirrus. LOL!

Somewhere in the Midwest, shopping / auditing full time since 2014. Will use PV-500 for food!

The phone call will be recorded. I'm not supposed to lead, but I asked the scheduler in my email if it's okay if I control the timing of the appointment. I'd hate to have the shop invalidated over that.

Otherwise, the shop itself appears to be quite easy. I'm thinking I'll enjoy it.

You will have to show your ID when you go on the apartment tour. How far is the apartment from your home? Would a feasible reason for making an appointment be that you're going to be transferred with work and you want a location closer to where you'll be working?

.
Have PV-500 & willing to travel.
"Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions which is hard." (The Fourth Doctor, The Face of Evil, 1977)

"Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.” J. Andrew Taylor

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." Galileo Galilei

Ellis says you have to call and visit the same day. If I have, it was maybe once out of dozens of shops. I schedule the onsite at a time convenient for me. Just be careful the leasing agent is scheduled to be there the day you want to go during the appointment setting process, then verify they are there on the day of your visit. Personally, while non-target walk in shops can be easier, target shops don't bother me much and setting appointments working close to home is fine. On long routes is when everything becomes a much bigger issue.

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.

And always remember the color of the agent's eyes too.

I've done apartment shops where they never asked for my DL or ID. I guess I must have a trusting face

Of course, in the report, they want to know if the target/agent asked for your DL....

I've had a few of those and some test drives where they didn't ask either. Both are big no no's.

I've had quite a few test drives but never an apartment not ask.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2015 12:14AM by bgriffin.

Kind of scary but agents who show apartments, might get some "nut job" who doesn't want to look at an apartment at all.. but wants to attack the agent instead..

I have read stories about that and also on some of those detective/forensic shows...

I think the DL helps in that respect, to know where the agent went, and with whom...if she secures the DL in a safe place while she is out with the prospective tenant...(not sure I envy the agents having to walk inside an apartment with someone who could be creepy..or worse..)

No thanks!

Ya, I've never been on any of these shops where they don't ask for your DL to protect themselves. Perfectly understandable.

I had an agent recently write the apartment number on a sticky and attach it to my license when she put it in the drawer. I was like that's brainy!

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I'm curious why they nearly always ask (and it's standard practice) for apartments, but not for new homes? It's essentially the same situation, isn't it?

I heard some say at the latest IMSC conference that some locations were asking for ID at new home shops now. That's gonna cause some problems if it becomes industry standard.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

It will be bad for route shoppers. What I have to wonder is why it has never been done. The agent touring a new home is in much more danger than the average leasing agent. Homes are mostly not attached and even if they do share a wall during construction those will probably be vacant. New home agents work by themselves most of the time so there aren't maintenance people nearby or anyone to notice if they have been gone longer than normal. And let's face it, there are more places to hide a body in 2,000 to 4,000 square foot home than in your average apartment.

There would be pluses and minuses. MSCs would HAVE to have the ability to remove a shopper from the company database. Additionally shoppers wouldn't have to remember a new name! On the down side either you wouldn't be able to do a shop more often than every other day or they would have to drop follow up contact from their surveys.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

@LisaSTL wrote:

It will be bad for route shoppers. What I have to wonder is why it has never been done. The agent touring a new home is in much more danger than the average leasing agent. Homes are mostly not attached and even if they do share a wall during construction those will probably be vacant. New home agents work by themselves most of the time so there aren't maintenance people nearby or anyone to notice if they have been gone longer than normal. And let's face it, there are more places to hide a body in 2,000 to 4,000 square foot home than in your average apartment.

Gosh it sounds like you've given this quite a lot of thought. (Smiley face emoticon)

On Forensic Files: This man made an appointment with a new home agent. He drove up and found he got the couple-team realtors, because the female wanted to have her husband when showing to the lone man. When they showed up to show the house, a man was standing there. They said, "Hey. Are you John?" He ignored them. He walked away.... (later to find out he wanted a female realtor alone so he could kill her..The husband/wife team would notbe suitable for what plans he had in mind..) They went inside the house and waited for the man who never came (which was the serial killer they had just spoke to..)

Later they left and returned to the area, to see their realtor friend parked on the street. They were going to go inside and say hello but realized she had a client (the rapist) He snuck over to that house when he saw a lone female realtor drive up to show the house to someone she had an appointment with... The realtor was very popular, beautiful and well known.

Had the married team "went over to visit" they would have been murdered too.

It just goes to show people use all avenues to commit crimes, even new home sales.

I had a series of video insurance shops where I had to call the MSC after each visit so I could be removed from the database before doing the next visit. It was a bit of a nuisance but it was able to be done. On that route, I had to wait almost an hour at the last location before I was removed and could go inside. So it would be possible to do.

The downside, if we have to show ID at new home shops is it will limit scenarios. Some home shops have requirements such as "You are not relocating." How does a shopper explain a VA drivers license at a FL shop with a "not relocating" scenario? FL has [or had] a reputation as one of the strictest states when it comes to getting an in-state drivers license.

You do know that you can email the scheduler after finishing each location rather than calling, right? Saves an extraordinary amount of time when traveling to multiple locations. She is usually able to purge the information that you've given on the prior shop very quickly.

@James Bond 007.5 wrote:

I had a series of video insurance shops where I had to call the MSC after each visit so I could be removed from the database before doing the next visit. It was a bit of a nuisance but it was able to be done. On that route, I had to wait almost an hour at the last location before I was removed and could go inside. So it would be possible to do.

The downside, if we have to show ID at new home shops is it will limit scenarios. Some home shops have requirements such as "You are not relocating." How does a shopper explain a VA drivers license at a FL shop with a "not relocating" scenario? FL has [or had] a reputation as one of the strictest states when it comes to getting an in-state drivers license.

You know you can email the person who actually does the deletion at the insurance company and it takes like 30 seconds unless she's at lunch.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

As for the "relocating" scenario, you can either use a passport (no address shows) or claim that you just returned from an overseas job and kept your DL from when you last lived in the area.

That reminds me; I need to renew my passport, if only to use it on hotel and apartment shops as my ID.

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.

Every route shopper needs a passport. I was in Michigan last summer and lost my driver's license. I'm not sure if it was when I checked into the hotel or what, but gone. Nobody knew where it was, couldn't find it. I had 2 more weeks (or more I don't remember) on the route and no other form of photo ID. Had I not had my passport I would have been up a proverbial creek.

Which reminds me, my photos and form are sitting on the kitchen counter along with my NV PILB app. I need to get those sent off.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Question about first apartment shop

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine