Don't forget it's the end of the quarter..ask for that bonus!

Friendly reminder to seasoned veterans and newbies alike.

It's the end of the quarter....that means ask for a bonus on every
single shop. Msc's need to get the shops completed in order to hit
their completition targets and get their full payment from clients.

They will pay! Some are offering bonuses without even asking as of 5 days ago.
Even if you don't need one because it's nearby, ask for a couple dollars extra.

Maximize your revenue and remember these are for profit companies and you are not a charity.

And most importantly...don't be afraid to say no!

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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

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2015 12:31AM by techman01.

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100% agree! Although I do have to ask why does it have to be the end of the quarter? I ask for a bonus every day!

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

Good and interesting to hear. I was offered a vehicle shop and have done a few for this MSC in the past few months. While they are offering a bonus on it, the bonus isn't much more then was being publically posted 2 days ago. I was hemming and hawing if it was rude to ask for more. None of the locations are that close.. and they weren't terribly fun shops for me in the first place.

Any suggestions on what an okay not too greedy bonus might be? I've never asked for one.. Only taken what's offered.

Proncess, Get them to make you an offer you can't refuse. Just a thought.

@bgriffin wrote:

100% agree! Although I do have to ask why does it have to be the end of the quarter? I ask for a bonus every day!

I ask for one all the time rather I need it or not. But some have to start somewhere.

Mafia princess,

I respectfully submit that 'greedy' should not be in your vocabulary when thinking about asking for bonuses.

Think of what it takes for the CEO of your mystery shopper company (You) to get someone (You) in the car to journey to the location during the appropriate time range to do the shop. Think of time spent (Yours) and expenses (paid by You) that must include mileage (which I think is 56 cents a mile in 2015). It can also include time (Yours) to prepare which can include printing out (on Your Paper and Ink) forms (on Your computer equipment that You paid for) and instructions. Don't forget the time it takes (Yours) to do the shop and fill out the report.

This is a time to make it work for You. Yes, You.

You can get ideas from other posters about what they have gotten for different particular shop. Try searching the forum for that shop for threads. Or ask.

If it is too much, then all they can do is say no. There are stories about a large request being denied at first, they granted a short time later as the deadline looms closer.

Good luck!

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

That is a wonderful way to look at it Vlade. As a newb I worry about asking for things honestly. I don't want to be a pita. But I have happily taken low paying shops as I know I need experience. I just don't want to be thought of as high maintenance.

The last one of the same shop I did last month close to the deadline was a shop fee of $20, and a bonus of $15 (after doing one for 20 with a 5 dollar bonus earlier in the month closer to home). I didn't realize they'd dropped the fee on the same shop this month till I looked it up. Now it's a shop fee of $12 and a bonus of $14.. and the closest location is 50km away. :/

I haven't had much luck asking for bonuses. Perhaps it's because there's so much competition in my area. I've had a few great ones, ($20 or more) but the vast majority of the time the response has been, "No thanks." But I've only been at it for about 8 months, so perhaps I just need more cred built up. Or need to ask more frequently!

Funny this topic came up today. I asked for my very first bonus on four shops about an hour away. Awaiting a response from the scheduler.

I did it. I put my big girl pants on and said I unfortunately could not do it for that fee, but could do it for this fee as the closest location is 50km away.. Gah. My bff is the QUEEN of haggling. It makes me uncomfortable. If I feel the need to dicker about things I make her do it for me. She laughed her butt off when I told her I was dragging my feet writing this email.

After you get told "Yes" a few times, you'd be surprised how easy it gets to ask for those bonuses.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

MF has a radar system and knows when I'm doing another shop. They have perfect timing to call me when my phone is busy and it redirects the call directly to voice mail. Then I get home and it's an arches shop at $15, but 15 miles away in a very urban and tourist filled area. Unless I can do another shop, it's still not worth it.

How does one request a bonus from Marketforce? There's a job on the list that I would like to do, but I've never proactively contacted them (HOW??) to make a request. I usually do it when they call me.

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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Thanks for the heads up!

I will keep this in mind for the end of the next quarter.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

Well, no contact on the shop I dithered about, but I sent a second email asking if the amount offered for a car shop had been a mistake, I would take one more for the possible oops price that wasn't a lot more. Was no issue became mine. Might feel confident to ask for more next time

And I was assigned the shop I had to put on my big girl pants and ask for more for too.

I asked for 2 bonuses today in response to URGENT!! emails. No reply at all...That irritates me. At least have the decency to say thanks, but no thanks!

Hoju, I just send an email to helpdesk@marketforce.com and include all the relevant shop information and my requested bonus amount. I usually get a response within a day or two.

Are you given a bonus when you ask?

Yep. I learned this years into the MS process. (Where were you guys in 2002/2003 when I was just starting?!) But now I apply the thinking that, "The squeaky wheel gets the oil." The worst that can happen is they say "Sorry, no." Or you receive no reply. And then you can always pick up the shop at the original fee that was listed. What did you lose? Nothing! But you stand to gain more by asking.

But truly I would say 75 - 80% of the time they answer in the affirmative ~ especially at each quarters' end, March, June, Sept. and Dec. And especially if you live in a more rural area with fewer shoppers available. You may have to do more traveling, take on several as a route, etc. I have received as much as $45 for an arches shop.

Wait until someone calls you, if your dong a good job have a good score with the company THEY will call you and ASK what they are offering to pay you. No bonus, no acceptance, just pass it by and continue to wait.

I knew something must be up because the last couple days they've been calling constantly and it's nearly an immediate $20-25 on all of them. Today I even did one that I was hesitant to do because the scheduler called me at 7:30 this morning and offered me $25. Loved it, super easy, and hope I'll get to do more in the future. (It was a revealed shop though and it was a winner, the "oops" are never as much fun.) I had one call an hour ago and I missed the call but she left a message. Had to let it go though because I can't fit all these bonused shops in my schedule!

End of month or not when I get a call , I consider it bonus time and don' have a problem getting one

Good point jcarson.

Well, I'd like to thank this thread. I asked for my first two bonuses and as posted did get both pretty easily. I received my first phone call asking me to name a bonus. So far, I've gotten calls asking me to pick up work a few times with no bonuses offered and ofen apologized and said no as they were oil changes and I was not due.

I can't see anything in Ontario on Maritiz' board, so I don't look at it. I was asked to name a bonus as they needed a store shopped the next day and it wasn't close. I decided to be bold and offer what I felt was a ridiculous amount as 2.5 hours travel plus gas is not free. I was called back, offered half of what I asked for, and got it bumped up a little more. I took it, as I hadn't done a shop for them, and I needed to prove myself still.

But.. if it hadn't been for this thread I wouldn't have had the big girl panties to ask for what is honestly reasonable when gas prices suck..

When negotiating a bonus don't just think in terms of gas money. Wear and tear on your vehicle is much more than the few cents a mile it burns in gas. Your time driving back and forth has value so get what you deem reasonable for all your time.

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.

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Don't forget it's the end of the quarter..ask for that bonus!

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