Hotel Shops Help!! (need advice)
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I only do hotel shops if I actually need the hotel. Otherwise they do not pay enough for the time spent.
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
At my real job i work 6 on and 8 off so on my 8 off I have been taking a hotel shop to where ever and then just mystery shopping in that area just seeing whats out there...and getting away from my regular life....even though I have signed up with over 70 company's I still cant find some of the simple things people talk about on this board....I was hoping these would lead to bigger and better things..
If you're talking about the Regal jobs, I've done them. They're not too complicated. The thing that REALLY bugs me is that instead of a reimbursement, their big client prefers to refund the credit card used. That negates any additional points I would get by using my hotel-brand Visa card, which can be significant. You still get point credit for the nights stay, you just don't get the credit for charging it to your card. That's usually more than the points you get for the nights stay.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
I don't ever do reimbursement shops when it's something I wouldn't have bought anyway. I don't want to risk a rejected shop and losing my money, particularly with hotel shops as it's quite a lot to invest. Are you registered with the top ten companies mentioned in the Mystery Shopper magazine this week?
Since you mentioned a third party narrative, I am going to assume that Regal is the MSC.
Their reports are some of the easiest ones in the hotel audit arena. However, the scope is such that you probably should not do any other jobs (for other MSCs) while competing an audit for them. While on the hotel property, between hotel outlet audits, use it as a down/relaxation time and to complete the report, so that when you get home you just need to add the last few interactions.
Their reports are some of the easiest ones in the hotel audit arena. However, the scope is such that you probably should not do any other jobs (for other MSCs) while competing an audit for them. While on the hotel property, between hotel outlet audits, use it as a down/relaxation time and to complete the report, so that when you get home you just need to add the last few interactions.
and definitely DEFINITELY don't hire a hooker while you're auditing a hotel. Trust me.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
I was going to ask about hotel shops as well. I picked one up next month about 30 minutes from my house. I just want the experience, and mine is not for the above mentioned MSC.
Not all of Regal's clients reverse the charges. I rack up tons of rewards points with their shops and some from ACL and Merc Sys. I have never not been compensated for the hotel costs in 7 years of doing them. I lost one receipt for a cash transaction and that was not reimbursed, but that was minor and it was my fault. I will not do the overnight ones that are lower fees. The report is almost as long as the ones with fees that are twice as high and have much better food, drink and service.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2015 09:27PM by walesmaven.
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.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2015 09:27PM by walesmaven.
Yeah. But the only hotel chain that I have a Visa card for is the one that DOES reverse the charges. Bah!
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
I have yet to do a stay for them. For some reason I can only see very limited shops for them and my emails inquiring about shops have gone unanswered.
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
@Hoju wrote:
Yeah. But the only hotel chain that I have a Visa card for is the one that DOES reverse the charges. Bah!
Sometimes the points from the stay alone can be quite valuable, particularly if you happen to catch a stay during one or more points promotions. I had a 3 night stay last year where I earned 30,000 points plus 4,000 American Airlines miles. And that was without using the hotel's co-branded AMEX (which I have but chose not to use for that particular stay). The listing on my hotel account shows 6 separate bonus points lines beneath the base rate points.
I had been doing hotel shops for years. The last time I accidentally booked the room through a third party site(booking the room was not a part of the shop) and my shop was rejected. It cost me $300. I spent a long time on the report. I contacted the MS company and asked if they would at least pay half and they refused.
@BamaBeana wrote:
At my real job i work 6 on and 8 off so on my 8 off I have been taking a hotel shop to where ever and then just mystery shopping in that area just seeing whats out there...and getting away from my regular life....even though I have signed up with over 70 company's I still cant find some of the simple things people talk about on this board....I was hoping these would lead to bigger and better things..
What are the simple things you seek? What, for you, are the bigger and better things?
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
I have done some hotels in the past but the one where I could take my dog is no longer shopped for that msc. I really prefer the not so fancy hotels where you don't have to evaluate spas and restaurants etc. I have found a few where they would allow my dog but at an extra $100 a night for a $100 a night hotel. I personally think that chain is trying to be politically correct without having to actually have many dogs there when they double the rate!
If anyone out there shops hotels with their dogs with a reasonable dog fee of around $25 or so a night are they available at Regal? some other place?. I am in southern calif and will not be much of a competitor as I would only do this once every few months and I am not interested in hot tourist attraction locations like Palm Springs, Anaheim etc.
If anyone out there shops hotels with their dogs with a reasonable dog fee of around $25 or so a night are they available at Regal? some other place?. I am in southern calif and will not be much of a competitor as I would only do this once every few months and I am not interested in hot tourist attraction locations like Palm Springs, Anaheim etc.
I have found that usually when I check with the MSC that even if the hotel allows dogs for a minimal or no fee they do not want me to take my dog. There is only 1 chain I know of that is shopped where the MSC does specifically state pets allowed.
I have done a number of hotel shops. But I only do them if they are someplace I was going to go, for example I got one that was 1/2 between where I lived in NC and MD where I was going for a holiday. Usually I would do the drive in one day, but I really enjoyed splitting it into two days and I was much more rested. I have had no problems with any of my hotel shops. I have always been reimbursed in full as promised.
@jpgilham wrote:
I don't ever do reimbursement shops when it's something I wouldn't have bought anyway. I don't want to risk a rejected shop and losing my money, particularly with hotel shops as it's quite a lot to invest.
I feel the same, too big a risk.
A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.
Can you name the companies? I would like to pick up some motel/hotel shops on my next trip but have not found any companies to do them for.
kascadya,
Don't plan on using hotel shops much for a trip where you might need several nights of hotels and will be traveling on most check-out days. The shops are widely scattered locations or clusters that all need to be shopped within a few days. You would have to really work your way up doing hotels to, for instance, get 3 nights (at 3 hotels) in the Orlando area, and then the report deadlines could ruin yor sightseeing.
Don't plan on using hotel shops much for a trip where you might need several nights of hotels and will be traveling on most check-out days. The shops are widely scattered locations or clusters that all need to be shopped within a few days. You would have to really work your way up doing hotels to, for instance, get 3 nights (at 3 hotels) in the Orlando area, and then the report deadlines could ruin yor sightseeing.
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.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
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