I completed a shop this morning and just got an email the client cancelled it !!! 8 hours later !!
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So am I just SOL ? I actually talked to the scheduler yesterday about doing these 2 shops. What is the industry standard ? I could understand if they cancelled before the shop started but 8 hours later ?
I would keep calm. Did you complete the shops in the time frame scheduled and report them prior to their being cancelled? If so, with whatever proofs etc. you needed to submit, you have validly completed the contract. I have never had a company not pay appropriately for a shop correctly done and reported except where the company closed their doors. On the other hand, up until the contract is completed, a company has the right to cancel the shop, as do you the shopper.
I completed one shop at 9am and one at 11am. I have supporting documents that I picked up from each location (the business card of each person I talked to and the handouts they provided). I had until 11pm to input my shop but at 5pm I received an email stating both shops had been cancelled.
Too bad you didn't get them reported prior to the cancellation. Talk to your scheduler. Was there a phone number to contact on the emails with him/her? This probably would work better as a calm live conversation than trading emails. My sense is that there should be some compensation for your time though not necessarily the full fee since you did not need to do the reports.
@Flash wrote:
Too bad you didn't get them reported prior to the cancellation. Talk to your scheduler. Was there a phone number to contact on the emails with him/her? This probably would work better as a calm live conversation than trading emails. My sense is that there should be some compensation for your time though not necessarily the full fee since you did not need to do the reports.
I have called the scheduler and every back up number he has on his voicemail. One person and she answered and said he would call me in 20 minutes. It's now been 40 minutes.
Calm down. Go take a cold shower. Have your Snickers bar. Stop watching the clock. Your sense of emergency is not shared and it really isn't an emergency. There will be an opportunity to discuss this but you have to remain calm, listen, be logical and be polite. Hopefully you can salvage something, but since you were unable to complete all requirements before they cancelled, realize that they, like you, have the right to cancel work before it is 100% completed. You are asking for a little financial compensation for your time.
@Flash wrote:
Too bad you didn't get them reported prior to the cancellation.
It doesn't matter. If he had completed the shop and just not reported it any REPUTABLE company would pay the full fee.
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
I understand and agree bgriffin, but some companies think of themselves as reputable but if they get in the cancellation before the report is done they feel there is no harm, no foul to not paying. So indeed once the dust settles the OP can decide whether in the OP's books the company is reputable or not.
I've had shops, that I was just heading out the door to do and they were cancelled by the client. Thankfully, I have never done one and that was cancelled during the visit...
I had one cancelled about 30 minutes after the visit. I was right after the beginning of the year last year, like the 3rd or 4th of Jan, and when I got there the location was out of business. About 30 minutes later I got a phone call from the scheduler telling me the shop was cancelled because the location was out of business. I told her I had noticed that when I went there about 30 minutes before. They paid me the full fee, although I did miss out on my favorite yogurt!
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
I think they should have paid you the full fee. If we go out that door, drive over there and do what we need to do, then we should be paid. That's my 2 cents!@bgriffin wrote:
I had one cancelled about 30 minutes after the visit. I was right after the beginning of the year last year, like the 3rd or 4th of Jan, and when I got there the location was out of business. About 30 minutes later I got a phone call from the scheduler telling me the shop was cancelled because the location was out of business. I told her I had noticed that when I went there about 30 minutes before. They paid me the full fee, although I did miss out on my favorite yogurt!
I just spoke to the scheduler and apparently he needed to discuss it with a supervisor, but I am to submit the paperwork I collected today from my visits and I will be paid. There were some comments made that they were believed to be cancelled in a timely fashion but that was impossible and there may be some confusion on the time zone when they sent it out (as well as the time of the event).
I appreciate them doing right by me. But I am going to be extra cautious going forward since I have more of these shops this week.
I appreciate them doing right by me. But I am going to be extra cautious going forward since I have more of these shops this week.
I think the OP should expect at least a closed location fee, regardless if the location was open. Closed location fees vary wildly among MSCs and clients.
I cross-posted with you, frodo. Sounds like a good outcome.
Fantastic news! Stand up company.
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
And it sounds like a considered and considerate adult conversation took place, so congratulations! It certainly is appropriate to submit the paperwork to them, heck even do the report if that is what they want, to receive full payment.
A few weeks ago, right after I emailed and called in that a location was closed, I received a cancellation email. My email included a picture of the notice on the locations door. They are paying me the fee, but I had to ask for it, they did not initially address it.
My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.
When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson
When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson
I had a 5-hour drive to do a shop. At 3:30 PM I called the scheduler from the road to tell her I was perfectly on track to arrive at 5 PM. I assured her I would call her as soon as I was finished; she was to take my report over the phone (last minute, desperate, deadlined shop far from my home). I called her at 5:20 and got voice mail. Called 3 more times, left voice mails with the report info, until the battery on my cell phone was run down. I drove home. When I got home, there was an e-mail that the shop had been cancelled. I was one ANGRY
bunrab, let me tell you!!! Ticked off, mad, never EVER shopping for them again, ready to get on the forum and rant, rant, rant. Slam those suckers, but GOOD!!! Call the company, rip them a new you-know-what. Castigate the scheduler up one side and down the other for not telling me at 3:30 PM!
Thank goodness I didn't do any of that, as full payment
including bonus. arrived within a few days!
Sometimes it's nice to have your efforts recognized. And in my particular case, it's always a good idea to keep my mouth shut when I'm too angry to think straight!
bunrab, let me tell you!!! Ticked off, mad, never EVER shopping for them again, ready to get on the forum and rant, rant, rant. Slam those suckers, but GOOD!!! Call the company, rip them a new you-know-what. Castigate the scheduler up one side and down the other for not telling me at 3:30 PM!
Thank goodness I didn't do any of that, as full payment
including bonus. arrived within a few days!
Sometimes it's nice to have your efforts recognized. And in my particular case, it's always a good idea to keep my mouth shut when I'm too angry to think straight!
Wait. You have a few of the same shops...which have already been cancelled (last minute at best)?
That doesn't make sense...I wouldn't do them.
That doesn't make sense...I wouldn't do them.
@rasky wrote:
Wait. You have a few of the same shops...which have already been cancelled (last minute at best)?
That doesn't make sense...I wouldn't do them.
So far the only ones cancelled are the ones I completed yesterday. When I log in, I see the future shops are still assigned to me. If they are still assigned at the time I am scheduled to complete them, I will do so but I plan on submitting the report within the hour in case this is a pattern.
I agree with everyone else about calming down and hanging on until someone gets back to you - willfully in a respectable amount of time. I posted a similar situation that happened to me a few weeks back. spent over $100 doing a shop, just to have it cancelled on me a few hours after completing it (had not reported it yet). I thought I missed the reporting deadline but hadn't so I was furious that I had just shelled out my money and fear of not being reimbursed. I sent two emails and one responded that I just had to snapshot my receipts and would be reimbursed (which I was just yesterday). Turned out that a glitch in the system had assigned the same shop to two of us and the other had reported theirs right away, and thus, mine was cancelled. At least that is what they told me was the reason, but no matter, I got my reimbursement back and fee regardless. Hang tight, Im sure there is a good reason for putting this stress on you.
I beg to differ with FLASH because it is something to worry about. How can you not get somewhat worried and/or upset when something like this happens. It's not knowing if the company will pay you or not. You get a feeling of helplessness and that you have no power to sort it out. I had this happen some years ago and was very lucky because the MSC paid me the full fee with no problem. I also feel that the fees the MSC's are paying for a closed location are not fair. If you telephone your target location and can only get a recording of their location and hours of operation, you would expect that location to be open. When you drive there and find the place locked up, the closed fee just doesn't cut it since you have done your due diligence on calling and checking on the location. I also had a MSC tell me that when I called and didn't get any answer after 4 calls over a few hours, I should have driven out to the target store to check. That one pissed me off since it would have been a 20 to 30 minute drive to confirm the store was closed and to then only get paid the $3 or $4 closed fee just doesn't cut it.
Good luck, I drove 90 miles to do an apt shop. The agent was there, I called twice, finally she called back conforming she was still there but was dressed in jeans and a sweat shirt saying not appropriate for seeing clients except she had been reported as with clients both times I called. I told her it was ok I was in jeans myself. I get there she shakes my hand, tells me she is too sick to stick around but that she wanted to meet me. The company which I have done a lot of shops for is reusing to pay me now. If I had insisted that she stay I would be an insensitive jerk and risk being caught as a mystery shopper.
I would be beyond pissed if I drove 90 miles to do an apartment shop ......and now they are refusing to pay you!@red-is-my-color wrote:
Good luck, I drove 90 miles to do an apt shop. The agent was there, I called twice, finally she called back conforming she was still there but was dressed in jeans and a sweat shirt saying not appropriate for seeing clients except she had been reported as with clients both times I called. I told her it was ok I was in jeans myself. I get there she shakes my hand, tells me she is too sick to stick around but that she wanted to meet me. The company which I have done a lot of shops for is reusing to pay me now. If I had insisted that she stay I would be an insensitive jerk and risk being caught as a mystery shopper.
Something very similar happened to me--I tried for days to get the target, finally made an appointment only to find when I showed up that she called in sick that day. Of course I had to tour with the other agent or be revealed. No compensation for my lengthy report----no more targeted apartment shops!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2015 02:09AM by kathierost.
Kona Kathie
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2015 02:09AM by kathierost.
@niclinblue wrote:
I beg to differ with FLASH because it is something to worry about. How can you not get somewhat worried and/or upset when something like this happens. It's not knowing if the company will pay you or not. You get a feeling of helplessness and that you have no power to sort it out. I had this happen some years ago and was very lucky because the MSC paid me the full fee with no problem. I also feel that the fees the MSC's are paying for a closed location are not fair. If you telephone your target location and can only get a recording of their location and hours of operation, you would expect that location to be open. When you drive there and find the place locked up, the closed fee just doesn't cut it since you have done your due diligence on calling and checking on the location. I also had a MSC tell me that when I called and didn't get any answer after 4 calls over a few hours, I should have driven out to the target store to check. That one pissed me off since it would have been a 20 to 30 minute drive to confirm the store was closed and to then only get paid the $3 or $4 closed fee just doesn't cut it.
I certainly understand what you are saying and I personally would have little patience with an MSP that played games with me. My point is that when you are worried, heated, annoyed and combative you will get nowhere. This is when your ultimate professionalism is put to the test to be a calm, rational adult, talk sense, let the other party know politely that you are feeling abused and give them a chance to make it right. Am I personally going to drive 20-30 min for a $3 or $4 closed fee? Not likely! I will let the MSC know that after phone calls made at ___, ____, ____ and ____ the phone was never answered, nor did I get a message that the phone was disconnected. I would then negotiate a closed fee in case I went out there and the place was indeed closed. Who knows, I might even be clever enough to use Google maps to find out the store next door and call them to ask if the place was closed because more and more I am finding places where their phone is not working or their credit card system is not working because they have it all on internet and their internet is down.
I was on my way to complete these shops and just by luck I checked my email, something I never do and saw the shops were cancelled. They were my last shops of the day. I was sorta relieved it was a looooong day, but I feel your pain.
These shops are posted again. Think I wait to see if they bonus
These shops are posted again. Think I wait to see if they bonus
A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.
This happen with my favorite Mexican Rest. It was the only reimbursement only shop I would do. I got 1/2 the fee and now have to go cross town to the only remaining location, which isn't as good as the closed location.@bgriffin wrote:
when I got there the location was out of business.
A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.
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