I've just had that "net $3.00/hour" shop, and I fully expect it to be my first rejected one. And, after taking hours to write the report because it was so screwed up, I don't care if it is. In fact, when I was doing the required quiz, I hoped I'd fail it. Unfortunately, I passed. The quiz wasn't difficult, but one of the questions was flat-out stupid (sounded like it was written by a five-year-old), and another wouldn't accept the answer that matched the shop guidelines.Too involved to explain, but, truly, I can read and understand instructions and questions. Trust me when I say that the question wasn't worded properly! (Or it was, and the responses weren't correct based on the guidelines!)

The shop itself was straightforward, although extremely detailed, and there was a video to watch and several pages of instructions to review before doing it. As usual for this MSC (GFK), the time required exceeded the time they hype it as. But I expect that with them, and took the job only because it was bonused. Mistake.

I've commented about GFK's poorly worded, ambiguous, and confusing questions and answers. This was the absolute worst combination of guidelines-to-survey I've seen in the 2 1/2 years I've been shopping for them. Usually when I just can't figure out what they mean, I e-mail the schedulers (sometimes they can't even figure it out). There wasn't time for that, and trying to make my answers fit was like putting a round peg into a square hole. The sequence of questions and the related follow-ups didn't allow for what actually happened. Argh. There must have been well more than 100 individual closed-ended questions, plus several narratives. The narratives were to be as detailed as possible. There was a lot to report in one, but it was flagged for being more than 500 words; that rule isn't stated anywhere! Why can't they simply add a parenthetical "500 words maximum"? I pared it down, lost a lot of "meat," and the rating I gave wasn't really explained. Then there were the questions about the sales associate. Oye. There was no way to answer these accurately, because two separate knowledge areas were lumped within the same questions. There were other inconsistencies in the salesperson's performance, but no appropriate places to explain (no narratives in that particular area of the report). I'm sure the editor will think my answers are inconsistent due to carelessness. There were just SO many issues with this survey's logic, sequence, wording, etc., etc., etc.

I ended up putting some notes in the "unusual" circumstances box for the editor, but since they really weren't unusual (I was just trying to explain some of the seeming inconsistencies), I'll probably get dinged for putting anything there. And I e-mailed the scheduler with some other concerns that didn't belong in that box.

Regardless of whether my shop is accepted or rejected, I'm going to take a break from GFK until they understand that their guidelines and questionnaires need some serious re-working. They make the job twice as difficult as it should be, and then we get dinged because they don't make things clear. Worse yet, they don't seem to realize the problem. Personally, I haven't had any serious issue with them, and I actually enjoy working with them. But these shops aren't worth it, even with bonuses for the "aggravation factor." They would be if one didn't have to spend so much time figuring out what the he!! they're asking, and how to "make" your responses fit. I don't have the time or the constitution to deal with the frustration and exasperation!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2015 10:06PM by BirdyC.

I really enjoyed the one where the guidelines CLEARLY specify you're to go to the coffee area and buy a cup of coffee; then proceed to the Deli area, where the "host" is REQUIRED to upsell you a coffee. Now, how can she or he upsell me a coffee, when I have already purchased the coffee? So I wrote the scheduler, and she said I am to "get your coffee, then proceed to the deli area". Still eliminates the possibility of an upsell, and the point is to give the clerk a chance to upsell. And of course the report was kicked back to me for clarification. Grrrrrrrr.

GfK is notorious for confusing guidelines. That in addition to paltry pay is why no one wants to work for that MSC anymore.

@bestofbothworlds wrote:

GfK is notorious for confusing guidelines. That in addition to paltry pay is why no one wants to work for that MSC anymore.

I can see why! But what I can't see is why the company hasn't (apparently) figured out that their guidelines and questionnaires need serious revision. Or do they simply think all of us shoppers are idiots who can't read?

Here's an example of why just the quiz almost drove me to drink. The guidelines say the sales person must mention the following feature:

"Fast Charging- Charge two times faster than the competition
Wireless- Conveniently charges your phone wirelessly - the technology is built in. No
plug in required."

The quiz, which I can't quote exactly since I no longer have access to it (I should've copied this!) asks what the associate should mention about this feature. Answer A covers both aspects--the associate should mention how fast the phone charges and that it charges wirelessly. Feature covered; Answer A should suffice.

But, here we go.... A second answer selection states, in wording as closely as I can remember it: "That you can conveniently and wirelessly charge your phone wirelessly." There may have been one or two other words thrown in there, but that's the essence of the answer. I kid you not. Huh? Duh. That's when I started to think I should not have taken this shop. That's the most blatant example of a ridiculous answer. There were more, but that takes the cake.

@ceasesmith wrote:

I really enjoyed the one where the guidelines CLEARLY specify you're to go to the coffee area and buy a cup of coffee; then proceed to the Deli area, where the "host" is REQUIRED to upsell you a coffee. Now, how can she or he upsell me a coffee, when I have already purchased the coffee? So I wrote the scheduler, and she said I am to "get your coffee, then proceed to the deli area". Still eliminates the possibility of an upsell, and the point is to give the clerk a chance to upsell. And of course the report was kicked back to me for clarification. Grrrrrrrr.

OMG. So, what did you end up doing, in the end? Throw the first cup of coffee into the nearest trash bin, then go to the deli where they could sell you another coffee?

And how "helpful" your scheduler was.

I don't know who writes these shops for GFK, but they need to find some other people to do it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2015 12:47AM by BirdyC.

Nope. Got my coffee, went to the deli. Wrote in my report that the cashier couldn't upsell me because I got my coffee first, as instructed. And no, I won't do any more shops with contradictions. Who do they want to fail, the poor employee, or the poor shopper? With apologies to Ceti, it just gets my goat!

Are you maybe supposed to actually drink the coffee, like an actual customer would?

@Alter_Ego
Are you maybe supposed to actually drink the coffee, like an actual customer would?[/quote wrote:

Sounds to me from what ceasesmith posted that it'd be pretty hard to down a cup of coffee during a walk from the coffee area to the deli area! (I'm assuming this is within the same store or service area, so how far could it be?)

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

@ceasesmith wrote:

I really enjoyed the one where the guidelines CLEARLY specify you're to go to the coffee area and buy a cup of coffee; then proceed to the Deli area, where the "host" is REQUIRED to upsell you a coffee. Now, how can she or he upsell me a coffee, when I have already purchased the coffee? So I wrote the scheduler, and she said I am to "get your coffee, then proceed to the deli area". Still eliminates the possibility of an upsell, and the point is to give the clerk a chance to upsell. And of course the report was kicked back to me for clarification. Grrrrrrrr.

I do this one but for a different company. I walk to the coffee station and seem "perplexed" about which coffee to get...... Then.... the friendly associate comes over and I seem "confuzzled" on which kind, so she offers to show me ALL the coffee and hot cocoa flavors. Then I look longingly at the breakfast sandwiches and pastries, at which time she starts suggesting something great for breakfast!

I get lucky though. It's the same associate and she does a great job of upselling. It's not GFK though, it's the other company that does those 5-8 a.m. coffee shops..(not big pay....but I wait for the bonuses.)

I'm *this close* to deactivating with them after dealing with so many confusing guidelines and reports. Not to mention poorly informed schedulers. I've never had them reject anything but I find them so frustrating to deal with. They badly need to hire a technical writer to rebuild everything in their guidelines, training materials, and questionnaires from the ground up.

Or do they simply think all of us shoppers are idiots who can't read?

Ding, ding, ding ... we have a winnah!

@ceasesmith wrote:

Nope. Got my coffee, went to the deli. Wrote in my report that the cashier couldn't upsell me because I got my coffee first, as instructed. And no, I won't do any more shops with contradictions. Who do they want to fail, the poor employee, or the poor shopper? With apologies to Ceti, it just gets my goat!

Just tell my goat army where to aim their trusty bazookas.........

I had a siuation with XYZ cell phone company. According to the guidelines, kiosks were not evaluated, but the instructions on the assignment were clear "XYZ Cell Phone Company Kiosk at Funny Bone Mall". I was stupid enough not to question it and went ahead with the evaluation.

Guess what? I got the $3.00 fee and an "explanation" that kiosks were not participating. I expressed my concerns to the scheduler, I'm still waiting for a response.

That was a few months ago. I have not completed any other assignments for them. It's not worth the aggravation.

Cheers!

I got dinged a few times for putting two spaces after a sentence. Guess my first grade teacher was wrong, lol.

@mainland wrote:

I got dinged a few times for putting two spaces after a sentence. Guess my first grade teacher was wrong, lol.

In "old-style" typing, pre-computer age, double spacing after a period was the correct thing to do. But with the advent of computerized typesetting equipment, automated letter spacing eliminated the need for the double space, and contemporary style is to use a single space. But, there's at least one MSC that still wants two spaces. I did my first shop for it a few weeks ago, and because there's a very good style guide provided for writing narratives, I knew to use two spaces. But I had to go through each narrative a couple of times before I got them all right. I'm so used to using one now that using two was very difficult!

@BirdyC wrote:

@mainland wrote:

I got dinged a few times for putting two spaces after a sentence. Guess my first grade teacher was wrong, lol.

In "old-style" typing, pre-computer age, double spacing after a period was the correct thing to do. But with the advent of computerized typesetting equipment, automated letter spacing eliminated the need for the double space, and contemporary style is to use a single space. But, there's at least one MSC that still wants two spaces. I did my first shop for it a few weeks ago, and because there's a very good style guide provided for writing narratives, I knew to use two spaces. But I had to go through each narrative a couple of times before I got them all right. I'm so used to using one now that using two was very difficult!

I have the opposite problem. I learned with two spaces and went crazy when one company wanted one space. I finally did the whole shop with two and changed it at the end. I do two spaces for all my other jobs and have never had anyone tell me to use only one. I hope I can lay low and keep doing two. LOL

I was taught to use two spaces, too, but when I started taking professional communications courses (after computers had been in use for years), I had to learn to use one. Now it's almost impossible to me to use two, without a great deal of effort!

I just had my first ever report for them rejected (after shopping for them for over a year) and I'm livid. Nothing to do with coffee. I did the same shop last month and this month. I got a business card and uploaded it both times. They are saying that the business card I used the 2nd time was the same one from before. I even went back and got a 2nd business card the 2nd time. They still said it was the same. It's not like the company changed their business card in less than a month's time period. Of course they all look the same. I tried explaining that to a few different people but either no one there wants to listen or they're too stupid to understand the concept. Either way they screwed me out of my money that I earned. They are by far the worst MSC around.

@dobsgirl wrote:

I just had my first ever report for them rejected (after shopping for them for over a year) and I'm livid. Nothing to do with coffee. I did the same shop last month and this month. I got a business card and uploaded it both times. They are saying that the business card I used the 2nd time was the same one from before. I even went back and got a 2nd business card the 2nd time. They still said it was the same. It's not like the company changed their business card in less than a month's time period. Of course they all look the same. I tried explaining that to a few different people but either no one there wants to listen or they're too stupid to understand the concept. Either way they screwed me out of my money that I earned. They are by far the worst MSC around.

They knew you had done the same shop the month before, at the same location, and they didn't understand that the card would be the same? Yikes! I assume you also interacted with the same person at the location, or didn't the cards have names on them? I did a shop recently where the business cards weren't personalized, but fortunately the associate had his name tag on. So I hand-wrote his name on the card before I scanned it. I don't know if they've accepted it or not, because the shop's been done forever and still sitting in my shop log unedited.

Maybe next time--even if for another MSC--it would be a good idea to write the date on the card before scanning?

But, you're right. I'm beginning to think that GFK outsources its work to non-English-speaking people, ignorant people, and/or people who are looking for excuses to reject shops. They used to be one of my favorite MSCs to work for, but no longer. Seems as if many people feel that way these days. I wonder what's going on with them?

My first ever shop was returned to me for not putting a period at the end of a sentence. Honestly, it seems so foolish sometimes.

I urge caution and close attention to the guidelines. There are some shops I do for some MSCs which specifically say not to write anything on the business card or any collateral material you receive. Then there is an MSC which requires the date to be handwritten on the business cards for 1 client, and forbids it for another. Adding the date might work for the OP, but it might cause a different problem. There is just no way of knowing without carefully reading the guidelines, and of course with GfK, it might actually say different things in different parts of the guidelines.

@BirdyC wrote:

@dobsgirl wrote:

Maybe next time--even if for another MSC--it would be a good idea to write the date on the card before scanning?

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

@myst4au wrote:

There is just no way of knowing without carefully reading the guidelines, and of course with GfK, it might actually say different things in different parts of the guidelines.

With GFK, chances are the guidelines say nothing about writing or not writing anything on the business card, but they might come back to you and say that you didn't follow the (non-existent) instructions.

I get so annoyed when I am penalized for a grammaticl error (like 1 space when they want 2) and they don't tell you what was wrong (in their opinion). So how do you know not to do it again?

was this a smartphone shop? Because I didn't know that they allowed people to shop the next location too soon. The smartphone shops also allow you to write out on any material received.

Sorry....I think you misunderstod my statement (maybe I wasn't clear). What I meant was that when the editor lowers your points for a grammatical error, they never tell you what it was. If they told you, you could correct it the next time.

@nc wrote:

Sorry....I think you misunderstod my statement (maybe I wasn't clear). What I meant was that when the editor lowers your points for a grammatical error, they never tell you what it was. If they told you, you could correct it the next time.

I think many of us have complained about that, too! If you've made an error, and you didn't realize it was an error, then how can you fix it next time around?

A representative from GFK who posts here said that they don't want to give specifics on our mistakes, because it could be construed as "training," which, according to GFK, they're not supposed to do for ICs. Personally, I have to question that premise. (I know there are laws regarding not treating ICs as employees, but I doubt that giving some sort of specific feedback on work performed violates those laws.) But, she did say that they're working on a system so that editors can give more feedback in that area.

Let's all hope that they'll re-write their training materials, guidelines and instructions, and shop surveys, as well as giving more specific feedback. They'd end up with shoppers who can produce better reports and editors who don't have to work as hard.

I agree completely.

But it wasn't GFK. It was the wonderful Intellishop.

Every once in awhile GFK sends me am email on something that looks good, then I re-read comments like this and I realize Nope my ban of working for them stands.

@red-is-my-color wrote:

Every once in awhile GFK sends me am email on something that looks good, then I re-read comments like this and I realize Nope my ban of working for them stands.

Funny you should post this today; I was going to post an update on this....

Happy to report that my shop didn't get rejected, and, in fact, I got a 9/10 on it (not sure how that happened with all the trouble I had making heads or tails of the survey). I did have a problem, though, when the bonus--which had appeared on my shop log since acceptance, disappeared the day after the shop was accepted. But after minimal back and forth with the scheduler, the bonus was put back on.

I may still do some shops for them, but not very many until they re-write their shop materials. And assuming they get rid of all the ambiguity, contradictory and confusing information, and poor grammar and spelling. I don't want to see "your" instead of "you're" and "it's" instead of "its" (or vice versa) in shop materials coming from an MSC. Not when our grammar and spelling are supposed to be impeccable!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2015 02:54AM by BirdyC.