EDITED- I did my homework on this assignment and my initial comments were off-base. This shop is worth reimbursement only. I didn't realize how nice these hotels really are until I read up on them. My apologies for this.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2016 02:38PM by DanteScheduler.

I did a hotel shop that was reimbursement only- it wasn't Fairfield Inn though. It required us (I bought my family) to dine in the restaurant for dinner and breakfast, and I used a credit card that gives me rewards- so I thought of it as getting that as a bonus. I'm trying to get as many rewards as I can because I'm taking a trip next year, and the expenses that would be reimbursed helped. We had a great stay, and I also was required to visit the lounge- I was able to order a nice bottle of wine, stay in the lounge for the required time while I drank a glass, and I was able to take the rest of the bottle home. I also planned on doing a bank shop the next morning that was literally next door to the hotel- so it saved me some time and mileage as well. I would only do a shop like this if it included all meals, was a reasonable report, and was a super nice hotel.

This is not one of my favorite companies, so I have no need to take up for them, but personally I don't mind their hotel shops. I'm doing 2 on a route next week for them. The reports are easy, there's really not a ton of work to do on them, and it's well worth it for me because I can add it to a route and save the $100 hotel fee. I'd MUCH rather do one of those than one that might be a "big privilege" to stay in.

Also welcome back, I see you are no longer scheduling for the company you blocked me from because I explained the payment policy to your buddy.

bgriffin,

I didn't block you from that company. Trust me on that. If you would want to speak to me in private, I can tell you what went down with that company, but I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Does this MSC have these hotel shops in the Midwest?

Inquiring minds want to know...

I can understand for people who travel that this shop can be beneficial. However, to the typical "non-route" shopper, this shop would not be worth it. Maybe I need to get back to routes... lol

It wouldn't be worth it, most of the time. I would consider taking one if I needed a "staycation," of sorts. When travelling, hotel shops of any type can be a burden because they often want you there by a certain time and I have to finish the shop before hitting the road, so the time on-grounds is more than I would ordinarily stay. Adding a hotel to a route can be helpful if you would have stayed anyway.

@DanteScheduler wrote:

Sorry, I had to post this. One MSC, that doesn't typically believe in paying shop fees posted a "Fairfield Inn" shop with reimbursement only... Are they serious??? It's not a big privilege to stay at the Fairfield Inn... I cannot believe how cheap some of these companies still are and I've been in this for almost three years now!

They topped it with a Vagabond Inn in Anaheim, CA earlier this year. It went quick. LOL. No way, no how.

I'd do the Fairfield Inn if I was doing a route though.

Hotels are too much work for "just" reimbursing you and no fee. This is especially true if you have deal with bed bugs, cockroaches and dirty sheets.

Dante,
As a scheduler for another (or several other) MSC, it certainly looks less than professional for you to criticize an MSC for which you do not, apparently, schedule. Regulars on the forum know exactly which MSC you are criticizing, so, in this case, it hardly matters that you have not named the MSC.

Not sure but I think I know that shop. I took it once, paired with a novelty type restaurant shop that was also reimbursement only and took my other daughter (close friend like a daughter) and her children on a weekend. We had a blast. The shops were both very easy and coupled with the loyalty points it worked fine for me.

Liz

I had to look up Vagabond Inn. I thought you were making a joke. Never heard of the hotel.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2016 03:37PM by reneeturner.

Most hotel shops I've done have been reimbursement only. Useful to me if I need a hotel. These particular ones were not much work.

@walesmaven wrote:

Dante,
As a scheduler for another (or several other) MSC, it certainly looks less than professional for you to criticize an MSC for which you do not, apparently, schedule. Regulars on the forum know exactly which MSC you are criticizing, so, in this case, it hardly matters that you have not named the MSC.

The judgements might have been better suited for a PM. Just sayin.

I don't schedule for any MSC currently, so your "friendly" advice is a little misguided.

@walesmaven wrote:

Dante,
As a scheduler for another (or several other) MSC, it certainly looks less than professional for you to criticize an MSC for which you do not, apparently, schedule. Regulars on the forum know exactly which MSC you are criticizing, so, in this case, it hardly matters that you have not named the MSC.

Dante can you change your user name so people will not make that mistake again? Or would you have to create a new profile? The rest of us shoppers are free to criticize and complain about MSCs. If you re just a shopper now, you have the same right.

I basically took a sabbatical; a temporary break from scheduling. I may be going back to it soon, so it wouldn't be worth it to change my name, only having to change it back.

Are we even allowed to have more than one name on here? If so, that could be an option.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Dante can you change your user name so people will not make that mistake again? Or would you have to create a new profile? The rest of us shoppers are free to criticize and complain about MSCs. If you re just a shopper now, you have the same right.

Well you certainly continue to present yourself as a scheduler.

Agree with Jasflalmt. Until right now I believed you were still scheduling and guess anyone would based on your screen name.

As stated, I took a break from it. I will be going back to it shortly. When I scheduled, I listed the companies in my signature... no companies are listed.

Probably not supposed to but maybe an exception could be made under the circumstances? You could post as DanteShopper and we will know who you are (if they will let you). Or you could add a disclaimer to your signature.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2016 07:52PM by JASFLALMT.

That MSC's hotel shops are very easy, and I do the local ones for rewards points.

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

Hotels are too much work for "just" reimbursing you and no fee. This is especially true if you have deal with bed bugs, cockroaches and dirty sheets.

It depends upon the hotel. A decade ago, we did HIEs in the area (I'm assuming they were all the same franchise owner). The report took less than an hour and the observations were ones that you'd normally make as a non-MSer. They were local, allowed children, had pools, offered free breakfast, and I got to keep the points. Completely worth the reimbursement-only.

I loved HIES. The one in Cleveland was right across from the House of Blues, so I would make sure there was a good concert, get the shop for HOB from the other MSC, and do the Holiday Inn Express. Good times.

I find hotel shops to run the gamut from extremely easy to time consuming and difficult. I have done some that literally are a checklist of standards and require no interactions, special requests, pictures or narratives. Those have been worth it for me to be reimbursement only based on circumstances (traveling, just wanting to get away, accumulating points)

Liz

I think I know which MSC you are talking about but not sure. I have done reimbursement only hotel shops for two companies. I typically only do them if they are in the Marriott or Hilton line, like Fairfield Inn is actually Marriott. So I can pay with my Marriot super bonus shiny credit card, get 5 points per $1, usually get bumped up in room, get some bonus points sometimes, get night credits etc. I will look for these types of shops, particularly the lower to middle line hotels with free breakfast bar, and then plan a family outing around them, where we don't have to rush back home and can use the hotel, pool, free breakfast, etc. to make a night of it. I have even done these lower end shops in my own hometown and didnt even actually SLEEP there, just checked in, did everything I was supposed to, worked on my report, went home to sleep, came back, went to the breakfast, got all my pics etc and left, just for the bonus points and night credits. I have done the same on the Hilton line for Doubletree hotels, but also for budget types like Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn. We are trying to save like 300,000 points for a week long trip we have planned to Seattle so I feel like I am getting reimbursed, and also the pay is POINTS.

My only major objection with this one MSC that I think you are talking about is that they take WAY TOO LONG to pay. They pay, but their guidelines say 60-90 days, which is a LONG time to wait to get reimbursed hundreds of dollars for a stay.

@jillmarie13 wrote:

I did a hotel shop that was reimbursement only- it wasn't Fairfield Inn though. It required us (I bought my family) to dine in the restaurant for dinner and breakfast, and I used a credit card that gives me rewards-

I also planned on doing a bank shop the next morning that was literally next door to the hotel- so it saved me some time and mileage as well. I would only do a shop like this if it included all meals, was a reasonable report, and was a super nice hotel.

You can often get rewarded twice as you might already know. You get the rewards on your credit card, and often the hotels with the reimbursement only shops also have rewards programs and you get to keep the points for those programs as well.

Recently I did a reimbursement only hotel shop. I earned the HH points as well as credit card rewards. I used the hotel fitness center. The hotel had no pool but I managed to pick up a shop at a nearby health club so I got to use the pool there. I also picked up enough restaurant shops that all of my meals were covered for the two days and one night I was in the area.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2016 02:57AM by alannajm.

The CC rewards points are awesome for clients who choose to reimburse but for those that reverse charges, which is a lot of them, it means bupkis.

Wrong. You still get the points for the stay from the rewards system for almost all hotel chains.

I think Hoju's point was that you don't get to keep the points from the credit card usage also.