I received a call from a scheduler asking me to do a food shop that pays $7 and reimburses $13 for the meal (and the meal usually ends up costing $15+ after tipping). When I advised her that the location was 2.5 hours away, in the middle of nowhere, with no other shops nearby, she acted surprised that I said no. And she would not offer a bonus.

Are these schedulers really that ignorant?

Some are. It all depends on what they are using for software and where they are located. I know a couple scheduling companies I work with are in the other portion of my state, and one has it in the notes for me to call as it's out of the way for me to go to (since it's a tough demographic for the client to fill). They usually have to offer a steep bonus (I was able to pull a $35 bonus to cover for travel expenses and a meal) or roll their dice that I'm going through that way.

I had one argue once that I should be glad to take a retail store shop for her in Omaha Nebraska, I asked her what in the world made her think that I could easily make a little 920 mile hop to Omaha. She got very annoyed and said in an irritated tone as though speaking to a backward 5 year old "Well New York and Nebraska are next to each other in the alphabet". Makes me wonder who she was related to just to get her job.

Well, I am sure that the schedulers just get a list within a certain radius of available shoppers - and that they would not look up where each shopper specifically lives in order to make the call. I'm sure she did not specifically know that you were two and half hours away.

That being said, even if she did know that fact, there are shoppers who do routes and/or for other reasons might make the trek.

@Cettie wrote:

I had one argue once that I should be glad to take a retail store shop for her in Omaha Nebraska, I asked her what in the world made her think that I could easily make a little 920 mile hop to Omaha. She got very annoyed and said in an irritated tone as though speaking to a backward 5 year old "Well New York and Nebraska are next to each other in the alphabet". Makes me wonder who she was related to just to get her job.

This has to be the funniest thing I have read all week.

Or when a scheduler also thinks that there are major-sized bridges across the great lakes and we in the US can just easily drive to Canada. Just because it's a certain distance according to her mapquest doesn't mean you can drive in a straight line to get there.

@Cettie wrote:

Or when a scheduler also thinks that there are major-sized bridges across the great lakes and we in the US can just easily drive to Canada. Just because it's a certain distance according to her mapquest doesn't mean you can drive in a straight line to get there.

As I've said in a few other threads, I live in New York City, right on the Hudson river that separates us from New Jersey. Looking "as the crow flies" I'm not even a mile from some shops in NJ, and it's not that far, but...

To cross the Hudson river is the single biggest bridge toll in America. $17 last time I checked. I don't think there's a single scheduler that would approve a $17 bonus for such a short distance.

@Misanthrope wrote:

@Cettie wrote:

Or when a scheduler also thinks that there are major-sized bridges across the great lakes and we in the US can just easily drive to Canada. Just because it's a certain distance according to her mapquest doesn't mean you can drive in a straight line to get there.

As I've said in a few other threads, I live in New York City, right on the Hudson river that separates us from New Jersey. Looking "as the crow flies" I'm not even a mile from some shops in NJ, and it's not that far, but...

To cross the Hudson river is the single biggest bridge toll in America. $17 last time I checked. I don't think there's a single scheduler that would approve a $17 bonus for such a short distance.

And I thought the Golden Gate was ridiculous at $ 14.

@goldilox wrote:

@Cettie wrote:

I had one argue once that I should be glad to take a retail store shop for her in Omaha Nebraska, I asked her what in the world made her think that I could easily make a little 920 mile hop to Omaha. She got very annoyed and said in an irritated tone as though speaking to a backward 5 year old "Well New York and Nebraska are next to each other in the alphabet". Makes me wonder who she was related to just to get her job.

This has to be the funniest thing I have read all week.

I would immediately e-mail their boss. If they can't even figure out even fourth grade geography, they shouldn't be scheduling people.

@Cettie wrote:

And I thought the Golden Gate was ridiculous at $ 14.

The GG Bridge is only 7.25 (less with the FasTrak device) which is still a lot.

@Cettie wrote:

I had one argue once that I should be glad to take a retail store shop for her in Omaha Nebraska, I asked her what in the world made her think that I could easily make a little 920 mile hop to Omaha. She got very annoyed and said in an irritated tone as though speaking to a backward 5 year old "Well New York and Nebraska are next to each other in the alphabet". Makes me wonder who she was related to just to get her job.

OMG, thanks for the laugh!!!

I was stopped by a police officer. When I gave him my driver's license, he asked me what country Nebraska
was in. I still laugh every time I think of that!

McDonald's Has anyone been able to find out which company handles them now?

I routinely get emails from schedulers based on the fact that the shop is my state. I live in a big city so I don't do shops outside my own part of my own city unless it's something I really want to do, or it's Saturday and I drive to a mall 10 miles away. But I have four major shopping areas within 10 miles. So no, I won't be driving 600 miles across a major mountain range to eat at a family restaurant for $10.

I received a couple calls from a couple xyz MSCs. One asked me to do a bank shop, I explained it was 150 miles and would need a bonus, the scheduler said don't hold your breathe....ok, the shop takes an hour, the report another 30-45 minutes $15 No thanks. I was going to that town the next day, but every other MSC that asked for me to go PAID a bonus. Sorry...no bonus, no shop! Two months later the scheduler calls....can you go to ......., what is the bonus $40. I am sorry, no other shops in the area, and when I asked for a bonus, you said don't hold my breath....well don't hold yours either!

The second scheduler called for same town.....can you do this audit we show you did it for $15, No I am sorry...it is 150 miles...oh, sorry, I did not realize it was so far away......but it shows you did this shop before with no bonus.....you must have had other shops in the area.......no actually, I was new at shopping....I was getting my feet wet. I spent $5 to make copies of the audit booklet and 10 in the gas tank. Yes, I did pick up some other, non bonuses shops, but, it was my first or second month shopping. That said.....experience pays! I have learned through posts here to ask for the bonus! The most they can say is no....then it is up to me to weigh whether the shop is worth my time and costs to perform the shop. As much as I enjoy mystery shopping and it is like a hobby for me that helps pay my bills.....Nobody shops for FREE!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2016 07:43PM by dmp777.

I am so glad I left Jersey, you have to pay to leave, no matter what direction you go!

Read the thread.

To cross the Hudson river is the single biggest bridge toll in America. $17 last time I checked. I don't think there's a single scheduler that would approve a $17 bonus for such a short distance.[/quote]


And I thought the Golden Gate was ridiculous at $ 14.[/quote]

I am so glad I left Jersey, you have to pay enter/leave no matter which way you go.

@tobysim10 wrote:

McDonald's Has anyone been able to find out which company handles them now?

yes

I live in PA and there is 1 MSC site that I put in a 15 mile radius in the search and always get results for Ontario Canada.

I have searched and searched for the bridge or tunnel that gets me to Ontario that quickly but no one seems to be able to point me in the right direction.

Another MSC always gives me Abu Dhabi, and I am pretty sure I can't get there from here without going through at least 1 or 2 states

I wonder if either of these are offering bonuses, or at least travel reimbursement?

LOL. I'm sure they'll pay for your gas to Abu Dabi. It's near Arkansas in the dictionary so they're close, right?

I did a USPS shop where I was required to send a package to a location in West Virginia. I put WV on the address label. The clerk told me I had to put a state on the label and I pointed to the WV. She asked, 'What's that for?"

@Sandman1048 wrote:

Another MSC always gives me Abu Dhabi, and I am pretty sure I can't get there from here without going through at least 1 or 2 states

I wonder if either of these are offering bonuses, or at least travel reimbursement?

I also see Abu Dhabi in one MSC's listings (among a few other foreign countries). I'm assuming that it's because they leave the US Zipcode blank, and a blank zipcode probably defaults to being interpreted by the zipcode distance algorithm as being "0 miles" away. So that Canadian shop probably had a 00000 zipcode entered, or left blank, or something like that.

@STL_shopper wrote:

@Sandman1048 wrote:

Another MSC always gives me Abu Dhabi, and I am pretty sure I can't get there from here without going through at least 1 or 2 states

I wonder if either of these are offering bonuses, or at least travel reimbursement?

I also see Abu Dhabi in one MSC's listings (among a few other foreign countries). I'm assuming that it's because they leave the US Zipcode blank, and a blank zipcode probably defaults to being interpreted by the zipcode distance algorithm as being "0 miles" away. So that Canadian shop probably had a 00000 zipcode entered, or left blank, or something like that.

Dang, thanks for bursting my bubble! Here I thought I was living in a location that had quick and easy access to both locations and now you are telling me it is not so

Thank You for posting this......best laugh I've had in some time.

do tell...I live in Sioux City, Iowa and probably won't compete with you...

How much do you know about a state you don't live in? My out of town friends think I cam pop over to Disney World or Key West for an afternoon. Those trips are 4 hours each way in opposite directions.

I've had schedulers call me and ask me if I can do a shop in Edgartown, Massachusetts. I might do it, but I have yet to find a mystery shopping company that is willing to reimburse me for the cost of the boat or plane. So far no one has built a bridge to Martha's Vineyard. Could it be that the schedulers don't know that Martha's Vineyard is an island?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2016 09:46PM by alannajm.

"Could it be that the schedulers don't know that Martha's Vineyard is an island?" Do you really need to ask? I would bet that 95% of the people in the United States do not know that it is an island. Maybe more. Did you read about the scheduler who wanted a shopper in NH to accept a shop in NM, arguing that they must be near each other because the were next to each other in the alphabet?

I've been seeing a certain shop (I think it was the flat ground beef shop) for Kuwait and Hawaii... don't think they are going to pay for those plane fares..... or hotels rooms, or taxis... Wonder how those flat ground beef items taste ....

I got one of those lovely vague emails just this morning. Locations are just listed with a city and state. After emailing to ask if they were listed on the website to get more information, the response was they would be posted later this week. Meanwhile, the email says to respond with the location we want to shop. Now I had to send a second email explaining "St. Louis" could be five or 45 minutes away. Who just commits to something without a clue?