Maybe it was a job you thought would be easy and accidentally overlooked key details helping reach burned out. Was it the MSC who felt three months was or more is timely practices? There are great MSCs and not so great, how do you handle the stress this job can bring?

I am not attacking any companies, just floating a balloon to see if you ever stopped shopping because you felt frustration Did you ever get burned out, when I read the interesting post about the shopper in Penn who wanted to make $1,000 a week, I feared he would get burned out which appears to be the case. How do you pace yourself to avoid getting stress or feel taken advantage?

I only shop for certain companies I feel are fair, I have that luxury while other Shoppers must tolerate unreal and unreasonable expectations.

I am on a sabbatical from shopping right now. The low fee/ high expectations finally got to me. I'm in a small and low paying market with an over abundance of shoppers. I do other work and picked up more merchandising work. I check the boards and get emails regularly. So far I haven't seen anything worth my time, but I do have other work, so I have the luxury to sit out the MS dance for now.

Gros, you hit me right between the eyes with your post. Today I was frustrated enough to quit and it wasn't really anything, it was just too much of nothing. Those of you who do XM know we now have a Q29 about whether they have kits on the counter and if they don't we upload a pic. They didn't and I did. Then we have Q30 as to whether they have current aps. They did and I said so. No pic upload is required on that. But not being a trusting person, I always take pics of whatever aps they have in their rack, and I did. These aps were located at a 90 degree counter turn between two registers. For the Q29 pic I uploaded a pic of the longest part of the register which faced the door. I did not upload my additional pic of the counter turn with aps and the second register.

My report was kicked back because the pic I uploaded validating Q29 that there were no kits had a random out of date credit application face up on the counter at one end which I overlooked. They wanted a comment in the internal comment supporting my Q30 answer that they had current aps. They did not give me anywhere in the kickback to upload pics of the current aps, they simply wanted me to write down what I already said in Q30. Somehow that tripped my trigger. I understand and I don't understand. I understand there was an out of date ap pic, but if they're questioning what I told them why are they only asking me to tell them the same thing I already told them? Does that make sense? I would so love to send them the additional pics and feel certain I'll find a place to upload ap pics on all future reports.

Yes, I made an internal comment that supported the answer I already gave in Q30. Yes, I know they're right. Yes, I know I'm wrong. The one I got back before that had a time on the receipt that didn't agree with my time and I didn't catch it. Like I'm going to change my time to their time when I was somewhere else doing another station at that time and I reported it the same day. Sure. That's what burnout does to you. I've got burnout, and I had help getting it.

I feel burned out every once in awhile, like I did at the end of February. So I scaled way back in March. Although I did 42% fewer shops in March, I made just 32% less. And that was enough to re-energize me! LOL.

I felt like quitting late last fall, when I did a cell-phone shop for a company that no longer has them, and the guidelines and questionnaire were so screwed up that it took me hours to do the report. It was so not worth it, even with the shop being bonused, that I was ready to throw in the towel altogether....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2016 03:13PM by BirdyC.

I have never quit or even considered quitting. For me, quitting is a sign of failure and failure is not an option for me. I guess it is just my personality or my upbringing. Even when I "quit" a relationship, I still stay friends with the exes. It just works for me.

I find who I am working for to be the biggest driver of burn out. So I simply scale back the companies that burn me out and do more work for the ones that don't. The particular company MDN is being stressed out by is one that causes the most in me. Which is why I almost never do a shop for them.

@Sybil2 wrote:

I have never quit or even considered quitting. For me, quitting is a sign of failure and failure is not an option for me. I guess it is just my personality or my upbringing. Even when I "quit" a relationship, I still stay friends with the exes. It just works for me.

Your parents must have been compassionate loving people to instill love that goes beyond the pettiness of human differences. Do your friends trip out that you act like a meta-human when it comes to forgiveness and love because those qualities get rare. I understand others quit after getting stuck in jobs that do not pay or are "easy and quick". If a Shop is long, why don't they tell us, why must lying be involved?

I have commitments through the end of April. After that I need to back off and concentrate on my book. Trying to work at MS and write the book at the same time is making me crazier than normal. Gotta get back to normal.

In my last shop I sort of wanted to quit. But it was a flitting instance. My very simple shop, which I could do with my closed eyes was invalidated. Why, because without thinking, I asked not to salt the fries.

Gros, I don't know why they lie but they do. Sometimes I think it's not intentional, it's just sloppy.

I recently took a shop on the phone from a scheduler who told me it was a two part shop, a phone call and an on site part. When I looked at the shop on the website it was a three part shop - evaluate a city's web site, make a phone call, and then make an on site visit which was the mystery shop proper. When I objected, they said the web site evaluation was part of the phone call and it was a two part shop. Basic math fail.

And then we get the fun and easy line. Oh, yes, and don't forget yummy. Some of those shops are just yummy. Uh huh.

@GrosMichel wrote:

Your parents must have been compassionate loving people to instill love that goes beyond the pettiness of human differences. Do your friends trip out that you act like a meta-human when it comes to forgiveness and love because those qualities get rare. I understand others quit after getting stuck in jobs that do not pay or are "easy and quick". If a Shop is long, why don't they tell us, why must lying be involved?

You totally lost me. Having a no-quit, competitive attitude is usually not equated to being compassionate or loving. Meta-human? I am not a comic book character. Most of my friends are built from the same cloth. We are not rainbows and unicorns kind of people.

I really don't understand why some shoppers let emotions get in the way of their work. Just do your job and move onto the next job.

I got burned out on Mystery Shopping in 2006, so I took some time off from it. It ended up being about 7 years off.

Seven years sounds about right.

Just finished the report from hell and I wanna quit right now. Taking tomorrow off to recharge.

My answer to the OP's original question is "NEVER." It has never crossed my mind. I have enjoyed it from the moment I started in late 2008 and dove in full-time. I am still a full-time mystery shopper today, and I love it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2016 05:20AM by AZwolfman.

I think burnout is inevitable if you don't pace yourself and schedule breaks and days off. I do this full time but usually take Sunday off and have a light load Saturday. It also helps doing the same types of shop for a few days before switching to other types for another set of days. Much easier to do 5 gas station shops for 3 consecutive days then 15 different shops over the same 3 days.

Edited for Grammar



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2016 05:05PM by BuffaloNY101.

I wasn't going to schedule anything more for April, but a new (at least I've never seen it in my area before) pet-food shop came up this morning--right next to the Chipotle I have to shop next week, and the due dates for both are within the same time frame. So, since I was going to be literally right next door, I took it. Doesn't hurt that the fee sounds pretty good for the work involved, and there's a nice reimbursement for dog food!

But April's not going to be as good as March--less average $$ per shop. I was assigned more shops than I applied for with one company, and they don't pay as well as most of the ones I did in March. But I'll do them 'cuz they pay quickly and the work is pretty easy. So I'll probably either cut back in May and/or try to find some higher-paying shops and skip the others.

My level of burn-out and frustration goes down as the amount of money per shop I average goes up. Isn't that surprising? (She says sarcastically.) I'm learning, though. Slowly, but surely.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2016 01:08PM by BirdyC.

I dropped everyone except for 2 companies in 08. I'm just getting pack into the swing of things 7 1/2 years later (didn't miss it at all ). I am very careful about the shops I commit to this time around. Some of the current fees being offered are laughable.

I've been known to take some time off periodically, I've been mystery shopping for 24 years and get fed up with bullies and capons who poo on shoppers and get people to back them up. I get fed up with MS companies who will find some miniscule reason not to pay you even if you made sure to follow their directions to the letter. Some MS company owners are really great people for whom I'd gladly do their projects and others are definitely not. You get fed up, burned out and walk away for a time.

I too live in a somewhat of a small town and the shops are either 25 to 50 miles away. I use to do at least 15 - 20 a month but when the cost of gas went up it was not worth it. I still do then every now and then if they are paying enough. I do other work as well. I take surveys and get paid for them so it helps with the extra money.

I love mystery shopping.

I have never considered quitting and have a hard time not taking shops. I have a hard time slowing down in general.... Even when I am old and feeble, I will shop until I can't see name tags anymore, can't track my times and get dementia-memory problems so that I can't remember shop instructions anymore.

@Sybil2 wrote:

@GrosMichel wrote:

Your parents must have been compassionate loving people to instill love that goes beyond the pettiness of human differences. Do your friends trip out that you act like a meta-human when it comes to forgiveness and love because those qualities get rare. I understand others quit after getting stuck in jobs that do not pay or are "easy and quick". If a Shop is long, why don't they tell us, why must lying be involved?

You totally lost me. Having a no-quit, competitive attitude is usually not equated to being compassionate or loving. Meta-human? I am not a comic book character. Most of my friends are built from the same cloth. We are not rainbows and unicorns kind of people.

I really don't understand why some shoppers let emotions get in the way of their work. Just do your job and move onto the next job.

I know people from cults that shun their family for decades if not for the rest of their life. One of my friends was raised in a Doomsday Cult, he was baptized in their religion at 12 years old. He had premarital sex with a girl who would later become his wife in 1976. He's a 59 year old man who has not spoke to his parents since 1976 because his parents and grandparents(dead now) shunned him until they died. His dad never spoke to his children because "their the offspring of Satan", his parents refused to speak unless he met with his former cult elders and confessed to all his wrong doings. The cloth your made of would never allow you to shun your children and grandchildren like his parents did. People are becoming more emotional, carrying the weights of stress and a scary world their struggling to get by in. Is that why some of our members feel righteous indignation against company's that dupe them or perform a shop(some girl who is not a size 6 or 8 goes in to a retailer selling True Religion jeans and her assignment is "ask if they have "Plus Sizes". The Shop requirements made no mention until they got the letter that this would be about "ask if they carry plus-sizes for women with True Religion apparel.". If I was overweight this shop could bring negative feelings out, what person want's to humiliate themselves in front of kids running a store? How would you respond to a phone call my friend received, could you keep your mellow emotions when confronting what he did?




My friend received a letter from his mother's cult asking for his help financially, she still refuse's to speak to him. When the cult elder begged him to send his mother $1500 a month to help her with her rent and "tithing commitments he said "you want me to help my mother who has never spoken to my four kids because your cult forbids talking to worldly-people leaving my kids without grandparents their entire life?" Sybil, our society is moving away from the love and people are become more divided filled with more anger. I watched Donald Trump Rallies seeing how angry people get, where is all the negative emotions and fear coming from? Our Country could use more people that don't become outraged, you might not be a super hero but you have a composure everyone can learn from.

@AZwolfman wrote:

My answer to the OP's original question is "NEVER." It has never crossed my mind. I have enjoyed it from the moment I started in late 2008 and dove in full-time. I am still a full-time mystery shopper today, and I love it.

How selective are you regarding the shops you pick, we still have not heard back from the young kid who wanted to make $1000 a week. I thought he was better off trying to move to another area where he could make wages and tips working 60-80 hours a week because being new to MS and wanting $1000 a week is not realistic. I hope he can leave the field if that's what he chose with his head held. Did you think making $1000 a week for being a new shopper was realistic?



Angelbug, what made you burn out and reduce your shops back in 2008? When you look back on what shops paid back in 2008 compared to now, is it insulting? MSCs are getting people who know how to write at levels because their educated well. I do not mean to pry, finding out why people get tired helps newbies overcome their own thoughts of inadequacy. Newbies start this field not realizing its not just "fun and games" but real work. What troubles me is dishonesty from companies posing as shoppers here telling long-time shoppers false stories about the "easy monetary gains awaiting shoppers and anyone who say's different are just sour grapes.".

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2016 01:57AM by GrosMichel.

@GrosMichel wrote:

My friend received a letter from his mother's cult asking for his help financially, she still refuse's to speak to him. When the cult elder begged him to send his mother $1500 a month to help her with her rent and "tithing commitments he said "you want me to help my mother who has never spoken to my four kids because your cult forbids talking to worldly-people leaving my kids without grandparents their entire life?" Sybil, our society is moving away from the love and people are become more divided filled with more anger. I watched Donald Trump Rallies seeing how angry people get, where is all the negative emotions and fear coming from? Our Country could use more people that don't become outraged, you might not be a super hero but you have a composure everyone can learn from.

Dude, seriously. Enough with these rambling posts that have NOTHING to do with mystery shopping. Don't begin to associate me with cults and Trump rallies. Enough with the false compliments. You have posted about A+ shoppers and super heroes without knowing anything about us.

Sniff, sniff. What's that smell?

@Sybil2 wrote:

Dude, seriously. Enough with these rambling posts that have NOTHING to do with mystery shopping. Don't begin to associate me with cults and Trump rallies. Enough with the false compliments. You have posted about A+ shoppers and super heroes without knowing anything about us.

Sybil said it real good. The religious commentary, the stories about little friends and sex with older women, and the political statements have nothing whatsoever to do with mystery shopping. You really need to knock off the constant complaining about MS pay, fawning compliments, and repeated accusations that there is "dishonesty from companies posing as shoppers here telling long-time shoppers false stories."

While your intentions may be good, this constant complaining and the excuses for political comments is not why most of us come here.

And also the posts are often just downright confusing!

@bgriffin wrote:

And also the posts are often just downright confusing!

Maybe GrosMichel is a blond!

@GrosMichel wrote:

@AZwolfman wrote:

My answer to the OP's original question is "NEVER." It has never crossed my mind. I have enjoyed it from the moment I started in late 2008 and dove in full-time. I am still a full-time mystery shopper today, and I love it.

How selective are you regarding the shops you pick, we still have not heard back from the young kid who wanted to make $1000 a week. I thought he was better off trying to move to another area where he could make wages and tips working 60-80 hours a week because being new to MS and wanting $1000 a week is not realistic. I hope he can leave the field if that's what he chose with his head held. Did you think making $1000 a week for being a new shopper was realistic?

@GrosMichel, why are you so obsessed with "the young kid" and why are you asking other forum members about his status? Why don't you ask him directly? Maybe if you weren't so worried about what the Joneses are doing, you would be more successful in your business.

Oops. This train left the track. I thought we were talking about shopper burnout. Guess we finished up with that.

Don't want to talk about cults or religion or kids having sex. I'm sure there are forums for that somewhere. Not here, I hope.