Gas Station Audit-A Story
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I figure the amount I need to cover expenses and make a fair profit, and I bid that price to the scheduler. That's my best price; take it or else I will not be hurt if you find another shopper who figures he can do it for less money. I don't have time to waste on haggling over price. The key element in this strategy is that I quote the scheduler what I consider a "FAIR" fee. I rarely get a "no" or a counter offer, because the schedulers have come to know I will always quote a "FAIR" price.
When called by this MSC I also have learned to not negotiate. Give them your fair and only price and stick to it. I got me two home improvement stores for tomorrow. They are literally down the street from each other but in different towns and zip codes that for whatever reason are not close looking. I don't do these for less than $20 total and that is if I am driving right by the store anyway. Well these are about a 30 minute drive from me. I was asked what I would need incentive wise I said $40 on each. I got approved so a nice $104 for 2 shops plus $2 in reimbursements. I would have done one for the $40 incentive $52 total and picked up the second for $20 total but hey they don't need to know that. Plus they called before on these locations and said they were not offering any incentive. Now if I said $40 on one incentive and $8 on the other I would have only gotten the $88 incentive one. If you are going to play the game you got to know the rules.
Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
I quit negotiating. I'll make an offer. That's it.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
Schedulers remember you, and I think they also talk to each other. If you always give a high bid and negotiate, they will remember that you will probably do the job for less money. So they will offer you less. You take it or counter and finally get to a mutually agreeable price. Why not just bid that mutually agreeable price in the first place?
Because as anyone who's negotiated for some time knows, sometimes your first price is accepted. Not always, or even often, but sometimes. I'm not saying that's my technique, I'm just explaining why I think some people use it.@AZwolfman wrote:
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Why not just bid that mutually agreeable price in the first place?
Shopper in California's Bay Area
I just make an offer that suits me and I think is reasonable. Either they accept it or they don't.
I talked to Maritz about a home improvement shop yesterday. They called me about one that was only about 5 miles from my house and asked how much it would take to get me to do it in the next 2 days. I told them $20 bonus and that I was just throwing out a number. In their normal, the scheduler said she would ask the supervisor and will call me back. To my surprise, she called me back and told me that she got me $30 bonus (plus the regular pay!) and would schedule it for due in 2 days. I guess she wanted to be sure that she gave me no out to say no.
Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.
I talked to Maritz about a home improvement shop yesterday. They called me about one that was only about 5 miles from my house and asked how much it would take to get me to do it in the next 2 days. I told them $20 bonus and that I was just throwing out a number. In their normal, the scheduler said she would ask the supervisor and will call me back. To my surprise, she called me back and told me that she got me $30 bonus (plus the regular pay!) and would schedule it for due in 2 days. I guess she wanted to be sure that she gave me no out to say no.
Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.
I usually give an amount that I would require to do the shop by itself. If they need it done badly enough, they often accept the number before I change my mind. If they say they will get back to me, I search the job boards for other shops I can add along the way. If I find some, then I will come down on my initial amount when they call back. Otherwise, I stick to my first number. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don't.
Got another today for a nice $90 incentive. It was a little bit of a drive but well worth it. I was able to add a filler shop that took 10 minutes and was less than a mile down the street from the home improvement store. Yay me
Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
AS A NEW MS Which company deals with gas station shops as i am in the industry,,,,
Thanks Brian
Thanks Brian
Being in the industry, may prove that YOU do not understand YOUR ICA. You may want to take the time to read it again. And to read each ICA very carefully. Because you are on the road to violation. Good luck
Mobilking, for most companies, being in the industry would disqualify you from performing gas station shops.
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
Not true at all. The MSC who does the Exxon and Chevron shops does not allow people who are in the petroleum industry to perform any of their gas station brands.
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
@spicy1---->MOBILKING has already made it known where it is "king" of and it is not cellular phones. So Violation is right up his alley.
Thanks,bgriffin, for providing a correct answer, and to Sybil for her confirmation. I also can confirm that a person employed in the petroleum industry is not permitted to shop for either Exxon or chevron.
Leaving incorrect information that might mislead another forum member posted on the forum seems a bad idea. It might be a good idea to edit the post, deleting the incorrect information now that we know it is incorrect.
Leaving incorrect information that might mislead another forum member posted on the forum seems a bad idea. It might be a good idea to edit the post, deleting the incorrect information now that we know it is incorrect.
Wow, lots of editing going on in this thread. I can only imagine!
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