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What do you buy for the $8 reimbursement with their $7.00 job offer? "Must Shop each department and buy" Grocery Store.

June 02, 2016 12:36AM
I received one of those "Reach Outs" to ask "Why have you not applied for one of our jobs"? messages. So far not responding to their request because what can I say? Its a full service grocery store offering all the "bells and whistles" you expect. The problem is I do not like shopping there because of their outrageous high prices. How do people shopping it spend $8 in five fancy departments(including the purchase of a BOB item).



Don't you think its going to look strange if someone has $1.20 piece of cheese from Service Deli, $0.50 cookie(Bakery), Meat and Seafood? How can anyone purchase the required goods for $8.00 and perform all the services requested for $7 job payment? The report is not "Yes/No" answers, there are ten narratives for each department with plenty of "Yes/No" questions. Can any of you make the $8 reimbursement work? Using a shop like this for a coupon still is overpaying by 40%, their prices are insane.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2016 12:37AM by GuyFawkes.
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More About Reimbursements
June 02, 2016 12:40AM
Would you reply to their question "How come you have not signed up for one of our jobs"? or ignore their response? The reimbursement of $8 and job fee of $7.00 along with over one hour of paperwork is a slap in our face.
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June 02, 2016 03:09AM
If they truly are asking, I'd tell them the truth. Money isn't worth the time. I don't want to be loosing money before I even leave the house.
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June 02, 2016 03:15AM
They expect to find shoppers that like to shop there so see the money as offsetting normal expenses.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson
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June 02, 2016 05:24AM
@isaiah58 wrote:

They expect to find shoppers that like to shop there so see the money as offsetting normal expenses.

Most people who are shopping this store are not worried about saving fifteen dollars, they have spa days, yachting adventures and ski trips to make.
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June 02, 2016 10:14AM
As unusual as it sounds, I am one of those customers who buys one piece of chicken, or one small can of sliced peaches. I live alone and I don't buy much in large quantity. I just buy what I need. smiling smiley

You said you wondered if it might look strange to buy one thing in each department. I think there are other customers who buy that way too.

But as for this shop, shopping 5 fancy departments with an $8 reimbursement in an expensive type store, well...for-get-about-it! tongue sticking out smiley
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June 02, 2016 11:12AM
I would definitely tell the MSC it's an outrageous amount of work for not enough money. The shopper necessarily loses money. The guidelines I read said you had to visit x number of departments, interact with x number of employees, purchase 15 items (MSC picks the depts), and then write a detailed report. For all that, MSC reimburses you $8 and pays $7. Huh? There's no way to make the numbers work on this shop. Then on top of that, sometimes the MSC wants you to "act" injured/disabled and then write an additional narrative for that scenario. For no extra money. Plus, as you mentioned the store is overpriced to begin with. Ten-foot pole list.
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June 02, 2016 12:03PM
In my area there are also 3 interactions and 5 narratives about everyone from the bagger to the manager. There is also a sales floor count of every employee on duty in the store. All for the total of $15. (yes, $8 of the fee is reimbursement.) The same items at the store next door are between 20% to 40% less. Same brand, same size, so this is a worthless shop for me.( 32 oz. bag of salted peanuts $5.99, next door $3.39) I do a beer display audit in this store in under 10 minutes, with no report, just in store photos and a few yes / no questions, and not have to buy anything for the same $7.00.
There isn't a pole long enough for this beast.
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June 02, 2016 03:23PM
If it's a store where you regularly shop, the $8 reimbursement is just $8 you get back. And I'll have you know some of the biggest couponers I know have incomes over $100k.

Shopping the Ohio Valley and all around the tri-state area (Pittsburgh, PA; Parkersburg, WV and Columbus, OH.)
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June 02, 2016 05:54PM
I'm curious what the "normal" shopper pay for grocery store shops is. That would be my 1st concern and reimbursement 2nd concern. Is $7 the average shopper pay when you have to evaluate more than one department?
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June 02, 2016 06:28PM
@SouthernShopper wrote:

I'm curious what the "normal" shopper pay for grocery store shops is. That would be my 1st concern and reimbursement 2nd concern. Is $7 the average shopper pay when you have to evaluate more than one department?

For grocery shops, that I'm familiar with, of equal size to the one OP refers to, it usually goes on the board with no fee and $15 reimbursement to visit 3 departments and have 1 interaction. The report has little to no narrative. Plus, you can buy whatever groceries you want. This shop often gets a fee added, usually another $15 after it sits for 2 weeks. Once I lucked out and got a $35 fee+reimbursement. The shop the OP refers to dictates 3 departments you must make purchases in and you must make 8 purchases, so you could be spending your own money on something you don't need or want, and likely could get cheaper elsewhere.

There are smaller grocery store shops where the fee is $5 with 7.50 reimbursement, 1 interaction and inspect the RR. You buy whatever groceries you want and the prices are very low and food quality is high (no GMOs, lots of organic products). These shops are sometimes bonused by $5 or so. Shhh, don't tell the MSC, but even without the bonus I'll do this shop.
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June 02, 2016 07:22PM
@SouthernShopper wrote:

I'm curious what the "normal" shopper pay for grocery store shops is. That would be my 1st concern and reimbursement 2nd concern. Is $7 the average shopper pay when you have to evaluate more than one department?



I hit stores with $19 reimbursements and $15(Job Pay) when they start. The owner of another MSC likes his shops to move, he's a good guy who has no problem paying $35-$60 to avoid shops stagnating, you know who he is!





Most store shops and reports worth their salt start out pay at $32(total job fee), anything less is not worth your time because the reports are getting bigger. I saw one of the cheaper MSCs took three months to get their shop filled because they raise their bonus by $1 every two weeks to attract shoppers. This MSC starts you out at $17 wanting reports on a minimum of six people even if you have to stay over "one hour" to accomplish it. "If after one hour you have not shopped six people you may leave". How great is that for $17?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2016 07:26PM by GuyFawkes.
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June 02, 2016 08:42PM
I do a regional chain of stores that pays $10 with a $2 reimbursement. This is for only one department and the check-out experience. This is a store I shop at already, and the report is easy, with (I think) 2-3 short narratives. I have never bitten on the ones where you count associates all over the store and have multiple interactions- they don't pay enough IMO.



@SouthernShopper wrote:

I'm curious what the "normal" shopper pay for grocery store shops is. That would be my 1st concern and reimbursement 2nd concern. Is $7 the average shopper pay when you have to evaluate more than one department?
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June 03, 2016 05:25AM
@Threemom wrote:

I do a regional chain of stores that pays $10 with a $2 reimbursement. This is for only one department and the check-out experience. This is a store I shop at already, and the report is easy, with (I think) 2-3 short narratives. I have never bitten on the ones where you count associates all over the store and have multiple interactions- they don't pay enough IMO.



@SouthernShopper wrote:

I'm curious what the "normal" shopper pay for grocery store shops is. That would be my 1st concern and reimbursement 2nd concern. Is $7 the average shopper pay when you have to evaluate more than one department?


Your Shop and scenario sound fair, I enjoy doing shops at stores I regularly shop. Its when our client is becoming unrealistic by adding more questions making our total time spent over two hours for $15.00 that trouble me. What drive's me crazy about this particular MSC is they throw back your shops if you do not answer "optional questions" with detailed explanations draining more time and reducing our Rating because the Editor had to send our shop back because we did not answer the "optional questions" I thought we did not have to fill out.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2016 05:27AM by GuyFawkes.
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June 03, 2016 05:25PM
Thank you everyone for your insight and experience information with these shops. smiling smiley
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June 03, 2016 09:43PM
Do you actually have to buy from each of those depts? The only ones I have done have multiple departments to inspect and to interact with employees in each, but the purchase can be from any place in the store - a pack of gum qualifies - again I don't know the specific shop you are doing, but I would run a question by the scheduler about the purchase/reimb.
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June 04, 2016 01:55AM
I just did an upscale store shop and will never do another. It involved visiting every department (9) and speaking with an employee in each. The report questions were 21 pages, plus narratives. This paid $13 with a $5 reimbursement. It took nearly three hour for store time and write up, not counting driving to and from the store.
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June 04, 2016 01:59AM
My family is getting tired of my $2 deli purchase of bologna because it's the cheapest thing in the deli....LOL
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June 04, 2016 02:01AM
My "normal" grocery shops are a $6 job fee and $10 reimbursement. Usually in the store about 45 minutes. Last minute ones have gone up to a $9 job fee.
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June 04, 2016 03:15AM
How about half a pound of spinach dip or broccoli salad? My problem is always the meat department. Why does a grown woman not know how to cook a dang roast? But yet she's oddly curious about that particular brand of meat. And why is she buying ONE chicken breast? Weirdo! It definitely makes that department snap to attention!
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June 04, 2016 05:16AM
From what it sounds like the op's shop is one I have to bring out my "39 and a half foot pole" on. I have done 5 different grocery store shops. The quickest was 10 minutes in store the rest always took average 45 minutes in store. The quick one also had super easy 5 minute report. The others 20 minutes to a half hour on the reports. Pay was as follows
1 $15 flat pay no minimum purchase amount this was the quick one.
2 $10 pay and $7.50 reimbursements
3 $10 pay $2 purchase reimbursement only had to buy one thing and could be anything.
4 $5 Pay $12 reimbursement must include deli purchase specific brand and minimum weight
5 $20 Pay must buy something no reimbursement

I could get bonuses on #'s 2, 3, and 4

Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
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June 04, 2016 06:45AM
@res820 wrote:

Do you actually have to buy from each of those depts? The only ones I have done have multiple departments to inspect and to interact with employees in each, but the purchase can be from any place in the store - a pack of gum qualifies - again I don't know the specific shop you are doing, but I would run a question by the scheduler about the purchase/reimb.



Yes, shoppers are to evaluate, purchase and ask for ideas how to prepare the cornucopia of cool looking food fit for a movie star.


So they continue to email us "Why are you not taking our shops"? another favorite was "Besides a bonus what would it take for you to accept one of our evaluations"? Since their thinking money is the reason why were not accepting this assignment should we ask to double the reimbursements? Grocery shops are becoming tricky to fill up it would seem, or maybe its just me.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2016 06:50AM by GuyFawkes.
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June 04, 2016 06:57AM
@shan2321 wrote:

My "normal" grocery shops are a $6 job fee and $10 reimbursement. Usually in the store about 45 minutes. Last minute ones have gone up to a $9 job fee.


How long does your report usually take to finish and are there thirty to forty narratives from "five sentences" to "Describe your shopping experience in the Hot Deli" minimum of seventy-five words. The narratives are on each department you shop, is your report pretty quick with Yes/No's or do they slip in narratives?
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June 04, 2016 08:01AM
I shop supermarkets exclusively and they are all fee only, $20 and up, some + mileage, some hourly pay including RT drive time + mileage. My average shop pay is approximately $50-60. If you have to interact with 5 or more dept. employees + a couple of sales floor employees, do checkout counts, cashier interaction etc., you should expect no less than $30 - 40. If your assignment includes other depts (floral, customer service, etc, or parking lot loose carts counts, entrance condition, product expiration dates, etc figure $50+. Hope this helps.
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June 04, 2016 01:49PM
Why would you even accept a job with pay so low ...and you have to buy something also?
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June 04, 2016 01:51PM
@GuyFawkes wrote:

@isaiah58 wrote:

They expect to find shoppers that like to shop there so see the money as offsetting normal expenses.

Most people who are shopping this store are not worried about saving fifteen dollars, they have spa days, yachting adventures and ski trips to make.

And they're probably not MSers.
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June 04, 2016 01:55PM
@1224796 wrote:

I just did an upscale store shop and will never do another. It involved visiting every department (9) and speaking with an employee in each. The report questions were 21 pages, plus narratives. This paid $13 with a $5 reimbursement. It took nearly three hour for store time and write up, not counting driving to and from the store.

I guess you like wasting time.
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June 04, 2016 09:02PM
I have done grocery shops in the past (notice I said, "in the past"). These paid $10 fee, plus $2 purchase. For that I was to visit five departments and comment on the cashier and bagging. Narratives were expected for all. It just didn't pay and I began to hate the shops. SO, I don't do them anymore. That was my solution.
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June 04, 2016 09:38PM
@TxB17Lady wrote:

I have done grocery shops in the past (notice I said, "in the past"). These paid $10 fee, plus $2 purchase. For that I was to visit five departments and comment on the cashier and bagging. Narratives were expected for all. It just didn't pay and I began to hate the shops. SO, I don't do them anymore. That was my solution.


I started to hate myself because my hourly rate fell off a cliff and soon like in the cartoons I imagine myself like poor Elmer Fudd turning in to a "Sucker". WB Animation showed cartoon characters turning in to "suckers" or "pigeons" after realizing they got duped!


[www.youtube.com]
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June 05, 2016 04:12AM
Just a guess, but the most probable reason they are asking why you aren't taking anymore of their shops is they are hard to fill at the fee the MSC is willing to pay and/or their flake rate is pretty high. It never hurts to ask for a bonus of $15-30 since they asked you what will it take to accept their shops. Most grocery shops take 45 minutes or more+ travel & report time which need to be factored into the bonus amount you ask for.and that you consider fair (anything is negotiable). If they don't accept your fee that's fine...they may eventually accept it if they really need it completed.

The worst that can happen is they say no. Then you can use TxB17Lady's solution & walk away. There are plenty of other and better MS opportunities out there for reliable shoppers.
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