I received a few phone calls asking to take up two jobs outside my comfort zone for the same price stated up on the job board. I waited for the nice man to tell me he was going to raise the price so out of the blue he say's "So can I count on your to do these jobs"? I asked him "How much extra are we talking about"? He said "Oh, I do not have the authorization to raise these jobs because their towards the high end of our range". So I said "well, their outside my normal range of driving and I wish you luck finding another shopper to get them done". He offered me the same pay offered on the Job Board. I apologized and bid him "Good Evening" so he calls back ten minutes latter offering $2.00 more if I promise to take three of the jobs they need help with.


I went on a few shops and when I got back there were three messages from the same guy trying to get me to do the job for $2 or "I might get you a $3 bonus". I did the jobs for $40 each because we have nobody around here shopping for his company. The MSC changed the assignment completely and added more time we need to remain in this shop plus were going to start training the employees too. When a Scheduler calls your house asking for you to do thirty percent more work and half the pay how to you keep yourself from getting too excited? What is the proper business or social norms of handling ourselves to be very nice like "I really want to help you out but the dollar amount is very low" and why would I do each job for half the rate I received last month and you added a lot more work to these jobs. What is going on with certain companies raising the work load while dropping pay rates?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2016 04:50AM by GuyFawkes.

The reason they call is because it is their job to get every evaluation completed in a satisfactory fashion with the lowest payout possible. He/She is hoping he can use pressured language like "So can I count on your to do these jobs" to get you to agree to do them for less than a fair price.

If you are indeed the only person in your area working for the company, you are in a position of strength. Simply give him/her the minimum dollar amount you will accept for the shops and then be politely firm. Unless they are able to recruit a new shopper in your area or convince someone to travel in for a low fee, you will get your fee.

@thunderdeacon wrote:

The reason they call is because it is their job to get every evaluation completed in a satisfactory fashion with the lowest payout possible. He/She is hoping he can use pressured language like "So can I count on your to do these jobs" to get you to agree to do them for less than a fair price.

If you are indeed the only person in your area working for the company, you are in a position of strength. Simply give him/her the minimum dollar amount you will accept for the shops and then be politely firm. Unless they are able to recruit a new shopper in your area or convince someone to travel in for a low fee, you will get your fee.

I know a few shoppers who use to work for them and refuse after some personal conflicts and not getting the correct pay. No trouble getting the correct pay with me its the amount of time and drive that make their basic flat-rate not practical. Some of the shoppers moved while others got too pricey according to my scheduling friend. He allowed it to slip the shops use to go for $60 before I started shopping, I think he can wait or find another shopper because with gas going up its too hard to justify driving even at the higher rate.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2016 05:17AM by GuyFawkes.

guess $60 is the price now

Jot down the number so that you can caller ID next time. I don't pick up for the lowballers. They go to the answering machine. I'm sure some don't call me any more, but my time spent on the phone is valuable. I'm sure that scheduler on the phone ate up the $2 bonus she was offering. I *will* help a scheduler out that I owe, and I have taken losses before because of a relationship, but the "friends and family" discount doesn't apply if the friendship only goes one way.

I have never had anyone say so I can count on you to do these jobs. I have been asked if I am interested in doing them.

@pegleg2000 wrote:

I have never had anyone say so I can count on you to do these jobs. I have been asked if I am interested in doing them.

There are a few schedulers who act like their trying to use Human Resource books and methods on us. We are not their employee, we are a business with the power to say "yes" or "no" to unreasonable offers. The style he used on me is not new, its like Ken Blanchard "One Minute Manager" or Dale Carnegie "How to Win Friends and Influence People". The Pop 1980s styled psycho babble, look what happened to some of the Tony Robbins "Coal Walkers" who were trying to take control over their fears!


Does anyone find it odd there are jobs that are offering less pay while increasing the demands and reports from us?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2016 03:24AM by GuyFawkes.

If I don't respond to the job on the board at that payment, I don't want it. If the payment increased post it to the board.

A lot of shoppers don't check the board regularly. I really am only working with about ten or 15 companies and keeping plenty busy. If I was working with 200 companies, I don't think I'd be able to keep track of all offers online. I can certainly see why they call. I would guess that they keep calling because they do have success unloading jobs when they do so.

I can always set my preferences to not have them call if I so desire. I don't do so for a couple of reasons:
* Some MSP's (Maritz) work best over the phone.
* In addition to calls on which there is not going to be any negotiation, I will also get calls from more desperate schedulers. This opens the door for good bonuses.
* I can always not answer my phone and let them leave a message. If interested, I call back. If not, I delete the message.

If a scheduler calls and offers a shop at the rate that it's posted at, I usually tell them that I'll review my schedule and assign it on the site if I'm interested in it.
If they're calling and not offering an incentive, then there's no rush or limited time: it's probably still going to be available in a few minutes and I've even probably already seen it on the board or seen an email (or 50) about it. I find that I like to review shops while sitting at my desk with my calendar open so that I can see what else I have scheduled for that time.

If I'm going to accept a phone offer for a shop, there needs to be a bonus or other incentive to make it worth making an on-the-spot decision.

@GuyFawkes wrote:

I received a few phone calls asking to take up two jobs outside my comfort zone for the same price stated up on the job board. I waited for the nice man to tell me he was going to raise the price so out of the blue he say's "So can I count on your to do these jobs"? I asked him "How much extra are we talking about"? He said "Oh, I do not have the authorization to raise these jobs because their towards the high end of our range". So I said "well, their outside my normal range of driving and I wish you luck finding another shopper to get them done". He offered me the same pay offered on the Job Board. I apologized and bid him "Good Evening" so he calls back ten minutes latter offering $2.00 more if I promise to take three of the jobs they need help with.

Are you speaking of Market Force and their overseas schedulers?

@CaliGirl925 wrote:

If a scheduler calls and offers a shop at the rate that it's posted at, I usually tell them that I'll review my schedule and assign it on the site if I'm interested in it.
If they're calling and not offering an incentive, then there's no rush or limited time: it's probably still going to be available in a few minutes and I've even probably already seen it on the board or seen an email (or 50) about it. I find that I like to review shops while sitting at my desk with my calendar open so that I can see what else I have scheduled for that time.

If I'm going to accept a phone offer for a shop, there needs to be a bonus or other incentive to make it worth making an on-the-spot decision.

When a Scheduler tells you "you are the last Shopper on our list for a long way" and they need that job done shortly after calling why even bother? What's the purpose because if I wanted to do that job for their current pay, I would have signed up for the job. There are so many emails coming in at Job Rates lower than last year's prices. The "Hardware Job" is sending out six emails to locate someone for $20+$10 bonus. Shoppers are not taking those jobs because they have been sitting since the begging in July in my area.

I actually had a scheduler call me about a gas station ms/revealed audit, and when I stated that I couldn't do it for the amount it was bonused at on the job board I found out that not only was she unable to raise that bonus, but she seemed completely unaware of the bonus listed on the job board. She was trying to sway me by making a case about the better pay because they increased the (base) shop fee from the $11 it used to be to $12.50. She glossed over all the detail about all the questions that had been added for that $1.50 pay increase.

But seriously??? If I wouldn't do it for the $19 it was listed at on their site, why would I do it for $12.50 just because she called?

Because you would be a wonderful person if you did it for the lower rate?

I have one of my favorites call before they post a certain job and ask if I want it. I only do it when they have three or four within a block of each other, as it is 60 mile RT. I appreciate that, I don't sit on the board waiting, I'd never get what I need to do it. This has worked and I think the definition of a good scheduler, the jobs get done on time, always earlier and I'm happy. Due to their diligence, I am able to make 65.00 in two hours (not counting drive time).

The Metro PCS now require a pic of the store front as well as a business card, they start at $7.50 pay. I did one, before the new requirement and received an email telling me I need to provide a store front pic and I did the job before the new requirement. I value each picture at $2.50 for any job I take. Usually I take cell phone shops for a minimum of $12 if it's on my way, $15 under other circumstances.

i've done a lot of assignments for maritz for somewhat sizable bonuses. 3 days ago i get a phone call from maritz asking if i would take an assignment which is 27 miles from my home (each way) take a few pics, make a small cash purchase inside + purchase a minimum of 2 gallons of gas (my mini cooper uses premium, btw).

the offer from maritz: reimbursement of inside purchase up to $3.00 + reimbursement of gasoline purchase up to $5.00 + a fee of $6.00.

SIX FRIGGIN' $$$

oh wait, i forgot to say that maritz needed this done in the next 2 days.

jeez, don't they have a clue about previous assignments that i've done for them and how much $$$ i've been paid for exactly the same location? my somewhat recent prior assignment to the same location was about 15X the fee that their scheduler offered me.

@PasswordNotFound wrote:

Jot down the number so that you can caller ID next time. I don't pick up for the lowballers. They go to the answering.

I save a number to my phone anytime I get a call from a new number. I should note that 90% of the calls I get are offering a decent bonus (Maritz, Marketforce).