What kind of shops do you tend to avoid?
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I've decided I'm not interested in doing shops that involve having service done on my car. I have dealt with many shady mechanics and am done with that. I found a little family-owned shop where they are always respectful, fair, and quick. I'd much rather pay for good service than risk having a shady mechanic mess up something in my car.
I am no longer interested in doing $12-$14 Best Buy shops. They take too long, require you to make a non-reimbursable purchase, and just aren't worth the time. I'd rather do 3 at home phone shops totaling the same price as one Best Buy shop.
I am no longer interested in doing $12-$14 Best Buy shops. They take too long, require you to make a non-reimbursable purchase, and just aren't worth the time. I'd rather do 3 at home phone shops totaling the same price as one Best Buy shop.
The TS grocery shops are the easiest and fastest, if you know how. I can do them in my sleep.
Never say never. Probably, I will not repeat certain shops. But you never know... 
Just now, one job just... snowballs... on some days and I have little time to live, let alone to mystery shop. This is okay, because more work there means more money that I do not have to find in mystery shopping. For the next little while, I am looking for shops that are on the way to/from somewhere else; require little time on-site; are in flexible time frames; and/or otherwise fit into the Weird Schedule.
Just now, one job just... snowballs... on some days and I have little time to live, let alone to mystery shop. This is okay, because more work there means more money that I do not have to find in mystery shopping. For the next little while, I am looking for shops that are on the way to/from somewhere else; require little time on-site; are in flexible time frames; and/or otherwise fit into the Weird Schedule.My garden in England is full of eating-out places, for heat waves, warm September evenings, or lunch on a chilly Christmas morning. (Mary Quant)
Bank shops are easy. I used to do cell phone shops but they pay the same that they did 5 years ago, like $12-no longer worth it. I hate phone shops they also are not worth it it pays like $3.
I like doing the car shops but I hate doing the ones that you have to do a lead first.
My list of shops I will not do is much longer than the list I will do. I won't do many shops with a lengthy report at all (my idea of lengthy is longer than 15 minutes). I include reporting time in my per hour figures and that always kills it. There are exceptions to that but they are few and far between. I also won't do any shops that falls below my minimum per hour target unless it just happens to be a shop I particularly enjoy doing.
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
Only been shopping for seven months so I'm still trying different shops to see what fits me best. Based on comments in this forum, probably nothing could drag me into a car dealership shop. And those check cashing shops - I cannot even think of a believable excuse to go into one - especially since my check would be from our bank which is practically on every corner in town! I actually kinda like apartment shops (although how many times do I need to say the leasing agent was enthusiastic?). I read this forum every night before going to bed, thanks to all the more experienced shoppers who are so willing to share insights and tips of mystery shopping. I've learned a lot from you and it is really appreciated!
I mostly do meal and grocery store assignments. I will occasionally do an appliance or a cell phone shop if they are bonused. I avoid any shops that cause me discomfort and avoid any that have given me trouble or if a company hasn't paid me for a valid shop or if their instructions/forms/reports are not worth whatever the pay was for the task. I won't do reveal, video or phone shops.
I agree. I have been shopping for several years and have grown weary of those companies that work very hard, to ensure that you won't be paid for a valid shop. After several rounds with a few of them, when I see their e-mails come through I hit "delete". If it isn't at least a little bit fun, it's not worth the time to earn the small amount of money. My shopping money is my fun money and I don't want to struggle with a company to earn it.
That is a great thing for all of us to come away with, on this particular thread. Is that there are companies that actually do not pay you for a perfectly legit shop.
Shops i won't do include those that require me to "tell the story." I won't continue to work for MSCs who consistently pay later than their stated terms (plus an additional week of leeway); and won't work for MSCs who only pay by check and send it 3rd class mail so that it takes 3 weeks to get to me. C'mon, a 1st class stamp is only 49 cents. No P/R unless the fee is close to double the usual fee and the wait time is no more than 30 minutes. Won't take shops from MSCs whose guidelines are more than 30 pages (yeah, that's you, Maritz), or whose guidelines don't cover, or contradict, the responses that are needed to pass their client's test.
I won't do car dealerships with a test drive involved and rarely those that don't require it..however, Tesla is tempting. I won't do apartment shops or senior living places as I just don't enjoy them...too much reporting time and depression. I won't consider restaurants where I don't like the food. I won't repeat any shop that has given me major grieve in the past, whether it be the shop itself or the editors.
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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
I avoid anything from Maritz. It's not worth the hassle.
I also avoid phone shops that pay less than $10, it's not worth my time.
I also don't do the phone kiosks in Costco anymore. It's way to hard to get all the pictures without giving yourself away. And, the report has questions that don't appear until you answer previous questions. So, you don't know they're there until you get home and are filling out the report. It's so frustrating!
I also avoid phone shops that pay less than $10, it's not worth my time.
I also don't do the phone kiosks in Costco anymore. It's way to hard to get all the pictures without giving yourself away. And, the report has questions that don't appear until you answer previous questions. So, you don't know they're there until you get home and are filling out the report. It's so frustrating!
I stay away from credit card opening accounts. Even though the pay seems good I don't want the dings on my credit score because of opening and closing accounts. Also shops with low pay, I live in an area that shops get bonuses on a regular bases.
Western Union... hated it.
Just leave the car shops for me. If the pay is fair I'll do them all day. I can deal with sales people.
I'm pretty leery of anything KSS/Maritz after having an issue that KSS wont respond to.
Just leave the car shops for me. If the pay is fair I'll do them all day. I can deal with sales people.
I'm pretty leery of anything KSS/Maritz after having an issue that KSS wont respond to.
Do you know MSC's that do hotels/motels that pay decently.
Fees are not my prime motivation for doing hotel shops. Rewards points are.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Wont do WU to low pay, recorded phone calls only because I tried it once and I was trying to hard to follow the script, which was poorly written, that I ended up sounding not real. Reimbursement only food shops, after I've eaten the food I still have to fill out the report but know there is no money coming for it. I like bank shops especially teller shops. I've pretty much dropped two MSCs, I've shopped for 8 years, literally thousands of shops under my belt, who don't respond to my emails. I rarely email with a generic question but when I do I expect the courtesy of a quick reply, the same courtesy companies expect when they call or email me to pick up an "emergency shop".
The grocery store where one must rent a cart...
IKEA do to the horror stories on here. Targeted apartment shops. Car shops under $50 except for one MSC which I can knock them out fast including report. Bank shops under $25 unless quick and I can grab multiple locations in an area than I will go down to $15. Bed Bath and Beyond were okay with former msc but won't touch with current one.
Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
Oh, yes. The old "pin prick in the radiator trick" was pulled on me, and shortly after I had to get a whole new SECOND radiator (had been replaced exactly a year and a week before - ack!). And I had the old "loosen the bolts on the battery trick" pulled on me, too. But that one was caught by my regular mechanic, and fixed at no charge.@mlzg wrote:
I've decided I'm not interested in doing shops that involve having service done on my car. I have dealt with many shady mechanics and am done with that. I found a little family-owned shop where they are always respectful, fair, and quick. I'd much rather pay for good service than risk having a shady mechanic mess up something in my car.
@MsJudi wrote:
I won't do car dealerships with a test drive involved and rarely those that don't require it..however, Tesla is tempting. I won't do apartment shops or senior living places as I just don't enjoy them...too much reporting time and depression. I won't consider restaurants where I don't like the food. I won't repeat any shop that has given me major grieve in the past, whether it be the shop itself or the editors.
You must do yourself a favor and do Tesla. Amazing cars. That was seriously the most fun I've ever had at a dealership. But then again, I'm a huge tech geek. Pro tip: Try the car in "Ludicrous" mode and go from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2017 06:55AM by Evalu8this.
I avoid car sales shops. They can casue auto sales people to lose commissions. Most dealerships work on an 'Up " or turn system. Think of it as a batting order. As a mystery shopper you can be taking the place of a real paying customer. A salesperson may only have one "up" or customer a day or worse every 2 days in a slow week.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2019 06:00PM by Hobie18.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2019 06:00PM by Hobie18.
@Hobie18 wrote:
I avod car sales shops. They can casue auto sales people to lose commissions. Most dealerships work on an 'Up " or turn system. Think of it as a batting order. As a mystery shopper you can be taking the place of a real paying customer. A salesperson may only have one "up" or customer a day or worse every 2 days in a slow week.
This is SO true! My son just left his job at Carmax to start working for a financial institution. At Carmax, (I have no idea if they are MS'ed or not), there is NOOooooo BASE PAY....everything is on commission!! He would be at work for 8 hours and make NO SALES because there were too many sales agents scheduled for that day, and the 1 or 2 customers he had only wanted appraisals or some such thing. He LIVED for his commissions, but if NO SALE, then NO COMMISSION!! Some months were really good, others horrible. He couldn't live like that with a wife and baby, so he finally got another job, which he started last week. But yes, sometimes I wonder how much impact we are causing when those types of jobs are done, and the agent loses his/her commission because the MS is not there to buy, or the MS is taking up the time that could be spent dealing with a real customer.
Oh yes... I recently did a WU shop for extra pay, but I hated it. The place smelled like despair and I had to wait FOREVER. No thanks!
I'm done with car dealership shops, they give me anxiety. I just feel like I am wasting time and fake acting. Don't like bank shops feels like I'm lying again. Apartment shops aren't bad but I don't like some of the questions I have to ask. I'll do trendsource grocery shops because I normally need a few things but not other company grocery shops. I can't stand electronic shops anymore. did so many of them and got burnt out. I'll do storage shops they aren't so bad and they tend to pay ok. casino shops, omg..pay is great but the paperwork is awful!!
I won't do return shops. I think a lot of time they don't pay well for the extra work.
I don't do targeted employee shops ... too much time for the pay. Also on "No Can-Do" list are shops where you use an APP, Geo-Locator, buying anything I don't need, stupid shops that require a code to submit your report, anything under $25, down to the second timings, compare contrast shops. After four years of doing this I have relationships with several schedulers so I get good stuff and money is good.
I'm glad my intuition has kept me away from these shops!!
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