When a company would not pay you...

Hello Fellow Shoppers

I am grappling with this and I do not know how to proceed.

I was recently engaged to perform a video mystery shop at an apartment complex. I completed the assignment and delivered the report and now I hear that they rejected my report, and I will not be paid.

But it's not like they returned the product. What if they submitted the report to their client(s) and they got paid.

Now you may be asking why was I not paid? What reason they gave to reject the report?

The reason they gave was that the target was not reached on the INITIAL call. Has anyone heard of a mystery shop when you ask for the target on the INITIAL call? The instructions state I am allowed to directly ask for the target after 3 unsuccessful attempts to reach the target.

So should I spend more time fighting for the $70.00 or should I just call it a loss and learn from the experience.

But the more fundamental question is what is our protection once we deliver the report to be paid?

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Our only protection is to deliver a product (our report) that OUR client (the MSC) can use.

I, frankly, would e-mail management at the MSC, state my case clearly and concisely (i.e., the guidelines clearly stated that I was required to make 3 unsuccessful attempts before asking for the target, and I followed these instructions precisely), and ask for resolution.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

P.S. Some MSC's will pay for reports they cannot use if the guidelines were wrong. And you remain professional, calm, and businesslike.

I am not sure I exactly follow what happened, so to clarify. Did you speak to the actual target on the phone?

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Thanks Bgriffin

The instructions state that one attempt is required before I can ask for the target. So the first call was not with the target. Then I called and asked for the target and left a voicemail. The target returned my call and we setup an appointment. But ultimately I was not able to shop the target. When I arrived at the property I asked for the target but the initial person I spoke to handled my visit. At that time it was out of my control.

This reminds me of a Dealership I did where instructions clearly said, "Call and ask if they have a specific car available, but don't make an appointment", just go in....which I did and wrote report per instructions. I was told in one email shop won't be accepted as I didn't make an appointment. i quoted instructions (which Editor hadn't read). I never heard back, got a 1 and not paid...still upset they would do this, and de-activated myself. Moral of story, these things happen...move on, but if your sure it wasn't your mistake, do not work for them again.
This will be argued with, but if a company won't pay you a lousy 17.00 for a Dealership, they're cheap to the core...sorry I'm venting, back to business. Hardly anyone reaches a target on the first call, it;s a setup. Would love to know the name of this MSC....

Live consciously....

Did the visit require a recorded phone call and did the visit require that you shop your target or did it allow for a pass off?

I only do apartment shops for one company. I don't like them and I do them only for 1 scheduler and I mostly do them as a favor because it's both my favorite company and favorite scheduler (of all the schedulers in the whole wide world). The company I do them for, if you get passed off to another employee then it's on them not you. I know one company that requires you to wait 30 minutes for your target to become available before you are allowed to shop whoever is there. I believe others require you to make a new appointment. I'm going to guess (and it's just a total shot in the dark and I could be way wrong) that the recorded call you have is with someone who is not the target and the shop is not with the target and therefore you should indeed not be paid for the shop. But I obviously could be wrong.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Did the guidelines have instructions on what specifically to do if the targeted person does NOT show up for the appointment?

I quit even TRYING to do apartment shops after a string of total failures. Hard to reach a target who has been reassigned to another property, 200 miles away, or who "quit 18 months ago, maybe two years", or "he doesn't work here any more". I just got sick of trying! Not to mention calling the given phone number, and it's for a totally different business, and the instructions say "do NOT Google the property".

For any targeted shop it is ESSENTIAL that the shopper get IN WRITING the policy for shopper payment in the event of a hand-off (after you have made an appointment with the target, a closed location and any other such contingencies. It is on the shopper to get this in writing. The best video MSCs supply it in writing, up front. Were you given that?

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.

Thanks again Bgriffin

You are right on both accounts. The initial call was not with the target, then I called and asked for the target, and I made an appointment with the target, then I went to see the target. Then I was passed on. And I continued because I did not want to blow my cover.

But this is all moot now. My question is;

The MSC has my report and video footage. What prevents them from submitting the report and footage to the client and get paid without me getting paid?

That is my question!!!

Thanks

Phil

@Phil wrote:

Thanks again Bgriffin

You are right on both accounts. The initial call was not with the target, then I called and asked for the target, and I made an appointment with the target, then I went to see the target. Then I was passed on. And I continued because I did not want to blow my cover.

But this is all moot now. My question is;

The MSC has my report and video footage. What prevents them from submitting the report and footage to the client and get paid without me getting paid?

That is my question!!!

Thanks

Phil

Some shoppers are under the mistaken impression that if they are not paid, their reports will be used "anyway" by the client. This is so far from the truth. The client will need to know that all steps were followed. The MSC, knowing they weren't, will have to order a new shop with either you or a different shopper. It benefits "no-one" if the MSC sends the incorrect shop to the client, as the client will refuse to accept the shop if done incorrectly and pay the MSC, which pays you.

@Phil wrote:

The MSC has my report and video footage. What prevents them from submitting the report and footage to the client and get paid without me getting paid?

Because the client ordered a shop for Janet. If the MSC provides them with a shop for Susan they will laugh and say no you were supposed to shop Janet. Susan has been here forever and we have had 3 shops on her already and we know she does a tremendous job. Or whatever their reason for wanting a shop for Janet instead of Susan.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

@Phil wrote:

The reason they gave was that the target was not reached on the INITIAL call. Has anyone heard of a mystery shop when you ask for the target on the INITIAL call? The instructions state I am allowed to directly ask for the target after 3 unsuccessful attempts to reach the target.

@Phil wrote:

The instructions state that one attempt is required before I can ask for the target. So the first call was not with the target. Then I called and asked for the target and left a voicemail. The target returned my call and we setup an appointment. But ultimately I was not able to shop the target. When I arrived at the property I asked for the target but the initial person I spoke to handled my visit. At that time it was out of my control.

Could the problem be the number of calls you made? You initially said the instructions require 3 unsuccessful attempts to reach the target. But you later said one attempt is required, and your first call was not with the target. You then said that you called and asked for the target and left a voicemail.

I do few targeted shops because they are not worth it to me, but I've never seen instructions that allow you to ask for the target after only one unsuccessful try. So I'm thinking it should probably have been at least 3.

I don't think your report was used. Regardless of whether you should or should not get paid, I don't think you need to worry that the company will use your report anyway. Since you did not shop the target, the company would not want to use your report. Why would they not pay you and provide a report to their customer that provides information the customer doesn't want when they can pay someone else and get a report that provides what the customer does want?

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