Base fee is the advertised or starting rate for a shop. You will find many veteran shoppers negotiate a different rate. I just got an email asking me to repeat a shop I did a few months ago. Then the original price was $40, I was paid $250.

@Miss shopper, do you need guidance on how to quote people properly when responding to their post?

I haven't been paid $1000 yet but I have been in the triple digits on more than one occasion. I do not work for minimum wage and I do not sleep in my vehicle in Walmart parking lots. Isn't that illegal?

@LisaSTL wrote:

Base fee is the advertised or starting rate for a shop. You will find many veteran shoppers negotiate a different rate. I just got an email asking me to repeat a shop I did a few months ago. Then the original price was $40, I was paid $250.

@Miss shopper wrote:

@LisaSTL wrote:

Base fee is the advertised or starting rate for a shop. You will find many veteran shoppers negotiate a different rate. I just got an email asking me to repeat a shop I did a few months ago. Then the original price was $40, I was paid $250.

I see now why.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2017 01:29AM by Miss shopper.

@Sybil2 wrote:

@Miss shopper, do you need guidance on how to quote people properly when responding to their post?

I haven't been paid $1000 yet but I have been in the triple digits on more than one occasion. I do not work for minimum wage and I do not sleep in my vehicle in Walmart parking lots. Isn't that illegal?

No, I don't any guidance.
I know the fees for the same shops in large cities is higher than where I live. At least $10.
It's not really illegal to sleep in Walmart parking lots. You have to have manager's approval, I've never done it, but I read about it in some travel forums.

Don't get stuck on the large city versus rural areas. I've gotten some of my best bonuses on rural routes. Shops that would go for the base rate in town could be had for 10 to 20 times more.

I noticed in a thread somewhere you stated you would not take a purchase/return or any shop requiring a wait of 20 minutes. A lot of us paid our dues with all sorts of shops. You have to prove you are worth more before you get more.

@LisaSTL wrote:

Don't get stuck on the large city versus rural areas. I've gotten some of my best bonuses on rural routes. Shops that would go for the base rate in town could be had for 10 to 20 times more.

I noticed in a thread somewhere you stated you would not take a purchase/return or any shop requiring a wait of 20 minutes. A lot of us paid our dues with all sorts of shops. You have to prove you are worth more before you get more.

I agree, but what I was trying to say was different. I signed up for a shop for a computer test that pays $30. When the scheduler sent me the guidelines of the shop in DC, I noticed that the shopper fee is $40 there. I also checked shop fees in Chicago or NY and they are at least $10 higher for the same company.
The shops with 20 minutes wait I don't do because there are other options: I prefer to do a bank shop: $20 for 15 -20 min.

Who wouldn't prefer a higher paying shop instead of the wait? I've been assuming you are a newer shopper. The way to get in with a company is to show them you can handle the work, do it well and are reliable. I don't sweat the advertised rate either in my own town or somewhere else. Considering the cost of living in the cities you mentioned, those shoppers are the ones getting the raw deal, not you.

Big city living does have a higher price tag (aka cost of living) than the middle-of-nowhere America. Metropolitan areas usually have a ton of shoppers (aka more competition) than the farmlands.

No. I am not a new shopper, but I accept a shop according to time spend on it and the fee I het paid because I care how much I make per hour. It's a big difference making $250 in 10 hrs vs in 4 hours. I see here shoppers wbo wotrk all day long, sleep in their cars etc something I would never do.
About he higher pay, iyou vimpared 2 different situations. Nothing to do with being a new shopper as you helieve I am.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2017 05:08AM by Miss shopper.

@Miss shopper wrote:

About he higher pay, iyou vimpared 2 different situations. Nothing to do with being a new shopper as you helieve I am.

Not a new shopper but perhaps a new typist? or drinker?

@Miss shopper wrote:

$1000 for opening a credit card?? Wow. never heard of that.
Not to seem rude, but you are the only one gets paid such high fees, and it's hard to believe.

No, I am not the only one, but one of the elite group that would get paid such a fee.

Oh, and "not to seem rude" but I don't really care if you believe me. IRS 1099 says I am not lying.

It was a $1000 fee. Biggest fee that I have earned in almost 20 years for a simple job. I qualified based on demographics. I verified that it was really $1000, and not $100, and opened the card over the phone the next day.

I have had fees of $500-750 for multiple day hotel jobs. All expenses including travel were paid (as for my guest too). I don't recall what the fees were for the 7-10 day cruises, but I think that they were around $500 as well (plus they paid for travel and one guest - not Coyle if anyone is wondering).

I still grab as many mailing shops as I can. I can do them in my sleep.

@bgriffin wrote:

@Miss shopper wrote:

About he higher pay, iyou vimpared 2 different situations. Nothing to do with being a new shopper as you helieve I am.

Not a new shopper but perhaps a new typist? or drinker?

I vote for drinker.

@bgriffin wrote:

@Miss shopper wrote:

About he higher pay, iyou vimpared 2 different situations. Nothing to do with being a new shopper as you helieve I am.

Not a new shopper but perhaps a new typist? or drinker?

Really? Can't say anything smarter?

Ha I thought it was pretty funny. But then I have been known to crack myself up!

In another thread, arguments were made about [the exorbitant] remuneration paid to CEOs. Can an argument be made for exorbitant sums paid for mystery shopping programs? Are both executive pay systems and mystery shopping programs too expensive now? Do some of us have to charge too much money for doing mystery shops because the shopping programs cost so much that prices are elevated to cover those and other costs-- and we as consumers are saddled with those higher costs and experience them as otherwise uncovered increased costs of living? I continuously wonder about this...

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Do some of us have to charge too much money for doing mystery shops because the shopping programs cost so much that prices are elevated to cover those and other costs-- and we as consumers are saddled with those higher costs and experience them as otherwise uncovered increased costs of living?

Basically....no. They wouldn't have the programs if they didn't increase profit overall, so the programs pay for themselves. Shoppers increase overall profitability for the company as well as the improving the customer service experience.

Hmm... this might not be uniformly true. I shop in places that never improve. The prices increase constantly, but my customer experience does not improve. I do not know if employees receive more money. Perhaps we can narrow it down to a little formula. Amount of profit minus (cost of mystery shopping program and minus training and minus incalculable costs of the consumers who quietly go away) = ?

I wonder if customer experiences can be measured less expensively and, it is hoped, with no increase in consumer prices.

As real customers, we pay prices that include the costs of mystery shopping programs. We are some of those costs. Do we want to control those costs by controlling the costs associated with mystery shopping programs? Is this even possible?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2017 04:40AM by Shop-et-al.

I believe you are stuck in the idea that all companies mystery shop in order to improve service. That is not the case. I'll give you some examples:

McDonalds - they were barely concerned with anything but timings. They were mystery shopping in order to say 99.99% of their orders were filled within 90 seconds or whatever.

Most Gas Station brands - they are also barely concerned with customer service. They want to make sure signs are good and places are clean but in a lot of instances the local owner doesn't care if they fail. They simply have to pay more. Many times they had rather pay the "fine" than get into compliance.

Most franchised locations - kind of like gas stations. There is no real incentive for the franchisee to improve in most cases. They would have to do VERY poorly. Sure it would probably be held against them if they ever applied for another location, and yes the company wants the feedback, but when it comes down to it it's very hard for most of them enforce improved standards on the franchisee.

Payday Lenders - they mostly want to ensure compliance. They want to make sure their employees aren't doing anything illegal. Customer service is completely secondary.

I could go on and on.

Good point! But we still pay for the costs of mystery shopping. Should mystery shopping programs now be streamlined or otherwise be made to cost less, and should we as consumers demand that those reduced costs result in lower prices for us? [Should we as mystery shoppers stop adding to the costs of mystery shopping and as our real selves pay less for goods and services?]

Is it possible to restructure the mystery shopping system?

@bgriffin wrote:

I could go on and on.

But all of the programs exist for a reason, BG. McD feels that timing is more important than service. Gas franchisers promote the cleanliness of their locations, lenders avoid costly lawsuits by ensuring compliance.

The point being that the program should be increasing profits. To answer Shop-et-al's question, if the program is not increasing profits, it's the fault of the corporation to change how they do business, not the MS industry.

Does the MS industry have problems that need fixing? Definitely. So do the hospitality, oil and lending industry. All businesses are fraught with inefficiency. Saying that MSing adds to the cost of a product is like arguing that health care costs or USDA regulations add to the costs of a product. It's the cost of doing business. Companies will both charge and pay what the market will bear...

I agree with all of that. I was simply replying to Shop's remark that she(?) does not notice improved customer experience in places she shops sometimes. Many times that's not the goal of a program.

Edited to add:

As far as should MS programs increase the company's profits? I couldn't care less.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2017 03:32PM by bgriffin.

We agree to agree

Where did you get the idea a reduction in fees for a mystery shopping program would translate into lower prices for consumers? Remove the constant fluctuation of gas prices and how many times have you seen the cost of anything go down once it has gone up?

I notice your focus is on the mystery shopper fees, not on anything else in the industry such as MSC profits. I don't see the point in us taking the hit on the off chance the cost of a product or service might go down by a penny.

@shoptastic wrote:

Any tips on routing everyone?

Any tips on how to manage job alerts and listings?
...
Anyhow, I'd love to hear people's strategies for routing and managing job alerts/listings. I feel I'm spending too much time going to each site manually several times a day. But maybe that's normal and I just don't know it.

I have done route shopping for the past few years and have found it is the main way I make my monthly average of $1500 (not including reimbursements). Living in a more rural area with some larger cities not far away has been helpful. I first select one to two higher paying shops (typically rentals, banks, or another bonused shop) and then branch out from there. Knowing which shops are quick and higher paying, makes a big difference. A quick $8-$10 gas station is better than a large home improvement store for the same amount where you walk around and can't find any help. More time parking, more time walking, more time in the store, means less $$ per hour. Also, fees are more important than reimbursements to me. A $6 FF shop may be your lunch, but don't pick up these for cash as they're not worth it if you want to make a real living.

I also use the calendar option on my email to post my shops for the month and keep tallies on my fees for each week so I know what I'm making. I can also set alerts through this if needed but typically I have a good idea of jobs coming ahead as I'm always checking. As soon as I get a job accepted, I post it to my calendar. To keep costs down, I use 'used paper' for my printer and print in draft with my printer I've had for over 20 years as I put four pages on one side. Old rental applications/bank disclosures work nicely since one side is typically clean. Doing quick gas shops are great to as you typically have to purchase reimbursed gas as you travel.

I check the boards maybe 3-4 times a week and also get emails for jobs. I check my email at least 2-3 times a day. If this is your job, you gotta stay on it. Also, build rapport with schedulers as your reputation is everything when it comes to shopping.

Love mystery shopping and the perks as well as seeing customer service being improved. It's a win win!

@bgriffin wrote:

I agree with all of that. I was simply replying to Shop's remark that she(?) does not notice improved customer experience in places she shops sometimes. Many times that's not the goal of a program.

Edited to add:

As far as should MS programs increase the company's profits? I couldn't care less.

Thank you. I should have specified that I was referring to unspecified places where I personally shop and other places where I mystery shop.

@LisaSTL wrote:

Where did you get the idea a reduction in fees for a mystery shopping program would translate into lower prices for consumers? Remove the constant fluctuation of gas prices and how many times have you seen the cost of anything go down once it has gone up?

I notice your focus is on the mystery shopper fees, not on anything else in the industry such as MSC profits. I don't see the point in us taking the hit on the off chance the cost of a product or service might go down by a penny.

I don't know whom you are addressing, but I can add a little something. Wouldn't it be great if the talented and energetic shoppers could direct some of their influential energy toward marketplace improvements such as changes in consumer prices and related experiences? Apparently, we do see some of the imbalances in the world. Some posters provide an clear expose of issues. Why can't we at least try to influence the marketplace in ways beyond the immediacy of our shops? [Yes, Jacob, this would take us a bit to the side of mystery shopping and on into integration of mystery shopping-- where the shoppers have a specified and limited interface-- with marketplace factors that we as our real selves might not have accessed only via our mystery shopping and related tasks. I suggest this anyway.]

huh?

I don't understand your motivation and have no desire to lower my fees or "influence the marketplace." What is in it for me? From your description it would be less money in my own pocket.

Like bgriffin, I could not care less if a business uses the data provided to make improvements. If they waste their money, it is their problem. As long as I have completed my part of the contract to the best of my abilities, I'm done.

Your ideas sound altruistic. If I want to do something to improve the human condition, it sure as hell won't be mystery shopping. When I donate my time it is not to for profit businesses.

Back to the topic: It is not my goal to earn at least $1,000 per month from mystery shopping. It is my goal to get some sleep and have some personal time. But we can calculate that on an equivalent basis, I could earn at least $1,000 per month from mystery shopping simply by doing more of what I am doing now as a mystery shopper, merchandiser, and auditor.

I work seven days a week for about half of each year. The rest of the time, I work six days per week at at least one job. Sometimes, I do additional work on a substitute basis. This spills over into my personal and "shopping" time. If I did not have any other work, I would have seven days a week in which to shop. I could go anywhere at any time and do this business in any configuration that seemed good, fun, lucrative, and/or necessary. I would then be one of those people who earn at least $1,000 per month from mystery shopping and related tasks.

All is well.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2017 02:02AM by Shop-et-al.