[www.businessinsider.com]

First our pay was cut for Chipotle shops by $2, then it was cut by $4 and now Chipotle is raising prices so we'll make even less for the same amount of work. The article says the increase will result in about a $.34 increase on a chicken bowl, about 5%. Chipotle is raising prices in 20% of the companies restaurants but I'm sure the rest will follow shortly. This may be what does it for me. After the last payment decrease and now having to comment on each item on the food line that I order, like how we did before, I may be done with the Chipotle shops. I don't care about helping a struggling billion dollar company get back on it's feet like my scheduler said, I care about the money I make to help me pay my bills and save for my future, I do this as side income, not to eat at a restaurant for fun. I know I can buy 1 taco and kids chips for $3 something but that's a waste of my time if I then have to go home and eat after spending 45+ minutes getting to and from and doing the shop. My time might be better spent elsewhere.

@brwnidgrl15 wrote:

[www.businessinsider.com]

First our pay was cut for Chipotle shops by $2, then it was cut by $4 and now Chipotle is raising prices so we'll make even less for the same amount of work. I know I can buy 1 taco and kids chips for $3 something but that's a waste of my time if I then have to go home and eat after spending 45+ minutes getting to and from and doing the shop. My time might be better spent elsewhere.

Although I'm not thrilled at Chipotle pay being less, the report was very much reduced when the $2 cut happened, and it has been reduced still more as the pay went down again in addition to the requirements being lowered, so we currently do a far lesser amount of work for a lesser amount of pay. I would actually say my per-hour fee increased due to the lower reporting requirements. We are making even less for even less work. However, if the prices increase, I will be emailing my scheduler to ask if there will be an off-setting increase in pay to compensate for increased menu prices.

I'm prepared for the MSC to say no. This is similar to A Closer Look. I've worked for ACL for several years. I shop many of same clients now that I shopped in 2010 - at the same reimbursement and no fee. At one local TexMex, there is a $25 reimbursement (NO pay, of course), the same as it was in 2010. EXCEPT, menu prices at ACL's TexMex client are about 30% higher than they were in 2010. Since reporting requirements have not diminished, that truly represents doing the same work for less money. Since ACL does not raise its reimbursements when menu prices increase at its client restaurants, I'm always surprised by the lack of criticism......and by their ability to fill those shops each month.

This do more for less seems to be the industry standard.

brwn, thank you for the info!

Personally, I just started doing Chipotle shops in January, so I never saw the higher pay or extensive reports.

Even with the higher cost, I will still do the shops. I do the shops on Sundays, and have the bowls for lunch that week. My grocery bill for lunch is decreased, and on top of that, I get about $10 to pocket.

The TexMex shop I do for another MSC also reduces my grocery bill, but my fee is lower. Not just because the fee is less than the Chipotle MSC, but because the reimbursement doesn't cover the cost of the meal.

I too have experienced a much shorter report. I prefer reimbursements but I have switched to eating the one taco since the change took place. I am basically netting a difference of less than $2 in fees after expenses than when I ordered a whole bowl at the higher rate. My taco is usually huge once I am finished adding everything I used to get in a bowl. It is much healthier for me for no matter how much I tried eating a half a bowl I just don't have the will power to stop eating when the food is in front of me and delicious. So one taco is perfect for my meal.
I am commenting on less than I did before. I don't know about other's training experience but in my training we were told they would like us to comment on a range of ingredients and not just the nope or okay things. That is what I always did. I know I could have gotten away with only commenting on the no but that is what I signed up for. This company "payscale" seems to be much higher than many other food shops. I do not do regular fast food but for "upscale" fast food it pays more than the average $4-6 I see, sometimes less. Still if they went back to $27 I would be happy.
I have been mystery shopping for over 7 years and prices have gone up almost everywhere. I have never seen a corresponding increase in shopper reimbursement from any of my msc! We should get one but this msc is not alone...they all need to look at our expenses vs their reimbursements.

If you enjoy the food, then it is worth it to do the shop even if the reimbursement only covers three quarters of the meal expense. BUT...not sure if them raising their prices ta this time makes any sense as they still have not regained many lost customers. FYI: Two stuffed to the gills tacos cost at least $2.50 less than the burrito bowl which is mostly rice. Two tacos contain the same one spoonful of meat/chicken given with the bowls...

I have never eaten at a Chipotle.

@lucky7s wrote:

I have never eaten at a Chipotle.

you're not missing out. If I wasn't paid I wouldn't.

@eyelove2shop wrote:

@lucky7s wrote:

I have never eaten at a Chipotle.

you're not missing out. If I wasn't paid I wouldn't.

I have the opposite opinion. Lucky7s, I think you're missing out and you should try Chipotle. I like it a lot and I ate there long before I shopped them. In fact, I didn't register with them for years because they are so cheap I figured I could buy my own rather than do a report. I finally started doing their shops. I often take someone with me so I don't wind up making much money over the cost of the meal. If I didn't like the food and I was looking to make money, I wouldn't waste time doing Chipotle shops. In the 30 minutes you spend in Chipotle and the 30 minutes to do the report, you have an hour that you could spend doing at least two different shops, netting a lot more money than what's left after your food purchase. I do the Chipotle shops for the food. When I want to make money, I look at non-food shops. There's not much money in most food shops.

The quality of the burrito has diminished in my opinion since I first started eating them back in '06. Not only that, but they have gotten stingier with the serving portions and the prices keep increasing. I used to pay $6.00 then $6.50, now I'm paying $8 which isn't bad but the food hasn't gotten better and the level of service is hit or miss.

eta: don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the food, otherwise I would not do the shops but I do not enjoy them enough to pay for it on my own. There is nothing truly exceptional about chiptole imo. Moe's, California tortilla, qdoba, baja fresh etc are all similar.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2017 06:48PM by eyelove2shop.

Which MSC are you all doing Chipotle shops through? I currently do work for ACL, MarketForce, and Coyle and have not seen Chipotle.

@sjhman10 wrote:

Which MSC are you all doing Chipotle shops through? I currently do work for ACL, MarketForce, and Coyle and have not seen Chipotle.

You can't ask that. Read the forum rules. One piece of advice, however, if you are only working for three MSCs you need to invest time in signing up for other MSCs. Just sit down and do it. Soon you will be at 200+ and more able to find the shops you want.

Arch, I tried that, a "stuffed to the gills" or rofl taco. They were stingy with the ingredients.

@Arch Stanton wrote:

If you enjoy the food, then it is worth it to do the shop even if the reimbursement only covers three quarters of the meal expense. BUT...not sure if them raising their prices ta this time makes any sense as they still have not regained many lost customers. FYI: Two stuffed to the gills tacos cost at least $2.50 less than the burrito bowl which is mostly rice. Two tacos contain the same one spoonful of meat/chicken given with the bowls...

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Arch, I tried that, a "stuffed to the gills" or rofl taco. They were stingy with the ingredients.

I got a single taco yesterday and couldn't believe the size of the portions. It was so large there was no way it could have been folded. I ate it like a tostada. Secret menu?

I got all of my bowl ingredients, sans rice, in two tacos. I was able to fold them. I think I had two beans in each one!

When CMG cut the job pay by $7 and cut the reimbursement down to $5, it was a no-brainer that I decided without a moment's hesitation to not do their shops again. For what they are paying now, I should not have to write more than 3 sentences total for the report. $5 is not enough to pay for a decent lunch for one person. I might occasionally eat there, but I will not do same work for 35% less pay and only partial reimbursement for the meal. Their struggles were not my fault, and I will not subsidize them by working for peanuts.

I've actually found that, since the second, more recent pay cut, my writing requirements have increased. Now they want comments on every food item ordered and I get reports kicked back from editors on fields that I used to be able to leave blank if there were no issues.

Frankly I wish Chipotle would just start doing what other MSCs do and give us reimbursement for an average order+ a fee, instead of a flat fee. At least that way I know how much I'll always be making, and since prices tend to be higher in New York where I do most of my shopping, I'll probably end up with a few dollars more.

These shops were too much hassle back when they were paying $27.00 They are really being cheap now. I had better views of this company in the beginning- but now that I see how they shortchange employees their pay (google it) and the strife over food and now the low shopper pay............nah.. not such a great company. On the surface they say their value their employees -- but work them like a dog and take short cuts to pay them. Costco and Starbucks are relatively morale companies- Chipotle? not so much.

@AZwolfman wrote:

When CMG cut the job pay by $7 and cut the reimbursement down to $5, it was a no-brainer that I decided without a moment's hesitation to not do their shops again. For what they are paying now, I should not have to write more than 3 sentences total for the report. $5 is not enough to pay for a decent lunch for one person. I might occasionally eat there, but I will not do same work for 35% less pay and only partial reimbursement for the meal. Their struggles were not my fault, and I will not subsidize them by working for peanuts.

AZ - you posted this incorrect info before and I corrected you then. This shop has never had a reimbursement so it was not cut down to $5 as you state. It has always been a flat fee which was cut from $27 to $25 and now it is $21 (22% from the original pay). So the pay was not cut $7, or 35% as you also state. What has changed is that the order requirement was reduced to as little as one taco and a kids chips. This info is clearly in this thread. The report was shortened and if done correctly can be completed in about 30 minutes. For me, it's still worth it.

TWO TACOS: They never have a problem when I ask for almost everything in them, in fact last week one NYC location gave me them in an empty taco bowl!!! Wish I could have weighed it...mine are always bursting at the seams. Can only eat with a knife and fork and why don't they give out paper plates ?????

@Arch Stanton wrote:

TWO TACOS: They never have a problem when I ask for almost everything in them, in fact last week one NYC location gave me them in an empty taco bowl!!! Wish I could have weighed it...mine are always bursting at the seams. Can only eat with a knife and fork and why don't they give out paper plates ?????

I wonder if they would put the tacos in their cardboard bowl if asked? I will try it next time. I will says it's for here but will take leftovers home so easier to have the cardboard bowl to start with.

Can you explain the reimbursement?

@AZwolfman wrote:

When CMG cut the job pay by $7 and cut the reimbursement down to $5, it was a no-brainer that I decided without a moment's hesitation to not do their shops again. For what they are paying now, I should not have to write more than 3 sentences total for the report. $5 is not enough to pay for a decent lunch for one person. I might occasionally eat there, but I will not do same work for 35% less pay and only partial reimbursement for the meal. Their struggles were not my fault, and I will not subsidize them by working for peanuts.

Read the current Fb board and you will read someone got VERY sick from a shop yesterday. VERY.

@kenasch wrote:

@AZwolfman wrote:

When CMG cut the job pay by $7 and cut the reimbursement down to $5, it ...

AZ - you posted this incorrect info before and I corrected you then. This shop has never had a reimbursement so it was not cut down to $5 as you state. It has always been a flat fee which was cut from $27 to $25 and now it is $21 (22% from the original pay). So the pay was not cut $7, or 35% as you also state. What has changed is that the order requirement was reduced to as little as one taco and a kids chips. This info is clearly in this thread. The report was shortened and if done correctly can be completed in about 30 minutes. For me, it's still worth it.

kenasch,

I ignored your errant correction the last time, but since you apparently still do not have your facts straight and have publicly called me a liar, I will respond by educating you so that you can make more informed posts.

From reading the many posts in this thread and previous threads, I have concluded that the pay for Chipotle shops is apparently different in different areas of the country. Prices for Chipotle food varies also, even among different locations in the same city. For example, "catlassy" contends that these jobs used to pay $27, and I presume that is probably true where she shops. You say the job fee was cut at least twice and there was never a separate reimbursement. That may also be true where you shop. I have seen only one pay cut, but that 35% pay cut was drastic in my opinion.

I started doing Chipotle shops in June, 2012. The reports were very narrative -intensive and took an hour or more to write. That may have been a lot or writing for a shop that only paid $20, and that kept me from doing more of those shops, but the fully reimbursed burrito meal was tasty and large enough to provide me with a filling lunch. The reimbursement was also enough to pay for a bottomless drink. The narratives requirements were shortened a couple years ago so that it took about 30 minutes to write a report. That made the $20 pay more reasonable.

The reimbursement was always $10. The job fee itself was always $20. Then in 2017 I received an email stating that, because of CMG's struggles, the reimbursement was being cut to $5 (although I was welcome to spend more out of my pocket). And the job fee was also reduced to $13. There was nothing mentioned about reducing the narrative requirement further. The email further stated that they hoped I would not stop doing the shops because of these changes.

Now if you are happy getting only $13 for this job and only getting reimbursed enough for a snack, then by all means move out here and shop Chipotle every month. There are currently still two on the board that have been there all month with no takers. One of them is within a 7 minute drive of me, but I consider the paltry pay not worth the time required to complete the shop and the report. Aside from that, I will not support a 35% wage cut for any shop unless the workload is also proportionately reduced. I shall leave such shops for you and others like you who continue to support such wage cuts when you take these jobs

AZwolfman Actually $13 is $13 more than the no report fee shops, reimbursement only. So for some this is good.

Actually, I do this full time and cannot afford to work for free. So "no fee" does not pay my bills, and I do not do shops that do not pay me cash. There will probably always be hobbyists who do work for free will keep the payments low.

agree - many restaurants have raised their prices. Sometimes the appetizer, beverages (no water), taxes and tip eat up more than half the reimbursement.

Depends on which location my tacos never get the full meat.

I'm surprised that post was allowed. I wonder if it is still up.

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

Read the current Fb board and you will read someone got VERY sick from a shop yesterday. VERY.

With this MSC, you aren't working for free. The fee fully covers the reimbursement and you have a good amount to pocket.

I don't understand what your issue is. Can you explain?

@AZwolfman wrote:

Actually, I do this full time and cannot afford to work for free. So "no fee" does not pay my bills, and I do not do shops that do not pay me cash. There will probably always be hobbyists who do work for free will keep the payments low.

My reason that I stopped doing the shops was that they cut my pay 35% and still require the same amount of work. If they would have cut the report form down to multiple choice or yep nope and a 2 or 3 sentence comment at the end (to match the cut in pay), I would consider that fair for $13 pay.

As for the reimbursement, it doesn't matter how much they reimburse just as long as they reimburse enough to make the required purchase and do not require me to stay 30 minutes and eat something that may not be my choice of food. I only mentioned "no fee" in response to CANADAMOMMY's statement that, "$13 is $13 more than the no report fee shops, reimbursement only. So for some this is good."