This dropped into my inbox this morning. “NEW shops at Perani's Hockey World (Self Assign!)” read the title. This came from one of my favorite MSC to work for, I love Hockey, and there are several locations convenient to me, so I am definitely intrigued to say the least. Then I read the shop requirements. Basic retail shop, ask about a helmet or skates, worried about concussions, blah, blah, blah. But MUST remain in the store for 60 MINUTES!! If I'm going to tie up some salesperson for an hour I would have to buy them a coffee, and there is no allowance for that. In fact, there is no reimbursement at all, and the total shop fee is a whopping $12! You have to acquire a photo of the item you asked about as proof of visit (“here, sir or madam, would you mind holding up these skates so I can take a photo to show my son? Say Gretzky!” *snap*). I can't imagine what a person would do in a specialty retail shop for an hour besides get arrested for loitering. I doubt these shops are going to be flying off the ice anytime soon.

I saw that shop this morning too, I am not qualified but looked anyway and was surprised at the fee. I am also in "The D!" :+)

Hi Gracen247. I was more surprised by the "must remain in the store for 60 minutes" requirement. Since their is no purchase requirement, I suppose the only way to verify how long you remain is by surveillance camera. They would see me standing around a lot looking at my watch.

After their first few shoppers get quickly identified by staff who think it's odd they stayed so long without a purchase they may change that requirement.

sensei,
Don't hold your breath about that. Many would just blame the shoppers.

Bet you they DO check video on that one if you sneak out early! No thanks

LOL!!! $12 for an hour in-store? Zero, zilch, zip, nada, for prep, travel, reporting?

I'd have trouble spending an hour in a big department store without buying anything, let alone a small specialty shop. Good luck MSC with all that for $12.

That's a pretty brazen requirement. Once you've completed the report you're at $3.20 an hour that you get to pay taxes on, IF you do four of them back to back? Uh, uh, I wouldn't do this shop.

A name like "Hockey World" sounds like a big store, but to hang in the store for an entire hour? If it paid $35 maybe, because I am sure you could find a few books and magazines to read. Seems like Fall or Winter would be a better time to get away with hanging in the store for an hour because maybe there would be more customers in the store. This time of year, not so much.

I can't imagine 60 minutes. I had to stay in an auto parts store for 20 minutes. The only way I could get the employees to leave me alone was to tell them I had texted my husband and was waiting for him to respond on which product I should purchase. That was a very, very long 20 minutes. I thought for sure they'd call me out as a shopper, but apparently I was pretty convincing.....griping at my husband for taking so long, etc.

I guess you could pretend to be on the cell phone talking to someone while you are walking around Hockey World, but don't some MSCs frown on shoppers using their phone during shops?

I had to stay in a store for 15 minutes that was so small, it was the size of a jail cell. I almost died, trying to make small talk and avoid looking at my watch continuously.

I did a small specialty store shop a few weeks ago and I had to stay in the store for 20 minutes without making a purchase. I had to interact with the employees ask questions about merchandise etc. I was told the entire shop would be verified by the cameras. I looked at my phone probably a dozen times waiting for the 20 minutes to tick by. There is only so many times you can pick up an item read the box and pretend to be interested in it. I'm guessing the hockey store is fairly small and I couldn't imagine being trapped in there for an hour.

With a name like Hockey World, I would expect it to be fairly big, but I could be wrong. I suppose it also might depend on the region the store is in.

As I have done more and more projects that require interaction with the end client management I have learned that for many companies with crazy requirements like this, it's not that they don't think the location will know you're a shopper or that they'll blame you for them knowing, it's mostly that they just don't care if the location knows you're the shopper. More shopping programs are designed as an open book test than they are a measure of customer service.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2017 04:32PM by bgriffin.

Hmmm, shopper, linger in the store for a prolonged period of time to scare the wits out of our CSRs, LOL. Keep 'em on their toes!

Is there a restroom that you could spend 45 minutes in?

The time in the store requirement is why I cancelled several Jewelry Store shops I had self assigned. I have shopped for diamonds, and figure 15 to 20 minutes is all it takes. One client requires an hour in the location, the other 30-minutes. The shops start around $11, then slowly go up but not very far. I decided that even if the fee was $30 I can not imagine finding a way to stay at the one client that requires we waste an hour of their associates times. Maybe 30-minutes, maybe.

Thanks for all your replies. I didn't mean to abandon my thread, but had a super busy day at the FTJ.

@JASFLALMT, pretty big store, a little smaller than your average Dick's Sporting Goods, but all Hockey stuff. 11 locations here in Michigan, and a few others in nearby Midwest states. Also, your right in line with my thinking on the shop payment. $35-40 range for sure, minimum.

@COMystery, I've done that shop. You're right. 20 minutes does not sound like a long time until the interaction is over in five minutes and I'm wondering around a really small store comparing car wax for 15 minutes. One and done on that one.

@spicy1, yes the pay is ridiculously low for the amount of time involved. And the MSC is one that usually has decent shops and one of the favorites of the board. Makes me wonder how much of the shop was dictated by the client.

@sassymmmm, I agree. I can't remember ever staying inside any store for an hour. Shop or not.

@bgriffin, good conspiracy theory. Wouldn't surprise me. How to respond to a lost looking loiterer.

@DareWright, best idea on how to handle that shop, but that strategy might really get you arrested! LOL!

Thanks again everyone else.

FYI if you're interested, someone picked up the shop in Saginaw. The other 10 Michigan shops are still on the board. I hope that Saginaw shopper is a forum member and will chime in later.

I'm thinking if they were a member of this forum they may not have taken the shop!

I looked for that little chart that shows how much time people usually spend in a location. I did not find it for Perani's. I was going to see how that compared with the mandatory 60 minutes shop guideline.

Anyway, I looked at the skates. It would take me an hour just to try on a pair, stand and lean on something, maybe fall and pick myself up a few dozen times, and get back into my shoes. Oh, my.....

I would be trying on items in the fitting room, try on several pairs of skates, check the bathroom and that is about 30 min. I did a Ski shop once with similar requirements and I live in Georgia. Had to stay in the store an hr and it was small. Was doable trying to outfit myself but ugh, never again!

Shops like that are on my 10 foot pole list. A few months ago I did a shop that required a twenty minute stay in a tiny boutique (I didn't know it was that tiny when I took the shop) with just me and two staff as there were no other customers. They must have thought I was crazy -- and I certainly can't go back without looking really odd. Does anyone ever give schedulers feedback when it's a requirement like this that means you don't take the shop? I wonder if the clients really understand that they are losing the services of experienced shoppers who have better things to do than make a spectacle of themselves for a low paying shop. Now if it was really big money...

@Julia2026, that may be an excellent side topic. I've rarely given feedback to schedulers regarding what I consider ridiculous shop requirements, as I don't think they have any real power to change them. And since so many schedulers are independent, I doubt they have the management's ear regarding shopper's opinion. I have replied to schedulers when they ask why I would not accept a shop (regarding payment times or amount) but the only reply I have ever gotten, is "Yeah, I know".

Any schedulers want to weight in regarding crazy shop requirements?

@Shop-et-al wrote:

I looked for that little chart that shows how much time people usually spend in a location. I did not find it for Perani's. I was going to see how that compared with the mandatory 60 minutes shop guideline.

Anyway, I looked at the skates. It would take me an hour just to try on a pair, stand and lean on something, maybe fall and pick myself up a few dozen times, and get back into my shoes. Oh, my.....

If I fell a few times, I would probably be needing an ambulance for sprained or fractured limbs.

That is a dangerous sport. Fortunately, I did not do the shop and did not fall. I was just typing out loud there and commenting on how the shop might go for some one like me. I do not belong in a hockey store. I should not have tried to learn more about the shop.

An hour is far too long. I once had problems staying in a cosmetics shop for 20 minutes. The consultation was finished after 5 minutes and I had to stay another 15 minutes. I ended up having a security guy following me around and staying really close to me.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

That is a dangerous sport. Fortunately, I did not do the shop and did not fall. I was just typing out loud there and commenting on how the shop might go for some one like me. I do not belong in a hockey store. I should not have tried to learn more about the shop.

[www.youtube.com]

Trying on Hockey shoes may take half an hour, heck, I've been in Macy;s for an hour easily..different dept's., tying on clothes, then shoes, makeup, just saying this may not be so impossible.