Grocery Shop Price Audits
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I do a pricing audit for one MSC and it's never as high as the amount quoted, because the location I audit does not carry 1/4 - 1/3 of the items. You might be pleasantly surprised. And after the first time you know where everything is.
I hope you're right. It's tomorrow, so I'll report back.
$25 for 85 items doesn't seem all that bad actually. That's maybe a little over an hour of work unless the list is really spread out.
Is this the one that says its a mystery shop? I was wondering how you would spend so much time in the store doing a mystery shop without suspicion?
You do not introduce yourself to management. You have no authorization letter. People here have said they've done these shops and have been asked to leave. I am hoping (since this is my local store and I'm known to all the associates as a regular) that if approached by a manager I can finesse my way through it. Also, you are allowed to leave and return in the same day so you can spread your time out among different shifts of associates.
I've done quite a few missions at competitors since a new brand of grocery store opened in my area. None of mine had so many items to check, though. I think the worst was a little over 100. The problem that gave me the most trouble was when they would stock items in an area or department you would never expect. I would "skip" an item when it wasn't in the department where you would expect to find it. After submitting that mission, I would find that item later in a totally unrelated department. I never had anyone ask what I was doing or tell me to leave.
I've done the $25 for 85 item audit....when we run right through, it takes an hour and a half; then there's the other questions you have to answer. Two hours total. And printing off the forms. And when you're done, you have to wait for them to make copies of all the pages you used. No way will I touch them for $25. Not enough hours in the month to make a living working for less than minimum wage.
The ones in my area are just produce. What's even better is that the store I conduct this at has price locks on most of the produce for 3 months at a time. Very few items change each week and can complete 150 items in 20 minutes.
I do these for a couple different MSCs. I've never been asked what I am doing, but my line is I am frugal and comparison shopping.
One regular job only has about 1/4 of the items. It is easy once you realize they don't carry certain brands. The other I have down to about 30-45 minutes because it is the same items and I learned where they are.
One regular job only has about 1/4 of the items. It is easy once you realize they don't carry certain brands. The other I have down to about 30-45 minutes because it is the same items and I learned where they are.
I did one at a pet store this past weekend. 300 items not revealed. I could hear the employees talking about me and that they knew what I was doing but they knew it wasn't a big deal since they have the best prices in town. They wanted everyone to know that lol.
I do one location regularly, . I have a sytem with management , its about an hour anfld a half.I agree not hardly worth it except it gives me an excuse to walk for an hour 
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2017 06:13PM by adamaimeemom.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2017 06:13PM by adamaimeemom.
4 hours later I still had 265 prices to go when I had to come home to charge my phone. Now that I know what the heck I'm doing, it should go much faster. But I can't imagine doing one of these again. Not for 350+ items.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2017 08:48PM by kryswyn916.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2017 08:48PM by kryswyn916.
I almost forgot about those pet audits. It's been 5 or 6 years since I did the last one. The nightmares finally stopped. Shop notes said to mention price checking for a pet charity if approached. Not a bad idea. I wasn't approached.
I'm doing the pet product audits now and we have been advised, that if asked, we can share what App is ultimately going to be posting the prices (not the MSC).
Well I am home after putting in another THREE HOURS to do 144 items. WHICH WAS ACTUALLY CLOSER TO 300 prices (regular and loyalty) AND the expiration date for the loyalty price. So my total time today was 6 hours and 45 minutes AND I still have 121 items left to do! I put in a call to my scheduler before my phone battery could die but haven't heard back. I'll do them tomorrow if the scheduler will okay that. But I want more money. The initial job was for 350 items with no mention that a) it would be substantially more than that, and b) that almost every item requires 3 numbers typed in. Honestly, I *know* this store. I was not wasting time roaming about looking for categories.
I did the pet products that said it had 1000 items. I was at Walmart which is why I did it. No one cares what you are doing at Walmart (I was even completing it while standing next to employees and they still did not care). I knew this was the case with Walmart as I have done the meat department hundreds of times for another MSC. The 1000 items took me about a total of 8 hours. I did do half of it in one day and went back to finish the next day.
Tip: I do have 4 power banks for my phone so I can keep going all day (I will use about power from about 2 of them for a 1000 item audit). I use these: [www.amazon.com]
While it is charging, I just put the power bank in the back pocket of my jeans. I look like I am wired up since I use the phone at the same time but I am not there for a fashion statement.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2017 08:20AM by lbw1000.
Tip: I do have 4 power banks for my phone so I can keep going all day (I will use about power from about 2 of them for a 1000 item audit). I use these: [www.amazon.com]
While it is charging, I just put the power bank in the back pocket of my jeans. I look like I am wired up since I use the phone at the same time but I am not there for a fashion statement.
Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2017 08:20AM by lbw1000.
I have a brand new iPhone, so the battery is excellent, but I don't think power pack batteries are an option for me. Were you using the Missions app? BTW I hope you got a TON of money for that.
Well I'm about to set off to finish my project. My scheduler was great. She had already increased the fee somewhat when she saw ;the actual number of items was greater than originally stated by the client and when she learned there were multiple prices for more than half the items, she gave me even more, so I'm happy. Crippled, but happy. My feet and ankles are the reason I don't work retail anymore.
Yes, I was using the Missions app. I have three accounts for Missions (they make you have a separate account with a separate email address for each MSC.) The 1000 item one pays $180 and can be repeated monthly.
The largest price audit I have done was not in Missions but was on paper and then had to enter into the computer afterward. It pays $350 and includes mutliple stores and comes around once a year.
With all of the price audits, it usually takes longer the first time you complete it and gets faster each time. I look at it like a treasure hunt game.
The largest price audit I have done was not in Missions but was on paper and then had to enter into the computer afterward. It pays $350 and includes mutliple stores and comes around once a year.
With all of the price audits, it usually takes longer the first time you complete it and gets faster each time. I look at it like a treasure hunt game.
Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.
I did the 1000 mission for $180 but it looks like it was only for one month for my location. The month to month one is $55. And as I mentioned previously my location has a very small pet care section and doesn't carry a lot of the products. They also have minimal 'loyalty' prices.
Are you still using the Missions app? If so, are you as overwhelmed as I am? Usually, they give me 20 missions per store, but this month, they gave me 46 per store! One of the missions had 81 items in it! I am going bananas!
Mine has 80 per store! How much is the pay for yours?@maranatha wrote:
Are you still using the Missions app? If so, are you as overwhelmed as I am? Usually, they give me 20 missions per store, but this month, they gave me 46 per store! One of the missions had 81 items in it! I am going bananas!
I had four stores I've done biweekly for over 1 1/2 years using the missions app for one MSC. This week they weren't loaded in the app or on my shopper page. Several emails later, after the MSC lying about app problems, they said the shop was canceled by the client. No notice. No nothing except bs. I'd never missed even one shop. They went from five days to complete down to three without increasing pay. They are relentless with the reminder phone calls and emails. Then nothing. I haven't answered their calls in months but would email once to confirm I'd complete on time. I think they finally found someone else to badger. And I'm curious what the pay is for others. The first time I did the shop, each store took me about 3 1/2 hours. After several visits I was at 20 minutes per store. I did conventional and organic produce for $0.35 per item ~120 items per store.
555Kat, Is it showing on the job board or Shop Log on the MSC website?
@SassyShoppin wrote:
555Kat, Is it showing on the job board or Shop Log on the MSC website?
No but it's not an advertised shop. The MSC contacts you directly if you've worked for them before. Twice they sent out a mass mailing to their shoppers for the stores I was doing. They forgot to take me off the list! I replied to the email asking if they'd found a replacement for me yet. Lol. They responded that it was a computer glitch that sent the email. Both times. Eh...wrong. I have my degree in Computer Information Systems. The only glitch is that they left me on the list!
You looking to pick these up? You're not fond of the MSC...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2017 06:00PM by 555katwoman666.
What do you think caused you to be kicked off? I have been doing them and wonder what to be careful of so I do not make a mistake.
I did the pet store one several times for the monthly one. The 1000 item one was not at a time that I could do it and so I didn't take it. Never got asked again and don't see the monthly one. I did get an email asking why so many items marked not available and I said that they did not carry the exact one on the listing and they say no substitutions, also the store does not carry several brands they ask for. I guess I goofed by saying the truth. No big deal, hardest I've ever worked for the price.
Yes, 555katwoman666, they dropped one of my three stores without notice nor explanation. When I asked, they said that the client canceled participating in the program.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2017 08:53PM by maranatha.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2017 08:53PM by maranatha.
I quit taking their incessant calls and told them not to contact me unless there was a real reason. I had issues with Megan and she tried to replace me. Looks like she finally found someone.
@SassyShoppin wrote:
What do you think caused you to be kicked off? I have been doing them and wonder what to be careful of so I do not make a mistake.
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