I'm new and maybe not sure of the protocol. I know there are other new folks as well.
Could we share some GOOD shopping experiences with GOOd to GREAT MSCs?
I'll start with CI (Customer Impacts) - great pay, OUTSTANDING people!
lisaj

Hi juricekl,

You might visit the Mystery Shopping Company Discussion thread (http://www.mysteryshopforum.com/list/6)

Just a suggestion!
Juststardust

I like CI as well...great company, wish they had more out here, but I do whatever they have.

I am new too, what part of the country do they cover?? I am in the Northeast area north of Boston. Does anyone know if they cover that area?

Register with them, and check it out for yourself, we all do that.

juststardust Wrote:
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> Hi juricekl,
>
> You might visit the Mystery Shopping Company
> Discussion thread
> (http://www.mysteryshopforum.com/list/6)
>
> Just a suggestion!
> Juststardust


Thanks for your helpful and friendly advice! I'll try that thread.

I have worked for Beyond Hello, Market Force, Corporate Research International, Sinclair, Maritz, Customer Impact, STN & Trendsource. It will help a lot if you read the posts here at the forum. Happy shopping!

I was just looking at a shop that CI has for a fast casual restaurant. I did it twice and they were very critical of it so I haven't touched it again. It was always self assigned. Well now it's bonused. I guess they can't get it filled. Go figure. They do have some upscale places that I like and was accepted for so I'm going for those.

Trendsource or MSI is one of my favorites. They have clear instructions, training and the reports are easy to fill out. Best of all, they pay twice a month.

Reflections MS is also a good one. Their reports are easy and the pay consistently within 30 days.

Oh...I almost forgot...TUAU (Tell Us About Us) is great to work for, their reports are reasonable and they pay after 30 days.

I work for TUAU monthly doing four of the same restaurants, different locations. There reports are fine, they pay on time, and are a pleasure to work with. Wish they had more variety.

Gotta love Instant Replays and CSE for super schedulers and managers!

Speaking of CSE, I don't know what happened, they keep emailing these airport jobs in other states. I haven't gotten any jobs I applied for in months. I just applied for four shopps in a mall (corperate deal), and waiting to see if I get it. I think they're mad at me for getting an 8 on last shop...am I being punished?

Of course, all our lists of best and worst are subjective. While I know CSE is well-liked here, CSE is on my never-shop list. I did several jobs for them and they pay quickly but I did not find their schedulers wonderful, I found them very non-responsive. While I liked the quick pay, their shops here are not so interesting or so high-paying as to make up for the inability to get a response, so they are off my list. For me, unless a company is "known" for late/no payment, I will usually try them out.

Irene,
CSE's editing standards are sooooo strict that an 8 is a highly respectable score! They take one point off if ANY editing is necessary. that means even one typo or "wordo" will get you down to 9. (But, two or three will also only get you down to a 9, lol.) Then take off a point if you miss addressing any of the multiple choice questions in the narrative, and you are at an 8. I try to "play against myself" in trying to beat my best scores on every circuit of shops that I do for them, and still produce at least on score of 8, often more, in 10 shops. So, I seriously doubt that you are being punished. However, they may have a couple of shoppers in your market who have gone "above and beyond" in helping out with last minute circuits, for instance, that they are getting the bulk of the assignments. I know that when I let my scheduler know that a major airport had renumbered a whole councourse of gates, making all of the CSE assignments inaccurate, they gave me both a nice little bonus and first dibs on a whole bunch of future circuits.

BTW, all of the schedulers that I have worked with at CSE (and I think that I may have worked with all, or all but one, of their entrie staff) take phone calls. So, I would pick up the phone and call your favorite scheduler there and ask if you can get back into the rotation for some shops that you really love. In addition, they will work with you if you are traveling and they have any jobs or circuits where you will be.

AM, I'm sorry that you had a bad experience. But, if you like their jobs, I would urge you to give them a second try.

I was just (again) declined for the mall shops....maybe I will call them, but I can't take their airport jobs if I'm not traveling through that airport. I'm kinda not wanting to deal at this point, after over 6 months and I can't get a job. The thing I like is the four jobs at the same location on the same day. I'll think about it, but I know they've scheduled for this month.

walesmaven Wrote:
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>
> AM, I'm sorry that you had a bad experience. But,
> if you like their jobs, I would urge you to give
> them a second try.


That was the deciding factor. They don't have wonderful jobs in my area. They have a couple of acceptable jobs with low pay, so, given the difficulty to get responses, it wasn't hard at all for me to cross them off my list.

CSE update...I emailed the scheduler after getting declined for the mall job for the last 6 months, and only getting their airport jobs. I was nice but firm and said, the last job I did was 2 years ago, and I received an 8...I'm more experienced now and would like another chance, I am wasting my time applying every month only to be turned down...yet you keep sending the airport jobs. I'd like to know why and was told they accept only a 9 rating for those jobs (I had an 8). The scheduler spoke to the project manager and related my story, I got a very nice email giving me the job...it pays to speak directly and do it softly but firm. I really think they listen and will be doing my four mall job next Tues.....I'd better get a 9/10...pressure's on.

Irene,
That's good to know. I only have done their airport shops and maintain an average of 9+, but have had some 8s without being dumped.

I wasn't iterally dumped, just not allowed to do the "good jobs"...that's over now. The airport jobs they send me are in different states, so, big waste of time.

Monterey shopping .com this is one of the best you get pay in twenty one days if you like car shops this is the one to go with i live in the houston texas area and get plenty assignments.

Has anyone ever had any hotel shops? If so, what company?

Yup. Freeman Group. But I would not recommend working for/with them until they get their slow payment issues worked out.

By CSE are we talking about Customer Service Experts?

Yes, that's the one. They have a four shop mall job that I used to do in two separate great malls. The shops were a challenge but a nice 3 hours work, and $60.00 for the day works for me....now it looks like I'll again be doing them, but you need to be a 9 rating with them for these jobs. 57carol Wrote:
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> By CSE are we talking about Customer Service
> Experts?