Don't you hate it when.....
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I've had the first happen, and, yes, I hate it. Never had the second happen.
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Don't you hate it when...You apply for a shop that will fit nicely into your route. You wait and wait for a reply from the scheduler to accept it and grant you the shop. You wait and wait and decide that the shop just won't be given to you. So you arrive home after finishing your route shops, and guess what the scheduler decides to grant you the shop AFTER your done with your route. Schedulers, if you happen to read this: actively read and monitor your inboxes. If you don't monitor your inboxes, perhaps scheduling isn't for you.
Don't you hate it when, the shops you did last year are now available for half the price.....
Live consciously....
...when you conduct a spotless shop. Remember all the details, make the required purchase, take the pics, only to realize you entered the location 5 minutes too early.
When all day you think all the shops are scheduled nicely for your Friday mini- route and go to check and plan the drive.....And then realize one shop was scheduled for Thursday by 5 pm. Thank god my boss let us leave early today 
okay, here's a continuation of that scheduler's notice to request a shop change date for your preferred date. After you received an email to inform you that the scheduler can't change the date for your preferred date, the shop comes up on the job board for the dates you wanted.
How about getting a call from a scheduler asking if you can take 4 shops in the same mall, which is some distance away, all 4 nicely bonused. You take all 4, and 2 others they offer you at another mall which is closer to you, at the same bonus. SCORE!
Then a few hours later you receive an email saying the client has cancelled 2 of the shops you had at the farther away mall. (A Mall that cost exta, in my case Transit Fare, to get to)....Man why couldn't they have cancelled the 2 at the closer mall (which did not require extra transit fare to go to?.....). Or better yet none of them!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2018 05:39PM by Lady Marius.
Then a few hours later you receive an email saying the client has cancelled 2 of the shops you had at the farther away mall. (A Mall that cost exta, in my case Transit Fare, to get to)....Man why couldn't they have cancelled the 2 at the closer mall (which did not require extra transit fare to go to?.....). Or better yet none of them!
Lady Marius
Canadian Mystery Shopper
Canadian Mystery Shopper
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2018 05:39PM by Lady Marius.
Here's another doozy.... I completed a shop on a SASSIE form, narratives and all. I go all the way to the end to submit only to find out the submit and save buttons are not there because the Scheduler bumbled the shop due dates.
Schedulers who leave a voicemail that’s impossible to understand. I forward all my landline calls to Google Voice and the voicemail is transcribed. I know it’s not just my hearing as Google Voice has no idea what they are saying either.
...When there is still water in the nooks and crannies of your ears after a shower? Even after towel drying? You try to ignore it and go about doing other things but it's only a minute or two before you have to go back and dry them completely.
How about this? The scheduler for one MSC scheduled you for a $45 shop in one city after you told her to check the time frame to make sure you're eligible first.So you put in a make an offer for an easy RAC shop in that same town and get it. Right about the same time you go into the guidelines and see the time frame is 6 months so you email the scheduler back to make sure it's approved. She emails you back oh sorry I missed that. Now you have to do the Make an offer anyway. BAH HUMBUG!
Or how about this you get an email saying your phone shop was great you got a nine on it.Then while reviewing the shop log you see a scrambled message that says something about something and no you won't get paid but you can't understand why.So you send an email back up the chain asking why. and no one answers you! (intellishop).
Or how about this you get an email saying your phone shop was great you got a nine on it.Then while reviewing the shop log you see a scrambled message that says something about something and no you won't get paid but you can't understand why.So you send an email back up the chain asking why. and no one answers you! (intellishop).
I've learned to avoid that by taking responsibility of my requests. I'm the IC and I am the only one that knows my full schedule (Schedulers can't read my mind). I have the ability to request and remove those requests at any time. I understand that Schedulers are very busy scheduling, answering questions, phones, etc. If I know I haven't heard back or will not hear back in time, I log in and "cancel" my request. This way I don't waste my time or the Schedulers time.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2018 07:34PM by Wonderland.
@jlovesnyc wrote:
Don't you hate it when...You apply for a shop that will fit nicely into your route. You wait and wait for a reply from the scheduler to accept it and grant you the shop. You wait and wait and decide that the shop just won't be given to you. So you arrive home after finishing your route shops, and guess what the scheduler decides to grant you the shop AFTER your done with your route. Schedulers, if you happen to read this: actively read and monitor your inboxes. If you don't monitor your inboxes, perhaps scheduling isn't for you.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2018 07:34PM by Wonderland.
I'm not sure of the "reason" in this situation but in my experience it depends on why you are asking for a date move or extension.
If you fail to complete a shop on the original date once, why would the Scheduler trust you a second time? Those are things we have to ask ourselves. Emergencies are understandable and I can see them allowing an extension for those out of control types of situations but if we just forgot, did another shop instead, marked the date wrong, etc. and that is why we are asking for a date move, then that is on us and not the Scheduler.
The shop may go back up on the board with the dates you were wanting (to move them to), but what is in question is the reasoning behind the first failure to complete. Each company is different and those who aren't as flexible may have learned their lesson over time and now aren't as lenient. If an MSP gets multiple requests for date moves/extensions on one client, say they allow them all, then the IC's still do not complete, that would result in incomplete shops for the month. The result could be the MSP losing the client.
Unfortunately there are a lot of flakey IC's (human beings) out there and I understand why a lot of Schedulers would not allow extensions/date moves (other than uncontrollable situations).
If you fail to complete a shop on the original date once, why would the Scheduler trust you a second time? Those are things we have to ask ourselves. Emergencies are understandable and I can see them allowing an extension for those out of control types of situations but if we just forgot, did another shop instead, marked the date wrong, etc. and that is why we are asking for a date move, then that is on us and not the Scheduler.
The shop may go back up on the board with the dates you were wanting (to move them to), but what is in question is the reasoning behind the first failure to complete. Each company is different and those who aren't as flexible may have learned their lesson over time and now aren't as lenient. If an MSP gets multiple requests for date moves/extensions on one client, say they allow them all, then the IC's still do not complete, that would result in incomplete shops for the month. The result could be the MSP losing the client.
Unfortunately there are a lot of flakey IC's (human beings) out there and I understand why a lot of Schedulers would not allow extensions/date moves (other than uncontrollable situations).
@catgrannyof5 wrote:
okay, here's a continuation of that scheduler's notice to request a shop change date for your preferred date. After you received an email to inform you that the scheduler can't change the date for your preferred date, the shop comes up on the job board for the dates you wanted.
How your reply relates to my post I have no idea.
Don't you hate when schedulers try to get over on you? I had been monitoring a food shop for Market Force for about 2 weeks waiting for them to add a bonus. They upped the shop to $8 from $7.00 but I made an offer for $10 and it was rejected. Last week, the scheduler called and offered me the shop for $4.50! I kindly informed him that it's listed at $8 on their site and I had already made an offer that was rejected. He knew what he was offering was BS because he kept cutting me off and was trying to talk over me. I let him know that $10 was as low as I was going and he agreed. I get it's business but that is some nerve offering the shop lower than what it's listed for online. But after it's all said and done, that's not bad for a place I was going to eat at that night anyways.
That's certainly a "shut up" post.@Wonderland wrote:
I've learned to avoid that by taking responsibility of my requests. This way I don't waste my time or the Scheduler's time.
Not every application has the ability to delete the request. Other requests are made via email, especially when there is a potential large bonus attached. Sometimes it has nothing to do with the shopper and everything to do with an overwhelmed or otherwise engaged scheduler.
"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams
@iShop123 I agree, not all platforms have the ability to "cancel" the request yourself, but I never mentioned a platform only scenario.
When I stated "log in" to cancel it. What I mean by that is, I "log in" to my computer, contact the Scheduler via Website, Computer, Email, Phone Call (However my Request went through to the Scheduler).
I still stand behind what I said in my original post. I take full responsibility as an IC to contact them directly to have them "cancel" my request for me, or to "cancel" it myself using a platform that allows me to do so.
Thank you
When I stated "log in" to cancel it. What I mean by that is, I "log in" to my computer, contact the Scheduler via Website, Computer, Email, Phone Call (However my Request went through to the Scheduler).
I still stand behind what I said in my original post. I take full responsibility as an IC to contact them directly to have them "cancel" my request for me, or to "cancel" it myself using a platform that allows me to do so.
Thank you
@iShop123 wrote:
That's certainly a "shut up" post.@Wonderland wrote:
I've learned to avoid that by taking responsibility of my requests. This way I don't waste my time or the Scheduler's time.
Not every application has the ability to delete the request. Other requests are made via email, especially when there is a potential large bonus attached. Sometimes it has nothing to do with the shopper and everything to do with an overwhelmed or otherwise engaged scheduler.
Wonderland, have you never had a scheduler that completely ignored your request to cancel a shop and you exhausted all avenues of trying to cancel the shop, then you got citations or some sort of reprimand for not completing the shop? In 17 years of shopping, it's not happened a lot, but it has happened to me more than once. It's hard to "take responsibility" of requests and take full responsibility of something that wasn't your fault in that circumstance. I once had an issue where my car broke down and I wasn't going to be able to get it fixed within a 3-day period because they had to order the parts. I let the scheduler know 48 hours in advance. I called and emailed (this was back before MSC reps texted with shoppers) several times and was unable to get a hold of the overwhelmed scheduler (who never responded to my emails), and the shop was never rescheduled or cancelled. I was given a "flake" citation. I guess I should have been psychic and known the car was going to break down and never accepted the shop to begin with.
@JASFLALMT Hello. My reply was to the original poster and their story.
I see you are asking me one question in your reply so I will kindly answer.
"have you never had a scheduler that completely ignored your request to cancel a shop and you exhausted all avenues of trying to cancel the shop, then you got citations or some sort of reprimand for not completing the shop?" No, I have never had a Scheduler ignore me. I've only had contact with great schedulers, with excellent companies, and we've always had excellent communication. I love all of the team members I have contact with.
"It's hard to "take responsibility" of requests and take full responsibility of something that wasn't your fault in that circumstance" - Again, my reply was to the original poster and their story.
After reading your story, I hope you are able to find better Schedulers. Any time I've had an out of control situation, such as you mentioned, they put in a note, and I didn't receive any sort of negative marks from it. My Schedulers are understanding in those types of situations. What happened to you sounds very frustrating and it's unfortunate you had to deal with that. Wish you the best in the future.
Thank you
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2018 11:19PM by Wonderland.
I see you are asking me one question in your reply so I will kindly answer.
"have you never had a scheduler that completely ignored your request to cancel a shop and you exhausted all avenues of trying to cancel the shop, then you got citations or some sort of reprimand for not completing the shop?" No, I have never had a Scheduler ignore me. I've only had contact with great schedulers, with excellent companies, and we've always had excellent communication. I love all of the team members I have contact with.
"It's hard to "take responsibility" of requests and take full responsibility of something that wasn't your fault in that circumstance" - Again, my reply was to the original poster and their story.
After reading your story, I hope you are able to find better Schedulers. Any time I've had an out of control situation, such as you mentioned, they put in a note, and I didn't receive any sort of negative marks from it. My Schedulers are understanding in those types of situations. What happened to you sounds very frustrating and it's unfortunate you had to deal with that. Wish you the best in the future.
Thank you
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2018 11:19PM by Wonderland.
Thanks, Wonderland, but this in reference to over 12,000 shops completed in nearly two decades and with me being signed up with over 100 companies. For it not to happen a few times would be odd, IMO.
Wonderland, my original post meant that when a scheduler placed one of those "need to change/different the shop date" on the self-assign page, I wanted to do the shop for the dates that I was able to do shop. For example, the shops dates were 2/14 to 2/16. I requested to do the shop on 2/18 or 2/19 since I was available for those dates. Scheduler emails back stating that they can't extend/change shop dates for the dates I requested. No takers took the shop for the original dates. Now, I already made plans for the dates 2/18 and 2/19. Guess what, the shop dates were changed to the dates I requested. I was not in a situation where I needed an extension for a shop. I was merely requesting to do the shop for a date I was available.
Hello @catgrannyof5 Hope your day is great so far. I wasn't referring to your original post. I was replying to the second post you made (which I quoted) and I noted I was not sure of the situation. I was not clear in that post why a date move was being requested. This explanation you are now giving is super clear. Thank you so much for sharing. Hope the rest of your day is great.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2018 03:22PM by Wonderland.
@catgrannyof5 wrote:
Wonderland, my original post meant that when a scheduler placed one of those "need to change/different the shop date" on the self-assign page, I wanted to do the shop for the dates that I was able to do shop. For example, the shops dates were 2/14 to 2/16. I requested to do the shop on 2/18 or 2/19 since I was available for those dates. Scheduler emails back stating that they can't extend/change shop dates for the dates I requested. No takers took the shop for the original dates. Now, I already made plans for the dates 2/18 and 2/19. Guess what, the shop dates were changed to the dates I requested. I was not in a situation where I needed an extension for a shop. I was merely requesting to do the shop for a date I was available.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2018 03:22PM by Wonderland.
Here's another: how about the time you had some shops scheduled in City "F." which is about 25 minutes away for a particular day, say Friday. You come home and check the job boards only to see some new shops posted for City "F." for Saturday. The shops were located just where you had just completed some shops in the same shopping mall. If only the MSC posted the shops dates earlier and for the Friday.
Or a $12 shop is now $3.@Irene_L.A. wrote:
Don't you hate it when, the shops you did last year are now available for half the price.....
You have shops to do and you are getting sick.
@Wonderland wrote:
I've learned to avoid that by taking responsibility of my requests. I'm the IC and I am the only one that knows my full schedule (Schedulers can't read my mind). I have the ability to request and remove those requests at any time. I understand that Schedulers are very busy scheduling, answering questions, phones, etc. If I know I haven't heard back or will not hear back in time, I log in and "cancel" my request. This way I don't waste my time or the Schedulers time.
You have a closed mind and seem to think that impossible situations never happen. In the real world, there are unpredictable things that happen despite the best of planning. If your parent or spouse had a heart attack would you say, "sorry I can't call you an ambulance I'm on my way to work, I can't go to the hospital with you because work is more important?" If there was an accident on the freeway and you are stuck in traffic are you the one who jumps up on the shoulder and tries to pass everybody, because your perfect work history can not be affected? I'd hate to be on the freeway with you in that case.
I rarely miss a scheduled shop, but guess what? I have because I'm human and the world is not infallible. I had a situation where I had a computer cord issue, one of my (above the scheduler), that approves the offers, called me and said on my voice mail, "one of your reports is late, which is not like you".
I'm glad you're not one of my schedulers.
How about this one. You do a loan shark shop (i mean a payday loan shop), and you wind up in the hospital having a quad bypass when the loan is due. I did not actually take the shop because I was afraid something like that might happen. And damned if it didn't. But at least I avoided the bad loan and broken knees.
RIGHT?!?! This is so annoying!! I think we had the same scheduler because I got the $4.50 call for a mobile phone shop... I had to ask twice if that was supposed to be the bonus they were adding, then I laughed, choked on my water, and pulled $16 or $17 out of thin air to request. I knew I should have went higher when I remembered that it was in rural no man's land and I could recall another shopper on here posting about a $45 bonus for a fast food shop. He immediately had it approved by a sup.
@a171989 wrote:
Don't you hate when schedulers try to get over on you? I had been monitoring a food shop for Market Force for about 2 weeks waiting for them to add a bonus. They upped the shop to $8 from $7.00 but I made an offer for $10 and it was rejected. Last week, the scheduler called and offered me the shop for $4.50! I kindly informed him that it's listed at $8 on their site and I had already made an offer that was rejected. He knew what he was offering was BS because he kept cutting me off and was trying to talk over me. I let him know that $10 was as low as I was going and he agreed. I get it's business but that is some nerve offering the shop lower than what it's listed for online. But after it's all said and done, that's not bad for a place I was going to eat at that night anyways.
One of my favorites is the company that states that an evaluation requires the shopper to have a specific rating, but also has a policy of not disclosing ratings.
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