I'd like to talk about changes in our industry. Shops that we depended on, no longer...good changes, bad changes, and the future of MSing.

I work for half of the MSC's I used to due to losing clients, going under and the economy. What can we expect in the future. The industry might go to Video, except it is not allowed in some states (CA). I see this as being a job for nice dinners, food and not altogether for making money, with pay dropping and many of us not wanting to work for so little, what's left. Thoughts!!

Sorry to be a downer, just being a realist.

The way I see it there are the competent companies and the 'enough to fake it' companies. In a rambunctious economy the fakers can/could make it. I'm sure the fakers brought a lot of clients into the market and when the economy got bad they really looked at their Power Points and wondered whether the expense was worth it.

My sense is that the competent companies have exuded their competence both to me as a shopper and to their clients. They have inspired me to perform at my best because of their competence and business like attitudes. They have lost few clients and their fees have overall stayed stable and in some cases increased on reimbursements as costs have gone up. More and more I am finding that I am drawn to them and away from the cotton candy companies. Cotton candy companies can hire all the outside schedulers they want to fill my email with junk job offers, but I know who they are and how to click off a dozen of them a time to send to the trash without ever opening.

I am expecting to see the dichotomy to continue and the gap to widen until the economy recovers to moderately rambunctious. I am not terminating from the cotton candy companies. I check their job boards for myself once or twice a month, but as long as the stuff is underpaid and overdemanding for the fees, I will be neither self-assigning nor requesting the work. Far better to continue building my reputation and maintaining my relationships with the competent companies.

Irene,
It is not that video shopping is not allowed in 14 states. It is allowed in those states only with the consent of the employees to having audio taping of the timing and wording of the consent that may be required. In the other states that require second party consent, this is pretty routine in many industries now. As we emerge from low-profit times, many users and protential users of video/audio recorded shops are expanding the numbers and scope of audio/video shops and many more are currently funding fairly large experiements with video shopping. Even in the depths of the recession, we have seen the number of different industries using video shops expanding, even when some traditional users (like several large new home builders) have cut back their MSing budgets. Some of the builders are now moving back into more video shops, though. The major video shopping companies would not be heavily subsidizing the training of increased numbers of video shoppers without this existing increase in the demad for video.

I am feeling a surge of Video, will see what happens. That's why I got licensed for Vegas work, lots of it there. The "cotton candy" shops were not what I was referring to...I was talking about the good MSC's and the cut's they have been inforcing. Apt.s for $20.00 (used to be 27.00), pay for difficult jobs have been cut. The top paying company's like my old time fav....RetailEyes lost their fabulous restaurant's to Bestmark, RE paid a fee for report, I don't work for later after giving them two tries....they don't pay a fee and hold those jobs up for ransom, you have to do so many lousey ones, I refuse. Gift cards in leiu of reimbursement, just too much change and not in a positive way for shoppers. Sorry, I'm on another tangent, although I did two upscale boutiques today with no purchase, good news.

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> I'd like to talk about changes in our industry.
> Shops that we depended on, no longer...good
> changes, bad changes, and the future of MSing.
>
> I work for half of the MSC's I used to due to
> losing clients, going under and the economy. What
> can we expect in the future. The industry might
> go to Video, except it is not allowed in some
> states (CA). I see this as being a job for nice
> dinners, food and not altogether for making money,
> with pay dropping and many of us not wanting to
> work for so little, what's left. Thoughts!!
>
> Sorry to be a downer, just being a realist.


Your experiences and mine are different, Irene. Maybe due to location, or number of years shopping? I'm going into year four as an IC. Only a few clients no longer are shopped. Generally speaking, I don't miss them, with the exception of one restaurant I enjoyed Some fees and reimbursements are actually higher now, others not so. This year is going to be my best in both reimbursement and fees. I attribute it not solely to shopping more, but also shopping smarter. For whatever its worth, my average fee per shop is higher now than year one.

Side note here on averages for fees. For me, it isn't indicative of much. I used to do a $10/$13 shop, which has gone to another MSP for $8/$6. Due to changes in the report, I can easily do two $8/$6 in less time than one of the $10/$13s. I know I'm digressing, sorry.

I'm not a video shopper as it's not a comfortable fit for me. Those pay more. With surveillance cameras on nearly every shop we do, I wonder when the client will audit themselves, randomly pulling videotape and saving money. I also think fees are high because it's relatively new to the industry. As supply and demand shifts and the number of qualified shoppers increase, I would expect there would be a reduction in the fee. I don't think it is the future of mystery shopping, rather it will continue to be a slice of the pie.

I'm glad to hear you haven't lost your good MSC's, I can name of list of mine that no longer exist. We have a good market in L.A., but the notice of report fees have gone down so much, I don't take shops I took only two years ago. I hope your right about Video, as camera's are everywhere, they can easily check on there employees, especially bar audits. Location varies and # of shoppers in any given area. Ten MSC's I worked for 5 years ago are no longer, + we lost Ann Taylor and many other retail stores that were my bread and butter. I have gotten very smart and select in shopping, and before I was doing everything (not FF). I don't shop the normal's like many do, but my fav's like Quest for Best, JC&Assoc., RetailEyes, who I worked for monthly for 5 years are gone.....so, to end on a high note, Vegas here I come!!

Mert,
It's the combination of video with audio that sells video shops. Those on-site video cams do not capture the employee-customer interaction in detail, nor can they ask questions that the client wants to see/hear the employee answer. Don/t think of it as just audio/video reporting; it is a recorded, complex scenario that is being captured. Video/audio shopers have to create and maintain a persona and financial profile for 30-120 minutes. Only real interactive work can produce that.

Irene,

From the other side of the country, I have seen a bit of improvement. More shops from more MSCs at locations closer to me. Some of those at reasonable fees ($20+). I have seen more bonuses, even from MSCs that don't normally bonus shops. In fact, August 2010 was my best month in 2 1/2 years of mystery shopping. So maybe, the newer MSCs will pick up the slack and offer good assignments at reasonable wages.

As for video shops, I have seen a slight increase in them. However, most of them in my area are in the 'two-party' state that I shop. (Note, in a 'two-party' state, the unauthorized audio recording of someone's conversation is a criminal offense.) I avoid these like the plague, because I can't see how I can get the necessary permissions to do these shops. For that reason, and the fact they are more expensive to conduct because of the equipment, I can't see video shops becoming the standard.

vlade5394,
You do not need to get the employee's permission to record in a two party state. The employer has employees sign a waive, permitting recording and certifies to the video shopping company that they have the waivers on file. We, as shoppers, need to ask the MSC if they have verified that the required waivers exist. I am in a two party state, contiguos to two thers, and do a ton of video shops in all three.

I paid for my equipment with the difference in fee between video and written shops of the same sort on less than three months. And, I never travel without being able to do a ton of video shops along the way and at my destination.

While I see an obvious reduction of shops one some levels, I have seen an increase in some of the upscale market shops lately.

I think that those clients are realizing that MSing can be an important tool in making it through these times.

Video shops are a good tool for those who like them. I can travel pretty freely without them, and I prefer working for clients that want something more than to simply watch/listen to how I was treated.

As I've said before, keep doing good work and you may find that the jobs you are searching for do exist...

walesmaven Wrote:
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> vlade5394,
> You do not need to get the employee's permission
> to record in a two party state. The employer has
> employees sign a waive, permitting recording and
> certifies to the video shopping company that they
> have the waivers on file. We, as shoppers, need
> to ask the MSC if they have verified that the
> required waivers exist. I am in a two party
> state, contiguos to two thers, and do a ton of
> video shops in all three.
>
> I paid for my equipment with the difference in fee
> between video and written shops of the same sort
> on less than three months. And, I never travel
> without being able to do a ton of video shops
> along the way and at my destination.


I have heard this before without getting adequate answers to the following. Who certifies to me all necessary waivers have been given and not overlooked? What about random customers who get to be a part of the recording; Who certifies to me these customers consent to the recording?

Sorry, when this is a criminal violation, the MSC saying "Oops" isn't going to help me any. But that's just my opinion.

vlade,
There used to b a video MSC whose pres decided to tell shoppers that it was none of their business whether or not he had verified the existance of the waivers. None of us would work for him. They don't do videos anymore, as far as anyone in the Sabots community knows. (SABOTS= sisters and brothers of the traveling shirt.)

Every shopper must ask the MSC to certify that they have verified that the waivers are on file. If "civilians" wander into camera view, they are highly unlikely to also be on the audio, as the range is quite short. This has never been an issue, since there is also an "intent" concept on the two party laws. BTW, most new home offices and models, retirement homes and other venues that do a lot of video/audio shopping also have many signs giving the public notice that they are subject to video and/or audio recording on site. You just don't notice them because you are not looking for them. Your continued presence in an area with adequate such disclosures is considered consent everywhere except, possibly, California. Also, the video shop editors routinely edit out lots of stuff, including the audio from pottie stops, and stray audio from civilians.