They're mentioned here, there and everywhere. We've discussed them in relation to getting shops, being paid for shops, and all things in between. Recently, there was an instance where an available shop was posted on the MSP's board for $XX. Concurrently, the same shop was emailed from a scheduling company, offering the fee plus a bonus of $xx. Maybe the scheduling company is attempting to build the value of its business?

Would the scheduling Co. be paying the bonus out of their pocket, sounds like it. What is the yay or the nay. I'd schedule with them, I have before and don't see a difference, as long as their jobs are up to date. Many times they keep jobs on their boards long after their done. I do a monthly restaurant and odd ball locations that never get done go to them....the MSC would offer a bonus as well to get these done.

I don't know where the bonus money comes from, Irene. In this instance, I would think from the scheduler. It seems a gray area then whether the shopper's contract is with the scheduler or the MSP. That was the specific of the topic.

In general, my preference is to work solely with the MSP. I was interested in hearing other opinions with regard to working through schedulers.

While I recognize that some companies, due to their small size and/or business model, need them (at least at first as they build their own database) - overall I think they potentially lower the margins for everyone in this business.

MSPs have to pay schedulers a fee for each shop they schedule. While I am sure that MSPs would say that if they did not employ a scheduling firm, they would have to pay someone in-house to schedule; I just am not sure that is a 1-1 comparison. Let's say that a MSP pays a scheduling company $10 per shop scheduled, and they do 5000 shops per year - that is $50K. Seems they could employ their own scheduler, and work on building a scheduling database, for less than that. I think scheduling companies are an unecessary part of the industry and firms that use them exclusively, instead of investing in their own infra-structure, are shortsighted.

In your example Mert, I would imagine that the scheduling company has a contract for 100% completion with the MSP, and in this case - the scheduling company is giving up their own fee as a bonus to the shopper - in order to keep the client happy. I suppose this is in the end a boon to shoppers - but if you look at it the other way - if the MSP was not employing the services of the scheduling company in the first place - they could in theory be giving that money (or some of it) straight to the shopper EVERY time - and not just when it was hard to fill the shop.

ETA: I do consider taking work from schedulers though - some times that is the only way to get the shop one wants, but I prefer (from a macro standpoint) to work directly with the MSP.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2010 03:33AM by MickeyB.

I just wanted to clear up some of the things mentioned in the posting by MickeyB. I am an independent scheduler and have been for over 10 years. Never in my over 10 year career I have never made close to $10.00 a shop. The avearage is around $4.00 per shop.

There are several reasons why a company would use an independent contracto as a scheduler, versus an in house scheduler. A few of them are...

There is no overhead for an independent scheduler. There is no health insurance, unemployment insurance, or any other insurance that you need to pay like you would for an in house employee.

Schedulers only get paid if the shop is completed. In house schedulers get paid by the hour or salary and get this whether the shops are completed or not. Independent schedulers are driven by getting the shops covered and completed, because if we don't, we don't get paid. That means that we often work way more than 40 hours a week.

What we get paid per shop does not affect in any way what the shoppers get paid. We do not take away from your shopper payments, infact we tend to cost a lot less, making it possible for the MSP to have more funds to pay you with.

When a scheduler offers you a bonus, it often is coming right out of t hat schedulers pocket. We do not have the authority to offer more than what the MSP is offering. However, we still need to get the shop covered within the deadline. If that means that we have to use some of our own money to offer to the shopper to get the job done, then we will. Whatever it takes to get the job done.

I have seen more than once, shoppers saying that they will not take shops from Independent Schedulers because they feel the same way that MickeyB feels. While I totally value your opinion, it could not be further from the truth.

I hope that this helps.

My figure of $10 per shop was a guess - I have never been a scheduler. On the other hand, my figure of 5,000 shops per year is probably quite low. A medium sized company can be doing 5,000 shops every 2 months.

Regardless, I agree that yes - independant schedulers and/or firms only get paid IF the shop gets completed and they do not get benefits. On the other hand, an in-house scheduler can do a LOT more than schedule - they can do marketing, write program guidelines, edit, prepare reports, etc. So again - so not a 1-1 comparison here. I am not slamming schedulers themselves - I know they work hard - I am questioning that wisdom of firms using them instead of investing in their future.

And again, I do not refuse to take shops from schedulers, nor do I advocate that anyone else do this without careful consideration (there are other reasons why I am leary of schedulers - such as the requirement to give out your personal information to an unknown and often unregulated entity). But in sum, I preach the following - take shops that pay you an hourly wage in either CASH or something you want at the level you want. Set your price that you are worth and adhere to it. If an independant scheduler is offering a shop that pays you what you are seeking - then great.

Why leave anyone out...if they have a job I want, I'll do it. They got me a cosmetics Co. that I wanted and everything worked out. I don't see the down side except what I mentioned above.

As someone who has been a scheduler, both independent and employee-based, I think that Mickey brings up some valid points that shopperscheduler47 may be overlooking.

If the argument is that you allow more margin for shoppers to get paid because you allow MSCs the utilize IC regulations and pay you only what the market will bear, nothing could be further from the truth there.

Any company that works on the mentality of paying an IC $4 per shop for scheduling based on completion is going to pay only what the market will bear for shoppers as well. Lightening the financial burden on the MSC does NOT increase shopper pay, it just allows them to bid the job at a lower rate so that now everyone has a crappy paying job. The only additional money that shoppers see from scheduling companies is the out-of-pocket bonuses paid to them, which are unfair to any scheduler who's only making $4 per shop and should be covered by the MSC forcing a hard-to-schedule shop on them with a 100% completion guarantee.

This whole industry has become more about the bottom line cost of shops rather than doing quality work. Inserting a third independent party in the process is not helping and a scheduler that accepts sub-standard pay for quality work is no less culpable than a shopper who takes a $1 shop.

I'm not blaming anyone for taking whatever work they can get. I'm just pointing out that the problem with pay is more widespread than many think. No one is getting rich off of mystery shopping with the exception of the corporate entities that utilize our services to drive sales. If MSCs were set up more as standard small businesses and less as home-based operations that employed numerous ICs, the pay and working conditions would be better for all who were involved.

Just a few additional comments here.

I have also worked on site for an MSP as an employee. I can tell you this, whether you are a scheduler in house for an MSP, or as an Independent Contractor, you do not have time to wear any other hats, especially the mid to large sized MSPS.

You could go back and forth all day long in regards to the differences, the pros and cons, the financial benefits etc. You are always going to have to have a difference of opinion, which is great! Makes things exciting. However, one thing I can say with confidence... Using an inhouse scheduler versus an independent contractor to do your scheduling, does not affect what the shopper gets paid. I have worked in many different situations and know this to be true no matter the company or situation.

Bottom line....the shoppers are the reason that we can keep this industry going. Without the shopper, we would not be in business. The shopper means more to the MSP and the schedulers than you probably realize. After all is said and done, the shopper makes the most money based on the per shop price. Especially now, when MSP's are fighting to keep their business and have had to cut prices to keep current contracts. I know that there are a few companies that have indeed lowered their shopper payments because of this, which I totally disagree with, but for the most part, shopper payments have not changed, even when the MSP is getting less. This is as is should be. The shoppers deserve the biggest cut!

Thank you to all you mystery shoppers out there! You are the best!

Shopperscheduler47 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know that there are a
> few companies that have indeed lowered their
> shopper payments because of this, which I totally
> disagree with, but for the most part, shopper
> payments have not changed, even when the MSP is
> getting less. This is as is should be. The
> shoppers deserve the biggest cut!
>
> Thank you to all you mystery shoppers out there!
> You are the best!


Nice to hear these words once in a while.

Personally, I have no beefs with independent schedulers. I choose who I work with based on how they behave toward me and if the job pays what I think it should pay based on what I am willing to work for. There are some schedulers I will not work with, and some I shop for all the time.