Help with verbiage to request a BONUS
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"I will be available to complete this shop for you today, but will require an additional $XX bonus on top of the base fee and/or reimbursement."
Very infrequently shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado these days.
"If agreed upon, please also email me the bonus agreement, if not otherwise on the web page, so as to have something in writing."
"I can complete this shop today, but because the location requires a 2-hour round trip (or 1 hour; not sure if that hour was one way or both), I would need a bonus of $XX. Thank you."
For a shop that requires a significant amount of travel, I always state that in any request for additional monies, so the scheduler knows my request has a reasonable basis, not just that I think I should have more money! LOL.
For a shop that requires a significant amount of travel, I always state that in any request for additional monies, so the scheduler knows my request has a reasonable basis, not just that I think I should have more money! LOL.
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.
Mine tend to be more like Tarantado's. I don't feel a need to justify my fee and expect more money for a rush job even if only a mile away. I usually include something about a significant amount of travel if making an offer I expect to be refused, LOL.
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
@LisaSTL wrote:
I usually include something about a significant amount of travel if making an offer I expect to be refused, LOL.
If it's a rush, I ask for an "annoyance bonus," although I don't say that. LOL. I don't feel the need to explain or justify. Doing it on short notice is justification enough, and they don't need to know that. But if it involves a lot of travel, then I ask for a lot of bonus. on the premise that my "exorbitant" ask is commensurate with their exorbitant expectations. In those cases, I figure I might be more likely to get the amount I'm asking for. I've been turned down, and then I can say, "Sorry; I can't travel that far for what you're offering."
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.
When asking for a bonus for travel, just keep in mind that you put your address into your profile, and the shop address is in the same system. It shows us schedulers how many miles from the shop you are from your home address. If you ask for a bonus telling us it takes 2 hours round trip, and we see that you are 10 miles away, not only will you most likely not get the bonus, but some schedulers may not consider you much in the future for shops unless they absolutely have to.
Aha, Pete! And I find that schedulers are getting mileage in a straight line. If I tell you a location 137 miles from my home is a 3 hour drive, I'm not kidding -- it's 100% 2-lane country roads, mostly with 50 mph speed limits. Your map says it's 90 miles. It's not -- it's 137 driving miles, LOL!!!! The scheduler says "But Alliance is 48 miles from you!" No, dear, it's not -- it's 80 miles on the road, and there's only ONE road from here to there.
I once had a scheduler give me a job in Pinedale, WY. I told her, hey, that's 600 miles away. She says, no, I'm looking at the map, and door-to-door, it's 400 miles. So I take the job for a crummy $400.Guess what? After driving 12 hours and 600 miles, oh, gosh, there's a sign says Pinedale 47 miles!
LOL!!!!
Living in the country isn't like city living. There's no such thing as "alternate routes" or short cuts. We have one street that runs all the way through out town, and it goes east-west. To go north, we have to drive 45 miles west before there's a road that goes north!
But I do love it here.
I once had a scheduler give me a job in Pinedale, WY. I told her, hey, that's 600 miles away. She says, no, I'm looking at the map, and door-to-door, it's 400 miles. So I take the job for a crummy $400.Guess what? After driving 12 hours and 600 miles, oh, gosh, there's a sign says Pinedale 47 miles!
LOL!!!!
Living in the country isn't like city living. There's no such thing as "alternate routes" or short cuts. We have one street that runs all the way through out town, and it goes east-west. To go north, we have to drive 45 miles west before there's a road that goes north!
But I do love it here.
I'm in a pretty rural area myself. You are correct that it is giving us a radius, not actual driving miles. If it shows me a lot of miles when I schedule it, I don't even question it. If it shows me 20 miles, I will Google Map directions to see how long it actually takes. I've had cases where it is a 20 minute drive that someone told me was 2 hours round-trip though. Always best to be honest either way.
I don't feel the need to justify a bonus usually either. My price is dependent on a ton of things, only 1 of which is how far away the shop is. There are VERY few instances where I explain a bonus. One recent example is a retail shop that doesn't pay a reimbursement but requires a purchase with optional return. I don't do p/r shops and the fee is a few bucks short of the required purchase. I do those shops fairly regularly and the scheduler knows why I always want the bonus. Now, if I could just talk her into moving that fee over to the reimbursement box and help me out on my taxes...…..
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
I agree that nobody should feel the need to justify it. You're willing to do a shop for what you are willing to do it for. Obviously, different people value shops in different ways. I'm only saying that if you are going to try to justify it, being honest is the best way.
Then those schedulers are idiots. A reliable shopper might be fitting your shop into an already scheduled route and it may indeed take two hours. Or he might know that traffic during the time he'll be there will be at a standstill. I guess it's better to follow Tarantado and Lisa, then, and not provide a reason.@KSSPete wrote:
When asking for a bonus for travel, just keep in mind that you put your address into your profile, and the shop address is in the same system. It shows us schedulers how many miles from the shop you are from your home address. If you ask for a bonus telling us it takes 2 hours round trip, and we see that you are 10 miles away, not only will you most likely not get the bonus, but some schedulers may not consider you much in the future for shops unless they absolutely have to.
"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
Pete, I have worked with the system mileage snafus for then years now. In addition to being wrong most of the time, someone 1,000 miles from me is not going to know about all sorts of things inherent to my geographic area. Just this morning, in fact too early this morning, a scheduler called about an assignment "near me." She was telling me it appeared to be about 15 miles away so around 15 minutes. She failed to consider I am surrounded by rivers with no direct route to anything on the other side of the Missouri River. Then there is the added factor of horrendous traffic at virtually any time of day in the area.
Another consideration, you may have my home address, but you don't know where the hell I am spending the night before
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2018 02:02AM by LisaSTL.
Another consideration, you may have my home address, but you don't know where the hell I am spending the night before
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2018 02:02AM by LisaSTL.
@iShop123 wrote:
Then those schedulers are idiots. A reliable shopper might be fitting your shop into an already scheduled route and it may indeed take two hours. Or he might know that traffic during the time he'll be there will be at a standstill. I guess it's better to follow Tarantado and Lisa, then, and not provide a reason.@KSSPete wrote:
When asking for a bonus for travel, just keep in mind that you put your address into your profile, and the shop address is in the same system. It shows us schedulers how many miles from the shop you are from your home address. If you ask for a bonus telling us it takes 2 hours round trip, and we see that you are 10 miles away, not only will you most likely not get the bonus, but some schedulers may not consider you much in the future for shops unless they absolutely have to.
@EileenS wrote:
@iShop123 wrote:
@KSSPete wrote:
When asking for a bonus for travel, just keep in mind that you put your address into your profile, and the shop address is in the same system. It shows us schedulers how many miles from the shop you are from your home address. If you ask for a bonus telling us it takes 2 hours round trip, and we see that you are 10 miles away, not only will you most likely not get the bonus, but some schedulers may not consider you much in the future for shops unless they absolutely have to.
Then those schedulers are idiots. A reliable shopper might be fitting your shop into an already scheduled route and it may indeed take two hours. Or he might know that traffic during the time he'll be there will be at a standstill. I guess it's better to follow Tarantado and Lisa, then, and not provide a reason.
I really don't think it's deserving to call KSSPete or any scheduler an "idiot!" Wow!!!
@LisaSTL wrote:
Another consideration, you may have my home address, but you don't know where the hell I am spending the night before
Slut!
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
Takes one....................
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
I don't usually feel the need to provide justification, but it's always nice to Google map the directions and give the scheduler the precise mileage I would be traveling...
Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt
I had a scheduler call me at 2 PM today, wanting me to do a shop 150 miles away. Even she finally admitted I couldn't get there in time to complete the shop today (guidelines say arrive 2 hours before closing). I've been there before, and it takes a little over 3 hours to get there. That's 6 hours of driving, and $38 in gas. She offered $100. Told her I couldn't do it for that, she said she understood perfectly. I said if she could make it $125, I'd do it tomorrow. While I was waiting for that approval, I wrote a couple schedulers and picked up a $25 shop and a $40 shop on the way to this shop. So my day off turned into a $200 day.
Still a 6 hour drive, still $38 in gas.
So, to OP, I basically just say, nope, I can't do it for that. I can do it for XXXXX.
And I rarely -- and I do mean rarely -- perform any $25 shops. They basically have to also have a nice healthy reimbursement for something I need/want/like in addition to the fee.
Still a 6 hour drive, still $38 in gas.
So, to OP, I basically just say, nope, I can't do it for that. I can do it for XXXXX.
And I rarely -- and I do mean rarely -- perform any $25 shops. They basically have to also have a nice healthy reimbursement for something I need/want/like in addition to the fee.
In my area, we have exactly ONE road that goes east to west in a fairly straight line, and it's not a highway. Going west, the speed limit varies from 35 to 45, with one or two short stretches where it's 55. It takes a minimum of one hour to drive to a city 30 miles away if I'm going west. There are shops I *could* do there, but I've never applied for one because of what KSS Pete says. I know how long it takes and what a mess traffic is, but a scheduler googling directions isn't going to. I'd have to ask about four times the shop fee in order to make it worthwhile. At that point, I figure I'm not going to waste my time asking..... Unless it's for a company I work with regularly and know a scheduler.
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.
Doesnt seem like that will break too great hourly, def not even $25 an hour
If I were to get one shop in that town, I'd schedule more than one. There always seem to be two or three open in that area, or on the way there. And one of those is almost always bonused up anyway.
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.
@Want985 wrote:
Doesnt seem like that will break too great hourly, def not even $25 an hour
If that remark is directed at me, I don't know about your math skills. Eight hours at $25 an hour would be exactly $200. I don't know about you, but I'm perfectly happy to make $25 an hour tooling down the road, listening to music, watching calves and lambs cavort in the green green hills of home!
And, remember, that $200 goes directly into my pocket. The miles I drive shelter most of it from taxes.
Better yet, the reimbursements aren't taxed at all, as they are "required" purchases to complete the assignments, and, as such, not taxable income.
Scheduler: But Muskegon is only an hour drive east of Milwaukee.
Me: Only if you car will motor across all of Lake Michigan.
Me: Only if you car will motor across all of Lake Michigan.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
There is this thing called the Missouri River between me and many of the rural shops I get panicky calls about. There are only so many bridges, which is why something seemingly close can be a three-hour round trip. I don't mind spending all day, listening to the radio and such, but because there are kids here I am also involving my husband's day off. I have to take his time into account, too.
Reread the statement. It's not directed at a particular person, but at a scheduler who would withhold future shops from a reliable shopper based on a request for mileage that the scheduler decries as excessive.@EileenS wrote:
I really don't think it's deserving to call KSSPete or any scheduler an "idiot!" Wow!!!
And, yes, that scheduler would be an idiot.
"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
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2018 03:47PM by iShop123.
"I'll be happy to do the shop for you with a $1,000,000 bonus. 
"
That's it.
Sometimes they counter with $500,000.
Whenever I contact a scheduler I remind myself that they get a lot of email & don't want to read War & Peace so brevity is appreciated.
($1,000,000 is hyperbole.)
"
That's it.
Sometimes they counter with $500,000.
Whenever I contact a scheduler I remind myself that they get a lot of email & don't want to read War & Peace so brevity is appreciated.
($1,000,000 is hyperbole.)
Several years into my MS career the state started a major interstate construction project. It happened to be the same interstate connecting me to most things east for at least 20 miles. The first year the western 10 mile stretch was shut down completely. The following year was the eastern 10 miles.
Let's assume someone from outside the area knew the interstate was shut down. They could look at Google maps and see the detour only added a mile or so. It wouldn't seem like such a big deal. Here's the rub. This is a major interstate connecting Illinois and downtown St. Louis to several business districts, many suburbs and St. Charles across the Missouri River. The traffic was beyond crazy. Trips previously taking 12 to 17 minutes were easily up to an hour or more. And that was during non-peak times which were limited. It was such a major disruption businesses were staggering their hours and in some cases putting vital employees in hotels from Monday through Friday.
Let's assume someone from outside the area knew the interstate was shut down. They could look at Google maps and see the detour only added a mile or so. It wouldn't seem like such a big deal. Here's the rub. This is a major interstate connecting Illinois and downtown St. Louis to several business districts, many suburbs and St. Charles across the Missouri River. The traffic was beyond crazy. Trips previously taking 12 to 17 minutes were easily up to an hour or more. And that was during non-peak times which were limited. It was such a major disruption businesses were staggering their hours and in some cases putting vital employees in hotels from Monday through Friday.
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
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