I do a LOT of these shops-- and pretty much if they cant give me an $18 bonus, I say "no thank you". It works about 90% of the time. Occasionally, VERY occasionally I will have to drive a longer distance and have gotten $20-$25-but that is rare.

Should I stop at $18?- and not ask for more?-- that seems to be a "sweet spot"-- ask for too much more and they will stop calling...........What is a good bonus that you do these shops for? I live in coastal Virginia area. We are pretty densely populated but not a big city by any means.

You are lucky. Around me, I never see them higher than a $4 bonus. They get taken quickly

$24 is the highest they will usually go in my area, and that's with me sticking to a 10-20 mile radius. I know I have seen other forum members post that they have gotten higher than that, but those are hard to fill areas I believe. In my area they fly off the board pretty quickly.

I always ask for $20 and mine is just down the street from me. Most of the time they accept but if they don't not a problem, the job will just sit there since there are really no MS in my area. Right now there are 10 of those shops sitting on the board for $6 and all for the same restaurant. They can keep them.

Bonuses are relative to your work history..... I'll keep it at that.

I've been with this MSC since they were operating under a different name...I'd say 2003 or so? I know I have a good record of doing shops correctly and in a timely fashion. My favorite scheduler in Georgia told me that bonuses are relative to how close it is to deadline more than anything else.

$24 total seems to be my cap that I have received. I stick to that each time because I have found once I take it for lower, they go by precedent and say they can offer what I did it for last time.

If they have a hard time filling the location and it is close to deadline you can get $150 for one that you can roller blade to. The overseas callers are always saying they are capped at $18 and then they go to $24. I tell them to go ahead and call me back when they have a bigger budget.

I have happily done several at $18 bonus plus reimbursement. Otherwise, I would NEVER eat there!

I do them once every month or two for $8. They never go over that.

Yes, if you accept a lower fee just ONE TIME, the next time you are offered that shop they will use that lower fee you took against you and say, "but last time you did it for $14." Don't get a track record of taking lower fees or you could get stuck there. I live in a fairly dense populated area with at least 10 Five Guys within 20 miles..............The $6 shops are plentiful and on the board ALL the time. Later, I will see a few shops rise to the top of the listing and those few shops are listed at about $8-$10--THOSE are the shops that are likely to pop to a higher amount. For me, $18 seems to be a price they are willing to pay for almost all bonused shops, If I go above that they balk and close the conversation- that is when I know the REAL top for a bonus has been met. I always have to plat that:

"Will you take it for $6." Then I chuckle and say, "Sorry no."
Then I say, "I will do it for $18.00."
They say, "How about $12.00?"
"No, I really need $18 to make it cost effective. (Ie. "its hot, that's a long drive, I have family visiting, the traffic is bad, gas is expensive "...... blah blah blah."

That usually works.

Yes I have told them to call me back if the fee goes higher than $18 ..... usually they dont so it seems that $18 (for me in my area) seems to be a sweet spot...........though I push it if I have to drive over about 15 miles to get there. I have found that the Philippine schedulers (area code 925 calls) are more reluctant to give you a higher bonus.....I am guess they are more restricted on how much they can give you. I do about 2-5 shops each month.

The BLT is terrific WHEN THEY DON'T OVERCOOK THE BACON (yes "well done" and firm bacon standards I know) but they often cook it SO dark dark brown that it shatters like shards and has a faint burnt taste. YES FIVE GUYS-- YOU, ACROSS THE BOARD OVERCOOK THE BACON. "WELL DONE" does not mean dark, dark brown, brittle and dry. Everything else is usually cooked just right, EXCEPT if you get grilled mushrooms or onions, it makes the BOTTOM bun soggy. I usually avoid grilled toppings on my burger to avoid yet another comment that they use too much fat on the griddle/don't sufficiently blot/drain the grilled vegetables and SO grilled veggies makes the bottom bun soggy. That has been my experience anyway.

I love burned bacon!!!!

I MUST BE SELLING OUT, I'M THRILLED TO GET $20 FOR GAS STATION JOBS.

Wow you guys. In my area, there are three. We have an abundance of shoppers it seems because they never let me do more than one location per month or two. It's simply not offered to me. I will get a Samantha notice for a location with about a 2-4 dollar bonus attached. If I see one on the board at a place I will be going and want to stop for lunch, I will try and snag it and it always says that it is in limbo by another shopper or scheduler. To me this means that they have offered it up via Samantha, and are waiting for a response within the deadline. This happens every single month. No shops ever get the little dollar sign attached, not ever. It has been this way since about February. I just take my turn, if its offered and it fits my schedule. I don't really need to eat there more often anyway. Since there are so few, it's probably also about rotation. One more thing: I always get my burger with grilled onions and mushrooms and the bun is never, ever soggy.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2018 02:00AM by CTChamp.

Is it true that selecting a "normal fee" shop such as online self assigning will set precedent for future fees? I once got a higher bonus by arguing that those that I self assign are ones that were convenient to me and the fact that they are calling me last minute will require a higher fee for me to slot it in. It was ridiculous for them to not offer more than $8 for a late night shop 30 min away from home...

I have found that it makes negotiating a higher fee more difficult but not impossible. They like to say "last time you did it for $xx" but I just say this time I need $yy due to time/inconvenience/etc.
They usually end up taking it or negotiating in my experience.

catlassy, my bun used to fall apart under the weight of my burger and toppings. I noted that in my reports. The bun is sturdy now.

For me, $24 to $28 seems to be about the cap, as well. I fondly remember getting $75 to do a late night shop one time. Guess they were really up against the deadline. I really enjoyed that cheeseburger...

I had a scheduler (925 area code ) call yesterday and ask if I would take a shop that was about 12 miles from me( and in the next state over), for $6. I said no, Im sorry, thats completely out of my way this weekend, plus I have to work til 3 both sat and sun. I told him I had to turn it down. He then asked if I could fit it in my schedule for $10. I said probably not seeing as how I had to work and its far and I still had to pay a toll to get back in my state and everything. HE asked how much I could do it for and I said " If you can do $18, I can do the shop" He put me on hold to speak with a manager, came back and said no he couldn't do $18. I said ok, sorry, Im going to have to pass on this one. HE seemed so annoyed with me and said "if you dont mind me asking, why cant you do this shop for $10 when you have done it other times for $10?" I said because it was an add on, I was in that area the times before and figured I could stop for lunch, dinner etc. HE then said" Ok, well i will just make a note for this location that you do not want to be called for it anymore" seriously??? I was kind of annoyed at this point myself my Italian attitude starting coming out and I snarked that THAt IS NOT WHAT I SAID. I said, I do not want to do THIS SPECIFIC SHOP!.. Man, he got me really annoyed. Ive never had that issue with a scheduler before!

They call me endlessly to do a location that I've told them many times, I adamantly will not go to. Then they ask why and I tell them over and over again that my car window was shot at and shattered one time and I refuse to go back to that neighborhood. They tell me they will make a note that I don't want to go to that location so I won't be called for it anymore. Then BAM, the calls come again for the same location with the same questions as to why I won't go there. Ha. When I informed the MSC about the incident with my car they told me, as I already knew, they were not responsible and I should just not go to that location again if I did not feel safe. So I don't think their notes hold much weight.

They don't note anything. I get multiple calls to do shops, even though it is noted that I only do one shop per month or two.

@jillie715 wrote:

I had a scheduler (925 area code ) call yesterday and ask if I would take a shop that was about 12 miles from me( and in the next state over), for $6. I said no, Im sorry, thats completely out of my way this weekend, plus I have to work til 3 both sat and sun. I told him I had to turn it down. He then asked if I could fit it in my schedule for $10. I said probably not seeing as how I had to work and its far and I still had to pay a toll to get back in my state and everything. HE asked how much I could do it for and I said " If you can do $18, I can do the shop" He put me on hold to speak with a manager, came back and said no he couldn't do $18. I said ok, sorry, Im going to have to pass on this one. HE seemed so annoyed with me and said "if you dont mind me asking, why cant you do this shop for $10 when you have done it other times for $10?" I said because it was an add on, I was in that area the times before and figured I could stop for lunch, dinner etc. HE then said" Ok, well i will just make a note for this location that you do not want to be called for it anymore" seriously??? I was kind of annoyed at this point myself my Italian attitude starting coming out and I snarked that THAt IS NOT WHAT I SAID. I said, I do not want to do THIS SPECIFIC SHOP!.. Man, he got me really annoyed. Ive never had that issue with a scheduler before!

The overseas schedulers work in a place where, by law, the minimum wage is $8 A DAY.
(And $5 a day for agricultural workers.)

They actually truly, really, don't understand why we can't do a shop that's paying an entire day's wages. To them, we have cars, homes, TVs, microwaves -- we're all filthy RICH.

Nevertheless, after they "check with the manager", I always get the $80 I'm asking for....

925 XXX XXXX - Sun Cellular (Mobile)

[www.tucny.com]

[www.google.com]

[en.wikipedia.org]

Jersey, what is this? What did you Google?

She posted links about the 925 area code, showing that it comes from a call center in the Philippines.

Yes I think the bun is better than it was - it is sturdier and more rustic. For me, the bottom bun always get oily and soggy fast if you order grilled mushrooms or grilled onions. I'll try the grilled toppings again and see if the bun gets soggy with the newer rolls.

I would get annoyed too if a scheduler asked me, "Why can't you take the lower fee?" That is none of his bee's wax..................You could say, "it is not cost effective"- and that should be enough. And it is crappy that he is threatening you to not call again for this location because you wont take the lower fee on his offer. ...I guess I might turn it around and ask, "Why can't he give me the higher fee?"

I asked a 925 scheduler why he always asks if i will do it for $6 and he said he was required ti start at the low end.... but other savvier schedulers dont start with the low ball offers. I am sure they have lots of rules for what they are allowed to offer. Their sales spiel is very scripted and sounds the same every time. God bless 'em though.... they are just trying to make a living too.

I am doing a late night shop for them tonight for $30. They said, make an offer, so I did, and they assigned it to me. I was inspired after reading this thread, but seriously, I love their food. I'll only nibble, because it's so late at night, I have church in the morning, and I'm trying to lose weight.

@jshoppermont wrote:

I am doing a late night shop for them tonight for $30. They said, make an offer, so I did, and they assigned it to me. I was inspired after reading this thread, but seriously, I love their food. I'll only nibble, because it's so late at night, I have church in the morning, and I'm trying to lose weight.

When I get Cajun fries I can’t stop eating them!

It doesn’t help when Little means Large...