I do not think the MSC realize that some of those emails sound almost as if they will cancel the shop or can be perceived like that especially when they send numerous reminders about project dates etc. There emails on top of the important, don’t need to be told again, emails, especially when doing work for several companies can be a real pain. To the shoppers, we open every email that pertains to a shop because MSC can and have changed guidelines after shops have been assigned so we read every word of every email. I have at times purposely respond to those emails, and repeat everything previously discussed in it to them, or a good paragraph on the fact that I plan to complete the shop. I know it is wasted time but maybe if we all start emailing them back confirming for the , might as well be 100 time, the MSC will realize how much time the are taking from us for sometimes a 10-15 minute shop. We spend more time reading and sorting emails than completing shops....

It's not just the e-mails with this MSC. It's the entire feeling and wording on their website when you log in to confirm. I could be insulted if I took it personally, but I'm just annoyed. Very.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2018 02:00AM by BirdyC.

Your contract could be a problem. I have a friend that has a contract with a major company, but it wouldn't allow her to hotspot. The good news is I could hotspot to her laptop so her report was submitted on time.

@jameschicago wrote:

I think that treating shoppers like children allows the MSCs to feel it is OK to pay us as if we were children. Unfortunately, there are so many people who do not value themselves, that it is common.

And based on the writing samples that I have read on these forums, these people write like children too. I can not understand why the companies accept it. Oh well.

Spicy, or someone, once posted that we talk smack here, which differs from our actual work and writings about our work. Don't confuse shop talk with work talk.

Anyway, about children and work. For awhile, a child did the same job that adults have done for years. Mind you, these adults get up extremely early to moonlight. They have other, important, responsible jobs that they perform later in the day. These are not chiselers or people who would take advantage of a kid or anyone else. They have good reputations and integrity. So this kid's parents were looking for a sub. They said, "he is just a kid. We cannot pay the going rate for a sub because he is just a kid". This kid earned at the same rate as the adults in the job, but his parents would not pay a sub for him at the going rate for a sub. GAH! They were impervious to the fact that the costs of subbing were not different for children and adults. Those were given costs that the subs had to factor into their income. I think that some posters have discovered the same situation with mystery shops. The costs to shoppers for traveling to some shops are not changeable, but some MSCs or schedulers expect the shoppers to forego those costs and perform the shops for offered fees or inadequately bonused fees which do not cover the actual costs of travel and/or purchases.

At the same time, I am one who will argue that some people factor too much into the cost of completing a job. I base this upon what I was taught/trained to know about what is work and what is not work. Go figure.

I don't mind the emails that we get close to the date. What I do mind is being talked down to and belittled by someone, who was nasty. People have mentioned similar treatment. This person contradicted their own guidelines and was a truly dedpicable person. I will take a shop reminder over that anyday. Oh, and that person did not pay me for the job either, where if you contacted the business multiple times and could not reach them, there was still a small fee. Never again.