@walesmaven
100 percent agree.most mscs don't offer self assign right away. I can think of at least 3 mscs..I had to do at least 10 shops with good reports before having the option to self assign...

I think you may have misunderstood. The problem with shops you have to apply for is that you commit to a date without knowing if you will get the shop. Then if you have an opportunity for another shop that same date you either have to skip it or delete an application. I don’t know for sure, but I feel like a deleted app makes it seem like I’m not dependable. I always favor self assign to apply shops.

Oh wow! I didn't check the thread for a couple of days and I missed a bit. First of all, I want to thank Mr. Price for coming here and personally addressing my issue. That kind of accessibility is rare and is much appreciated. I hope it helped others as well.

As it turns out I don't need to contact him. On Monday I was accepted for my first restaurant shop for Customer Impact. Hopefully I'll do a great job and it will lead to more. Thanks everyone!

You know, since we all live in different areas, it would be nice if we could all compile a list of MSC's and the restaurants we can shop for them? Maybe that isn't possible, but it would be nice.

Deleted apps DO NOT make a negative impression. Schedulers understand and APPRECIATE that shoppers delete instead of suddenly having to cancel when they are granted an assignment that they then cannot perform !!! You are over-thinking this. I meet a TON of schedulers at conferences and on line and by phone and they ALL appreciate not having to chase shoppers. Keeping schedulers updated is part of the job, folks !

Because companies send a mass email to thousands of shoppers, it is obvious they have been assigned before you ever saw them. That’s probably why you are having a hard time, Coyote. It was VERY nice, and quite unusual for a VP to reach out to you...you’re lucky....he sounds like a great guy who will help you. You normally have to take a lot of pictures too. A lot of jobs that incur some travel time, report time, as well as time at the location don’t always pay well. Some clients are very cheap. Good thing you can pick and choose...... best of luck to you.

I’ve been a mystery shopper for over 20 years. There are tons of jobs in my area. I don’t even bother with jobs that don’t pay well....waste of time.

I apologize if this has already been said as my computer is deciding to not let me read all replies, but I'd also suggest networking with shoppers as I've been incredibly fortunate to have become friends with a fellow shopper in the area and we've been referrals for one another with schedulers and have been able to suggest shops that we each may enjoy doing. We've also shared notes and have compared our "not in a million years" shops and have given one another advice on streamlining shops and reports, schedules, etc.

I miss the Micky D and post office shops shops in New Jersey. You could create great route shops. The intercity Mickey D shops where they keep the bathroom locked to prevent homeless people from using them and they do not put anything like straws and condiments out, you have to ask for them over the counter. were challenging, they never let the newbies know you risk your life and the tires on your car if you do not fit in to the locals in dress and demographic What do you say when asked if you are buying or selling drugs and how to you politely reply to a lady of the evening who is out in the middle of the day with very few teeth and an obvious need for drugs? I often tried to give my burger to a "homeless person looking for change . They were not hungry. I do very few shops because if it is not fun or mutually beneficial (I make some money on it) they can hang it in their ear.

Honestly I've stopped applying for shops for them. I used to do several hops a year for them and always got 9s and 10s. I moved into an area that doesn't have any local shops I'm interested in but always applied for things when I travelled. I would guess 10 apps with 0 shops assigned until a year ago when I asked for a shop that was seriously in the middle of nowhere. Another 10 on that shop but not assigned the shops I've applied for since then. I see no reason to continue applying. I'm not doing them favors by taking shops that are hard to assign if I'm not getting anything else.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2018 12:41AM by bgriffin.

CI is actually one of my favorite companies. They have always been fair to me, and their editors are great. You just have to remember to use Photo or Custom and not PDF when you scan their receipts. It was at first tough to remember because I do PDF for all other companies.

Get more restaurants!
Your reports and reimbursements are reasonable. I wsh you had more in my area.

@bgriffin wrote:

Honestly I've stopped applying for shops for them.

Common knowledge that they fired a lot of their most loved (and probably highest paid) schedulers recently.

So, yeah, anyone can get a shop now. Your history with them is worthless.

@SoCalMama wrote:

@bgriffin wrote:

Honestly I've stopped applying for shops for them.

Common knowledge that they fired a lot of their most loved (and probably highest paid) schedulers recently.

So, yeah, anyone can get a shop now. Your history with them is worthless.

How recently? I noticed that applications have taken a lot longer to get approved this month and in October.

You might try signing up with more companies. It sounds like you may have someone in your area that has been doing those shops for awhile.
Keep applying... If they get busy with family for the holidays you might get a chance to prove yourself!

I've worked for them for years and still do a favorite BBQ shop in my town, with the 3 month rotation,+ another restaurant (healthy) same thing, good food. I do notice a change in the emails I get, being I get an email for a job I want and the email is for something totally different. I just do their restaurants and am happy with that. Changes do happen, but overall, I like them, good company, good restaurants and fair.
Question "How do you get jobs"...I apply like everyone else, since they have many new shoppers, they get to pick and choose. I just applied to a favorite and can't remember if it's been 3 months, so, I'll know soon enough.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2018 04:35PM by Irene_L.A..

@dprice wrote:

My name is Daniel Price and I'm the VP of Operations for Customer Impact..........

Hi Daniel, I am not a shopper for you but after reading your fabulous email(see above to read the entire content) which shows you as a concerned and supportive person you have convinced me I really need to work for your company. Your great attitude has convinced me to apply.
Sandy

@SandyF...I do work for CI (Daniel Price) for years and yes they are a good caring company, and his response shows that. I only wish they had more jobs in my area. Waiting to hear if I got a lunch for tomorrow.....

@dawnhu wrote:

@walesmaven
100 percent agree.most mscs don't offer self assign right away. I can think of at least 3 mscs..I had to do at least 10 shops with good reports before having the option to self assign...

I'm a fan, but have been with them for years and can't self-assign (I mean years).

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Being really fast is helpful, be the first one to apply. It helps a lot that you got a 10 on that shop, though. Just keep trying!

I applied yesterday when the jobs here out came out, for tomorrow and haven't heard....sometimes time doesn't matter, they have to select the 3 month rotation thing, and they give all a chance....be patient.

I hadn't heard and since I wanted the job tomorrow, emailed the scheduler who is a long time worker and the best. I will give her a Kudo's in the correct thread. She said she is working on assigning, but did assign it to me...
always be sure you confirm ASAP.

Thanks for the kind words!

Sandy - if you email me I can try to help you get your first one assigned.

As Irene-L.A. mentioned...the schedulers are working diligently to get all their applications assigned today. We were delayed in posting for December because they've been trying to finish up November and of course the Thanksgiving holiday break always makes their job doubly difficult to close out Nov.

I checked in earlier and they said they're all on track to assign anything that has a solid app or a new app for an appropriate shop before they leave. I'll confirm once more! As always, if you have any questions about our company, clients, the shops, our operations, any of our schedulers & editors etc...don't hesitate to email me at dprice@customerimpactinfo.com

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!

Daniel Price
VP, Operations
Customer Impact, LLC.
dprice@customerimapctinfo.com

I had the best experience with Customer Impact this year. I finally scored the upscale steakhouse dinner shop at a casino. Took my mother. She had a filet mignon that you could cut with a butter knife that practically melted in your mouth. The staff treated her like she was royalty. They helped me with her wheelchair and everything. The experience was totally worth the time spent on the report. Anyway, I got the nicest note from the editor thanking me for my report and that it needed so little editing. My mom has been in and out of the hospital more times than I can count since then. Don't know if she will ever be my dining buddy again but that last dinner will always be memorable.

Hi Coyote,

You ask an excellent question. It is one I have asked for myself over the years. I've been a shopper for over 12 years and still get overlooked for shops by some MSPs. Schedulers are people. People like to work with other people they have established relationships with. Several shoppers have offered excellent suggestions:
1) Reach out to the scheduler personally and kindly.
2) Offer to help with some shops they may be having difficulty assigning. (Even if you are unaware of any open shops, making the statement will make you memorable.)
3) Do as many shops for them as you are able. Call the scheduler with a question, as a way of making an introduction.
When you send an email to anyone in the company (especially the scheduler) triple check your email for grammar, punctuation, etc. This is an interview and they will make the easy assumption that if you cannot write an email with care, you will probably not be good at report writing either.

And from the FAQs from the CI website, which incidentally has some other great articles designed to make us all better shoppers: (Note positive shopping experience for CI is a big deal)

Question: How does CI determine which shoppers to schedule?

Factors include:

Must meet the profile of the client
Ability to complete reports as instructed
Ability to produce a concise, complete report
Ability to complete reports on time
Ability to be objective
Location
MSPA certification
Prior experience with our company
About your Shopper Profile: You are much less likely to be chosen for an assignment if your profile contains ALL CAPS or all lowercase letters, Please use proper capitalization.
About Required Questions: Some shop applications may require you to answer a mandatory question. When answering this question, it would benefit you to use proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.

Those who follow the guidelines and make our job easier will receive the majority of assignments. Shoppers who submit their reports at the last minute, or late, will not be likely to be rescheduled. If we have to make long distance calls every month to clarify your reports, that indicates that the shops are not being performed effectively. This affects our ability to serve our clients efficiently.


I do almost exclusively restaurant shops now. I am friendly with the schedulers and never refuse an assignment when they call me and ask. Just like I work to make them happy, they also want me to be happy, because I submit my reports early that require little to no editing.

Good luck to you. It will open up. Sooner if they get caught in a bind. This happens when they have a shopper cancel on them before their deadline. You can be their white knight.

My opinion after 12 years of shopping is to try not to cancel an assignment you have been given, if you have to try and re-schedule. Read instructions and follow, that's what they need to know, if doing a first job, print out instructions and follow. Don't be late submitting report, and try and maintain a 8/10 score, you will see better jobs coming after a few months. I work monthly for a few of the same MSC's with a new one thrown in and always take my job seriously. Really not hard to build a good relationship with schedulers, most are there to help. Good luck, and remember for restaurants Customer Impact has a three month wait between, so don't expect to be chosen monthly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2019 03:58PM by Irene_L.A..