To the Msc's that lurk here..always have self assign as an option...
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Not having self-assign eliminates a lot of flakes. Plus, they lose a day waiting to see if the report is going to come in.
I prefer applying and finding out quickly in some cases. I prefer self-assign if I am first to the job board.
I prefer applying and finding out quickly in some cases. I prefer self-assign if I am first to the job board.
I agree with the both of you. Kinda Catch-22.
That has to be earned in most cases.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Earned self assign is a must.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
If everyone was reliable it would be great to do that. Problem is too many flake shoppers. If a shopper self assigns for two days in advance, then flakes that is three days lost on the job board possibly fitting into a reliable shoppers schedule.
Yes, Servimer does have self assign shoppers, but these rights are earned.
Yes, Servimer does have self assign shoppers, but these rights are earned.
There is a shop on a board I have applied for and removed the application because the response was so slow (2 days). I removed the application when I was across the street from the location and then started my 60 mile drive home. It is still on the board today.
Finally, after 15+ years in this business, I decided shops for which I must apply AND require I visit on a specific date, both conditions must exist, are no longer of any interest to me.
Those that support applying have made some good and valid points, and I agree with those points, but self-assign is the method I prefer. I've been in the same position as loydrock. I cannot usually schedule very far out for a variety of personal reasons, so I often cannot wait for days to see if my application was accepted. Once I've put in an application, I have committed to the time and location, which makes it difficult to build a route around a shop which may or may not be awarded. I frequently pass on good shops for that reason.
I vote for some of each. This would permit each shopper to make the most of available opportunities as needed and possible.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Having to apply isn't necessarily the problem. Not getting to the application within 24 hours (and that's being generous), is the bigger problem, in my opinion.
If a shopper has performed many shops for the MSC without ever flaking and having an issue, then that shopper should be given the benefit of the doubt that they will continue to be that way unless they prove otherwise. As Hoju said, earned self assign is the way to go.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2018 11:30PM by KA047.
If a shopper has performed many shops for the MSC without ever flaking and having an issue, then that shopper should be given the benefit of the doubt that they will continue to be that way unless they prove otherwise. As Hoju said, earned self assign is the way to go.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2018 11:30PM by KA047.
Hello shopperbob,
I so enjoy your posts and your selectivity. What MSC's are left for you? Selective me wants to know. :-)
I so enjoy your posts and your selectivity. What MSC's are left for you? Selective me wants to know. :-)
@shopperbob wrote:
Finally, after 15+ years in this business, I decided shops for which I must apply AND require I visit on a specific date, both conditions must exist, are no longer of any interest to me.
The real issue here is how long some MSCs take to respond to an application. I too have cancelled apps, sometimes because, due to scheduling, I was no longer interested and sometimes because I don't like having a shop suddenly sprung on me at the last minute when the app has been sitting there for 2 days.
Self assign is great, but timely response on an app is worth a lot too.
Self assign is great, but timely response on an app is worth a lot too.
I have found that the ones that require an application are "flakes" for me. More often than not, I wait two or three days, never get a response, and cancel my application. I prefer to auto assign. That way, I can schedule my week around my shops and not waste time, gas, or money.
I just lost three jobs because I couldn't get a hold to the scheduler. I waited for a long time and never received a response until after I decided I won't wait anymore. These same schedulers will be calling me when the jobs are not filled, for me to fill them. I do not understand how MSC's run 24-7 but, employees are not available for days. It's like going to a grocery store, with a buggy full of groceries, and wait for days for a cashier to cash you out. There is no telling how much money these companies are giving away on high bonuses just because we can not self-assign. I think the only downfall of this industry, to me, is the lack of timely replies from schedulers. It's frustrating!
Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.
It seems weird that these schedulers take so long to assign a job to somebody. The scheduling companies seem to be the worst.
Madetoshop,
Before I respond to your query, I will cover under what conditions I am interested in shopping:
1-Money
2-Saving money I would spend for a need. I have a friend who comps me tickets for his performances and I reciprocate with a Texas Roadhouse dinner.
3-To defray non-shopping travel expenses.
You mentioned selectivity, which is accurate, but only because I am able to afford that position. That is why I understand some people's need to work for less that ideal fees.
This year I have completed 77 shops for 13 MSCs, with 14 being video assignments. My average fee under category one above for 35 jobs is $61. That is where being able to sit unless my fee is met certainly gives me an advantage. In addition, with the shift to cell phone entry somewhat devoid of narrative, I have been able to increase my asking price from those MSCs requiring extensive reporting. As the old adage concisely states, "What's one person's meat, is another's poison,"
Before I respond to your query, I will cover under what conditions I am interested in shopping:
1-Money
2-Saving money I would spend for a need. I have a friend who comps me tickets for his performances and I reciprocate with a Texas Roadhouse dinner.
3-To defray non-shopping travel expenses.
You mentioned selectivity, which is accurate, but only because I am able to afford that position. That is why I understand some people's need to work for less that ideal fees.
This year I have completed 77 shops for 13 MSCs, with 14 being video assignments. My average fee under category one above for 35 jobs is $61. That is where being able to sit unless my fee is met certainly gives me an advantage. In addition, with the shift to cell phone entry somewhat devoid of narrative, I have been able to increase my asking price from those MSCs requiring extensive reporting. As the old adage concisely states, "What's one person's meat, is another's poison,"
That is EXACTLY right, Panama!!@panama18 wrote:
Self assign is great, but timely response on an app is worth a lot too.
Here is a common and very irritating scenario I come across often. I apply for the shop. The application sits for over a week. I forget about it and continue scheduling other shops that don't play games. I get an email saying ''accepted' for a shop that I can't even remember applying for. It no longer fits into my schedule so I send the scheduler an email saying due to your late reply on this shop I can't do it, go ahead and unassign. several days go by and the shop goes beyond due date. The scheduler sends email and says, 'why didn't you do the shop?'. I'll say I sent you an email saying i'm not doing the shop because it was assigned to me after I had scheduled my jobs.
I think the slow response time is sometimes because a scheduler is trying to juggle several balls at once. They might be talking to one shopper trying to work on a route with a bonus, be waiting to hear back from another shopper, etc. It’s not as cut & dry as It seems on the shopper side of things. I think applications get left hanging because the scheduler is keeping it on the back burner for whatever reason.
Some shops also seem to only need a percentage completed, so it isn’t a priority if they are close to having enough.
Some shops also seem to only need a percentage completed, so it isn’t a priority if they are close to having enough.
@jlovesnyc wrote:
Here is a common and very irritating scenario I come across often. I apply for the shop. The application sits for over a week. I forget about it and continue scheduling other shops that don't play games. I get an email saying ''accepted' for a shop that I can't even remember applying for. It no longer fits into my schedule so I send the scheduler an email saying due to your late reply on this shop I can't do it, go ahead and unassign. several days go by and the shop goes beyond due date. The scheduler sends email and says, 'why didn't you do the shop?'. I'll say I sent you an email saying i'm not doing the shop because it was assigned to me after I had scheduled my jobs.
This used to happen to me, too. I keep an Excel log of shops I have done. I also add shops to the log that I have applied for, using a different color for the font to tell the shops apart. This way, I do not forget the shops I have applied for. If my schedule fills up with other shops, I go back and delete the shops I've applied for that I can no longer do.
Megs, I think the slow response due to a lack of juggling expertise is the scheduler's problem. And if that causes a long delay in assigning the shop she is making her problem my problem.
Do other schedulers looking to get a job done care about a? On your calendar/ spread sheet?
I am in the same situation as the OP. I am currently waiting on the disposition of a shop for this weekend, and I don't know yet whether I will be renting a car later today for one or two days. I really wish we could self assign, or that there were an algorithm to auto-assign shoppers after the shop has been open for applications for x hours. I also have cancelled applications sitting in the parking lot of the locations.
Self-assigning PRIVILEGES would help to eliminate flakes. Set a reasonable number of shops to be completed correctly to earn self-assign.
*sigh* Giving a scheduler one more hour before I delete my applications for three of her hard-to-fill shops. She'll be out of luck and I'll be $150 poorer, but it's the holidays and I can't wait forever to finalize plans.
*sigh* Giving a scheduler one more hour before I delete my applications for three of her hard-to-fill shops. She'll be out of luck and I'll be $150 poorer, but it's the holidays and I can't wait forever to finalize plans.
"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
Here is another side of the story. I recently emailed a scheduler about having to wait several days to have a shop confirmed. She replied that the shop is done at each location twice a month and they are required by the client to have so many days between each shop. I applied for an available date range in the second part of the month. The scheduler could not assign the shop to me until the first shop was scheduled and/or the other shopper successfully completed it. So to maintain the required number of days between shops they had to wait before assigning the dates to me. This might not explain why all shops are not assigned sooner but it did give me a new perspective. In the future if there are two date ranges available I will try to apply for the earliest one.
Just curious.....
What would you as a shopper consider a reasonable amount of time to be assigned (or declined/ application no longer in your application box)?
I know MY personal thoughts as a shopper but I'm curious as to others opinions. (I did assign a shopper a location within 6.5hrs of their application last week and was told that wasn't fast enough, the shopper no longer wanted the job)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2018 09:24PM by luckygirl0100.
What would you as a shopper consider a reasonable amount of time to be assigned (or declined/ application no longer in your application box)?
I know MY personal thoughts as a shopper but I'm curious as to others opinions. (I did assign a shopper a location within 6.5hrs of their application last week and was told that wasn't fast enough, the shopper no longer wanted the job)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2018 09:24PM by luckygirl0100.
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