@sandyf wrote:
Personally if I get paid $5 or so to do a report that takes me several hours including reading the rules and loading receipts and pics and whatever else I really do not consider that pay. If I spend 2 hours of my time doing all that the pay amounts to $2.50 per hour. And if you are looking at the fancy restaurant assignments with a tiny fee as a paid assignment then you might want to consider all the other hours and expenses you have to get there, time everything etc. Your hourly pay then amounts to $1 or less. The reimbursement of a very nice dinner is worth so much more that $5 pales in comparison. I used to do one that had a $3 reimbursement. I always went over the budget by about $3 no matter how hard I tried not to and considered that part of my reimbursement. I would be happy to take any pay they offer me for a high end restaurant. A minimum of $50 might attract me to see it as a paying assignment. As Irene said, these types of assignments are more for enjoyment of something you otherwise might not choose to pay out of pocket for.
@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:
Some of these mystery shopping companies are ruthless and greedy and its as simple as that. As long as they can find fools willing to work for free they don't mind taking advantage of those fools. These mystery shopping companies are making deals with their clients where they get reimbursed for the food and they get paid. Then being greedy typical human beings they want all the profits for themselves so they find gullible broke people like us to do the work for the free meal and then they get all the money. What a great country this is when I can find people who will work for me for nothing the mystery shop owner says to them selves. Free employees you got to love it......NOT!
@oteixeira wrote:
@sandyf wrote:
Personally if I get paid $5 or so to do a report that takes me several hours including reading the rules and loading receipts and pics and whatever else I really do not consider that pay. If I spend 2 hours of my time doing all that the pay amounts to $2.50 per hour. And if you are looking at the fancy restaurant assignments with a tiny fee as a paid assignment then you might want to consider all the other hours and expenses you have to get there, time everything etc. Your hourly pay then amounts to $1 or less. The reimbursement of a very nice dinner is worth so much more that $5 pales in comparison. I used to do one that had a $3 reimbursement. I always went over the budget by about $3 no matter how hard I tried not to and considered that part of my reimbursement. I would be happy to take any pay they offer me for a high end restaurant. A minimum of $50 might attract me to see it as a paying assignment. As Irene said, these types of assignments are more for enjoyment of something you otherwise might not choose to pay out of pocket for.
When I hear this argument, I find it interesting that people are taking things like time, and gas into account, but people are not taking into account the cost of the ingredients in the two meals they eat. Or how about the cost of a beer/wine (good beer is not cheap from a grocery store). Then there is the time to prepare it, and the cost to do your dishes...I am not saying this is you specifically, as you say you do these shops.
Again, it works either way you want to read it, you have your reasons not to do them, and others have reasons to do them. That is why there is room for all of use in this business.
@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:
...they find gullible broke people like us to do the work for the free meal
@sandyf wrote:
Personally if I get paid $5 or so to do a report that takes me several hours including reading the rules and loading receipts and pics and whatever else I really do not consider that pay. If I spend 2 hours of my time doing all that the pay amounts to $2.50 per hour. And if you are looking at the fancy restaurant assignments with a tiny fee as a paid assignment then you might want to consider all the other hours and expenses you have to get there, time everything etc. Your hourly pay then amounts to $1 or less. The reimbursement of a very nice dinner is worth so much more that $5 pales in comparison. I used to do one that had a $3 reimbursement. I always went over the budget by about $3 no matter how hard I tried not to and considered that part of my reimbursement. I would be happy to take any pay they offer me for a high end restaurant. A minimum of $50 might attract me to see it as a paying assignment. As Irene said, these types of assignments are more for enjoyment of something you otherwise might not choose to pay out of pocket for.
@iShop123 wrote:
Depends. I will take as many BJs as possible -- great food and the report takes (far) less than 30 mins. Those lengthy, drawn-out, to-the-second, get names of 20 people, otoh, are not worth my time. I'd rather eat at home.
otei, the difference is that a grocery store report takes very little time. In those aforementioned shops, what you're paying for is the atmosphere rather than simply a meal.
But I get that one size does not fit all.
@fcolando wrote:
postmuffin I totally agree. When all they do is reimburse, it just makes me feel like my time is worth nothing when all I did is get reimbursed for my meal. I enjoy being paid for my meal (free food), but if you have to explain a lot for each item, the timing when you receive your drink, what the crew member says, it does kind of say that your time is not valuable. I think that should change.