Cancelled my QSR shops

I had planned on doing a couple of fast food shops, until I looked at the form. 71 questions, 3 timings done twice (3 for you and 3 for another car), download a World Clock app to do this shop. Plus pictures of the menu boards and your food. Must make a special request. Add or remove something. You're also limited to what 3 items you can order. The shop paid a $15 FLAT fee (nothing for your meal). I told them if you pay me $30 I might do it.

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I used to do well with these when there were dollar menus and you could order water. Then they added fast casual and soda requirements. Didn't know what Panera was so I did one. Found out one piece of cheese on bread was $8. Not even a condiment on it! The order took the whole fee. I like cheese but with cash I would be just as happy with cheap cheese bought on sale and keep the profit. No more. Not for me.

They paid $12 or $15 about 15 years ago and did not require any photos. I did 40 in one day one time at base rate. Very profitable. I used to do around 500 per report / study.

was it a 71 question report? Making 6 different timings?

Yes, I liked them when they were a $15 fee and no photos.

I completed one of these shops. It was at a distant location and I did other assignments that day. For me, it was stressful! It felt like two shops in one. However, since then I have completed more shops of various types that involve menu boards, timings, and other observations. I would do another SQM, but I do not plan to be the nearest location (in another state) for another two weeks or so. If it is still available then, I will do it.

One helpful prep step is to review each stage of the shop over and over and over until you can click for timings automatically. This might make the multiple steps of the shop seem familiar and less daunting.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

@johnb974 wrote:

was it a 71 question report? Making 6 different timings?

Yes. Most of them went quickly. I recall spending more than 15 minutes in a drive-through on more than one occasion to do a del taco location. There aren’t a lot of Rally’s or Arby’s In my area either.

There are other fast food shops that that take far less time and have a very short report. They pay just as much or more.

I have done some of these shops before and did not even bother to apply for any of them this year. I am increasingly unhappy with the shop fees this MSC often offers and the stinginess of its bonuses I would do favors for ONE of their schedulers but she is the only one.

Notwithstanding the above, I would not have canceled these shops after they were assigned.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

I have done some of these shops before and did not even bother to apply for any of them this year. I am increasingly unhappy with the shop fees this MSC often offers and the stinginess of its bonuses I would do favors for ONE of their schedulers but she is the only one.

Notwithstanding the above, I would not have canceled these shops after they were assigned.

It wasn't even worth my time to fill out that long of a report. The pay was insulting.

@johnb974 wrote:

There are other fast food shops that that take far less time and have a very short report. They pay just as much or more.

When I was assigned 500 locations of my choice at a time and there were no photos required, I was able to knock out plenty of them quickly and make a ton of profit.

I would not be doing less than 50 of them. Hence, I haven’t even looked at the locations. I just delete the emails and move on.

I did a few of these. They aren't too bad once you get the hang of it. And I've been filling out the report right from my phone. Free lunch and a few extra dollars. It's not the best money making shop but its not the worst shop ever either lol

I did a few and they are not that bad.I just dont do them on the same day so lunch for three days and 10.00 clear if you order the cheapest pick.I tried sceenshotting my times but then i would get a email or message and mess Up my shot so that didnt work well.

There are other fast food shops that pay just as much with much less work. This one isn't even worth filling out the 71 question report.

I get that you don't want the amount of work in SQM for they pay it provides. This makes sense for the time cost of your shops.

For me there is another consideration. There are few shops in all in my area, so it is a good idea for me to try as many shop types as possible. Otherwise, I must travel to shops (which is wonderful in and of itself if I have to pass through the beloved wide open spaces) and have little time for on-site visits and reports. The wide open spaces do not have consistent connectivity, so reporting while someone else drives is not always an option. For the first SQM, there was a learning curve. After that, the SQM is just another configuration of common shop tasks: observe, time, photograph, remember, and evaluate. So if I do another SQM, I utilize skills that I will need for other assignments later. This makes it a win for me.

@johnb974 wrote:

There are other fast food shops that pay just as much with much less work. This one isn't even worth filling out the 71 question report.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

I did one once a couple of years ago. I never got paid for it. I did all of my thing. Then went and parked where I could watch the drive thru. Sat there for 35 minutes and another car never came thru it.
I was told I wouldn't be paid because I didn't finish the job. I told the msc what was I suppose to do sit and wait all day, as I figured 35 minutes was long enough to wait.

Wow that sucks. I'm noticing in this business you will have some MSC that care and some that simply don't. Even if it was not your fault.

Like SoCalMama, I used to get assigned entire districts for this and another pricing project. The MSC who had them then got absorbed into the company it is now and the good times were over forever. I miss Insula, they were awesome!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2019 03:03AM by sestrahelena.

I throw the emails away when they come in but know there is always someone willing to take the job at base pay in my area. As long as they can find ample shoppers willing to do it, the fee will go down or the work will increase.

I cannot imagine doing hundreds of locations per project! There are not even dozens of locations near me!

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

There used to be more. Now, it's more of a sampling of brands in certain areas. Before, it was all of the stores of certain brands, multiple times per day.

Late night Jack in the Box was the worst. 45-minute wait in the Drive-Thru Lane. And that was just me! Another 25 minutes for the second car. At several locations. That one I regretted. And people just stayed in line! Who waits that long for a crappy taco? I had the feeling that everybody was on a late-night munchie run, even the workers, except for me. I was the uninvited guest at the pot party!

This may seem a dumb question, I don't know. If you cancel shops you have been assigned, are you in effect done with that company? Will they write you off?

@morocco77 wrote:

This may seem a dumb question, I don't know. If you cancel shops you have been assigned, are you in effect done with that company? Will they write you off?

I have not been, but I do many shops for different companies. They know I'm good for other shops and I tell them the reason I would not touch other shops.

Sometimes the drive thru can be a pain. One time I was behind one car. The woman took 10 minutes at the menu board, looking over the menu, asking questions, changing her mine...and than took another 10 minutes at the window, because AGAIN she was changing her order.

@johnb974 wrote:

I had planned on doing a couple of fast food shops, until I looked at the form. 71 questions, 3 timings done twice (3 for you and 3 for another car), download a World Clock app to do this shop. Plus pictures of the menu boards and your food. Must make a special request. Add or remove something. You're also limited to what 3 items you can order. The shop paid a $15 FLAT fee (nothing for your meal). I told them if you pay me $30 I might do it.

I don't do them either.

The menu board pic is annoying.

These should be $20 - $25 shops, imho. Then again, that's THREE hours worth of min. wage in some areas!

These shops just aren't worth it. You can only eat so much free fast food.

I did two a couple years ago. I'm not going anywhere near them.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

I needed to cancel my shop due to illness related to care giving. Saw the instructions and was glad that I had had to cancel. First time that has ever happened.

They just sent out a nationwide list, which implies no bonuses.

Good luck getting shoppers in the following CA cities: Delano, Calexico, Paso Robles, Oroville, Santa Nella, Brawley, Fallbrook.

It reads like a who's who of cities that schedulers are begging to get filled for big bucks.

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Cancelled my QSR shops

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