I was called by a scheduler before 9:00am with a last-minute assignment, which I accepted and now it's almost 1:30 and she still hasn't put it on my schedule. I can't do the shop until she does that. I called 30 minutes ago and she said to give her a minute to do it. Schedulers want shoppers to be reliable. so how about schedulers doing so, too?

I would not do the shop. The schedulers need to know that they can't get away with this type of scheduling. The schedulers that I work with know that if they want reliability they have to work with me.

Communication...my pet peeve is schedulers who ignore messages, or who don't bother to read the email before responding. We are expected to respond in a timely manner. We are expected to read the shop materials thoroughly. Why are they any different?

Make sure any and all offered bonuses are clearly updated to the offer. I do not like having to keep asking why a bonus is not reflected on an assignment.

Do not have multiple schedulers filling the same shop. It's frustrating when a promised shop is not assigned, the scheduler does not tell us why, eventually we are told another shopper was assigned the shop by a different scheduler. I assume the scheduler heard back from someone else that agreed to a lower bonus.

Keep notes. I have told several schedulers multiple times that I do not do bar shops, and that I am a automotive sales associate so do not do any car sales or service shops. They eventually text or call me offering these shops, over and over. My profile states my profession.

This remark might be more closely related to clients than to schedulers. Why are loads of shops shown at once, when only a few are needed at a given moment? I have worked up offers for routes of multiple shops only to be cyber-slapped in the face I mean informed that there was no need to complete the shops.

OTOH, I appreciate it *applause* when offers clearly state that only a certain number of shops are needed at this time. With this information, I know that for me it is sensible to add something on the fly or add as many as one or two shops. These small courtesies contribute greatly to planning...

If it's an airport shop, please include it in the subject line. If it's not an airport shop, please include the state(s) in the subject line. Also, quit advertising a large shop fee in the subject line when it's really a package of shops to complete to get the large fee, like "$50 phone project"...only to open it and find out the shopper has to complete 5 shops at $10 each.

Oh yeah, and stop the bribe shops (ACL schedulers, you know who you are). I didn't see them for a long time but I just got one recently. And to make it more confusing, the shop that the scheduler thought would be the desirable shop is not something I would do if it were even a stand alone shop. SMH.

It bugs me when the subject line describes a potentially juicy shop and then I scroll.............way.........WAY......down and discover it is not within my specified zip radius.

Reply to emails. Even if it's a negative. If I ask if the Griffin's Widgets shop is available and it's not a 2 second reply of "no it's not" is much better than ignoring me. Even if it's available and you just don't want me to do it you can reply and tell me that too. I don't care, this is a business, I understand that sometimes I won't be the preferred shopper. Just tell me.

Or even your part of the country!

@Monk-N-Nut wrote:

It bugs me when the subject line describes a potentially juicy shop and then I scroll.............way.........WAY......down and discover it is not within my specified zip radius.

Or even your country!

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Or even your part of the country!

@Monk-N-Nut wrote:

It bugs me when the subject line describes a potentially juicy shop and then I scroll.............way.........WAY......down and discover it is not within my specified zip radius.

Stop insulting the profession by saying that shops are "fun."

Stop insulting the intelligence of the shopper by thinking that we value "badges" or "citations." Cash is valuable. Fluff is not.

Act professional. When you take over a territory send out an introductory e-mail. Likewise, when you depart, send out an e-mail introducing your replacement. When you are going on vacation, send an e-mail introducing your coverage and have the courtesy to use an out-of-office message on your e-mail.

Kind of similar to some above, but I say please make sure you're looking at the shoppers' correct, current addresses before sending out your email blasts. I update my address with everyone asap after moving, even though it's a bit of a pain. It's just lazy to keep using old, out-of-date lists! I still regularly get emails and voicemails about shops in states I lived in 2, 3, and 4-5 years ago, respectively. In fact, I get the most about the longest-ago one (SC). I know there are good bonuses there. That's part of why I was able to shop full-time while living there...doesn't change the fact that I now live 2800 miles from there! LOL

Also agree 200% with all of Rousseau's!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2019 01:18AM by RedRose22.

@Rousseau wrote:

Stop insulting the profession by saying that shops are "fun."

Stop insulting the intelligence of the shopper by thinking that we value "badges" or "citations." Cash is valuable. Fluff is not.

The ISS platform drives me nuts with that stuff. Makes me feel like I'm in third grade. Yay, I completed a shop correctly! Stick a gold star on my forehead (remember those?). Yay! I filled out my name and address! I got a badge!

I would so appreciate if all schedulers would list the job locations. I get many emails where it just says something to the effect that there are jobs in my area and to login to see them.

Include a link IN THE EMAIL for me to login to your company.

Great points - yes, a link to your company because I may be out and about and my phone doesn't automatically remember your company info (especially if I don't shop for that company very much). Yes - stop with the fun! We don't spend hours searching through emails, job boards, etc. looking for assignments, driving around to perform shops, or more hours writing reports and uploading photos to have fun. We are trying to make money! And just stop with the hero citations. That doesn't pay a bill. Seriously - just stop. Yes to the schedulers who place "flying" right in the subject line. If I am not flying, I can delete immediately.

@RedRose22 wrote:

I still regularly get emails and voicemails about shops in states I lived in 2, 3, and 4-5 years ago, respectively. In fact, I get the most about the longest-ago one (SC). I know there are good bonuses there.

Actually there's a perfectly good reason for this. If you shopped the Griffin's Widgets store in Columbia, SC before I believe there is an option in Sassie to send an email to every previous shopper. I could be wrong, perhaps someone more familiar with it could answer that question.

As an established reliable shopper, I would like the option to self assign certain types or repeat shops for MSCs that need to approve the application. Some schedulers do not respond evenings or weekends and there have been times I'm in an area or make a last minute weekend trip and end up cancelling the shop app because the job was not assigned by the time I arrive.

@bgriffin wrote:

@RedRose22 wrote:

I still regularly get emails and voicemails about shops in states I lived in 2, 3, and 4-5 years ago, respectively. In fact, I get the most about the longest-ago one (SC). I know there are good bonuses there.

Actually there's a perfectly good reason for this. If you shopped the Griffin's Widgets store in Columbia, SC before I believe there is an option in Sassie to send an email to every previous shopper. I could be wrong, perhaps someone more familiar with it could answer that question.

In Shopmetrics there is. It doesn't filter out shoppers who no longer live in the area.

@bgriffin wrote:

@RedRose22 wrote:

I still regularly get emails and voicemails about shops in states I lived in 2, 3, and 4-5 years ago, respectively. In fact, I get the most about the longest-ago one (SC). I know there are good bonuses there.

Actually there's a perfectly good reason for this. If you shopped the Griffin's Widgets store in Columbia, SC before I believe there is an option in Sassie to send an email to every previous shopper. I could be wrong, perhaps someone more familiar with it could answer that question.

I never shopped Griffin's Widgets The ones I get are mostly Shoppers Inc, Shoppers View, aTh, and the Confero grocery ones.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2019 02:13AM by RedRose22.

All sassie companies if I'm not mistaken. I'm fairly certain their software has the email previous shoppers option just like shopmetrics.

Yeah, in every way schedulers should be more transparent. You're not going to get much by misrepresenting a shop. That said, I have gotten plenty of bonused work that I assume only sticks around because of bad descriptions. I guess I shouldn't gripe.

All the above...

Particularly, actually take the time to read the shopper's email and understand what it is he or she is asking. Too often, I'll get an email in response to a question, and it's either a canned response or half an answer or it answers a question I didn't ask, but not the question I did ask.

Reply to emails, even if it takes you a day or two. Ignoring emails can be costly to both the scheduler and the shopper.

PICK UP THE PHONE and make a call if you need something from a shopper in a hurry. Some MSCs and their schedulers are very good at that, but it seems there are people who really, really don't want to talk on the phone anymore.

Make sure your shoppers have some way to reach you in an urgent situation. I went around and around with a scheduler and MSC recently because there's literally NO way to get through to anybody. If they don't respond to an email, there's no general phone number, shopper help line, etc., on the website, and no phone number in their schedulers' emails. I get it that they don't want to be bothered with communication that can be handled via email, but if it's an emergency while you're on a shop or you have questions that need to be answered before you do a shop, schedulers need to make sure there's a way to reach them! Seems logical, doesn't it?

Today, I wish schedulers would schedule.
It always irritates me when the shops for the next month are offered, and with the ones you have to apply for you apply right away and hear nothing still days later. Do I hold out for a $50 shop I applied for or take the $15 shops the same day that I can self-assign?
Even more frustrating when I know I can only route shop one day that first week of the month. I don't want that day to end up turning into all MF under $10 shops

If a scheduler has never been to Griffin's Widgets, don't describe it as "fun," "cute," or "adorable" when I know it is in a sketchy part of town.

I intensely dislike the shops that I see are available. I click on APPLY, and then hours later, I get an email requesting me to "get" the shop. I go to the site, and the job is gone. Its like a bait and switch game with that MSC.

"Have lunch on us" or "free pizza" completely negates that fact that the shopper has to work for that "free" meal.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

If a scheduler has never been to Griffin's Widgets, don't describe it as "fun," "cute," or "adorable" when I know it is in a sketchy part of town.

Excuse me?

Griffin's Widgets would NEVER build in a sketchy part of town!!!!

All of the above plus, when you keep refusing to give me a shop , I just want to know why I'm not getting it, a few companies have the age requirement, but many don't. I won't be hurt, I should know that 45 is the age limit one can report on your pizza, or have an oil change and I'll let you know when I go to the home.