MSCs have been in a fierce battle for customers. In battle one needs to have good strategy, well-trained soldiers, and become superior to the opponent. Instead of developing an army superior to the others, they turn on their own soldiers, remove parts from tanks, and treat their own soldiers and allies worse than those they try to defeat.
But the MSC's have decided to tell customers the value of the work is worth less and cut prices. The only one who can win in a price war, is the one with the deepest pockets--and be able to lose money for the longest. But while cutting costs, they end up shooting their own allies and then working harder looking for bodies, who end up hurting them.
Someone may decide to increase prices and to focus on quality and service. They won't get all the work, but will find themselves profitable and working less hard. Business takes investment. From the archaic processes and buggy, non-intuitive websites, they push away their own shoppers.
Using simple database e-mail programs, they could customize invites to only shoppers that were close to the job and qualified. Today, some will send out multiple emails many times a day asking people to take $5 jobs two states away. The shoppers can't even find the jobs that are a fit.
Frustrated schedulers beg people to take jobs. It must be pretty stressful to be responsible for filling the shops when they pay so little.
Shoppers are the key to this industry. Rather than treat then as valuable partners, and create systems and procedures and questionnaires that respect their time, the prospects insult the worth of ths shopperl . There are some exceptions, of course, and there are some, who by nature of geography, or a special relationship have been able to do well. But when a job takes four hours of the shoppers' time, it makes me wonder who takes it when it offers $8.
Rather than form the circular firing squad which ensures failure, there are things that can be done that lower costs, and improves the results for the client. For example:
Link the job directly to the pre-test instead of having people go through the extra steps. Once the test is passed allow people to sign up for the job instead of waiting.
Redesign the web site. Use clear terms in menus. Design it to make it easy to read and fill out.
Prepopulate as much as possible. Why do shoppers need to type their name and emails and phone numbers>?
Test all forms for clarity.
Test all jobs for the time required and honestly post the time estimates.
Have questionnaire writers do the work so they see how illogical some questions are.
Make sure questions are in the right sequence.
Take a class in form design.
Remove busy work questions.
Integrate proof into the form. Geotag can be built in. The date and time can populate as one enters and leaves and provide proof. Remove unneeded photographs that question the integrity of the shopper.
Only have conditional questions appear when needed.
Grammar/spell-checkers should be integrated, automatically removing all-caps reviews, and making corrections in real time, saving re-work.
If you insist on error checkers at the end, have then identify ALL errors instead of one at a time, requiring using the feature multiple times.
Allow for photos to be taken and uploaded during the shop, reducing transfer times.
Limit applications to important information.
Remove threats from your website. Treat shoppers as adults. Respect is a two-way street,'
Answer your phone and respond to email.
Demand the same quality from yourself and your employees as you do shoppers. Proofread your work.
Remove as many unnecessary restrictions as possible. Allow restaurant shoppers more flexibility with menu choices. Let shoppers avoid traffic by giving more flexibility.
Let shoppers put down two or three dates they can do the job. They can coordinate their lives and fit in other shops.
Remove questions and requirements that are only added because you do not trust your shoppers. They are obvious and create adversaries not partners.
Remember shoppers have lives. Respect their time.
STOP spamming shoppers. Use a database to send out appropriate email--ONE TIME, For jobs that require a teen to join the person, or have age or sex requirements, don't send them out to everyone,. Allow shoppers to add preferences such as distance and pay and don't send then what they don't want.=
Require your own staff to do shops just so they see the time required and so they experience it themselves.] Include "Other:____________" for every yes/no or multiple choice question. Life is not binary.
Remove unneeded essay questions and word limits.
At the end of each questionnaire have the shopper evaluate the quality of instructions, questionnaire, process and your own customer service.
Do some of those, and you will have the best of the best shoppers take each job you list.
Remember, this is an industry designed to improve profitability through customer service. Stop and think about that for a moment. If a client wants to improve customer service, how will they value the information from companies that don't exemplify the same values?
Pay shoppers at least $15/hour of work. That includes prep time and travel time.
How much will you save if the work is done right the FIRST time from quality shoppers?
The irony is that the MSCs need MSCs to evaluate them.