rothers127.....Answering above question...you don't need to build a relationship with an MSC, but you should build a relationship with your scheduler. I have great relationships with many scheduler's, a few have called to sort out a job gone sideways, and helped me save a report, some call or text to ask a favor and if it's in my town, I have helped out, just because we do have a working relationship, everyone is human and likes to be treated with respect....I get holiday cards, B-day cards and such because I care as do they. For me, it's about doing a good job, and I don't get bonus's on a regular basis, but then I'm pretty much retired, but was shopping a lot and making decent money in the beginning. Just dishearted due to lower fee's and this industry not keeping up with fees of the time.

When I read on the posts about people beating themselves up for making a mistake, and/or not getting paid for a shop, and others jumping on that person saying it's their fault, and they needed to read the guidelines, and that it's just the way it is, accept it, is IMO gross and toxic. When schedulers ask someone to respond to repetitive questions over and over that are already addressed in the report, that's just bs. I don't "participate" in the gross and toxic environment. I think I've been super clear that I think paying someone $10 to do a shop, regardless of how "easy" is exploitative. You may not agree, and I don't care. If you are so secure about your shopping gigs, why so defensive?

I don't work for 10.00 unless its close and I'm going there anyway....we can always say no thanks.
My post was about having a working relationship with a scheduler you work for... re-read please.
Thinking my part time work to better my lifestyle was toxic, I'd be out...I'm more of a purist. Defensive,
maybe, maybe not. I find your post full of rage, so, maybe it's time for you to bid ado, your not helping newcomers.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

Location is a huge factor as to how much is paid....cities like mine have tons of shoppers (right SandyF))?
Doing video or routes is the way to go, depending on a bonus in a location with many shoppers, not so good. Rural area's pay more in bonus, so, it's really about location. Having 20 shoppers willing to do a job, why should companies offer a bonus. Coyle, an MSC with great jobs, pay a small fee to drive 60 miles for a lunch and an involved report...which is why I work only in my town these days, as driving the L..A. freeway isn't worth my time.
I am a reliable shopper and this is how I see it.....

I agree with Irene on what she is saying,Both of us have been shopping for years. I want to add there are some that mystery shop in this general area that do very highly compensated/reimbursed hotel and high end restaurant shops. The ability to make a route in my area is almost nil if I want to actually make money. I do see high paying shops due to bonuses but most are in Northern California and are 400-800 miles away. Driving in this area is time consuming and gas consuming due to stop and go traffic and parking issues.

Do perfectionists beat themselves up more than editors do?

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Do perfectionists beat themselves up more than editors do?

your not calling me a perfectionist, are you...cause it's so not true, just askin.....

LOL! i Have The Inner Perfectionist Who Cares Only About Domestic Matters And Stays There While I Go To Merch And Mystery Shops. Perhaps other shoppers have one that comes along to mystery shops and assists with high pressure nitpicking activities...

Haven't you learned there is no Perfection.....

No one is perfect all of the time, but all of us are perfect some of the time...however infrequent that may be.

Personally, I have two perfectionists in my family and yes, they beat themselves up and trip themselves up.Sometimes they just don't do whatever it is because they fear they cannot do it well enough when well enough for them is so much more than what is required.

I personally have received a LOT of encouragement and support from various MSC's , schedulers, and editors. They seem to know that I"m out here doing things that are new to me pretty much daily, without very much guidance. My first video shop was terrible, just awful. I got a really nice note from the editor with some hints and the company paid the reimbursement part of the shop even though they didn't have to. So I would disagree that they are just out here to take advantage of us. Yeah a lot of fees are low. If they don't work for you don't take them.
Perhaps what I do that is different from others is that I tell the schedulers, editors and whoever else is concerned, what is going on with me. I talk about the difficulties. I thank them for the help I get. I communicate. I apologize if I screw up. I have never had anyone be a rude ignoramus in those circumstances. Most of the time (for shops that are more than just a walk in and out), we work together on the shop. I listen to feedback because I like shopping and I want to be good at it. They are not out to get me, they want good shoppers. It's a win/win.
So if I am going to be honest with new shoppers, I will say, you will win some and lose a few, you will make money according to your location and abilities, and don't do it if you don't enjoy it.

CQ, wish I could hit the "Like" button more than once!

I have been shopping for about 13 years now. I have learned so much and am so at ease with myself as a mystery shopper. I shop just as the person that I am, not afraid to ask a name, take a picture, order specific items and find it easy to ask questions. I have had maybe once that I haven't got paid, because I didn't follow the guidelines, my fault. I am in an area near the city and banking was great, lots of bonuses, lots of opportunity.
I have never spent hours on a report. Answer every question yes and no questions, no opinions, and have hardly ever had a return from an editor. I don't shop for under $10 and always made a route, most shops are within 10 miles of my house. I don't question why a MSC does what it does, I just do my job. I do not make a living shopping and impressed with those that do, it's not easy.

Shoptastic
Those cases can seem nitpicky. I'm guessing that is what OP is warning about. I think in most jobs (non-mysetery shopping, I mean), if you messed up ONE tiny thing, you probably wouldn't be completely unpaid.

I completely agree with this. If the scenario doesn’t work out 100% the way the editor wants it to (and this may not be their fault, either, because it might be their boss who only wants perfect situations), your entire report shouldn’t be rejected. Unfortunately we don’t live in a black and white world. If the questions weren’t so strict and maybe just a little more subjective, in my opinion they would glean better customer service information. I personally see questions that are yes or no, but without an explanation they employees look bad when they shouldn’t. I’m almost afraid to ask how much the mystery shop companies receive for each report (especially when the shopper gets $8).

Schedulers and Editors do NOT make money, hardly any...it is a thankless job.

Irene LA Yes, I’ve heard that. Why do the mystery shop companies pay so little to everyone involved?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2019 10:15PM by Ercokat.

Not EVERYONE involved. Senior management and owners make money for well-established MSCs, I would imagine.

But, it's such a competitive business, for MSCs to get clients, they are constantly having to underbid their competition. That gets passed on to the shoppers.

When I was a new shopper, I found this board, and I thought that if I didn't make money it was all my fault. I didn't try hard enough, I wasn't perfectionist enough, I wasn't good at building relationships, and so on. Some people are a bit arrogant about their secret shopping success. Although I'm not loving the "rage" label (and I'm not in rage) I'll take it. If that's the worst name calling for speaking my truth I encounter, that's pretty good.

Also, it's possible that those quickest to retaliate are not even shoppers, but trolls trying to find an identity and acceptance. It's very hard to say.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2019 11:48PM by rothers27.

@Ercokat wrote:

Irene LA Yes, I’ve heard that. Why do the mystery shop companies pay so little to everyone involved?

Because owners / CEOs need a couple more Jaguars or Lamborghinis in the mansion's garage. Just like any other business.

@rothers27 wrote:

When I was a new shopper, I found this board, and I thought that if I didn't make money it was all my fault. I didn't try hard enough, I wasn't perfectionist enough, I wasn't good at building relationships, and so on.

I would guess none of those are your problem at all. In fact I might even suggest they're your downfall. If a company is paying $10 for a shop don't give them a $100 report. Just from this thread it seems you might be trying too hard on crap jobs instead of finding easier jobs that pay better. I also might suggest working on routing and pay. I don't suggest this to be arrogant, or to be insulting, or to belittle. I am simply trying to help you be more successful. You can make excuses why you can't do those things or why those things won't work in your area/time/skills/etc or whatever other thing you can think of. Or you can take that advise and see what you can gleam from it.

My personalized solution was a little different from that. Since I usually begin daily local work at about 2 AM and because I had to stop skimping on sleep, it was a good idea to find time for sleep. The most effective way to do this was to reduce shop reporting time and times. So, now I merch substantially more than I shop. My merch reports can be completed while on-site or (when coverage is spotty and kicks me out of my apps) shortly after I leave locations and get to better coverage. Even if I arrive home a little late after a merch trip, I am free from shop reports. I can go directly to bed and sleep.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2019 11:31AM by Shop-et-al.

@bgriffin wrote:

@rothers27 wrote:

When I was a new shopper, I found this board, and I thought that if I didn't make money it was all my fault. I didn't try hard enough, I wasn't perfectionist enough, I wasn't good at building relationships, and so on.

I would guess none of those are your problem at all. In fact I might even suggest they're your downfall. If a company is paying $10 for a shop don't give them a $100 report.

JOHN & JASF: Where are you two? Was this the debate you two had previously?

@johnb974 wrote:

.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

.

It's sad. I think I've reduced my level of detail for cheap jobs at times.

Is that wrong? I'm asking in a genuine way. I do feel guilty if I don't give a report my best.

But, at the same time, I simply cannot do so at times. When you have a lot of shops routed, there is limited time to get them in.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2019 12:09PM by shoptastic.

I don't see anything in your post other than a period underneath each of our names?

We never had a debate about anything. John posted about things that anyone with common sense could tell were just plain wrong and often unethical. I called him out on it. No debate.

If you worked at Macy's for the minimum wage, would it really matter how much money Macy's owners were making? I owned a business and there were months sometimes that my help was making more than me. Gross sales, Net is where it is at.
I don't understand where some of you are coming from complaining about your profits, this is your choice not the MSC, you are not an employee.
Most of the shoppers here that do make enough to live on are not bragging, they must work harder than I am willing to do.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2019 08:33PM by shopper8.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Like building any other business, it does not happen overnight and you have to apply yourself and make it happen.

^^This is key. You don't jump in and make big bucks immediately. Relationships have to be built and reliability needs to be proven. I do think that advertisements touting it as getting free stuff are misleading.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

My personalized solution was a little different from that. Since I usually begin daily local work at about 2 AM and because I had to stop skimping on sleep, it was a good idea to find time for sleep. The most effective way to do this was to reduce shop reporting time and times. So, now I merch substantially more than I shop. My merch reports can be completed while on-site or (when coverage is spotty and kicks me out of my apps) shortly after I leave locations and get to better coverage. Even if I arrive home a little late after a merch trip, I am free from shop reports. I can go directly to bed and sleep.

That's exactly why I do mostly revealed gas stations. Not only does it cover my expenses but I do so many that the reports (if I can't do them onsite) take me 10-15 minutes at home per station. So, at most (unless I goof around online between reports or take naps between several because it's been a long week) I spend an additional 1-1.5 hours at home. Typing narration, particularly when I have to figure out 10 different ways to say that they didn't greet me/smile at me/use my name/upsell or actually did that kind of thing, takes me double to triple that time at home, plus any editor's questions at a later time.

Writing a narrative can be easy if you pay attention to the questions asked. I answer every question in order of the report first. I never write the narrative until I do this. The questions are my review of what happened, the narrative is the verbal picture. Answer questions, save, write narrative. I must be doing it right because I hardly ever get a return from an editor and have gotten a 10 on 1405 reports over the years. I read about shoppers agonizing over their reports, be basic, simple, and reread your narrative for self corrections. I almost always have to correct spelling or some error I made. There should be no needed editing.

Example: (third party)The passenger arrived at the name of location, at 10:30 AM. There were three Associates standing behind the counter, one at the register and two assisting other customers. There were six customers in line a head of me. I waited two minutes and was greeted with a warm smile and eye contact, there was no verbal greeting. I asked, "What flavors do you have for iced coffee?" She replied, "Mocha, Vanilla, Hazelnut." She took ownership of my inquiry and provide me with the appropriate information. The Associate asked, "What size?" Sugar?, Milk?" I answered, "Small, no sugar, no milk," The Associate rang up the sale accurately and efficiently, handed me the change, I had to ask for the receipt. She did not suggest any additional items. I was thanked and the Associate said, "Have a great day."

Secret Shopping is not a normal job, as many people point out. You are an independent consultant, not an employee. The legal ramifications are gigantic. Secret shoppers do not get any of the benefits that people get a any job, from McDonald's to Google. So secret shopping is not like any job at all. It's very very different. That's why it's so chaotic, and why you have such a huge range of experiences. There is absolutely no HR. None. Working for minimum wage somewhere gives you rights and access to HR. Not with Mystery Shopping. If you are treated unfairly, there is absolutely no recourse for you.

So, am I saying not to Mystery Shop? NO! Not at all. But don't do it thinking you'll be making a good living. There is no unemployment, no workers comp, and if you are sick and can't do a shop you get docked in points. Given that we live in a super expensive country, we should all think about whether we want people to legally exploit us. Because it is legal doesn't make it right.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2019 11:38PM by rothers27.

It is not a job AT ALL. It's a business. It's no different than any other business. My brother owns his own architecture firm. He doesn't have workman's comp or an HR department or unemployment and he his clients get upset if he doesn't perform his work on time. My dad owned his own construction company. He didn't have workman's comp or an HR department or unemployment and his clients got upset if he didn't perform his work on time. My mom owned her own retail store. She didn't have workman's comp or an HR department or unemployment. I could go on and on and on. You seem to have an employee mindset. I suggest you get a job. Or change your perspective to one of a business owner.

Whats your point? I made $120 today in 5 hours of work, which includes drive time. I am a middle aged woman who grew up poor and didn't have the opportunity to get an education. So any job I get will be minimum wage. I made more today than I would make in an entire week at one of those jobs. I consistently make about double what I would at a minimum wage job in about half the hours.

I love the huge range of experiences. I love being my own boss. I love that if I want to take the day off and go sit by a lake I can do that. If I want to plan a weekend to paint my kitchen I can do that. By all means if you need HR in your life go get another job. If I am treated unfairly I lost one gig out of hundreds. I'll live.

@rothers27 wrote:

Secret Shopping is not a normal job, as many people point out. You are an independent consultant, not an employee. The legal ramifications are gigantic. Secret shoppers do not get any of the benefits that people get a any job, from McDonald's to Google. So secret shopping is not like any job at all. It's very very different. That's why it's so chaotic, and why you have such a huge range of experiences. There is absolutely no HR. None. Working for minimum wage somewhere gives you rights and access to HR. Not with Mystery Shopping. If you are treated unfairly, there is absolutely no recourse for you.

So, am I saying not to Mystery Shop? NO! Not at all. But don't do it thinking you'll be making a good living. There is no unemployment, no workers comp, and if you are sick and can't do a shop you get docked in points. Given that we live in a super expensive country, we should all think about whether we want people to legally exploit us. Because it is legal doesn't make it right.