How much to ask for when a shop is out of your area.
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This is less a question for us than for you to answer for yourself. We all have different "needs" when it comes to such situations and what works for me might not be enough for you - or might seem greedy.
Ask yourself what would make you feel "good" about doing the job and what would make you feel "okay." Then, politely tell the MSC that the payment for the shop itself is great, but, because of the two hour drive (round trip), you would need to ask for $XXXX more. Take the "good" amount you came up with above and add $20. Then, see what the MSC says. The "okay" amount you came up with is your lowest number.
There are a couple of reasons to ask for a higher amount initially. 1) Some MSC's need to negotiate, just for them to make sure that they are not paying any more than they have to. They might be willing to pay you $80 if you ask for $100, but would only be willing to pay you $20 if you ask for $30. 2) You never know what the market really is. If the MSC is really ready to pay you and you get $20 more than you would need to feel "good" about doing the job, you can smile. The goal is to come up with a price that both you and the MSC feel good about: a win-win.
Once you get the sense that you are going to get the job, don't forget to check for other work along the same path. If it's in a remote area, you might be able to negotiate a bonus for that job, too - especially if its with another MSC.
Ask yourself what would make you feel "good" about doing the job and what would make you feel "okay." Then, politely tell the MSC that the payment for the shop itself is great, but, because of the two hour drive (round trip), you would need to ask for $XXXX more. Take the "good" amount you came up with above and add $20. Then, see what the MSC says. The "okay" amount you came up with is your lowest number.
There are a couple of reasons to ask for a higher amount initially. 1) Some MSC's need to negotiate, just for them to make sure that they are not paying any more than they have to. They might be willing to pay you $80 if you ask for $100, but would only be willing to pay you $20 if you ask for $30. 2) You never know what the market really is. If the MSC is really ready to pay you and you get $20 more than you would need to feel "good" about doing the job, you can smile. The goal is to come up with a price that both you and the MSC feel good about: a win-win.
Once you get the sense that you are going to get the job, don't forget to check for other work along the same path. If it's in a remote area, you might be able to negotiate a bonus for that job, too - especially if its with another MSC.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
Also, many MSCs keep track of how much each shopper will accept for shops. If you accept a low amount, then you might be stuck at that amount in the future. I have had more than one company refuse an offer with the reasoning that, "Last time you did it for less." They do not take into consideration that maybe I was right near that place or had very little work that week. If I did it for less, there was a reason. If I need more this time, there is a reason. They just don't want to consider that.
Personally, I would ask for $75 -- and that's if I KNOW I can pick up several other shops near there, to make it a profitable outing.
If this is the MSC I know that pays $17 for OSI, that's what I have asked for and gotten in the past.
They may want to negotiate, so leave a little wiggle room; if your rock-bottom is $75, ask for $90.
If this is the MSC I know that pays $17 for OSI, that's what I have asked for and gotten in the past.
They may want to negotiate, so leave a little wiggle room; if your rock-bottom is $75, ask for $90.
I don’t agree with playing games. Ask for the amount that makes it worth your time. It’s that simple.
It seems like you could be asking for more across the board. $12-$14 is low.
What’s the reason you want to go an hour out of your way for a company you consider to be tight?
It seems like you could be asking for more across the board. $12-$14 is low.
What’s the reason you want to go an hour out of your way for a company you consider to be tight?
LOL, negotiating isn't a "game" -- well, it is, but negotiating is a high stakes game. Businesses do it all the time. They need 3 million widgets, and can only find them at a nickel each, and they want to pay 3 cents each. You damned well bet they make that proposal to all the widget suppliers!
But it's not a game in the sense of a mind game, or gaming the system; it's a well known, studied, highly regarded business maneuver.
And you never know. When I ask for $90, I often get it. But if you don't ask, you'll never get it.
But it's not a game in the sense of a mind game, or gaming the system; it's a well known, studied, highly regarded business maneuver.
And you never know. When I ask for $90, I often get it. But if you don't ask, you'll never get it.
I just mean that you don't ask for $100 because you want $80. You want the $100. Other things might fall into place that make $80 feasible. I just don't ever get into an extended back and forth. When schedulers are offering bonuses, they also do not have time for needless negotiation. The best deal for them is always to get the job scheduled and finished in advance of their deadline.
You do have to keep the back-and-forth short. Schedulers don't have the time for an extended exchange.
The thing is: There are more than a few MSC's that will never accept your initial offer. They will always come back at you with a lower amount - and hold firm, unless they are really, really desperate. If you want $80 with them, it could be there, but only if you ask for $100 initially. If you ask for $80 and they come back at you with $60, you are now stuck. They won't give you $80. In other words: They play the game.
It's also very true that every MSC is a little different. Some claim not to negotiate at all - and rarely do. Some try to post "fair" compensation on their job boards and avoid it if they can. Etc. It's beneficial for a shopper to know the personality of different MSC's as this very much does help to know when/how much negotiation is reasonable.
I disagree with: "The best deal for them is to always get the job scheduled and finished in advance of their deadline." The MSC has a vested interest in getting the job done while offering shoppers the lowest possible compensation that will get that job done. If they have a budget of $100 that they can pay a shopper for a job, they are likely willing to pay that $100 to the shopper - unless the shopper is willing to do it for $40.
The thing is: There are more than a few MSC's that will never accept your initial offer. They will always come back at you with a lower amount - and hold firm, unless they are really, really desperate. If you want $80 with them, it could be there, but only if you ask for $100 initially. If you ask for $80 and they come back at you with $60, you are now stuck. They won't give you $80. In other words: They play the game.
It's also very true that every MSC is a little different. Some claim not to negotiate at all - and rarely do. Some try to post "fair" compensation on their job boards and avoid it if they can. Etc. It's beneficial for a shopper to know the personality of different MSC's as this very much does help to know when/how much negotiation is reasonable.
I disagree with: "The best deal for them is to always get the job scheduled and finished in advance of their deadline." The MSC has a vested interest in getting the job done while offering shoppers the lowest possible compensation that will get that job done. If they have a budget of $100 that they can pay a shopper for a job, they are likely willing to pay that $100 to the shopper - unless the shopper is willing to do it for $40.
@1cent wrote:
I just mean that you don't ask for $100 because you want $80. You want the $100. Other things might fall into place that make $80 feasible. I just don't ever get into an extended back and forth. When schedulers are offering bonuses, they also do not have time for needless negotiation. The best deal for them is always to get the job scheduled and finished in advance of their deadline.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
I agree with no "needless" back and forth. I'll often just say "I need $100 to make that trip. How close to that can you get, and I'll see if I can pick up some more shops to make it worthwhile." Heck, sometimes they come back with "Hey, I have another shop for you on the way there. Will that work?" Yeppers.
But believe me, I know how this works. I say, I need $100. She says, let me run it by my supervisor. OK, Supe says can you do it for $80?
I absolutely sinking guarantee you if I'd asked for $80, they'd have said, "Can you do it for $60?"
But then I am a person who haggles at flea markets, thrift stores, and rummage sales -- and many, many people just absolutely WILL NOT do that.
To each his own.
I'm just putting this out there so that some shoppers MAY learn something, like they didn't know they COULD negotiate. And the response to that is absolutely, always worth a try. Some MSCs do NOT negotiate, in my experience, the vast majority will.
However, I do live in a sparsely populated area with few shoppers; I have found that in areas with lots of shoppers, MSCs are far far less likely to negotiate OR pay even just a couple dollars extra.
But believe me, I know how this works. I say, I need $100. She says, let me run it by my supervisor. OK, Supe says can you do it for $80?
I absolutely sinking guarantee you if I'd asked for $80, they'd have said, "Can you do it for $60?"
But then I am a person who haggles at flea markets, thrift stores, and rummage sales -- and many, many people just absolutely WILL NOT do that.
To each his own.
I'm just putting this out there so that some shoppers MAY learn something, like they didn't know they COULD negotiate. And the response to that is absolutely, always worth a try. Some MSCs do NOT negotiate, in my experience, the vast majority will.
However, I do live in a sparsely populated area with few shoppers; I have found that in areas with lots of shoppers, MSCs are far far less likely to negotiate OR pay even just a couple dollars extra.
I agree with you 100% about not playing games. I quote the lowest and fair price I will do the route for. The scheduler either assigns the route to me or finds someone else to do it. This is very efficient in the long run. I miss a few shops, but I get most of them because my prices are fair. This saves me a lot of time for which I spend keeping busy moving on to other mystery shops.@1cent wrote:
I don’t agree with playing games. Ask for the amount that makes it worth your time. It’s that simple.
It seems like you could be asking for more across the board. $12-$14 is low.
What’s the reason you want to go an hour out of your way for a company you consider to be tight?
If it's an hour each way, I can't imagine doing that for less than $100.
Hour to get there
Hour to get back
20 minutes for the shop
10 minutes to report
Better to stay in your area and do a bunch of quick and easy shops.
Hour to get there
Hour to get back
20 minutes for the shop
10 minutes to report
Better to stay in your area and do a bunch of quick and easy shops.
@1cent wrote:
....When schedulers are offering bonuses, they also do not have time for needless negotiation. The best deal for them is always to get the job scheduled and finished in advance of their deadline.
I agree, they probably don't have time for needless negotiation. But that rarely seems like an impediment to doing just exactly that, in my experience. They want the lowest price, and often feel compelled to counter even a very fair offer at a price that is in their budget...just to make sure they aren't overpaying.
Different strokes I guess. I work in a major city, don’t offer my lowest $ amount, and I have never had to go back and forth. I don’t mind haggling at a flea market, but I use a very similar approach. I decide what it’s worth to me and I don’t play.
I have to do the same at my corner store sometimes if the guy working doesn’t know that I know what things cost.
I have to do the same at my corner store sometimes if the guy working doesn’t know that I know what things cost.
If it is an OSI for the company that I think it is I would ask for a $1.00 a mile one way that would make it $0.50 a mile round trip. And considering that the tax deduction is 57.5 cents a mile you would be doing good. But if it is the company that I am thinking of I would add half again to the price because they show it on your 1099 as mileage reimbursement if you get one.
@ceasesmith wrote:
Personally, I would ask for $75 -- and that's if I KNOW I can pick up several other shops near there, to make it a profitable outing.
If this is the MSC I know that pays $17 for OSI, that's what I have asked for and gotten in the past.
They may want to negotiate, so leave a little wiggle room; if your rock-bottom is $75, ask for $90.
I had a similar situation and asked for an additional $30. I ever heard back from them. 
If you quoted the lowest amount you would do the job for, and they never responded, then it was not worth your time to do the job. Hopefully you moved on and filled that time slot with decent-paying other jobs.@Ercokat wrote:
I had a similar situation and asked for an additional $30. I ever heard back from them.
For my shops I always start with the rate I want to get per location, and if it is denied I ask what they can do it for, and assuming the shops are not crazy low I will accept the offer. For example, I offered 18.00 per location for a distance set of shops (32 shops, single day), and was told no. When I followed up with "what can you do?" I immediately got a response of 16.00 per location, which I took.
I find that many shoppers ask way too much for some shops, which turns off schedulers. You really have to feel out what the scheduler is authorized to do, and try to work with that. That said, I will not do a single shop run on a 50 mile each way trip for 17.00 (does not even cover gas + meal), and since I know they will not accept 30.00 or something crazy, I do not make an offer... happy scheduler = happy shopper.
I find that many shoppers ask way too much for some shops, which turns off schedulers. You really have to feel out what the scheduler is authorized to do, and try to work with that. That said, I will not do a single shop run on a 50 mile each way trip for 17.00 (does not even cover gas + meal), and since I know they will not accept 30.00 or something crazy, I do not make an offer... happy scheduler = happy shopper.
I completely agree. There are some shops that I do not waste time making an offer.@my1958vw wrote:
For my shops I always start with the rate I want to get per location, and if it is denied I ask what they can do it for, and assuming the shops are not crazy low I will accept the offer. For example, I offered 18.00 per location for a distance set of shops (32 shops, single day), and was told no. When I followed up with "what can you do?" I immediately got a response of 16.00 per location, which I took.
I find that many shoppers ask way too much for some shops, which turns off schedulers. You really have to feel out what the scheduler is authorized to do, and try to work with that. That said, I will not do a single shop run on a 50 mile each way trip for 17.00 (does not even cover gas + meal), and since I know they will not accept 30.00 or something crazy, I do not make an offer... happy scheduler = happy shopper.
I would agree that not all visits are negotiable, by any stretch....My thoughts were in the context of negotiating a single shop that is quite a drive - specifically one that the scheduler is already seeking a request for a bonus....
Asking for a bonus for a slew of shops on a job board is a totally different thing than asking for a bonus when a scheduler calls and asks "what would it take?"
Asking for a bonus for a slew of shops on a job board is a totally different thing than asking for a bonus when a scheduler calls and asks "what would it take?"
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
@my1958vw wrote:
For my shops I always start with the rate I want to get per location, and if it is denied I ask what they can do it for, and assuming the shops are not crazy low I will accept the offer. For example, I offered 18.00 per location for a distance set of shops (32 shops, single day), and was told no. When I followed up with "what can you do?" I immediately got a response of 16.00 per location, which I took.
I find that many shoppers ask way too much for some shops, which turns off schedulers. You really have to feel out what the scheduler is authorized to do, and try to work with that. That said, I will not do a single shop run on a 50 mile each way trip for 17.00 (does not even cover gas + meal), and since I know they will not accept 30.00 or something crazy, I do not make an offer... happy scheduler = happy shopper.
There is a shopper here who said she does a shop in Thermal, CA. That's worth > $30 all day long. Same with El Centro, Blythe, Oroville, etc.
@SoCalMama wrote:
@my1958vw wrote:
For my shops I always start with the rate I want to get per location, and if it is denied I ask what they can do it for, and assuming the shops are not crazy low I will accept the offer. For example, I offered 18.00 per location for a distance set of shops (32 shops, single day), and was told no. When I followed up with "what can you do?" I immediately got a response of 16.00 per location, which I took.
I find that many shoppers ask way too much for some shops, which turns off schedulers. You really have to feel out what the scheduler is authorized to do, and try to work with that. That said, I will not do a single shop run on a 50 mile each way trip for 17.00 (does not even cover gas + meal), and since I know they will not accept 30.00 or something crazy, I do not make an offer... happy scheduler = happy shopper.
There is a shopper here who said she does a shop in Thermal, CA. That's worth > $30 all day long. Same with El Centro, Blythe, Oroville, etc.
Speaking of fast food shops, do you think it would be a good idea to contact the scheduler and ask for a higher bonus? I'd like to do 5 rural locations that always have at least 3 (usually more) shops available. I'm not willing to do them for the price currently listed but I would definitely do them for the "end-of-cycle" price (used to be 4 weeks, then it was Mon-Sun, I don't know what it is now.) I've done them a couple of times when they are at maximum bonus, BUT I've also done them before for $2-10 less than maximum. Should I email the scheduler and make a request? Or would that just be a waste of both of our time?
She wouldn't give me Sunday's price last week when I asked on Thursday, so they did not get done in my area, even at Sunday's price. So, I'd think it's a waste of time.
Thanks for the info. I’m not gonna bother then...@SoCalMama wrote:
She wouldn't give me Sunday's price last week when I asked on Thursday, so they did not get done in my area, even at Sunday's price. So, I'd think it's a waste of time.
Ah, but you SHOULD! You don't know if that's the same scheduler. And for sure, if you do not ask, you will never get the higher amount.
Same scheduler. Same account.@ceasesmith wrote:
Ah, but you SHOULD! You don't know if that's the same scheduler. And for sure, if you do not ask, you will never get the higher amount.
I do 250+ shops in a two week cycle for that company, and I could not get the Sunday price...
Never be afraid to make an offer and go back and forth. Once I had to do a series of shops where I went to stores that included SFA and Tiffanys and had to haggle for over $100K priced jewelry and got incredible discounts up to 30%. I wished I was buying the items for real! It is not just the car and mattress stores!
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