Is Anyone Still Mystery Shopping?

There was one other car waiting for pickup.

The grocery store I was shopping at does not have a "check in just as I leave home" option.

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@sueac101 wrote:

"it takes over 30 minutes to bring your order out, well, that seems a bit much. The order wasn't a big one and there were no frozen items in it. "

How many people were ahead of you?
I did an order online pickup today and I check in just as I leave home. It tells the store about how minutes it takes for me to get there. When I got there I had to wait 35 minutes for my order. There was 25 cars there in the marked spaces when I arrived all the marked spaces were full. So I parked in a unmarked space and in about 5 minutes a clerk stopped and asked for my name and told me they would get my order as fast as possible.

@guysmom wrote:

There is one MSC that is evaluating the Covid 19 sanitizing and cleanliness response in all the grocery stores. You don't have to interact at all with any associates or ask any questions. It's not a shop where you are concerned about stock levels. Just observing what is being done about social distancing and cleanliness. Take a few pictures and report. I'm in the stores anyway doing my grocery shopping each week, so I try to get one or two a week. So far I've done 4 total. The fee helps offset some of my grocery costs.

Since these can be done at any store that sells groceries, I'm wondering if this MSC has contracted with some government agency to report on this, which I think is a good idea.

Could you name the MSC (don't name the client)? I have been looking for things like that here.

I did 2 of those before our shelter in place mandate transpired and I self-quarantined. Not going to risk it now, but I think they only allow 2 per person anyway.

@guysmom wrote:

There is one MSC that is evaluating the Covid 19 sanitizing and cleanliness response in all the grocery stores. You don't have to interact at all with any associates or ask any questions. It's not a shop where you are concerned about stock levels. Just observing what is being done about social distancing and cleanliness. Take a few pictures and report. I'm in the stores anyway doing my grocery shopping each week, so I try to get one or two a week. So far I've done 4 total. The fee helps offset some of my grocery costs.

Since these can be done at any store that sells groceries, I'm wondering if this MSC has contracted with some government agency to report on this, which I think is a good idea.

@JohnieQ wrote:

@guysmom wrote:

There is one MSC that is evaluating the Covid 19 sanitizing and cleanliness response in all the grocery stores. You don't have to interact at all with any associates or ask any questions. It's not a shop where you are concerned about stock levels. Just observing what is being done about social distancing and cleanliness. Take a few pictures and report. I'm in the stores anyway doing my grocery shopping each week, so I try to get one or two a week. So far I've done 4 total. The fee helps offset some of my grocery costs.

Since these can be done at any store that sells groceries, I'm wondering if this MSC has contracted with some government agency to report on this, which I think is a good idea.

Could you name the MSC (don't name the client)? I have been looking for things like that here.

Well, I don't even KNOW who the Client is, as the shop is for whatever grocery store is in your area. So that's why I'm thinking it might be for some government agency. Rather than give you the name of the MSC, I'll just give you a hint. Write down the groceries you want to buy on a PAD of paper!

BTW, those are not really mystery shops. It's doing what I suggested elsewhere, which is putting shoppers to use in a productive way when shopping is non-essential. Using data collectors to do what they would otherwise be doing.

I have my doubts that it's a government client. Possibly a third party of the MSC itself wanting to sell that data to the government, or their grocery clients.

Well, it's 1 pm Eastern time, and now the MSC that has these ONLY HAS BACKUPS! Not 3 hours ago, at 10 am Eastern, there were 25 pages (almost 500) of these, with 23 of these pages being ACTIVE!! So, I reckon they may be winding down on getting the info they need. There are now only 2 pages of Backups, so I applied for some of those. We'll see!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2020 05:09PM by guysmom.

@guysmom wrote:

Well, it's 1 pm Eastern time, and now the MSC that has these ONLY HAS BACKUPS! Not 3 hours ago, at 10 am Eastern, there were 25 pages (almost 500) of these, with 23 of these pages being ACTIVE!! So, I reckon they may be winding down on getting the info they need. There are now only 2 pages of Backups, so I applied for some of those. We'll see!

Interesting..I know the PAD company and I only see ...very strange...audits.

You need to enter zip code 57401 to see them.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

@JohnieQ wrote:

Interesting..I know the PAD company and I only see ...very strange...audits.

Check by zip code and type in 57401.

My state issued a stay at home order last week. They fined Kroger and Walmart for not adhering to the six feet requirement and allowing too many people in to buy groceries. They are now making people stand in line and only allowing so many people per so many 1000 square feet.
The shops for whatever purpose sanitization or customer service need to pay additional money for dealing with long wait times.
The reason shop fees are low is that "newbie" shoppers take them for that price. If shoppers stuck together and wouldn't take jobs that pay less than minimum wage then we wouldn't have that problem.

Interesting. There is hardly any store traffic currently where I live. I have done some curbside pickups for my groceries over the past week and watched people go in and out of the store, parking lot only half full, only 1-2 other cars arriving to pickup groceries. No long wait itmes.

I took two and I am not a "newbie" shopper. Anyway, the guidelines for this shop stated not to take a shop unless you were already going to be in the stores getting your groceries. You aren't supposed to be making a special trip to the store for these shops! When I did my two, I was actually doing some merchandising jobs in the stores so I just picked up two shops since I was already going to be there. There were no long lines or long wait times. I picked up a couple of things I needed and I got through the checkout in no time at all.

The average WM supercenter is over 150,000 square feet. The guidelines are now allowing 5 customers per 1000 sq ft. So, check me on this (my math isn't the greatest!)...if a store is 150,000 sq ft, that would equal 150 of thousand square feet, right?? This would allow for 150 x 5 people or 750 people in the store at one time. NONE of my area WMs have ever had that many in the store at a normal time!!! How about others out there???

ETA: Just heard on the 7 pm news that it's 5 customers per 1000 sq ft....OR.....20% of store capacity, whichever is the LESSER of the two.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2020 12:09AM by guysmom.

I don't shop at Walmart. But, GA just put it's shelter in place order last week so they are in the first stages of panic buying (I think I remember F&L stating she lives in GA). If she lives' anywhere near hot Atlanta, it's probably a hot mess.

Two Walmart employees died this week. RIP

I've done two mystery shops in April: an oil change (I needed one) and, on the way home, drive-through fast food that yielded dinner for my household. DSG is calling me constantly to do price checks for myriad grocery stores. This is unethical and probably illegal, as one is going out to conduct highly non-essential work by entering the store for reasons other than grocery shopping. Actual customers and employees will be at risk while the price checks take place. I have likewise passed up shops for auto services I do not need and gas stations I would not otherwise be in.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2020 11:07PM by NinS.

I am not doing those assignments, either. There is no good solution that I can see. Price accuracy is mandated by law, and this legal requirement is the foundation for price check assignments. I suppose that some court, somewhere, could waive that requirement. ? This law exists for the protection of consumers who might otherwise be charged too much. At this time, when many people have lost revenue and might not have enough money for months or years, it is vital that people are not overcharged for goods. Some guidelines state that shoppers should only accept assignments for places and times that they would already be in locations. This will help to some extent.

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

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2020 01:58AM by Shop-et-al.

I did one today with S-T-N, online shop. The first one since 3/13.

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

As of April 7 Governor's of CO and NM has stay at home orders. I have pick up two Drive in food shops ( 1 in CO and 1 in NM) for premium price. I have to eat any way and these people are trying to make wages. I guess $ 5 tip each for they are bring food to the car. Normal I would not tip.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2020 07:33PM by bmttinman.

I applied for a ham shop this Friday. If I get it, it will be interesting to see how their social distancing works.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

Shop-et-al, you raise a good point regarding price accuracy. Since the DSG shops involve many different chains in many different states I suspect it is for corporate/industry intel, not to comply with state regulations.

There is a 2-hour wait to enter Costco.

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

Yesterday I made a Costco run. When I got there no one was in line and I sailed right in. When I came out the line was at least 20 people long.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

There is a 2-hour wait to enter Costco.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

Timing is everything.

@guysmom wrote:

@JohnieQ wrote:

@guysmom wrote:

There is one MSC that is evaluating the Covid 19 sanitizing and cleanliness response in all the grocery stores. You don't have to interact at all with any associates or ask any questions. It's not a shop where you are concerned about stock levels. Just observing what is being done about social distancing and cleanliness. Take a few pictures and report. I'm in the stores anyway doing my grocery shopping each week, so I try to get one or two a week. So far I've done 4 total. The fee helps offset some of my grocery costs.

Since these can be done at any store that sells groceries, I'm wondering if this MSC has contracted with some government agency to report on this, which I think is a good idea.

Could you name the MSC (don't name the client)? I have been looking for things like that here.

Well, I don't even KNOW who the Client is, as the shop is for whatever grocery store is in your area. So that's why I'm thinking it might be for some government agency. Rather than give you the name of the MSC, I'll just give you a hint. Write down the groceries you want to buy on a PAD of paper!

Probably an investment firm/hedge fund/McKinsey/Rand with a consulting contract to study that, or use it as an indicator to track compliance and see what the penetration in the population is. For example the state of NY has a contract with McKinsey to calculate their covid curve. May be the feds also have a similar contract with their in house outfit-Rand. The concept is similar to the shop years ago that we had to go to Target and count registers open at specific time slots, and how long it took a customer to reach the register and from that the hedge fund that requested the shops determined the customer traffic.

In addition to the virus/health risk factor something to consider before going out there is the stability and reputation of the MSC you intend to do the work for. There is a chance you will not be paid if they decide later to say that they have no money as has happened with Superior Customer Solutions. I see some opportunities in my area but prefer not to gamble on whether the MSCs will use the pandemic as an excuse for not paying.

The MSC doing the grocery covid checks has paid a few days after doing the ones I've done...much ahead of their regular schedule and very reliable company.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

I have more faith in the larger companies. The work that I did in early March was for one of the biggest, three platform, companies and I was paid with no problem. One of the opportunities I see is for a decent MSC who has always been right on time with payments but the client is hinky so, I am Leery.

Bare is doing the items pricing. Urgent email today, got 9 of them since 7AM asking to do them all the way up and down the east coast, all the way to TN. $20 per 100 items, according to them it takes 1 hour. Same price offered for NY!!! Will the 10 ft pole be now 10 x 6?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2020 03:34PM by KateH.

@MsJudi wrote:

The MSC doing the grocery covid checks has paid a few days after doing the ones I've done...much ahead of their regular schedule and very reliable company.

Yup, I've done 4, and was paid within 3-4 days for them. But they look like they're all done with these now. Just a few left on backup status.

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