I purchased my PV-500 in Aug. of 2009, with 151 completed audio/video assignments scheduled through an MSC, but none in the past 16 months; this due to the reduced money offered. My pay for those jobs was from $55 to $200 + a cleaning of my teeth. Today, I received an offer of a $10 fee with a $20 reimbursement for a car wash.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2020 02:57AM by shopperbob.

@shopperbob wrote:

I purchased my PV-500 in Aug. of 2009, with 151 completed audio/video assignments scheduled through an MSC, but none in the past 16 months; this due to the reduced money offered. My pay for those jobs was from $55 to $200 + a cleaning of my teeth. Today, I received an offer of a $10 fee with a $20 reimbursement for a car wash.

I think the car wash shop in my area paid the same, but was non-video.

Is that not on par with those dinners you rave about that come with a $25 reimbursement?

@shopperbob wrote:

Today, I received an offer of a $10 fee with a $20 reimbursement for a car wash.

MSF inquires--Is that not on par with those dinners you rave about that come with a $25 reimbursement?

Bob replies--Not in the same city, much less the ballpark. I can wash my car, a Mazda Miata, at a wishy washy for $3 tops. That brings the value, to me, of the video job to $13. The lowest fee for which I am willing to don my shirt is $60. In addition, one is taking a chance with video, technical malfunction, that does not exist for regular shops. Currently, my non-payment rate for traditional assignments is approx. one out of 1000; audio/video, though, is one out of 50.

Looks like you might have some change left after buying a coke while you wait for your car to be washed. $10 fee!? I'd put that PV-500 back in the drawer and wait...

I have never done a video shop and never have had the need to go into video shopping. If the pay was substantially more for an equal amount of work fine. It may be in some areas like new homes and apartments. I myself can negotiate better pay with the standard non video shops than what the base is. I don't see why you would not be able to do so for video. The car wash example maybe ask for $30 fee plus reimbursement. I don't know but would see that as fair. If it were traditional car wash non video I think $20 plus reimbursement is what I would ask. The video segment of professional video shoppers from what I have read on here appears small so you should have better leverage in negotiation. Just my 2 cents.

Not a video shopper, but just received an e-mail from one of the majors in apartment shops.

4 different video shops @ $15 each.

They used to offer much more.

... or do what I have done: get an LLC, a business license and a logo/business cards. Go into business for yourself with YOUR clients in an industry that doesn’t directly compete with current video MSCs. Maybe spend 8-10 hours building a GoDaddy website. Fiverr is an excellent resource for finding logo and website talent worldwide. Boom, done, you’re now a contractor and can negotiate directly with clients.

I’ve just completed a local route of bank COVID safety evaluations, both virtual and in-person. $200 each, was paid within 10 days, going for more in Q3. Adding in more clients as we speak.

Look: clients need compliance work performed NOW. Experienced video shoppers with thousands of successful shops who can rapidly deliver perfect product at reasonable prices are at high demand. We know camera angles, SD card size/quality, all the rookie stuff. We have worked out the FTP, know when our BU-18/19s are dying, and don’t screw up shops anymore.

It’s up to you: are you going to whine about low and slow pay, or get out there and hustle?

Months ago, I found out what the ratio of our pay to MSC pay was, was shocked, and moved accordingly. That $60 shop you’re so happy about brought in $300 or more to the MSC. I posted here about that shock; it’s in my recent comment history.

It cost me less than $500 to do all the above, which I made back in my first three hours as a contractor. I had prior networking contacts with a bank officer, got a contractor contract boilerplate (Staples, $11) and made the deal in under a week.

You have no idea of the incredible demand for video compliance work in virtually every industry, with COVID craziness. I could be out there working 23 hours a day right now.

More than any other time in decades, executives do NOT want to hit the road and inspect locations. They are also extraordinarily worried about the potential for lawsuits if employees or customers contract COVID inside their buildings. We video shoppers offer something that they need; an extra set of objective, anonymous eyes on their COVID safety precautions AND a permanent record of said precautions, should anyone try to sue them down the line.

We have all listened to thousands of sales presentations at this point, yes? We know how to ask qualifying questions, close a sale, do followup emails and phone calls the correct way. All the c-suite, decision-making execs are working from home and are actually answering phone calls and emails now. Time to turn salesperson and get some solo work as a contractor, not a subcontractor who gets 20-25% of the fees.

Anyway, Bob ... hope this helps. We video shoppers could ALL be making a LOT of money and doing a service to our communities as well right now. I’m a one-woman solopreneur and am very very profitable now.

Edited a ton of times, because I’m walking my dogs and posting simultaneously... and I’m adding stuff as I think of it. Good luck.

Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2020 05:39PM by ColoKate63.

Hello Everyone-
I have always found ShopperBob's posts to be thoughtful, cogent, professional , and informative. His posts also respectfully acknowledge the unique motivations of different shoppers, and do not denigrate the values and choices of others. I appreciate the information that was imparted here. Thank you

@ColoKate63 wrote:

Months ago, I found out what the ratio of our pay to MSC pay was, was shocked, and moved accordingly. That $60 shop you’re so happy about brought in $300 or more to the MSC. I posted here about that shock; it’s in my recent comment history.

Not that shocked for big corporations.

I've posted this before, but I recall someone on the forum saying that Sonic shops were worth about $300. If you think about it, it's not that outrageous. Sans a mystery shopper, it used to be part of the job of District Managers to check in on franchises in his area. That would involve flying, staying at a hotel, and doing some investigative work on a store when people KNEW he was coming in. I mean...if you know your DM is coming - or even if you don't, but he arrives, then you certainly do now - then you're going to go out of your way to make your store look nice, give special service, and cook the best meal possible. Plus, DM salaries were easily six figures.

Rather than pay a DM (or, at least, that much or for that type of work) and the costs of store check-ups, you can have mystery shoppers do a lot of the same work and have the benefit of anonymity and data analytics possible (repeated shops gives you statistics for valuable number crunching). Whereas a DM might visit once a month, you can get shoppers visiting once or twice a week. Travel costs are on us. Labor is cheap.

Anyhow, that poster mentioned shops being worth about $300 (although, not sure if the MSC actually got that amount...memory is fuzzy).

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2020 12:21AM by shoptastic.

You go, girl!!!

@ColoKate63 wrote:

... or do what I have done: get an LLC, a business license and a logo/business cards. Go into business for yourself with YOUR clients in an industry that doesn’t directly compete with current video MSCs. Maybe spend 8-10 hours building a GoDaddy website. Fiverr is an excellent resource for finding logo and website talent worldwide. Boom, done, you’re now a contractor and can negotiate directly with clients.

I’ve just completed a local route of bank COVID safety evaluations, both virtual and in-person. $200 each, was paid within 10 days, going for more in Q3. Adding in more clients as we speak.

Look: clients need compliance work performed NOW. Experienced video shoppers with thousands of successful shops who can rapidly deliver perfect product at reasonable prices are at high demand. We know camera angles, SD card size/quality, all the rookie stuff. We have worked out the FTP, know when our BU-18/19s are dying, and don’t screw up shops anymore.

It’s up to you: are you going to whine about low and slow pay, or get out there and hustle?

Months ago, I found out what the ratio of our pay to MSC pay was, was shocked, and moved accordingly. That $60 shop you’re so happy about brought in $300 or more to the MSC. I posted here about that shock; it’s in my recent comment history.

It cost me less than $500 to do all the above, which I made back in my first three hours as a contractor. I had prior networking contacts with a bank officer, got a contractor contract boilerplate (Staples, $11) and made the deal in under a week.

You have no idea of the incredible demand for video compliance work in virtually every industry, with COVID craziness. I could be out there working 23 hours a day right now.

More than any other time in decades, executives do NOT want to hit the road and inspect locations. They are also extraordinarily worried about the potential for lawsuits if employees or customers contract COVID inside their buildings. We video shoppers offer something that they need; an extra set of objective, anonymous eyes on their COVID safety precautions AND a permanent record of said precautions, should anyone try to sue them down the line.

We have all listened to thousands of sales presentations at this point, yes? We know how to ask qualifying questions, close a sale, do followup emails and phone calls the correct way. All the c-suite, decision-making execs are working from home and are actually answering phone calls and emails now. Time to turn salesperson and get some solo work as a contractor, not a subcontractor who gets 20-25% of the fees.

Anyway, Bob ... hope this helps. We video shoppers could ALL be making a LOT of money and doing a service to our communities as well right now. I’m a one-woman solopreneur and am very very profitable now.

Edited a ton of times, because I’m walking my dogs and posting simultaneously... and I’m adding stuff as I think of it. Good luck.

The solution to $10 video shop offers is simple: don't do them.

Any shop if you do not think that you are getting the right amount you do not do them. I get so tickled and ticked off when I see an email oh please can you do this shop for me I will offer you $0.75 as a bonus. At first, I would do them but came to realize that I was not building up any points as a good or better shopper I was getting known as a sucker. So I said screw that and now there are people that I will not work for.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2020 05:04PM by 2stepps.