Is this the end?
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There were also pathetically low fees for many shops prior to Covid -- you might have just not noticed them as much because there were so many more opportunities. You absolutely did the right thing by signing up for more MSCs. Some may well never have a substantial amount of work again. Others will likely pick up clients as the economy recovers. Some industries, like retail, were already battered and will probably never come back the way they were. Others, like restaurants, downtown parking lots, and hotels, might take years to recover to the point where clients want to have robust MS programs. That being said, I've gotten some of my biggest fees (outside of long-term projects like airports) during this pandemic, and the some of the route shoppers who go on the road for weeks still seem to be able to do so. So I'd stay tuned and stay signed up. Just last week I did a shop for a MSC I hadn't worked for in three years. Maybe in a year or two you'll find yourself finally getting a plum assignment for one of those MSCs that now seem to be in sleep mode.
No, it's not over. But fasten your seatbelt because it could be a rough ride if they start locking down the country again.
I hope it does get better....
But I can’t help but worry that all these major industries shutting down and going e-commerce like retail and movies are the death to us mystery shoppers.
But I can’t help but worry that all these major industries shutting down and going e-commerce like retail and movies are the death to us mystery shoppers.
I don't think what is happening 9 months into a horrible pandemic is an example of what is to come. Where I live, also a large city with many wealthy neighborhoods, nothing has been truly open this entire time except grocery stores and major retailers that have a food section such as costco, target etc. There are few mystery shops here as a place that is either closed, out of business or only allowed to have 20% of their normal capacity is probably not going to put their efforts towards a mystery shop program. It is hard to know which businesses will survive but many face big deficits. I expect that many of those that survive and see their businesses prosper in the future will return to a mystery shopping program. Right now in my city at least 70% of the jobs I see are phone or online. Personally I am quite surprised at the number of jobs there are available while companies are having trouble just paying the rent and keeping the lights on.
I would add to the above that over the years there have been thousands of folks who did mystery shopping for a while but then moved away from it to more normal employee positions. My sense is that there are many of these folks who have returned to shopping in hopes of some income. I see shops being taken at published rates and understand--a little is better than nothing.
I see mystery shopping as coming back. We need to get covid put to bed with limiting spread and vaccinations. Sure there will be a lot of small and marginal businesses that disappear--both as clients and as MSCs. But during this pandemic there are those who have lost a lot while for the 'haves' it has been a very lucrative time. Businesses will return, some businesses will hungrily eye territories previously served by competitors and need information gathering by shoppers to maximize their profitability. When it comes back is anybody's guess. If I were asked to place a bet, I would be much more optimistic than those talking five years and rather suggest that by mid 2022 things will be pretty rosy. The keys, however, are proper hygiene and sanitation to knock covid back and almost heroic effort of getting folks vaccinated. Failure on either front there could indeed push recovery to 2025 or beyond.
I see mystery shopping as coming back. We need to get covid put to bed with limiting spread and vaccinations. Sure there will be a lot of small and marginal businesses that disappear--both as clients and as MSCs. But during this pandemic there are those who have lost a lot while for the 'haves' it has been a very lucrative time. Businesses will return, some businesses will hungrily eye territories previously served by competitors and need information gathering by shoppers to maximize their profitability. When it comes back is anybody's guess. If I were asked to place a bet, I would be much more optimistic than those talking five years and rather suggest that by mid 2022 things will be pretty rosy. The keys, however, are proper hygiene and sanitation to knock covid back and almost heroic effort of getting folks vaccinated. Failure on either front there could indeed push recovery to 2025 or beyond.
I've seen more bonuses the past few months, despite not shopping myself. I'll check my emails out of curiosity to see what's what. When I return (probably April/May), I wouldn't mind doing some I already see.@sparklesthekitty wrote:
I've started shopping a little bit prior to Covid and there were lots of of choices on the few MSCs I was signed up with.....I was so excited and now it's so depressing....
Now I'm signed up with many more but I'm seeing a sad trend- very low fees for lots of work, bigger fees for a lot more work or just MSCs with no work in sight....and I live in a major city with upper class areas.
I also noticed a cyclical trend where I'll have a good month from one MSC and then nothing, bare bones.....
It's so sad, is this over? Thoughts? Gripes?
The main difference I've seen is just slightly fewer shops. The fees actually seem slightly better. In a mid-sized city (probably considered "wealthier" than average).
@sparklesthekitty wrote:
I also noticed a cyclical trend where I'll have a good month from one MSC and then nothing, bare bones.....
It's so sad, is this over? Thoughts? Gripes?
The cyclical trend may be due to rotation. If you did a specific shop or location last month, you may not see it on the job board this month because it is not available to you again so soon. And some shops only get done once in three or six months so you would have to wait until the next round.
sparkleys,
There is yet another factor slowing MS activity, seasonality. It is not at all unusual for clients to do one or both of two thins at the beginning of a calendar quarter. First, they may change MSCs entirely, with a significant time lag between the official change date and the date on which the new MSC actually sees the arrival of the first shops to assign. Second, even without changing MSCs a client may be quite late starting a new quarter of shops, especially if they make content or format changes. In many years, January will be unusually slow while majpr clients run late starting the new year. All the more reason to focus on December EOQ bonus shops !
There is yet another factor slowing MS activity, seasonality. It is not at all unusual for clients to do one or both of two thins at the beginning of a calendar quarter. First, they may change MSCs entirely, with a significant time lag between the official change date and the date on which the new MSC actually sees the arrival of the first shops to assign. Second, even without changing MSCs a client may be quite late starting a new quarter of shops, especially if they make content or format changes. In many years, January will be unusually slow while majpr clients run late starting the new year. All the more reason to focus on December EOQ bonus shops !
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
You're absolutely right about the December shops. Saw a few well bonused ones but had car issues. Now I know!!
I made almost $3000 part time in December, so my area seems great.
Wow, what type of shops do you do?
ditto to what everyone else said. Also, you can re-invent yourself. Perhaps your favorite type of shop is a cell phone shop, but there aren't any close to get to. You can try merchandising or gas station audits.
About hygiene being key: who do you think checks on the employees who aren't cleaning or showing up to work with clean hair and groomed beards???
I did a bunch of shops at the beginning of covid where I was supposed to check on stuff and how closely the business was following CDC guidelines, etc. and state laws.
Just get you a mask for every day you do not do laundry. Preferably one with an inner layer of a natural fiber like cotton. many of them have filter pockets. put a coffee filter in there when you go out. Throw the coffee filter away, using tweezers. wash the mask.
About hygiene being key: who do you think checks on the employees who aren't cleaning or showing up to work with clean hair and groomed beards???
I did a bunch of shops at the beginning of covid where I was supposed to check on stuff and how closely the business was following CDC guidelines, etc. and state laws.
Just get you a mask for every day you do not do laundry. Preferably one with an inner layer of a natural fiber like cotton. many of them have filter pockets. put a coffee filter in there when you go out. Throw the coffee filter away, using tweezers. wash the mask.
________________________________________
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
No less than Madonna re-invents herself at will. We can do this, too, to some extent. We are forced to quit or make changes when we age out of some assignments. I strongly recommend considering all job types until you must eliminate them for whatever reason or reasons.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2021 02:46AM by Shop-et-al.
@kattyk wrote:
ditto to what everyone else said. Also, you can re-invent yourself. Perhaps your favorite type of shop is a cell phone shop, but there aren't any close to get to. You can try merchandising or gas station audits....
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Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2021 02:46AM by Shop-et-al.
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