Show of hands: how many of you ask for bonuses for shops before bonuses are offered?
Just wondering if it's rude to ask for bonus when doing multiple shops for the same MSC in the same week, kind of a bundling deal. I don't want to become obnoxious to the schedulers.

It depends on the MSC and the project. I've done it before with projects I know that will typically be bonus.

It is never rude to ask for a bonus. Although oftentimes schedules can't give one sometimes, you'd be surprised it the number of times they can, especially if the bonus is reasonable. Usually it takes some time to get a feel for different projects. I would think most schedulers would at least like you to send them an email and give them the option. As long as your email is polite and you are not sending emails over and over again, I don't think there's anything wrong with asking for a bonus. The worst thing that they could do is say no or ignore it. But again, most schedulers would like at least to be given the opportunity to assign a shop.

Unless the wording of your request is rude, I don't think most bonus requests can reasonably be considered rude unless you ask at the start of the month (or shopping cycle).

I always ask for a bonus and for these reasons:

a) I have done the shop before for a bonus
b) The location is hard to fill
c) The shop/location is known for flakes

I have started asking for bonuses for low-paying shops that I have previously done. Many don't even respond, but I have had 2 different MSC's come back and say "ok, but only this once". Both times, they had contacted me asking if I was interested in doing the shops; I had seen them on the boards but didn't apply because of the low pay. So now I know they can/will pay a bonus, I won't be doing them for the low pay anymore. If it truly is 'just this once", then they will tell me No next time and find someone else. Fortunately, I am in a small community and I don't think there are many shoppers around.

It really depends on a lot of factors but if you need a bonus to make the shop worth it ask. The worst they can say is no or not now but as the shop sits you may be able to get one later. If taking a bunch of shops of the same kind or with one msc a route or multiple shop bonus dived over the shops is quite possible.

Many years ago, a forum friend, successful in MSing, advised that she never gave a reason when asking for a bonus. I took that to heart. I tell an MSC what I will do the shop for and leave it at that. There are a couple of MSCs that ask for a reason. I don’t bother with them.

Recently, I was asked by a panhandler for money. I attempted to engage them and steer their asking for money into my provision of something necessary. Their story was flimsy, fell apart in a few places, and was strong only at the points where they precluded my paying directly for gas, food, and/or shelter.

To me, asking for a bonus should have some clear foundation of need or practicality. Otherwise, it is panhandling. After all, if we do not like what is offered, we can take the assignment or leave it.

I have nothing against bonuses. I dislike the lack of consistency in the bonus system within this industry. Some companies have a clear system; others have a murky set-up. Overall, bonuses are a crap shoot.

Shop-et-al, that is not a direct comparison. Panhandlers do not work. They rely on the generosity of others to support them. Mystery shopping is work. A shopper asking for more money to make the shop worth doing is not panhandling.

Sometimes the stupidity and rigidity of the system works against the companies. For example, I will sometimes offer a small discount on a location if I happen to be in the area earlier in the shopping period. Let's say it's a location that I normally get for $75 and I offer to do it for $50. They come back and tell me they can't do more than $25. So, I don't do it. And then I do it later in the month for $75. It just seems dumb to me. I guess from their point of view, they are hoping that somebody will pick it up for $20. But, in my experience, that usually doesn't happen for most high paying locations.

Sometimes, If I am familiar with a scheduler, I use a corny subject line like, "Dependable shoppper seeks route!" or, "Great fee offer on remote locations!"

Don't forget the exclamation marks!

The principle is similar enough to be used here. If we as shoppers are not trustworthy when we say we "need" a certain amount more, we cheapen ourselves and, potentially, the perception of all shoppers. There is nothing to stop the greedy or negotiation-gifted from using their wiles to over-charge based upon their wants or just a belief that they are worth some predetermined amount of money. And to complicate matters, some shoppers might require different bonuses for the same work depending upon all work for a given time frame which could include more and smaller bonuses to account for costs of doing business or the absence of such. Shoppers should not be locked into one fee or bonus rate forever based upon previous costs of doing business because costs of business can change.

A wee suggestion is that MSC's show assignments at staggered starting fees to shoppers with different levels of experience, reliability, etc. You can be Exhibit A. You are the resident Wa-Wa expert. it would make sense for you be shown a higher staring fee than all shoppers who never have completed Wa-Wa. Shoppers with an intermediate level of experience with Wa-Wa could be shows an intermediate starting fee (more than those with no experience and less than you).

What do you think of this type of change for the industry as a whole?

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Shop-et-al, that is not a direct comparison. Panhandlers do not work. They rely on the generosity of others to support them. Mystery shopping is work. A shopper asking for more money to make the shop worth doing is not panhandling.

I never ask for a bonus unless I am considering a route of shops that is not in my local area, or if a scheduler contacts me with a request to do a shop that does not pay enough to be worthwhile. If a shop pay is worth my time, I will take it. If pay is too low to be worth my time, I scroll on by and let another shopper grab it, while I fill my time with shops that pay better.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

The principle is similar enough to be used here. If we as shoppers are not trustworthy when we say we "need" a certain amount more, we cheapen ourselves and, potentially, the perception of all shoppers. There is nothing to stop the greedy or negotiation-gifted from using their wiles to over-charge based upon their wants or just a belief that they are worth some predetermined amount of money.
...

I'm sorry but I must not be understanding what you are saying. If I say I need a higher fee to do job, I am somehow untrustworthy or greedy based on a belief my services are worth more? Please clarify.

" If we as shoppers are not trustworthy when we say we "need" a certain amount more, we cheapen ourselves and, potentially, the perception of all shoppers. There is nothing to stop the greedy or negotiation-gifted from using their wiles to over-charge based upon their wants or just a belief that they are worth some predetermined amount of money"

I try to stay out of disagreements with you, but I STRONGLY disagree with this statement.

I personally know some shoppers who are uncomfortable asking for bonuses, because they feel it is "begging". I taught them how to present it, so it didn't feel like "begging".

Screw "need". I deserve a living wage, and I work damned hard for it.

(PS: I am negotiation gifted; my background is sales & customer service, and I'm selling MY customer service, so I'm quite comfortable with it. If it's not worth my time, I just don't take the job. If I don't get a timely response from the scheduler, I send a polite apology -- "Sorry. I didn't hear back from you, so I scheduled other shops, and no longer have any available time." )

@Shop-et-al wrote:

To me, asking for a bonus should have some clear foundation of need or practicality. Otherwise, it is panhandling. After all, if we do not like what is offered, we can take the assignment or leave it.

SMH.

No.

There's nothing wrong with asking for a fee that one feels is commensurate with one's ability, expenditure of time, and so on. Many shops don't even pay minimum wage by the time you put in all the time and travel required.

When you are offered a W-2 job, you negotiate based on what you bring to the proverbial table, right? You don't just accept the first figure offered unless you think it reflects your worth to the company and to that position. Is it begging to ask for a higher starting salary? No.

Work, any work, should carry dignity in the doing. If we, as shoppers, don't feel that's inherent in a fee, we can ask for a higher fee or pass the job up. It's not begging or panhandling to ask for what we think the job is worth or what we're worth--or, particularly in this business, a combination of the two.

Mert states--........There are a couple of MSCs that ask for a reason. I don’t bother with them.

Bob comments--When I was contracted with Trendsource and requested PAD, the form inquired as to why I desired the extra money; I always typed "irrelevant." Why I require and/or desire more money, as a self-employed contractor, has no bearing on work.

@ceasesmith wrote:

If I don't get a timely response from the scheduler, I send a polite apology -- "Sorry. I didn't hear back from you, so I scheduled other shops, and no longer have any available time."

I've sent emails with almost that exact line to schedulers after I've offered to do a few locations at what I feel is a fair rate to me. I feel it keeps the communication open for future attempts at bonuses.

Do it all the time especially if it's a route.

I just emailed a scheduler asking for a bonus that is fair to me to drive to an area I rarely drive to, and is about 60 miles round trip. If I get it, I get it. If I don't, I don't. But if I don't ask, I'll never get it!!

Once I become familiar with a project, I begin to get a feel of when they are going to be able to offer bonuses, and how high they can go depending upon the deadline. Now that I am a nationwide shopper, I sometimes have to feel out what type of bonus structure is normal for that area when I set up a temporary home base for a while. I discovered that some parts of the country pay more than others, and some areas have fewer shoppers than others. There's been times where I asked what I thought were very reasonable bonuses and was denied without even receiving a counter offer. There were times where I thought for sure they were going to come back with something lower and they shockingly approved what I asked for. It's just really hard to say. So much of mystery shopping has to do with what a particular location traditionally goes for. And, unless I am the person who is doing that location every time, that number is not public knowledge. After that, it has to do with the deadline and whether or not the company is required to get every location done or not. The big bonuses roll in when there is a contractual obligation to do every single location and a hard deadline is coming up. In that case, I've learned that I just have to be in the right place at the right time. I have learned more and more and how to position myself well. But, it's always a guessing game. Occasionally I hit a grand slam and occasionally I strike out.