Hotel pay doesn't cover the cost of the room

I found some one-night stays at a MSC that I have been signed up with for a while, but have never done any work as they are known for extensive reports. I thought I may give this one a try except the client only pays up to $120 for the room and the cheapest stay I could find was $180. I'm not laying down any of my own funds to shop a hotel, geez. What are your thoughts?

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If you were not wanting to stay at the hotel for any reason beyond mystery shopping NO you should not accept the job.

@jlcarter1975 wrote:

I found some one-night stays at a MSC that I have been signed up with for a while, but have never done any work as they are known for extensive reports. I thought I may give this one a try except the client only pays up to $120 for the room and the cheapest stay I could find was $180. I'm not laying down any of my own funds to shop a hotel, geez. What are your thoughts?

Maybe they don't know the hotel has increased room rates. Why not email and ask them to increase the reimbursement.

Also, some nights, or sequences of nights may be much more expensive than others, due to being nearly sold out. All a good reason to show and tell the scheduler the problem. They will probably either okay the increase or ask you to tell them the first night acceptable that the rate fits their budget. This is familiar territory to experienced hotel shoppers but can be very confusing if one is new to this type of shop.

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.

If it doesn't work for you don't accept the shop!

My daughter plays travel softball, we stayed at a specific hotel last weekend and it was $129/ night. We have another tournament at the same place in two weeks. The EXACT same hotel is $183/ night. Something else must be going on in the area or something. I would (and have in the past) take a hotel shop that would only cover a portion of the cost as I would be paying 100% anyways. (And yes, I've always gotten permission to bring my kids before accepting the shop)

The MSC would need to state that FULL reimbursement of all room costs and associated fees are covered. MSC would also need to pay a $100 shopper fee in addition to FULL reimbursement of room expenses. It would also need to be in an area that I plan on visiting. Property would need to be 3*, not higher or lower.

I would not email a scheduler and attempt to haggle or inform them that room rates vary. They already know that and are only offering $120.

If a MSC consistently offers insufficient reimbursement and no shopper fee, I delete my account with them. I don't work in exchange for a roof over my head. I certainly don't PAY to work. And I don't try to convince myself that it would be like a coupon or discount... that I'd need to work for.

Just my thoughts!

@OP: Just now, lodging prices might rise in some places due to Spring Break and March Madness. What else could be happening at or near this hotel?

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

@MrEd wrote:

The MSC would need to state that FULL reimbursement of all room costs and associated fees are covered. MSC would also need to pay a $100 shopper fee in addition to FULL reimbursement of room expenses. It would also need to be in an area that I plan on visiting. Property would need to be 3*, not higher or lower.

I would not email a scheduler and attempt to haggle or inform them that room rates vary. They already know that and are only offering $120.

If a MSC consistently offers insufficient reimbursement and no shopper fee, I delete my account with them. I don't work in exchange for a roof over my head. I certainly don't PAY to work. And I don't try to convince myself that it would be like a coupon or discount... that I'd need to work for.

Just my thoughts!

Do you shop for a living? Or is this advice for anyone?

Is it Coyle? I saw the same thing. A $120 room reimbursement in downtown where the cheapest room is $175. And they only reimburse $50 total for you and a guest, and that’s for dinner and breakfast. No clue how two people can eat 2 meals for $50 total at a hotel.

ETA: their instructions clearly state that they will not reimburse higher than $120, even if the cheapest room rate is higher. Ridiculous!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2022 05:57PM by Phoebe70.

I also saw this and my eyebrows raised. I was even more surprised that over half of them were already scheduled (though the ones that are scheduled tend to be the cheaper ones where $120 might mostly cover the costs). The ones that remain are the really expensive ones (I see one in my area that would be over $300 for just the room - which means that this wouldn't even cover half the cost of the hotel).

I suppose if you were going to stay there anyway, and eat dinner and breakfast there anyway - maybe?

And as others have stated - it is very clear that they know that $120 will not cover the cost of the room + taxes in most cases, and that $120 is the reimbursed amount. It also states that you must eat (and report on) dinner and breakfast and that a maximum of $50 is reimbursed for both meals.

The interesting thing is that these are the same rules for all properties in a chain that varies widely at price point. In some cases this could be very close to covering things at 100%, in other cases - it's like 25-30% of what it's going to cost you.

Will be fascinating to see if these get scheduled or if they up the reimbursement for the more expensive ones.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2022 09:10PM by MickeyB.

The one that was picked up near me is just a step up from a motel. The cheapest rate for the month was $145. With the $120 reimbursement and the $30 fee, I suppose the shopper may just be out of pocket around $10-$20, depending on taxes and fees. Considering the fact that a Coyle hotel shop will tie you down for several hours, this is a very pathetic situation.

Mystery shopping is the few industries where fees continue to go down year after year, while the cost for everything else goes up.

Linda states--Mystery shopping is the few industries where fees continue to go down year after year, while the cost for everything else goes up.

Bob comments--'Tis sad, but true. One of the first posts I ever read after finding the Volition website in 2003 dealt with the decreasing fees for shoppers; it continues to this day. The situation will only change if/when the market ratio of supply and demand is altered.

Of course you should not pay anything out of pocket, I would NOT! Some clients have the philosophy that ‘the experience warrants the shopper to share the cost’ (I actually saw that on guidelines for a steak restaurant). Some shoppers look at it like getting a really good coupon for a new experience / mini vacay. I do NOT! If I get the slightest inclination that the reimbursement will not cover my cost i refuse to do that shop. I am fully prepared to walk away. I do not come out of pocket.

I'd most likely pass, but it depends. Hotel rates can easily skyrocket by several hundred dollars if a high draw event is going on in an area. If that high draw event is something that appeals to me, I might just jump on that shop and make up the difference. On the everyday for an everyday nothing special going on hotel shop, I would pass if the MSC didn't cover the price of the room.

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
"Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
-- Abraham Lincoln

I would only pay out of my own pocket for a shop if the report was easy enough to still enjoy the experience. I've done that at a kids play place and it was mostly a multiple choice report with minimal narrative timings, and a day of entertainment for my kids.

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