Employees refuses to give business card, shop gets cancelled, scheduler Jennifer not being helpful.

I have currently been shopping the project for upscale handbag boutiques. The client requires to take a storefront photo before and after the shop. As well as a photo of me with the handbag and the background of the store interior showing. Then the most important proof of shop: the associate's business card. However, lately many sales associates are no longer carrying business cards and simply ask to exchange numbers. I went to shop Dior at Saks Fifth Avenue and the associate did not have a business card but a QR code instead. I explained this to the scheduler, Jennifer Barrick and she responded saying: "We would have taken your shop, but a QR code is not what is needed. They have business cards. I will cancel this shop." I have other shops scheduled and the same thing happened with the associates at Chanel and Gucci- I even asked more than one associate onsite. I keep on trying to reach Jennifer asking what can I do if the associate doesn't have a business card. Yet, she does not respond. She is not being helpful. Any advice? I don't want to go and waste my time if these shops are not productive and Jennifer just decides to cancel them and indirectly say "the hell with your questions/needs." What sucks is that these shops pay really good.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2023 09:40AM by mintaj33.

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I don't have answer. Sometimes you just gotta go with the customer is always right, and insist you only will accept a printed card. I am older and don't do QR codes. My phone is older too and won't even scan them. Some shops say you can ask them to write the info on on a brochure or something. Is this a possibility? If not, time to ditch those shops.

Mintaj,

Although I may be off a yr., the first shop Jenn scheduled for me was in 2005; she definitely understands that you do not wish to lose these shops. You, through zero fault on your end, are unable to comply with one of the clients requirements; that occurs in this business. It sounds to me as if the game is over.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2023 11:44PM by shopperbob.

The Jennifer Barrick you make sound of from 2005 is no longer the Jennifer Barrick of 2023. She doesn't respond and is somewhat irrational. She doesn't respond and cancels the shop due to inactivity, despite the questions that she ignores. Good thing that on the Chanel shop I was able to get my way by asking a security guard for a card and was able to get one that belonged to another employee. Saved the Day on that one. Game not over.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2023 09:43AM by mintaj33.

Agreed that someone's performance and attitude can definitely change in a 15+ year span. I don't even bother with the "New personality" after several negative (and costly) instances in the last few years.

I have told reps that I can't keep QR Codes but can a printed business card, and I would rather have a card. I usually always get the card.

Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.

So many luxury companies proudly stopped paper cards for environmental reasons, and offer e-cards, which they send by text. I've taken screenshots of these and successfully uploaded them.

If one doesn't have a phone that will accept texts, they will usually write their info on a catalog or tear sheet for you.

It depends on who is the client (it may be the store's competition), but they should know by now that many of these brands consider it a point of pride to NOT have paper cards.

"I don't scan QR codes because I am worried about security risks."
[www.infosecurity-magazine.com]

good one!!!

Doesn't the QR code direct you to a digital business card that you can screenshot?

Nope, it just gives me the salesperson's name and phone number and automatically stores itself in my phone's contacts list.

Jennifer is just the scheduler and not the decision maker on the shop requirements. She is surly and lazy these days, but don't let that dissuade you. Her issues are not your issues! Reach out to the MSC owner or program manager if you can figure out who it is. They will respond, as they want their projects completed so they can get paid. Her lack of response is the very reason you escalate and find someone who is professional enough to do so. I am positive you are not the only person running in to this business card issue, so whoever is managing the client relationship for the MSC should be revising the requirements and expectations accordingly.

Thank you so much for your response. Finally someone who sees what I mean. What I have noticed is that these editors/schedulers tend to be surly and petty, they don't even want to help and when you reach out to them, they just remove you from the programs. Before joining this forum, I thought there was no one to complain to or perhaps there were other petty people as well.

I have submitted pictures of QR codes on such shops, and I think for the same client, but perhaps different MSCs.

I have never found Jennifer to either go to bat for the shopper or to offer any more than the most minimal of shopper support; emails are frequently ignored. You may well be served to escalate the matter.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2023 04:28AM by Rousseau.

It has been months since I communicated directly with Jennifer so I can't comment on whether she is surly or petty these days. I seriously doubt she is lazy though, based on the number of shops she seems to schedule.

In my experience, she is much less responsive to shoppers than, let's say, 10 years ago. When she responds, her responses are often brief. I guess her brief responses can come across as curt or even surly.

But then again, she is also much busier than she was 10 years ago. That's not an excuse. It's just an observation. It also doesn't help that the huge MSC she mainly schedules for is not known for being responsive to shoppers.

Schedulers and editors are usually powerless to waive most shop requirements. It is not fair or even useful to blame/attack schedulers and editors for not accepting shops when shoppers didn't/couldn't meet all the requirements. OTOH, it is only professional to respond, if only to let the shoppers know whom they should contact.

It is also not fair when the shopper was not able to comply with one of the requirements when it was not the shopper's fault. It is not fair going to waste one's time, perhaps even own expense money just to have the shop declined for something that was out of their control. I cannot speak for other shoppers, but I have been mystery shopping for ten years and I always make sure to meet the requirements. Unless the employees challenges you, then one must not be pushy to meet the requirement otherwise one will be discovered as a secret shopper. Instead, the client should accept the shop and use the experience to hold the employee accountable. In the end, that's what mystery shopping is all about: revealing the true nature of business. I once even had an issue with another scheduler who initially said that I had not followed the guidelines to an iHop shop. I responded by showing him the guidelines- more than obvious that he did not know the guidelines himself. After telling him the part of the guidelines that I DID follow- he said he was going to ask the client to consider my reimbursement- which of course I did receive. I well deserved it because I clearly followed the guidelines that the scheduler did not know well enough.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2023 05:21AM by mintaj33.

In 20+ yrs., I have only encountered one scheduler that "takes the cake." It is the one and only Nikster.

I'm with Rousseau on this one. Jennifer seems to have a reading comprehension issue. I write emails to her and. IF she responds at all, it's one line, and she has taken my entire email out of context.

I actively try and avoid her shops, unless they are shops that I know that I can do without her involvement.

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Employees refuses to give business card, shop gets cancelled, scheduler Jennifer not being helpful.

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