Where have all the Shell shops gone?
There were September and October shops. Then poof, most vanished. I have one to do today. There was an offer of $50 bonus to do a few nation-wide. One near me, but it was gone. Still no Shell today.
Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
I saw the subject line and thought "with the cowboys". Sorry I don't do shell since there's not many in my area.
I will have that song in my head all day now lol
I will have that song in my head all day now lol
When I checked yesterday, there was one Shell shop left on the board in a 60 mile radius from my home, and it's still at base price. And this is a pretty Shell heavy area. I don't expect to see any more on the board until the Ishopfirst folks let them drop.
Luckily, my fave Phillips 66 shops have dropped for early October. Snagged 10 of the local-ish ones ASAP.
Now we sit and wait to see which remote ones are left towards the 3rd week of the month.
I'll do them and any Chevron Customer Firsts that fit the schedule for base, and gladly accept bonuses. With any luck I can fill the route with stops that don't require more than 1 pump photo, if that, and keep my eye open for sizable bonuses for Exxon/Mobils along the way, and Shells if they re-appear.
Now we sit and wait to see which remote ones are left towards the 3rd week of the month.
I'll do them and any Chevron Customer Firsts that fit the schedule for base, and gladly accept bonuses. With any luck I can fill the route with stops that don't require more than 1 pump photo, if that, and keep my eye open for sizable bonuses for Exxon/Mobils along the way, and Shells if they re-appear.
Have synthesizers, will travel...
All the 66 in my area are darkness, which is how they were first posted last round. Eventually they opened up to daytime. Unless each one gets shopped twice, on different shifts.
I've only got 2 darkness out of a 9-stop loop. Need to check the potential stops for my roadtrip.
Have synthesizers, will travel...
In my area only two of the shops are for darkness, and all the rest are for daylight. It would much rather do darkness shops, it's still too hot during the day here.
Plenty of Exxon at $100. In Montana.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2023 02:53AM by ceasesmith.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2023 02:53AM by ceasesmith.
I have friends I could visit in MT... gonna need a car though, that forking Jeep won't make it.
@Morledzep wrote:
In my area only two of the shops are for darkness, and all the rest are for daylight. It would much rather do darkness shops, it's still too hot during the day here.
Darkness shops will be more desirable for me as winter approaches and nights are longer. During the summer it could be difficult to establish a route unless there were lots of locations that stayed open late.
Have synthesizers, will travel...
@ceasesmith wrote:
Plenty of Exxon at $100. In Montana.
And in several cases you will work for your money, with 24 pump photos required in a state with more sheep than people.
Luckily the locations aren't that busy, and the MSC doesn't specify which 24 pumps you have to get.
I freaked when I hit a location in Bozeman (pop. 55k) that had 48 pumps after starting my day in Butte with a 2-pumper. The same company is building a location with 100 pumps!
Have synthesizers, will travel...
@ArkLaMissshopping wrote:
I was lucky to grab mine quickly.
You booked them at base pay?
I would not call that "lucky"...
Have synthesizers, will travel...
Fly up to Nebraska and we’ll do a road trip.
Oops…in response to morzedep
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2023 10:25PM by ceasesmith.
Oops…in response to morzedep
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2023 10:25PM by ceasesmith.
What do you mean? I’ve always had to photo every pump. Do you mean if there’s more than 24 you only have to photo 24?
@CoolMusic wrote:
@ceasesmith wrote:
Plenty of Exxon at $100. In Montana.
And in several cases you will work for your money, with 24 pump photos required in a state with more sheep than people.
Luckily the locations aren't that busy, and the MSC doesn't specify which 24 pumps you have to get.
I freaked when I hit a location in Bozeman (pop. 55k) that had 48 pumps after starting my day in Butte with a 2-pumper. The same company is building a location with 100 pumps!
There's only 24 slots for pump questions and photos.
@CoolMusic wrote:
@ArkLaMissshopping wrote:
I was lucky to grab mine quickly.
You booked them at base pay?
I would not call that "lucky"...
Honestly, I would be "lucky" to get any work in my area. Competition is THAT tough.
@ceasesmith wrote:
Fly up to Nebraska and we’ll do a road trip.
Oops…in response to morzedep
Can't fly anymore.. I was singled out by the TSA for "enhanced screening" the last several times I flew. And the last time caused me so much additional stress because the TSA agents stole my stuff, they took my bags to a different area and went through my bags and not everything that I took with me made it home, I got vertigo really bad and I was sick for 3 months, and unable to work. I don't fly anymore.
24 slots for the red, 30 for the yellow.
@ceasesmith wrote:
Do you mean if there’s more than 24 you only have to photo 24?
Correct
Have synthesizers, will travel...
@sestrahelena wrote:
Honestly, I would be "lucky" to get any work in my area. Competition is THAT tough.
Yikes! Though, as UT is the fastest-growing state in the country, I guess I should prepare for more competition.
I guess I'm luckier than I gave myself credit for.
Just picked up a couple of usual suspect Exxons for later today for $48 gross each, and they are in the same area as several others that are still sitting at base pay.
Have synthesizers, will travel...
@sestrahelena wrote:
Looks like I'm moving to UT!
We can caravan.. me and the dogs will stop outside of SLC in the woods. I don't do cities..
So, it could be deja vu all over again.
Shell shops posted in early September for completion October 1-7. Then they disappeared.
Now there are shops posted in early October for completion November 1-7.
Anyone want to set up a pool predicting when they go away?
Shell shops posted in early September for completion October 1-7. Then they disappeared.
Now there are shops posted in early October for completion November 1-7.
Anyone want to set up a pool predicting when they go away?
Have synthesizers, will travel...
@CoolMusic wrote:
So, it could be deja vu all over again.
Shell shops posted in early September for completion October 1-7. Then they disappeared.
Now there are shops posted in early October for completion November 1-7.
Anyone want to set up a pool predicting when they go away?
I say October 14th! :-)
I truly don't understand the rationale behind how the Shells are going up and down each month. They are not different waves of shops -- they are the exact same shop locations each time. For me, one of the benefits of mystery shopping is *not* having to schedule work a month in advance. I care for my 90-year-old mother, and being able to keep my schedule flexible enough to take her to a health care appointment on short notice (if needed), is very important. What's my motivation to tie myself to a shop a date one month away at *base pay*?
As I predicted, half of those shell shops that disappeared in the middle of September are now back on the board, but still at base pay. If they weren't still at base, I would make a route.. there are 8 that came back, due Oct. 11 now, 2 for November, both very remote.
As far as I can see the MSC's rationale is by pulling them and the returning them at a later date is simple: having the shops performed without having to bonus them.
It might also have something to do with preventing editing backlog, although I'm sure the lack of bonuses is a big plus for them. But if they wait too long they will have to reckon with the end of the year crunch.
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