During late summer and early fall, the MSC that has the Exxon / Mobil gas stations released so-called "Pilot" shops.
If you did these, and as I remember them, they were shops where the pay was less ($12) and the work, a bit less (one photo of one dispenser). required). I did several of these during that time. The time spent was a little bit less - but still, the $2 gas compensation and the $1 in store purchase made doing them productive only if the shopper could make out a good route. Otherwise, same as the current E/M shops - meh.
In saying this, I noted to myself that many of the E/M shops released in October were not available to me. In doing my investigation as to why I was not able to assign them, I found that it was because I did those same shops under the "Pilot" program. Nevermind that I had not done them under the current program for months
and hence, they were within the MSC's rotational allowance. It never made much sense to me, but whatever, I found other work.

And so, as the new year approaches, I'm wondering, with the current MSC's penchant for "cheapening" their shops, will that "Pilot" program become the new E/M gas station shop in the 2024 round of shops?
Are we reverting back to the way of doing these shops as we did with the old MSC, a few MSC ago? Has anyone heard of any news for the new year?

I've not heard anything, but this month I got "0" Exxon shops. None were shown to me that I usually get. I assumed someone glommed them all up, but maybe not. There are usually a ton of them in my neck of the woods, but they were mostly all gone 'cept the ones with many, many pumps, problem areas and truck stops. There are a few showing at a distance now, but I'm not interested at the rate they're paying. I can't believe someone would take so many at starting rate and get them all done in the week time frame given at the beginning of the month. I filled in my loss with car counting on Presto..easy 15 minutes @ $10 a piece and I got my gas at Costco instead for over $1 per gallon less than Exxon.

When the November shops were released, I noted that the rotation requirement was gone on most of the ones in my area. I had two shops that were about 30 miles from me. I don't do them unless I have a route of jobs in that area. I was able to put together a route a couple of weeks ago and headed over that way. Just as I was getting to that town, I realized I did not have some of the materials (including my safety vest) that I needed to do most of the shops/jobs on my route. Rather than continue, I abandoned the day, hoping I could get everything rescheduled, including the E/M as they were in rural areas on the outside of the town. The E/M shops dropped off. I went to reclaim them when I got my route set back u, and I could not self-assign because the rotation requirement was back. I don't know if the lack of the rotation requirement at the start of the month was an error, or if the requirement kicked in because I had to abandon the shops. Either way, I waited out the requirement and was able to reclaim, now at a nice bonus. I won't forget my vest or the paperwork I need for the other jobs THIS time!

As far as the shops being in the magic app, I hope they do go to that next year. While they do pay less, when I did them in July(?), I was able to knock out almost 20 in a day, that's twice as many as I normally do. I liked being able to easily complete the report on site, so I didn't have to worry about that when I got home. While I probably would still not normally do 20 a day, I would sure be able to do 15, and then add some mystery shopping gigs along the way. This is assuming that they give you a few days on the app to do the job. If it is that 12-hour stuff, then all of this goes out the window.

Hmmm. I wonder how much the magic app can handle. It's already difficult enough to sift through all the chaff I don't want to find the nuggets when too many projects are running at the same time.

I did one this month and the requirement for a photo of every pump was back. They have not bonused many in my areas. I have not done one since then. I find them to be the most tedious of all the gas station shops that I do. My rule is nothing under $20 total and none of the EM's have reached the minimum yet.

I agree. E/M shops are tedious. My first E/M shop was this huge, very busy location. It took me forever to get photos of every pump as so many people kept coming and going. The shop took over 2 hours to complete. I was so frazzled I ended up locking my keys in my car and had to call pop a lock!

@IsaArcega2 wrote:

I agree. E/M shops are tedious. My first E/M shop was this huge, very busy location. It took me forever to get photos of every pump as so many people kept coming and going. The shop took over 2 hours to complete. I was so frazzled I ended up locking my keys in my car and had to call pop a lock!

Oh my, I have locked my keys in the car doing an E/M shop, too. I was heading out on an out-of-town route, but I had one E/M that was in-town. I did that one first thing before heading out. It was a very cold morning, so when I went back to the car after the mystery shop, I turned the heater on for a moment while I took the receipt photos and marked my self-created form with the data I needed from the receipts. As soon as I got out of the car and shut the door, I realized what I had done. I called a friend and had him go get my spare key.

Back during my married days we kept a key under the vehicle. I've not gone back to doing that, but I do keep a spare key in my wallet. That key has saved me a time or two since.

I've had to call pop a lock once while on a route. Another time I was broke and wandered around for about an hour until I found someone who gave me a wire long enough to reach the lock inside. After that, I got a magnet box and carried a spare key under the car. Oddly enough, that gave me enough security that I locked me keys in at least a dozen times more, probably because subconsciously I didn't worry about it as much. Then I got a car where I couldn't find a safe place to attach the magnet. So i got into the habit of carrying a spare in my left pocket. Now I have one of those electronic keys that doesn't allow me to lock it inside.

Almost forgot about the time I had to walk to a nearby truck stop and buy a CB antenna and then bend the tip to trip the lock inside

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2023 04:38AM by mystery2me.

As an old retired automotive technician, it's been a lot of years since I locked the keys inside of a car. You don't do it more than twice when you work in a garage and you lock the customers keys inside. I never get out of a car and leave the keys in the ignition. And I never walk away from a car without locking it with the key. I have enjoyed the convenience of poking a button on a key fob and locking the doors as I'm walking away, but I have the keys in my hand when I'm pushing the button, so I know they aren't in the car.

I really wish I knew if we were going to get the new version of the ExxonMobil shops or not. The shops for the pilot program were very simple. I'm all about simple...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2023 04:52AM by Morledzep.

While we are at it, does E/M normally get shopped in December or do they take the month off with the holidays?

They have been shopped in past years in December.

@mystery2me wrote:

Then I got a car where I couldn't find a safe place to attach the magnet. So i got into the habit of carrying a spare in my left pocket. Now I have one of those electronic keys that doesn't allow me to lock it inside.

Almost forgot about the time I had to walk to a nearby truck stop and buy a CB antenna and then bend the tip to trip the lock inside

I have used a c-clamp to secure the key flush to any flat metal piece or a sturdy key ring circle to hang it on anything I can encircle. Many cars today don't even offer physical keys anymore. Thankfully, I'm not in that price range!

@Morledzep
I really wish I knew if we were going to get the new version of the ExxonMobil shops or not. The shops for the pilot program were very simple. I'm all about simple...[/quote wrote:

Lately, I've seen some Emails from the MSC for E/M with the video of how the MSC's actress does her shop. I wonder if that is a portent?

As for locking car keys in the vehicle, my solution is a spare in the bra. I also know how to break into my vehicle without anything other than a good tug on the rear window.

The bra is easier.

EM and bonuses flumox me. The remaining ones, which are remote locations, still are at the same rate. However, one in city, that for some reason, seems to stay on the board each quarter, has a $15 bonus.. I might do it if its still there when the dates change.

Anyone have any idea how these shops are priced?

IMO, buying less than $5 worth of gas and $1 from the C-store, while asking for a receipt for both, is a sure way to get made as a mystery shopper.