Im convinced these schedulers and editors dislike US and their jobs. I can count on one hand schedulers that act like regular human beings and I work for over 16 msc's, the rest of them are just angry at the world! It makes it so difficult because we litterly have to just kill them with kindness or face being blocked or black listed. I have really had to learn how to set my pride aside doing this kind of work because i don't want to interfere with my money.

Wow, I have had NO such issues! I've had a few encounters that were strictly business but nothing I would classify as hating anything.

There's one I have had a few exchanges with who seemed friendly so I took a chance and sent a bit of job-related humor to her. It was very well received. And yet when I searched her name, sure enough, there were people complaining about her. It's a mystery to me, she's awesome.

.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2025 12:41AM by krn2009.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

Wow, I have had NO such issues! I've had a few encounters that were strictly business but nothing I would classify as hating anything.

Bingo! That's what people can't handle, is when emails are business only.

Hello, as an editor, I can tell you we don't hate you! We need the shops completed and correctly to get paid. I have edited for three companies over the years. Each company has an "accept rate" and an "exclude/reject" rate. The rejection rate is usually 1/2 the value of the accept rate. We do not want the shops excluded/rejected, but chasing down shoppers for something as simple as a receipt can get old. If you don't get the receipt (or whatever is required), you have spent all that time on one shop for less than $1. Sometimes, the emails come across as very direct, but we need that one specific thing. It also gets REALLY old trying to read chicken scratch all day. It's like some shoppers take absolutely no pride in their work. Also, if we miss things on a shop, we can be pulled from that client. It's not worth the contract to "overlook" something to help a shopper when it could cost the editor the contract. To be clear, some shoppers are just downright hateful in their emails. I hope this helps!!

@Bowesman wrote:

It makes it so difficult because we litterly have to just kill them with kindness or face being blocked or black listed.

It's "literally."

And if you literally killed them with kindness, they'd be dead.

But no, I don't hate you.

CC,
Thanks for your perspective. I am glad that editors are there, and I appreciate their attention to detail.
Jeff

Thank you, Chase. It's good for us to be reminded of how the quality of our work affects others. Of course, the worst offenders will not take heed. But some of us will keep your comments in mind. I try really hard to avoid making mistakes yet sometimes I do. And they're often just plain dumb, like my brain left the building for a minute.

Added: Do you ever see the shopper name before you start the edit and just sigh, "Oh, no. Not them again?" Because you just know there will be issues? Like when the waitstaff in a restaurant sees a known problem customer come in and everybody's mentally pleading, "No! Please not my table! Please, no!"

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2025 10:33AM by sestrahelena.

The first time I read this, I thought "US" meant United States. But I re-read it, and I believe it was meant to emphasize "us", as in shoppers.

Anyways, I think I've been lucky, where I can count on one to two hands, the number of issues with schedulers and editors. My Achilles' heel has been submitting the reports on time. Of all of the late reports I've submitted, I want to say 99% of them have been accepted. At least from my experience, more often than not, the schedulers and editors have worked with me and shown me grace.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Thank you, Chase. It's good for us to be reminded of how the quality of our work affects others. Of course, the worst offenders will not take heed. But some of us will keep your comments in mind. I try really hard to avoid making mistakes yet sometimes I do. And they're often just plain dumb, like my brain left the building for a minute.

Added: Do you ever see the shopper name before you start the edit and just sigh, "Oh, no. Not them again?" Because you just know there will be issues? Like when the waitstaff in a restaurant sees a known problem customer come in and everybody's mentally pleading, "No! Please not my table! Please, no!"

Yes!!!

Some people wrote so poorly and followed directions so poorly, it scared me that they had drivers licenses and drove around on roads with people that they could kill.

I edited on a horrible Mexican restaurant account in the Midwest in the early 2000’s and there was a shopper that would do one of the locations as often as rotation would allow it. He was the absolute worst. He was a cringey, creepy old dude. He used to hit on the servers and write about it in the report. He also used to order salmon, which at a Mexican restaurant in the middle of Indiana is surely a mistake and makes you stand out like a turd in a punch bowl. But we had to use him because at that point we pretty much would use anybody with a pulse that could hand over a receipt for that location.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Added: Do you ever see the shopper name before you start the edit and just sigh, "Oh, no. Not them again?" Because you just know there will be issues? Like when the waitstaff in a restaurant sees a known problem customer come in and everybody's mentally pleading, "No! Please not my table! Please, no!"

Absolutely. To be fair, there are some names I'm glad to see because the edit will normally be a breeze. But they are outnumbered.

Yes, you can see the name and email. There are certain accounts where I see a last name or email and I cringe. On the flip side, there’s some names I see and it’s like a breath of fresh air. I know I’ll get the correct photos and the report will be written well.

In speaking only for myself, in 22 yrs. since my first shop, I am only aware of one problem with a scheduler and zero with editors. As it applies to that scheduler, it is my opinion she merely erred, but refused to acknowledge same; I never took her action personally. I am, though, devoid of any current or future interest in being associated with her in business.

Another reason why capitalizing entire words is poor writing.

@Okie wrote:

The first time I read this, I thought "US" meant United States. But I re-read it, and I believe it was meant to emphasize "us", as in shoppers.

I've been an editor. I won't make generalizations. I will give my perspective. Doing all of the stuff that ChaseColorado described is part of the job. There are parts of most jobs that we don't necessarily like.

I had to read and edit bad writing. Personally, I was far more annoyed by the company than the shoppers. For the bad writers, they know some people were ESL and couldn't write or articulate themselves well in English, but they still let them do the shops. So that is on the company, not the shopper.

Editors would consistently rate the reports poorly in house, and the schedulers and company did not care. It was just more work for the editor at the same price. One got paid the same whether they edited a perfectly written report or a report written by someone that can barely write. I also didn't like all of the negativity I received from the company, and I disagreed with some of their views on syntax.

People make mistakes. They might forget to upload a receipt. It's not a big deal. I would contact them, they would send it, and it would be added to the report. Most of the time, they are going to quickly send things back, because they want to get paid.

@JimmyP wrote:

I've been an editor. I won't make generalizations. I will give my perspective. Doing all of the stuff that ChaseColorado described is part of the job. There are parts of most jobs that we don't necessarily like.

I had to read and edit bad writing. Personally, I was far more annoyed by the company than the shoppers. For the bad writers, they know some people were ESL and couldn't write or articulate themselves well in English, but they still let them do the shops. So that is on the company, not the shopper.

Editors would consistently rate the reports poorly in house, and the schedulers and company did not care. It was just more work for the editor at the same price. One got paid the same whether they edited a perfectly written report or a report written by someone that can barely write. I also didn't like all of the negativity I received from the company, and I disagreed with some of their views on syntax.

People make mistakes. They might forget to upload a receipt. It's not a big deal. I would contact them, they would send it, and it would be added to the report. Most of the time, they are going to quickly send things back, because they want to get paid.

Forgotten receipts is just one of those things that happens. I get that.

I suppose my aggravation is with writing that would flunk one out of third grade. My resentment over this, to be fair, is only half-directed at the shoppers in question, and half-directed at the companies that pay their editors dirt. Narratives like "Servicc like some ok gotta get some cleen man in gowled shurt was no and flore dirty i tel me man what this, burgar was good" (this is NOT an exaggeration. I wish to God it were) slow things to a crawl and impede earning. Yes, the companies that employ editors should come in for criticism here. But shopping is a three-part job: Observing, noting, then WRITING. You don't have to write like William Faulkner or Toni Morrison or whoever but minimal coherence is a prerequisite, at least in theory.

Some MSCs require a writing sample during the sign-up process. It's pretty clear I could have just typed in "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" and gotten by. The prime qualification for mystery shopping seems to be that you're breathing.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2025 08:23PM by KokoBWare.

It's definitely annoying, and you are correct. The shopping companies shouldn't be allowing these people to complete shops. If that can't write well, they also might not be able to read guidelines well and might just make things up. Like I said, the company I worked for would be well aware that some of these shoppers could barely write, and they did not care.

@KokoBWare wrote:

Some MSCs require a writing sample during the sign-up process. It's pretty clear I could have just typed in "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" and gotten by. The prime qualification for mystery shopping seems to be that you're breathing.

In one way, that is one thing I like about Coyle. With the scoring breakout and criteria, in a way, it differentiates shoppers. Also, the application process wasn't a race to to self-assign, and one could draft support for an application and requested payment amount.

@KokoBWare wrote:

I suppose my aggravation is with writing that would flunk one out of third grade. My resentment over this, to be fair, is only half-directed at the shoppers in question, and half-directed at the companies that pay their editors dirt. Narratives like "Servicc like some ok gotta get some cleen man in gowled shurt was no and flore dirty i tel me man what this, burgar was good" (this is NOT an exaggeration.

Can't you just reject the shop altogether for being indecipherable? I mean, how can you make it readable when you can't even understand what information the shopper was trying to convey? It would certainly save time and effort. Writing like your example should simply be unacceptable, period.

I don't think they hate us; not at all. I just think that some of the issues they deal with is what they hate (I'd rather say dislike). They are just like us; we are not always happy at our jobs, neither. We all have bad days and/or rushed. I understand that most of the time.

No. In Sassie you can give a poor rating, but that doesn't hold much weight in reality. The job is to edit it. Usually, you can figure out what the shopper is saying. When in doubt and it's a short answer, I default to "The associate was helpful and friendly. The location was clean and well-maintained." When you get into the essay questions, you can run into issues. There is a risk with sending a shop back. If the shopper doesn't reply and the shop rejects in 24 hours, you have just lost that shop and are getting paid the "exclude/reject" rate. So it really is in everyone's best interest to make sure the shop gets accepted.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Can't you just reject the shop altogether for being indecipherable? I mean, how can you make it readable when you can't even understand what information the shopper was trying to convey?

Benton Harbor, MI comes to mind. All I needed was a receipt and a general idea of how it went. Good luck rejecting a hard (impossible) to fill location and finding another shopper.

Side note- the other account was FF/Fast casual. I had to start a chart with the locations and a column for Y/N for restroom present. I had shoppers tell me that the restroom was clean and well-stocked. The location would have no restroom.

As a shopper, I had questions come back from an editor about a Flame Broiler that I had shopped about having a restroom. It did not. I actually took video of the store. The cashier offered to either let me use the employee restroom or suggested that I use the one next door at Walgreen's. I sent them evidence. I am guessing that the previous shopper just gave them 100% on the restroom questions.

@sestrahelena wrote:

@KokoBWare wrote:

I suppose my aggravation is with writing that would flunk one out of third grade. My resentment over this, to be fair, is only half-directed at the shoppers in question, and half-directed at the companies that pay their editors dirt. Narratives like "Servicc like some ok gotta get some cleen man in gowled shurt was no and flore dirty i tel me man what this, burgar was good" (this is NOT an exaggeration.

Can't you just reject the shop altogether for being indecipherable? I mean, how can you make it readable when you can't even understand what information the shopper was trying to convey? It would certainly save time and effort. Writing like your example should simply be unacceptable, period.

No, you cannot. The most you can do is kick it upstairs to a supervisor, but dollars to doughnuts it will be returned to you with instructions to fabricate a coherent narrative based on the pickbox responses.

@KokoBWare wrote:

@sestrahelena wrote:

@KokoBWare wrote:

I suppose my aggravation is with writing that would flunk one out of third grade. My resentment over this, to be fair, is only half-directed at the shoppers in question, and half-directed at the companies that pay their editors dirt. Narratives like "Servicc like some ok gotta get some cleen man in gowled shurt was no and flore dirty i tel me man what this, burgar was good" (this is NOT an exaggeration.

Can't you just reject the shop altogether for being indecipherable? I mean, how can you make it readable when you can't even understand what information the shopper was trying to convey? It would certainly save time and effort. Writing like your example should simply be unacceptable, period.

No, you cannot. The most you can do is kick it upstairs to a supervisor, but dollars to doughnuts it will be returned to you with instructions to fabricate a coherent narrative based on the pickbox responses.

That's just sad. A shopper that lied on the report. A supervisor who supported you lying to get the shop passed.

I think i would have corrected the shop to say, no bathroom available if I knew it from previous reports. IDK if that's an option for the editor.

And I also believe most of the people who post here are literate. Those that aren't, and shop, aren't worried about coming here to share, and getting educated. IMHO.

I'll fess up. It was me who wrote that narrative. I was in a hurry on my phone!

It's interesting to learn about those that have had editor experience though.

I apologize in advance, that this is a bit long.

I’ve been a shopper for over 10 years now and have not come across many schedulers that were difficult to work with. The only schedulers that were difficult are from the big merchandising company that used to have the Dollar General account. Most of the schedulers were based out of Nicaragua but had American names. They were difficult to understand on the phone and didn’t seem to care much about what they put their merchandisers through, they just wanted the job done. They didn’t care how far you had to drive or how many hours you worked per day. They called you every morning to make sure you were awake and heading to your first location. When they lost the Dollar General account, I was more than happy to quit working with them.
I am one of the first people to say that I am not a great writer. Narratives used to scare the hell out of me until AI became a thing. I now use it anytime there is narrative required. It is a great tool to use. I simply write out what I want to say about what happened and then copy and paste into AI and ask AI to rewrite it to sound more professional. Then I copy and paste it back into my notes on my phone, edit the writing to make sure it’s what exactly took place at the location and then copy and paste it into the report.
It’s still kind of a pain for me, because it still takes a long time for me to write what I want to say and then edit what AI puts in. Sometimes AI still messes up, even though it’s supposed to be so intelligent. But I definitely like how descriptive AI helps me write.
I wasn’t that great at English, mostly receiving Cs & Bs and I have a form of dyslexia which makes writing challenging. But having a mother who was always on my case about how I talked, really helped as I grew up. Now when I see or hear other people using incorrect English, it drives me nuts. One thing that really bothers me is sentences with no punctuation. Like how can you tell when a sentence ends or begins if you don’t use a period? Commas are just as important.

Below, is the AI version of my reply to this thread. I hope it reads better than my own words and is easier for a scheduled to work with. I’m curious to know if schedulers appreciate AI or if they’d rather have my poor English in the report.
——————————

I have been a shopper for over a decade and, throughout this time, I have not encountered many schedulers who were particularly challenging to work with. The exceptions were associated with the large merchandising company that previously managed the Dollar General account. Most of their schedulers were based in Nicaragua and operated under American names. They were often difficult to understand over the phone and appeared to prioritize task completion over the concerns of their merchandisers. It seemed that they were indifferent to the distance traveled or the hours worked in a day. Each morning, they would reach out to ensure I was awake and en route to my first location. Consequently, when they lost the Dollar General account, I was relieved to discontinue my association with them.

I must admit that I do not consider myself a strong writer. I have historically found narrative writing to be daunting, but the advent of artificial intelligence has revolutionized my approach. I now utilize AI whenever narrative content is required. I draft my thoughts on an incident and then input that text into an AI platform, requesting a more professional rephrasing. Following this, I review the output to ensure it accurately reflects what transpired at the location before incorporating it into my report.

Although the process has streamlined my writing, it still requires a considerable investment of time, particularly in refining the text produced by the AI. While the technology is advanced, there are moments when the output is not entirely accurate. Nonetheless, I appreciate the enhanced descriptive qualities that AI provides.

During my academic career, I struggled with English, typically earning grades of C and B, and I also contend with a form of dyslexia. However, my mother consistently emphasized the importance of clear communication, which has significantly contributed to my growth. Now, when I encounter others using incorrect English, it can be quite frustrating. One particular issue that bothers me is the absence of punctuation; without periods, it becomes challenging to discern the beginning and end of sentences. Commas are equally important for clarity.

Below is the AI-generated version of my response to this thread. I hope it reads more clearly and professionally than my original wording, making it more user-friendly for the scheduler. I’m interested to find out whether schedulers prefer the AI-enhanced content or if they would rather receive my original, less refined writing in the report.

I was not an English major, but I was educated in English to not end a sentence with a preposition.
Both of your first sentences (yours and the AI version) do so.
Isn't that a hoot!

"Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put."
- author unknown

I did major in English, and although people still believe what you stated, it is not a rule to not end a sentence with a preposition. Please refer to Merriam Webster and other writing style guides if you'd like.

I frequently post from my phone and typing can be awkward, so there may be some missing commas or misspelled words in my posts from time to time.

Edited to add that I am also a former editor for both A-Closer-Look and Ardent Services (the latter is no longer providing MS services).

@French Farmer wrote:

I was not an English major, but I was educated in English to not end a sentence with a preposition.
Both of your first sentences (yours and the AI version) do so.
Isn't that a hoot!

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2025 05:47AM by Jusa.

As my grandma used to say, when you pay in peanuts, you get monkeys.
Who needs a skilled shopper, with AI?