Product Retrievals RE: a recall

I've seen threads here in the past so I know some here do this. I just searched the word and didn't come up with anything.
I just got an invitation to apply.
Please remind me again why you hate these? (if you do)
or why they are worthwhile? (if they are?)

tips or tricks appreciated.

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If the company is RQA you want to jump on that wagon ASAP.

With a few exceptions they offer easy, nicely compensated work (including mileage pay for most projects) and outstanding communication/support.

Have synthesizers, will travel...

RQA - easy to work with, most understanding, pay is decent, right now, they have alot of work, at least where I am. Don't hesistate

Bare, if it's RQA, do it.. you probably won't regret it. I'm not likely to endorse any other merchanizing companies.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2025 08:25PM by Morledzep.

I've been with them since 2006. Love them!

Who is RQA?

Retail Quality Assurance

@Dino29 wrote:

Who is RQA?

How do you register with them? I did not see on the website where one can sign up.

It's under "jobs". [www.rqa-inc.com] and you just click the apply button to get started. They background check so there is a lot of information and a wait involved.

I did remember a "con" about RQA, though it's pretty minor. If you do one of their consumer complaint projects where you go pick up a product from a consumer residence to ship to the client for evaluation, the guidelines are very outdated. They still show filling out the old fashioned airbills by hand in the guidelines, whereas FedEx hasn't used those in maybe 7 or 8 years? Maybe longer. But still, a pretty minor thing for as good as everything else generally works with them. Also now that they have the app a few other things in the guidelines are no longer pertient.

To @Jusa,
I have worked for RQA on countless jobs for over 25 years. I still use the paper airbills. I have several of them on the counter downstairs in my home along with my other mailing/shipping supplies, and I believe that I replenished my supply just a few months ago by picking up some paper airbills at a local FedEx store. I used one just last month when shipping an item to Food Forensics. It worked like a charm, and you don't have to stand in line at the FedEx store to ship something. All you have to do is drop it in a FedEx dropbox.
You are correct, though. The guidelines for filling out the paper airbill are for a previous generation of paper airbills.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/2025 06:42PM by teacherguy.

To @BarefootBliss,
After signing up with RQA you should probably head over and do the same with Sedgwick. They also do product withdrawl projects at the store level and consumer retrievals just like RQA does.

In my area, Sedgwick's usual rate is 17% less than RQA's usual rate. And they rarely have anything.

@teacherguy wrote:

To @Jusa,
I have worked for RQA on countless jobs for over 25 years. I still use the paper airbills. I have several of them on the counter downstairs in my home along with my other mailing/shipping supplies, and I believe that I replenished my supply just a few months ago by picking up some paper airbills at a local FedEx store. I used one just last month when shipping an item to Food Forensics. It worked like a charm, and you don't have to stand in line at the FedEx store to ship something. All you have to do is drop it in a FedEx dropbox.
You are correct, though. The guidelines for filling out the paper airbill are for a previous generation of paper airbills.

Oh, I've only been with them for 19 years. But I generally have the airbill sent to me as an email attachment. I print it out and attach it to the box, then call FedEx to schedule a pickup. I don't even have to leave the house. That works like a charm, too.

I've forged great relationships with a few supervisors over the years. I have Tom and Carissa's personal cell phone numbers and if I ever get in a jam on a project, I can bypass calling the general Retrieve department and get help right away. Like when they sent me on a 3-day road trip to West Virginia and I had a few issues, or the time they flew me to Texas (5 days) for a project and I ran into a problem at a store there.

Pretty much got it figured out, but thanks though!

@teacherguy wrote:

To @BarefootBliss,
After signing up with RQA you should probably head over and do the same with Sedgwick. They also do product withdrawl projects at the store level and consumer retrievals just like RQA does.

So you remember that the RQA recall department formed in 2005 or 2006 and that Tom, Carissa, and the other higher ups all used to be at Stericycle (now called Sedgwick)?

Sedgwick's starting pay is a lot less than RQA. I've gotten several raises over the years with both companies but still make a lot more with RQA.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2025 06:08AM by Jusa.

To @Jusa
Yes I remember the RQA/Stericycle era. The sale to Stericycle, and the resurrection and creation of RQA 2.0, and the lawsuit over the Servicemanager and whatever else was in the lawsuit. I wish i could access someone that knows all of the details of the story and timeline, but then again maybe I should be doing something constructive! Cheers.

Is anyone doing their lighter project? Pay is $10 and it doesn't say anything about mileage.

@LindaS wrote:

Is anyone doing their lighter project? Pay is $10 and it doesn't say anything about mileage.

I did 10 and stopped. There are soooo many more available but there are other jobs, just as easy, paying more. No mileage on this project. I did only the ones in my town. I still have lighters to ship back and I still have not been paid for the first 10 stores that I completed 2 weeks ago. Actually, it is not even approved as of yet.

I didn't love this one, the liquor stores don't even sell lighters by me as I have learned. So I had to walk in, browse for a minute, ask about a lighter, got looked at weird, and then left. Tried to take a discreet pic of the counter so they believed me. Only 4 were smoke shops that I was able to make a purchase of lighters.

Just a weird little job. I may do more if I have nothing else to do but for now, pass.

@Datagirl wrote:

@LindaS wrote:

Is anyone doing their lighter project? Pay is $10 and it doesn't say anything about mileage.

I did 10 and stopped. There are soooo many more available but there are other jobs, just as easy, paying more. No mileage on this project. I did only the ones in my town. I still have lighters to ship back and I still have not been paid for the first 10 stores that I completed 2 weeks ago. Actually, it is not even approved as of yet.

I didn't love this one, the liquor stores don't even sell lighters by me as I have learned. So I had to walk in, browse for a minute, ask about a lighter, got looked at weird, and then left. Tried to take a discreet pic of the counter so they believed me. Only 4 were smoke shops that I was able to make a purchase of lighters.

Just a weird little job. I may do more if I have nothing else to do but for now, pass.

Datagirl thank you for your detailed reply. It helped me decide... I'll pass on this one.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2025 01:51PM by LindaS.

I just find RQA clunky. I may be doing something wrong, but I don't see where I can search for jobs in the app, but then have to use the app to complete. It always takes me a fair amount of time to figure out the paperwork, but I've only been doing a few jobs here and there. I do think they are fairly easy, but still, more paperwork to fill out an invoice for pay as well.

@nellybean212 wrote:

I just find RQA clunky. I may be doing something wrong, but I don't see where I can search for jobs in the app, but then have to use the app to complete. It always takes me a fair amount of time to figure out the paperwork, but I've only been doing a few jobs here and there. I do think they are fairly easy, but still, more paperwork to fill out an invoice for pay as well.

Their app is cluncky for sure and in my opinion, when doing a job, the steps are out of order. I usually use the website to look for jobs but they send out emails ahead of time anyhow, usually a day or two before the project starts. I like them as a company, I don't often like some of the recall jobs, especially the one at large supermarkets. Hate tracking down managers and getting into the back room. Too much walking, too much work.

@nellybean212 wrote:

I just find RQA clunky. I may be doing something wrong, but I don't see where I can search for jobs in the app, but then have to use the app to complete. It always takes me a fair amount of time to figure out the paperwork, but I've only been doing a few jobs here and there. I do think they are fairly easy, but still, more paperwork to fill out an invoice for pay as well.

Yes, the app is a bit clunky for job search, so I always use my desktop or laptop to enter the portal to look for locations--but I have been with them far longer than they have had that app, so that's how I have always done it (well before the portal they had something called service manager but that was quite some time ago). Anyway, I bill for all administrative time, including time it takes to read instructions, print paperwork, communications (emails and phone calls) with RQA, figuring out routes, searching for hotels if conducting a road trip, and entering expenses if I am doing an hourly project. If you aren't billing for all of your time spent on an hourly project than you are losing money.

@Datagirl wrote:

@LindaS wrote:

Is anyone doing their lighter project? Pay is $10 and it doesn't say anything about mileage.

I did 10 and stopped. There are soooo many more available but there are other jobs, just as easy, paying more. No mileage on this project. I did only the ones in my town. I still have lighters to ship back and I still have not been paid for the first 10 stores that I completed 2 weeks ago. Actually, it is not even approved as of yet.

I didn't love this one, the liquor stores don't even sell lighters by me as I have learned. So I had to walk in, browse for a minute, ask about a lighter, got looked at weird, and then left. Tried to take a discreet pic of the counter so they believed me. Only 4 were smoke shops that I was able to make a purchase of lighters.

Just a weird little job. I may do more if I have nothing else to do but for now, pass.

Yeah I passed on this one too. In fact, Stephanie called me this morning and said there was a project "in my area" and I kinda chuckled and said, "Oh yeah, that thing. Did it go to hourly yet?" She said that it had not and it was still at a flat rate of $10 per location with no mileage. I explained that the locations were not "in my area" and the closest was over an hour away. I said if the rate changed to hourly plus mileage to let me know and I would do them.

Even if these stores were in my city I wouldn't do them for that rate. With drive time it comes out far less than minimum wage. No thanks!

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Product Retrievals RE: a recall

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