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Ideas from recent threads and a question

August 16, 2025 02:03PM
The ideas: You may know, from experience or reading here, that some asignments have been here one moment and gone the next. Some of you are route shoppers or can fathom the planning that is needed for lucrative work days.

The question: How do you salvage your profitability when your carefully planned work evaporates? Do you (gasp!) fill in with something low-paying that you can add on the fly? Do you have some tax-time benefit for when this happens? ??? ?????

My garden in England is full of eating-out places, for heat waves, warm September evenings, or lunch on a chilly Christmas morning. (Mary Quant)
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August 16, 2025 02:32PM
From my engineering / business degrees, I rely on Return On Investment (ROI) knowledge to to make these decisions. I CAN'T make the numbers work for route shopping; taking into account the planning, the vehicle mileage, maintenance, and low shop fees / reimbursements. I CAN make shops work where I normally drive by on a periodic basis and where I might use a particular product or service.

For me, mystery shopping isn't a real profitable endeavor. It is a cost avoidance activity like using digital coupons. I'm in it for the low effort reward, not earned income.

I guess it's like marriage. There's an economy of scale for two people living in the same household along with benefits. Of course, like selecting mystery shops, not selecting an appropriate housemate can lead to a costly separation / divorce.

It pays to select and plan accordingly!
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August 16, 2025 03:11PM
First, never plan a route that you can't at least break even on if some of the anticipated work doesn't pan out. Second, if the work you rely on in general goes away indefinitely, a combination of some lower paying stuff to fill in the gaps, concentrating more heavily on the projects still available to you, and maybe looking for a different line of work.
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August 16, 2025 04:55PM
Never had jobs fall out with no notice on a road trip before. I have had jobs I missed and did not realize until I was too far away to be able to backtrack.

I know if I set up a multi day road trip and stuff started disappearing, I would be pissed and certainly hold that against the MSC.
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August 16, 2025 10:13PM
I usually have one or two of the jobs I am routing with that mostly pays for the route fully. Then, I will add as many quick and simple jobs everywhere I can pack them in. If one big job drops, I still have the little jobs that will fill in. I love jobs that give me free gas. Free gas is like gold to me. Free gas, free food, snacks, etc. helps pays the route, too.

Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.
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August 16, 2025 10:46PM
When Maritz was an MSC, routing was profitable for me, with all of the jobs completed in category 1: Money. As the yrs. have rolled by and the business, for me, has significantly changed, the overwhelming number of shops are category 3: The defrayment of travel expenses. If a cancellation were to occur, I can not conceive how it would have any effect upon my business.
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August 19, 2025 02:52PM
Well, I think it's fair to go back to the company to try and negotiate a higher rate for the locations you still have.

Depending on where I'm heading, I may pick up some quick/easy things to keep the route profitable.

If I still wouldn't be able to wrangle a profit, I may be inclined to cancel the whole route, but that depends on my financial situation as well. I would be leery to plan a route with that company again and pursue work with other companies.
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August 25, 2025 07:21PM
As I have been reading all the comments on "route shopping", I completely agree - it has to work for you, it has to be realistic, and it has to work for the ROI. With that in mind, I'd like to offer up one suggestion that is currently available via SQM which could help in the process of route shopping. SQM offers over 750 budget style hotel properties all across the continental USA. The deal is somewhat unique in that the program offers 1, 2, 3 or 4 night stays, with a 50% reimbursement on room and tax, in return for completing only 1 hour worth of work. Many locations include a free breakfast. Locals would not do this as the WIFM isn't a full reimbursement, but if you have to pay for your accommodations (either out of pocket) or reimbursed through the primary program, then this could either reduce your costs, or be gravy to the reimbursement from the primary program. Multiple days of stay, allow you to make it a base for a few days before heading on down the road to the next set of opportunities on the route. Not for everyone, but potentially a game-changer when doing route shopping. Visit www.sqm.ca to sign up or email travel@sqm.ca
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August 26, 2025 12:41AM
@sqmcraiger wrote:

As I have been reading all the comments on "route shopping", I completely agree - it has to work for you, it has to be realistic, and it has to work for the ROI. With that in mind, I'd like to offer up one suggestion that is currently available via SQM which could help in the process of route shopping. SQM offers over 750 budget style hotel properties all across the continental USA. The deal is somewhat unique in that the program offers 1, 2, 3 or 4 night stays, with a 50% reimbursement on room and tax, in return for completing only 1 hour worth of work. Many locations include a free breakfast. Locals would not do this as the WIFM isn't a full reimbursement, but if you have to pay for your accommodations (either out of pocket) or reimbursed through the primary program, then this could either reduce your costs, or be gravy to the reimbursement from the primary program. Multiple days of stay, allow you to make it a base for a few days before heading on down the road to the next set of opportunities on the route. Not for everyone, but potentially a game-changer when doing route shopping. Visit www.sqm.ca to sign up or email travel@sqm.ca

Sorry sir. I would not stay at that brand if I had a voucher for a free night and no report.
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