looking for a grea5 place to mystery shop?

We here at A Closer Look still have hundreds of great shoos to fill for April. And we just started posting jobs for May!

We are needing LOTS of shoppers to cover our fine dining, casual dining, automotive, child care, children’s entertainment, movie theaters, fast food shops, and so many more!

Do you have what it takes to accomplish these shops? If so, we need you! Contact me at Donna,crabtree@a-closer-look,com for expedited processing!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2018 02:59PM by Djcrabtree.

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Good Morning!

I can only speak for my own little corner of the world, but with the economy in Washington doing very well, fewer folks are looking for extra work, which makes mystery shopping less attractive. I am finding that there are more shops available than ever and that I have the opportunity to pick and choose the shops (and compensation!) most appealing to me. I did a shop last night, for instance, at $60 that I would have been thrilled to do at $45 three months ago. I had a conversation with a representative of that MSC the other day and s/he shared that they were down to only four five shoppers in my region and were having a terrible time getting shops filled that used to fly of the job board.

I am not currently registered with ACL, so I can't speak to the fees you offer. However, if unemployment continues to go down and if wages start to go up, MSC's might need to find a way to offer higher compensation to their shoppers.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

The pay for shopping has been the same for the last 10 years. Just to give a free meal isn't enough for the busy schedules society has today. Include the bonus money into the initial posting and you might get more shoppers.

Thanks! We try, but bonus money isn’t always available. We try to use premium shops as a reward, as well!

Thanks for this info. I will pass this on! Great reply!

How much shops do you have for NM, AZ, CO, and UT?

I've been shopping for 10 years and have now gotten to the point where I don't accept one until the bonus has been put on, otherwise it's not worth my time. It's the same with the grocery shops. It's not enough to just reimburse a small portion, there is a LOT of time involved in submitting the information. The survey's have only grown over the years as well along with the expectations. They may need to take a look at their profit margin and make a decision if it's better to go out of business due to lack of shoppers or is it better to take a smaller profit. Spending 1 1/2 hrs. entering a shop is not worth the $35 reimbursement. If you calculate it out the time of the shop and entering it, a shopper ends up often times making less then the Federal Min. wage. Just Sayin.

In my area, your grocery store shop has more requirements and 25% less pay that the previous company. It was a good filler at the initial rate and requirements; now, not so much. The nicer restaurants are still well worth it, but those are still flying off the board here. ACL is consistently a good company to shop for.

MFJ's comments are spot on. It's a competitive industry on all sides. Right now, you're having to compete with MSCs eager to snag completion bonuses and willing to do what they have to to get them.

Best of luck.

"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams

Too many to count! Lol! If you are interested in joining, please email me at Donna.crabtree@a-closer-look.com! We have well over 400.

True! I am a shopper, as well as a Scheduler. That’s why I try to us3 the higher end shopsinstead of a bonus. I prefer to do those shops as opposed to a bonus. You might let your Scheduler know which of those shops you are interested in, and that you’re interested in doing a hard to fill shop in exchange.

Are you aware that this tactic is a sore subject for many of us? After we have already proven ourselves as thorough, reliable shoppers, we do not appreciate being asked to take a dud shop in order to get the priviledge of doing the shop we wanted. For me personally, dud shops have requirements worth considerably more than the fee given or merely "pay" with a gift card for another visit.

There are few shops ACL offers that entice me to do them just for reimbursement. Most MSCs are able to find the sweet spot of enough bonus money to find a willing shopper. I have actually set up a filter for my ACL scheduler to send her MANY emails straight to a folder that I don't read. It's too bad because ACL could be one of my favorite companies with a few tweaks. I can't think of a MSC with nicer people or that works as hard to get your shop accepted.

@Djcrabtree wrote:

You might let your Scheduler know which of those shops you are interested in, and that you’re interested in doing a hard to fill shop in exchange.

Amen, Threemom!

Are you only working in the USA? I'm an expat in Hungary and would be willing to go to surrounding countries in Europe. Retired and don't want to get bored. If anyone has suggestions of companies that do work in Europe - please shout in my direction. Thanks.

I just received this email from your company:

Thank you for taking the time to apply with us. Unfortunately, we have no current opportunities that are available for you. From time to time, as we add clients and locations, opportunities will open up. We will retain your information and contact you if such an opportunity presents itself.

I can't speak for anybody else, but....

If the "compensation" for doing a shop is to be assigned another shop, I am not interested. I shop in order to augment my salary from my full time work, not for the sake of the shopping itself. I can't imagine how any shop could be so "premium" as to entice me into doing a shop that I see as poorly compensated? I would rather two two good shops for other companies.

I can understand how bonus money isn't available. Contracts with clients only allow for some much to be spent on shoppers before the contract is no longer profitable for the MSC. My point is that, as the economy is strong (and clients become more profitable), more folks have jobs and are seeing pay raises. In order to attract and retain shoppers, MSC's will have to find a way to better compensate them. This might mean demanding more from clients when entering into contracts.

@Djcrabtree wrote:

Thanks! We try, but bonus money isn’t always available. We try to use premium shops as a reward, as well!

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

@Lstockwell I just received the same message a few days ago!

Using coveted shops as bribes to get ones we do not want done is a really nasty business. If anything, the coveted shops should regularly go to your top performing shoppers.

It is up to ACL to negotiate with its clients to be able to pay the shoppers what it takes to attract good shoppers for every shop! If bonuses are "not possible" that is a management problem that ACL needs to resolve with its clients.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

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