I intend this to be a place where we can respect each other and our profession. I am hearing a lot about people being dropped or treated badly by MCS. I think that people are spending too much energy stessing about this. We need to understand w/o shoppers there is no Mystery Shopping Industry.400 or more companies out there. Please let us stand up for ourselves and recognize our worth.

Step one in having our voices heard is making companies PAY (not the "Muahahahaha you'll PAY for this" way but the hand out, "Work's done, pay up, sucker" way). I've only been here a few weeks but don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of posts I've read where someone has waited a month, 2 months....7 months(!) to get paid. I've already signed up for 32 companies. If any one of them stalls on paying to an unreasonable degree (and as yet that degree is sort of "know it when I see it" I will hit them with my legal version of Thor's Hammer; certified letter, demand for payment, civil suit. Am I going to worry about losing a potential source of income? Nope. Chances are that source of income is on the verge of drying up anyway. I may as well have it dry up on MY terms, before I CAN'T get paid any longer (read: MSC bankruptcy). Either way I'll fill in the work with more from the other 31 companies. Or sign up with 5 more. There seems to be a lot of work out there....

The TL;DR is this: Be respectful of your business relationship with MSCs but fight for your rights in no uncertain terms. That's the unified front the MSCs need to see from the thousands of individuals doing this work.

Somnetime it is hard to respect a person when they do not respect anyone or anything. It is very easy to tell if a person is respectful or not. The first words out of their mouth will tell you usually and most of time uncalled for, in my opinion.

MS companies are the same in regards to respect. If they respect their shoppers their shoppers will respect them. The working relationship usually is good. A lot of times if a shopper gets an attitude with the company then the company will get an attitude with them. It goes the other way if the company get an attitude first or starts with an attitude. A lot of companies have a statement that threatens to drop a shopper if they do this, this and this then don't sign up for them. If a company sends a shopper an email about a mistake and makes the threat to drop them if it keeps happening and it has only happened once, it is the shppers decision to stay or go. Thing is don't get hung up on being dropped because a warning was sent. Problem is the MSC does not have enough respect for the shpper to tell them what the infracion is. They do not want to be argued with. Beside that there are a lot of shoppers out there that will do the job that was rejected for a lot less.

We are ICs and free to work at will. On the other hand companies are free to drop us at will. If you get dropped go to another company there are a lot of them out there. It is hard at first to try to figure out what was done to get dropped but the bottom line is somebody go dropped but life goes on.

It is an idividual decision who each shopper will shop for and why. The problem is getting some companies to become respectful when they have never been. Nine times out of ten they think they have respect. Their deal is start out tough with shopper reqruirments and anyone who does not want to adhere to them can just sign up. Sometime it works and sometimes it do not.

I don't believe it's possible to be able to make a difference as a group because we work individually. All of us are alone on the job, and have a one on one relationship with the MSC.

Most of the time, respect and courtesy go both ways. Arrogance and hostility go both ways, too. I've had almost all positive experiences with the MSCs. I've had three experiences I thought were plain wrong at the time and moved on. In retrospect, I believe I did the right thing in one case, and I believe I was mistaken twice. Not a very good average, is it?

While I'm all in favor of respect and being paid as agreed (or at least somewhere close), I'm going on record here as recommending caution on a get tough approach. After we slam a door on an MSC (my, that felt good in the moment), we give up all future opportunities both for making improvements and getting work with that company.

It's important to all of us that we care for and support each other. If we don't, we are truly alone. It's right that we vent our frustrations and share the problems we have with MSCs. That said, I hope we can be careful to actually help one another make things better, and not throw fuel on a fire.

Being Independent Contrators, we are alone. I have given up about 2 or 3 companies and feel good about it...just don't want to deal with their BS, even though "maybe" some day they will change, my life's too short, and others are always waiting in the wing. I have never had a regret not working for an MSC once my decision to leave was made. Grouping as a unit does not work, as many like certain MSC's for their own reasons and others have different reasons for not liking them, wheather the reimbursement works, they want the meal or whatever. I don't believe you can find 10 shoppers that will agree on one shop. We don't take the 5.00 jobs and hope everyone boycotts them, but, that's not the case, there is always another shopper to do what you won't do.
I think we get respect after proving we are respectful, loyal and get our work in on time. That brings you closer to the MSC, and earns their respect..that is about all you can do. This industry is just not controllable, so, boycott what is unfair to you, you always have the choice to accept or decline. Independent Contractors are not unionized, which for me is the reason I do msing, to be my own boss.

Amen...

MDavisnowell Wrote:
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> I don't believe it's possible to be able to make a
> difference as a group because we work
> individually. All of us are alone on the job, and
> have a one on one relationship with the MSC.

This is like saying consumers can't make a difference because they have one on one relationships with the stores at which they shop. I don't think I have to tell you that's not the way it is. The stores all compete for a finite number of shoppers with good deals and good customer service. MSCs have to do the same, the problem occurs when the shoppers, er ICs, determine that the MSCs DON'T have to show up to the table with good deals (e.g. they take the $3 shops) and DON'T have to provide good customer service, which for our terms means a mutually respectful and honest business relationship (e.g. "Oh they didn't pay me and it's been 37 weeks now! I'm going to send an email!!)

If you want to keep thinking the MSCs don't need you, and need US, you'll get what you ask for and have nobody to blame but yourself.

raisitup Wrote:
---------------------------------------------------->
> If you want to keep thinking the MSCs don't need
> you, and need US, you'll get what you ask for and
> have nobody to blame but yourself.

I truly believe the MSCs don't need me. That's how I see my personal situation and it's not a negative issue for me.

I'm happy to share with beginners that I started out with $3.00 shops and now I'm doing OK. Beginners need to understand the realism of this business and they need encouragement.

I do get what I ask for. Members of this forum deserve enormous gratitude and respect for what they've done for me and other beginner shoppers to get us to the point we can get what we ask for. I don't do blame. It doesn't pay well enough.

Just because we work on a contract basis doesn't mean there's no power in numbers. There are large trade associations made up of independent contractors. IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors) and MANA (Manufacturer's Agents National Association) are two of the larger groups.

I agree there is power in numbers that are organized and managed by competent leaders. As a mystery shopper/auditor, I haven't found an organization for me. Until that changes, I have to work as an individual.

While different shopping forums fight amongst themselves there will never be unity, too many opinions and different views. Low paying jobs, while I won't touch anything under 7.00, 15.00 to get me on the freeway...many do them, there is a shopper in my area (newbie) that is grabbing up those shops. Who has the control, tell me and I'll sign up.

Jj care to organise one? Im there

raisitup Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Step one in having our voices heard is making
> companies PAY (not the "Muahahahaha you'll PAY for
> this" way but the hand out, "Work's done, pay up,
> sucker" way). I've only been here a few weeks but
> don't have enough fingers and toes to count the
> number of posts I've read where someone has waited
> a month, 2 months....7 months(!) to get paid.
> I've already signed up for 32 companies. If any
> one of them stalls on paying to an unreasonable
> degree (and as yet that degree is sort of "know it
> when I see it" I will hit them with my legal
> version of Thor's Hammer; certified letter, demand
> for payment, civil suit. Am I going to worry
> about losing a potential source of income? Nope.
> Chances are that source of income is on the verge
> of drying up anyway. I may as well have it dry up
> on MY terms, before I CAN'T get paid any longer
> (read: MSC bankruptcy). Either way I'll fill in
> the work with more from the other 31 companies.
> Or sign up with 5 more. There seems to be a lot
> of work out there....
>
> The TL;DR is this: Be respectful of your business
> relationship with MSCs but fight for your rights
> in no uncertain terms. That's the unified front
> the MSCs need to see from the thousands of
> individuals doing this work.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
That sounds great to bring the MSC to court over a payment, but is it worth it? If I get screwed by an MSC, I would just drop it as there are hundreds of others to work with... Why go to all the aggravation for a lousy $5 or so. I know it's the principle and not the amount.

wellit wouldnt have to be aunion... more of lobbying group... maybe like the nra or AAA