Is anyone here going?

Do you feel that it is worth the money to go?

Will it enhance my Mystery Shopping career?

I'm thinking if there's "people" at the conference whom we can meet and then they get to know us, that could mean more jobs and personal attention because we've met.

Am I thinking this through right? Am I missing something?

I wouldn't have to fly to Vegas. I live about 200 miles from there. I'd just drive up.

If you would like to get out and socialize with other Shoppers, this would be a good opportunity to do so. I don't think its worth the money. "Personal Attention", is gained by being a reliable shopper who will go the extra mile when a company needs help. Compensated extra mile, that is...

There are many other post about this subject, including one from "stevesocal" who was originally working with "those folks." If you want to find people supportive of that, your best bet is to go to "violation", and its forums. Our folks are not very supportive of asking shoppers to part with money for any reason, most especially when it only feeds the egos and the pockets of OTHER SHOPPERS, such as those starting the IMSC with the goals of making a profit. YMMV. You now know where to go for info that varies from ours.

So, I have to ask, WHY PAY TO SHOP?

If you want to do so, go for it. But go there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2010 12:43PM by dee shops.

I don't think it's worth the money and won't be going. If you are close and want to do it, and you don't have to fly, it might be fun to meet other shoppers. I don't think it will enhance a career, except maybe to energize you after meeting with other shoppers. It would be a chance to socialize with shoppers, maybe compare notes on companies and issues, and Vegas would certainly be fun.

I wouldn't be going even if it were 20 miles from me. I'm a secret shopper

Forums are an interesting phenomenon because we do get to know other shoppers pretty well. Inevitably the notion arises to get together with your buddies. Over the years I have managed to get together with my shopper friends when I was out travelling and it has been great. I look forward to an opportunity to get together with a few folks and hopefully we can arrange a bar/dinner shop for the occasion. Discuss shops? I think not! We already pick each others' brains on forums. It is rather life, the universe, kids and idiots that would be the likely source of conversation

That desire to get together with shopper buddies from Volition was the initial focus of that convention last year. In order to get the way paid, etc. it quickly became a conference trying to drag in everyone else to help with the bills while the entertainment factor of Vegas was the focal point. Not my crowd as I am not an avid denizen of Volition.

Would I go anticipating there is much to learn? No. Would I go because this is a crew I really want to put a face to a moniker? No. Is this a group I would want to head for the bar and bend an elbow with? No. So would I consider going? Nope. But I may head for HI or NC or VA to meet up with some specific shopper friends. Is this because I know all there is to know? Of coruse not. But I am very selective in where I buy my education.

Hey Flash, did ya buy your ticket to the free shopper's conference in Waikiki yet? The one on the beach me and Steve are having? :-)

Depends on the quality of the bar . . . no umbrella drinks . . . close enough to a McD so we can stagger in there for breakfast with that fresh pineapple

The proposed subject of the Waikiki conference will be, "How to look natural at the luau while not drinking alcohol," so you may be required to put an umbrella in your complimentary glass of water, Flash :^)

LOL.

That hardly sounds like a topic of interest. Perhaps "How to write a coherent narrative after 2 drinks each in 3 hotel bars plus a bottle of wine with dinner" would be more appropriate.

The guidelines would surely state that before entering the report, you must close one eye.

We will do both of those, plus my own topic of
"How to report and get paid for those shops you should have done but had a Mai Tai then went surfing instead...'



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2010 04:32AM by dee shops.

...and let's not forget, "How to photoshop the extra wine bottles out of your hotel shop photos."

Good one! I'm down for being instructor for that, seeing as I teach Photoshop.
And we could add a section on doing masking in non-linear video editing, for the same sort of purposes, for those video shops. :-)

Mert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The guidelines would surely state that before
> entering the report, you must close one eye.


Good one, Mert! You forgot, "...and keep it closed during the entire time you are reporting."

:-)

I plan on going to this conference. I went last year and it was extremely beneficial for me. I met some of the companies’ reps that hire us and schedulers. From them I got more and better paying job assignments. I met and became friends with a lot of shoppers and we were able to recommend each other when a job was offered at a different state than ours. I also learned a few tricks of the trade which allowed me to consistently get a 10 on my reports. Overall it was a very positive experience and I am so looking forward to the conference in August.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Forums are an interesting phenomenon because we do
> get to know other shoppers pretty well.

Oh yeah. Sharing experiences and chatting it up with each other equates to acquaintance and a familiarity.
>
> Would I go anticipating there is much to learn?
> No. Would I go because this is a crew I really
> want to put a face to a moniker? No. Is this a
> group I would want to head for the bar and bend an
> elbow with? No. So would I consider going?
> Nope. But I may head for HI or NC or VA to meet
> up with some specific shopper friends. Is this
> because I know all there is to know? Of coruse
> not. But I am very selective in where I buy my
> education.

Agreed. I've been shopping a while, but continue to read so I hear other points of view and experiences, and share when I can.

Sibylle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I plan on going to this conference. I went last
> year and it was extremely beneficial for me. I met
> some of the companies’ reps that hire us and
> schedulers. From them I got more and better paying
> job assignments. I met and became friends with a
> lot of shoppers and we were able to recommend each
> other when a job was offered at a different state
> than ours. I also learned a few tricks of the
> trade which allowed me to consistently get a 10 on
> my reports. Overall it was a very positive
> experience and I am so looking forward to the
> conference in August.

It's nice that it worked out for you. Like many others here, I do not pay to shop. Also, as a college instructor, the credentials of those who are providing "education" are highly important to me when I look at spending money on any educational endeavor. If it worked for you, great.

I wonder though...How long have you been shopping? How many shops did you apply for each month? How many companies were you registered with before the conference? What kinds of shops did you do before attending? Had you been doing extensive narrative reports previous to your attendance? What kinds of shops are now different since then? Do the new ones pay way more than they do for the average shopper who already works for more generous firms than CoRI or MFI gets per shop? Ae they video shops now? Did the schedulers who you now get assignments with ignore your requests for shops previously, or are they with companies that you never registered with and/or never requested shops from before the convention?

I am going too.

Well, I guess we should all sign up then.

Iam going too.

You and your "evil twin"? Or you just didn't realize that you already told us this exactly an hour and four minutes earlier, rolm?

For me, just the thought of getting to meet rolm would be enough to pay out my money. Imagine! The IMSC organizers and you all in one place.

Gives me goosebumps thinking about it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2010 06:53PM by dee shops.

Hey rolm. Bring your mother with you too. Just remember they have leash laws...

I of course agree with Steve, Dee and the rest.....to listen to the Narrater's teen daughter speak of shopping (last year) doesn't float my boat....95% of speakers last year were shoppers, I know what they know, total ripoff, and the hotel they choose wouldn't be approperate for my dog. I say nay, go to Vegas for a good time, spend your money on a great show and dinner...some of the best restaurants in the world are there, enjoy!!

Dee, no need to be nasty. My posts were not showing up.My mother is long dead. Real nice group of people here. All I said was I was going and you go so far as to trash my dead mother.

I am not sure what a narrater is, but I looked at the speaker list from last year on the other forum and all of those people were adults. And the speaker list was impressive. They are company owners, schedulers and some shoppers. Nice mix. Nice too that it wasn't all companies and some group cares about what shoppers have to say.

rolm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dee, no need to be nasty. My posts were not
> showing up.My mother is long dead. Real nice group
> of people here. All I said was I was going and you
> go so far as to trash my dead mother.
>
> I am not sure what a narrater is, but I looked at
> the speaker list from last year on the other forum
> and all of those people were adults. And the
> speaker list was impressive. They are company
> owners, schedulers and some shoppers. Nice mix.
> Nice too that it wasn't all companies and some
> group cares about what shoppers have to say.

I wasn't nasty. I said the thought of meeting you and the IMSC people gave me goosebumps.

Just so we are clear rolm. dee is not the nasty one, I am!

OK. Send me gas money and I'll go meet you too. Its been a long time since I had goose bumps...

The issue as I see it is that in the majority of markets there is not adequate work to be a mystery shopper full time without travelling excessively.

I have a good enough reputation with companies that I see their better jobs and am accepted for virtually anything I request. No amount of certifications or conferences or similar is going to change the reality that the fees for jobs in my market are absurdly low. If they pay more, it is for enough more work that it once again becomes absurdly low.

So what is the point of paying out money for the certifications or conferences? I think most shoppers have figured this out, which was why the MSPA went to selling their certifications on CD rather than continue having their own Gold conferences for shoppers. Once they put together the CD, they could sell them profitably with little or no additional expense.

So just how many shops would you need to do to fly to Vegas, stay in a hotel, pay fees for a conference and meals on the road? Even if the presenters and presentations were highly professional and useful, they would not change what jobs are available in the market. And there is the disconnect. And that is why this forum attempts to provide help and assistance to other shoppers. There is no justification to pick the pockets of your fellow shoppers!

Mrcomputer, yes you are nasty too. Congrats to you, I guess.

Anyway, some other people from here have pm'd they are going too, so I will keep my gas money and maybe buy them a drink.