Number one pet peeve as a mystery shopper...

Hi all...one of the shops that I had today was 10 dollars pay plus a 3 dollar reimbursement..suppossed to be a quick in and out shop..try on shoes..see if associate attempts to upsell....I wasn't familiar with the store so I was not aware of the pricing. The client states for this shop you are required to purchase something to show proof you were there..After I try on the shoes, I'm looking around for anything that's 3 dollars or under...cheapest thing I can find costs 18 dollars..I finally found socks that cost 10...so this brings me to my number one pet peeve from the client...

I don't mind reimbursement shops but tell me upfront if the reimbursement itself that is offered won't cover the cost of the entire purchase...it just annoys me to no end for some reason, especially when I'm suprised with it once I'm in the store...

Shopping Idaho and Oregon/Idaho border region.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2018 12:56AM by dawnhu.

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My #1 pet peeve which happened today is shopping a big box, taking pic of outside, showing address, business card and appliance, then you have to buy an item for one dollar. I don't eat candy, all drinks are too sugary and cost 1.89, nothing for 1.00, even water is 2.49.....come on, give a decent reimbursement, you don't need a receipt, the address is on the outside of building, the address again on the card, pictures of appliances.......burns me up.

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2018 01:28AM by Irene_L.A..

The number one pet peeve... You mean besides how new threads are constantly created on this forum which duplicate other threads on the same topics (such as the topic of this thread)?

So here is the list again...

Editors who have a poor command of English.
Schedulers who whine.
Guidelines which aren't clear.
MSCs which offer less than professional fees.
Shoppers who accept less than professional fees.

Shoppers that need the money, are welcome in my book to accept whatever they want, because someone will....
Don't think prices will go up due to low fee's, the nature of this business is to hire anyone to keep the fee's low. Working for good companies that treat shoppers fairly is what most seasoned shoppers do, so let the newbies have the low fee's...it shouldn't bother anyone.

Live consciously....

This just happened to me.....QC questioned me about why I stated there was no bathroom in a common drive up and park burger place. Ummmm welllllll there is not sign that said there is a restroom at all. Some of the places have signs and some don't. I wrote back and said there are two doors and because the restroom is not marked they should not be called public restrooms if you have to go search for them in the interior of the place (where people are not supposed to be anyway). So frustrating. I took the rest of those jobs off permanently because they don't pay well and the burgers are crap.

My #1 pet peeve is the bathroom evaluation, especially if you go into the bathroom after someone has just destroyed it. Nothing worse than having to take a picture of someone's hot snake hanging off of the commode.

Yuck.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2018 03:15PM by Eric in Tampa.

Schedule/editor questions like, "Why did you say you shopped on the 25th when the receipt shows you were there on the 24yh?" Because, as I stated twice in the report the receipt date was not only wrong, but also for a date when that facility was not even open, according to your assignment sheet. In other words,if I say/do something that needs clarification, ask for clarification, don't just ask, "Why did you screw up?"

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.

Pet peeve #1: Not getting paid for shops you correctly completed in a timely fashion!

#burntoutinthebigapple

You will soon learn which shops you like and which shops to avoid! I just did 2 shops back to back at Barneys for different departments. I know everything there is expensive so when I saw the reimbursement was for $100 I thought surely I can find something there for under $100 in the correct departments that proved to be very hard! I ended up spending $137 after taxes today. This weekend I ended up spending $93 on a pair of hosiery!!! SERIOUSLY a pair of tights for $93 after taxes!

LOL. I love Barney's and will only shop sales and it's difficult not to overspend. I did the one for the women's Dept. As I have purchased T's there before for DD's. Got one for just about a $100. Wanted to apply for shoe Dept. But knew $100 would get me no where. This was a first for me. Can't wait to do it again.

@Madetoshop There is a pretty good sale right now extra 35% off sale prices but not a single pair of shoes in that range!!!

Any shop that doesn't reimburse enough. I do not want to pay anything extra. I am not doing this to have coupons or discounted stuff I do not need or want to eat.

@Msaddict..exactly.sometimes I want coupons or discounts but let me make that decision...this is why I get so annoyed when I'm suprised with a reimbursement that won't cover the entire purchase..once I'm at the shop....I just feel so duped when it happens....and you might get me once being underhanded like that but I won't be doing any more shops with you after that..As a shopper we are expected to always be honest and I expect the same of the client...

Shopping Idaho and Oregon/Idaho border region.

Thank you!! my thoughts exactly! My goodness, sometimes I am so desperate for money I will take $4 shop that takes an hour. Life of a single mom is HARD!!! LOL

Are you taking as many phone/online shops as you can get? Every little bit helps.

@jillie715 wrote:

Thank you!! my thoughts exactly! My goodness, sometimes I am so desperate for money I will take $4 shop that takes an hour. Life of a single mom is HARD!!! LOL

I have a question about conflicting guidelines or something that materially affects the assignment. I email the scheduler. Crickets. I email again the next day. Crickets. I email a third time, include a request for an extension because now I'm nearing the due date. Crickets. The day AFTER it was due, I get a reply that gives no answers, just asks if I did the shop.

Often there are phonecalls to "full" voicemails and text messages unanswered as well.

Having been burned one time too many by the wrong "guess" I refuse to shop without clarification when it's a major discrepancy.

And don't get me started on merchandising assignments where I never received the pop/irc/whatever!!

I take everything I can get, but have yet to venture into online and phone shps. I know they are probably great to do in my free time (what little I do have) lol. but they make me kinda nervous. I dont know why.

So after all my griping about this shop..turns out I ended up doing this shop wrong and won't get paid.I was suppossed to browse for 5 minutes and approach the associate if not approached by them. While in store I misremembered and thought I was not suppossed to approach the associate..They did let me know I could redo the shop if I wanted but didn't have to. I feel like since it was my error, I have to reshop it even if it's only a couple bucks profit after the required purchase is considered. It was tempting though to just take the loss and not bother with it again, but this is my first shop with this company and would like to do more shops with them

Shopping Idaho and Oregon/Idaho border region.

Your willingness to re-shop will show the MSC you are willing to do your part. It may provide bigger benefits for you in the future.

Dawn, it's something we have all done at one point or another. Some of us have retracked a good distance to reshop something we messed up, especially if the MSC was on a deadline. Kudos to you.

My pet peeve: telling posters that said topic has been discussed many times before in tbe forum. If new threads were not started, there would be nine threads with 400 posts. No one wants to muddle through that.

@Rousseau wrote:

The number one pet peeve... You mean besides how new threads are constantly created on this forum which duplicate other threads on the same topics (such as the topic of this thread)?

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

I did a weekly shop at a grocery store where I had to count certain items. There was a mandatory purchase to prove what time you were there. It reimbursed $1. That was fine since I usually bought chili powder or a piece of fruit. Until I bought my mattress from there.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2018 08:58AM by HonnyBrown.

My pet peeve: guideline requirements that make shoppers stand out:

Ordering a hot barista drink on a thousand degree afternoon;

Taking pictures in a gas station convenience store;

Feel free to add more.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Having to stand in line (after your evaluation) to buy a $1.00 something, although nothing is ever one dollar. Spending $3.00 because a water cost 2.49+tax, and getting reimbursed the one dollar....supposedly so the receipt has the address on it, however, (not through yet), we take a picture of the outside with address there, get pictures of item we are evaluating and business card or brochure. These wealthy big box stores are making out like mad with shoppers all over the country doing this.

Live consciously....

Hey there, jillie715 - To make it a little easier you can try these tips:
phone shops - Read the guidelines ahead of time and also have the instructions open & on your computer screen while you're making the call. Practice in your head what you're going to say.
online shops - Again read guidelines ahead on time, keep a browser open so you can be sure to hit all the bullet points as you go along. Practice taking screen shots if you don't know how. Have fun.

I'm sick of the fake restrictions: This shop can ONLY beformed Sunda through Saturday, 12am-11:59pm."

Why is that necessary? Some guidelines say "Anytime the store is open." What's wrong with that?

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Schedulers who post jobs that have misleading titles or don't list locations in the subject....just saw one posted for "your local store"...sounds like a regional or national shop, right? WRONG. It was for a single store location.

"We have shops in your area..." that turn out to be over 200 miles away.

Well, I order my hot latte on a blazing hot afternoon any day! I know its crazy, but it is my comfort thing. My baristas know it and start fixing it as soon as they see me. So there are super weird people out there that do odd things like that (me) lol.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

My pet peeve: guideline requirements that make shoppers stand out:

Ordering a hot barista drink on a thousand degree afternoon;

Taking pictures in a gas station convenience store;

Feel free to add more.

Stating "self-assign" easy fun job, and when you try to self-assign, your denied.....

Live consciously....

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Number one pet peeve as a mystery shopper...

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