Please help. Am I the only one who spends from 8:30PM- 3:34AM completing the debriefs for these shops? If not please offer me some insight. Much obliged.

Queshette, if you go to "mystery shopping companies" then look under Ellis, you'll find a lot of helpful suggestions there. It helped me a lot - I know I like the shops but HATE the long reports! wjones777 is the expert for advice on working with them!!

queshette Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please help. Am I the only one who spends from
> 8:30PM- 3:34AM completing the debriefs for these
> shops? If not please offer me some insight. Much
> obliged.


queshette,
P.M. me and I will give you some tips on these shops.

EPMS reporting reminds me of A Closer Look, when I first started with them. They felt clumsy and awkward and took way too long. It was frustrating and annoying. Experience with both of them has eased the pain and time involved. Now, I breeze through ACL. EPMS, is much easier also, although their redundancy still hasn't gone away.

Various parts of EPMS reports go to different client departments. Cutting and pasting works for me! Also, many of their video and audio on site shops have shorter, and even some very short, reports.

Thanks everyone for your assistance. I enjoy seeing the different apartment models and communities, but the redundancy and greath length of time sort of made me decide the compensation was not worth the effort. Your help is giving me a better perspective.

wjones777: Thank you so much for your help!!!

queshette Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please help. Am I the only one who spends from
> 8:30PM- 3:34AM completing the debriefs for these
> shops? If not please offer me some insight. Much
> obliged.


At first glance it would seem that you have to heavy a work load. Organize your day. I take a scanner and my laptop with me. I complete the information and forms, scan and send it all in at the "Office Depot" using their free wifi. I place all the scans and info in my outbox, then "send receive". When I go home, I rest.

I use the "next day" air envelopes from Fed Ex to organize my info. You will need a stapler and a staple puller as well. Keep a shoe box for supplies.

Work with no less than 30 companies, and drop the most difficult ones that have time consuming reports for the 5 bucks they want to pay you.

Its not hard. Allow me to encourage you and share that you can do it!!

Don in Vegas

I've gotten into a rhythm doing these reports. The only real criticism I have is that the extra questions about the office and apartment layout, etc. don't print as part of the survey.

I just did two shops for another MSC. Less than half the pay BUT less than a fifth of the questions. The whole time I was taking the tour with the other company, I am looking at carpet colors, trying to take in furnishings, eye color, details, details, details. Not a single question like that. No "who did you see while you were there to confirm that you were there."

avitoots Wrote:
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> I've gotten into a rhythm doing these reports.
> The only real criticism I have is that the extra
> questions about the office and apartment layout,
> etc. don't print as part of the survey.

The drivel reqiested can get tiresome. However, we can always go towards the ones that are more to our liking. I do.

Don

'Who did you see while you were there' can be taken the wrong way. Just as 'videotapes are watching you' might be. However, there is a flip side. The person who I saw while shopping the property can verify my presence. Videotape can prove my report. If challenged, I have backup.

Actually, it's not just "who" you saw that is an acceptable "proof." I have mentioned things like the (now rare) pay phone near the gym, the newly fallen tree near the driveway, the fact that all of the staff was wearing halloween costumes, the birthday party that was taking place in the private dining room, the newly hatched birds in the aviary, and other "noteable" matters, and never been challenged.

You all have given me such insight and encouragement. Thank you so much. I appreciate it much. The workload was only for two Ellis shops. Clearly I was putting too much detail in the reports.
Much success and increase to you all for your time and wisdom.

I have done lots of shops for EPMS. I put a lot of detail into them and never have had one sent back, and I have only received a few questions--such as why I said a leasing agent wasn't dressed professionally. The reports still take a while to complete and that's why I only do the shops near my home--otherwise the extra driving time makes the pay not enough. After you have done a few of them, they definitely get easier.

The other thing about them is they pay on time with direct deposit.

Debbie

queshette Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please help. Am I the only one who spends from
> 8:30PM- 3:34AM completing the debriefs for these
> shops? If not please offer me some insight. Much
> obliged.


I don't kill himself by staying up all night I try to complete half the report one day and I update the shop with a note that I am working to complete the report. That keeps them happy for a short time. I don't try to take advantage but I need my sleep since I don't make enough to work only this job.

EPMS is at least consistent. I have never had a report rejected. I did have an issue with a phone call, but the editor worked it out. Now Remington--that's an MSC I will avoid like the plague.

I have done over 200 apartment shops for Ellis and none of them required a "target agent". I found early on that to plan a day of shopping is impossible when trying to get the "target" on the phone. I had to block out hours each day in case the "target" answered when I called. I just do "shop anyone" now and it makes my life easier. As for the reports, I too gave way to much information at first; then I started giving exactly what they asked for and nothing more. Even with this, it still takes me 1-2 hours to do their reports. I did a couple of audio shops and the report was exactly the same - so no more audio shops. Seems to me if they have the audio, why would I have to repeat the information in great detail in a report?

While I agree that it seems silly to require the same report for audio or video shops as a traditional written shop, I'm not sure why this would make you decide to give up audio shops. If you have to write the same report anyway why not take the extra money?

avitoots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've gotten into a rhythm doing these reports.
> The only real criticism I have is that the extra
> questions about the office and apartment layout,
> etc. don't print as part of the survey.


What the MSC's are doing is verifying that you actually went there and saw it. They may ask for the color of he carpet, was the bathroom on the left or right as facing it... It gets old, but you have to understand their position. People will fill them out never having gone there.

Don / Vegas

Allow me to share hat you should also register with every company that you can. Do not respond to shops you do not want, let them pass. Do go for the ones you can plan in and complete.

There is money in mystery shopping.

Don


Missesmuffins Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> queshette Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Please help. Am I the only one who spends from
> > 8:30PM- 3:34AM completing the debriefs for
> these
> > shops? If not please offer me some insight.
> Much
> > obliged.
>
>
> I don't kill himself by staying up all night I try
> to complete half the report one day and I update
> the shop with a note that I am working to complete
> the report. That keeps them happy for a short
> time. I don't try to take advantage but I need my
> sleep since I don't make enough to work only this
> job.

Hi Strevel, I agree with you and thank you for that advise. I'm signed up with every company on www.volition.com/mystery.htm and [www.mspa.org] so I get everything but it's still not consistant. In ATL we have a lot of companies that offer Mystery but it's still not to a point that you can plan my budget each month to it. Thanks again!!

Hey if anyone knows of another company other than EPMS that has a lot of apartment shops!!

I am doing a "shop anyone" on Wednesday. It's not close to me, so I picked up another shop: I am going to test drive a BMW 750i, which lists for about $84K. Some of the lower-end homes in this town don't go for that much. Whew!!!

I have done several dozen shops for EPMS in the past. Even though I got better at it, it still took a couple of hours to complete the reports. I always had an audio recorder in my pocket when I did these shops. It helped me to provide accurate information but also took me longer to complete the report.

I stopped doing the jobs after two incidents: One EPMS reduced my pay by $5 because I gave the wrong source as to where I learned about the community. It was my error so they did what they felt they needed to do. Not a big deal. I couldn't help but think, however, that they likely didn't go back to the client and confess the error and dock the fees they received by $5.

Second instance was when they didn't accept my report at all because the community representative said I walked into the apartment and threw my arms up and said "This will not work." If it wasn't so frustrating it would have been laughable because that action is so far away from my personality. I would never do that.

I asked EPMS about it and told them that was not something I would do. They basically took the word of the apartment rep (The client is alwase right, afterall) rather than mine. It was clear to me that the apartment community rep misperresented the truth.

I decided if the company was not going to stand up for me and not pay me, they were not a company I wanted to work for.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2012 01:58AM by qpone.

Lisa,

My position on audio shops, after completing 2, is the same as ibtweety. I was paid the same fee as a regular apt. shop with full written report but with the added risks my PV-500 might fail, the audio wouldn't be acceptable and I needed to wear my DVR clothing, which required a dis/reassembly and washing. In addition, the extra fee for using my gear was only $5.
This was far too much work and risk for the fee, so I marked that type of assignment off my list of interest.

The above is an example of why I love being an independent contractor; the complete freedom to choose my work.

That makes more sense. When I've done audio for other companies the fee was higher than the traditional shop by at least $10 or $15 and since I use an audio only recorder for those I can wear whatever I want. It's also why I couldn't understand not going for it. Around here the video for EPMS pays $20 more than the traditional and and extra $10 on top of that because I have my own rig.

What Lisa said. Much better pay for "own video" than for traditional written shops. Beside, the leasing rep cannot sucessfully claim that I did something to invalidate my shop!!!!

I stopped doing EPMS shops becaus they cannot remember one day to the next what they say or do, they contradict themselves and don't even know it. They send you equipment you don't need then when it is returned you have to spend your life and time chasing their monkey down the street because they say )we never got it". Theyae arroagant and my experiences with them were horrible.

I accepted a shop just a few blocks away. I informed them (EPMS) that there ws no one in the building to answer the door for the shop, and that all calls were forwarded to Dallas. So, a little later they put this caveat on the shop to not speak to the person if they are in Dallas. 1) How da hell do you know where they are unless you ask, and that could blow the mystery part of the shopper act. Then, they do not understand the fact that no one is in the building to answee the door. DUH! What part of your right hemisphere missing do they not get! Tere is no one there!!
God, they make me so damned mad I actually have to take alka seltzer. I'd really rather not deal with them due to the way they act, the way they read half an email and don't listen.

My experience with them left them in a deep dark hole in my mind.

Don




qpone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have done several dozen shops for EPMS in the
> past. Even though I got better at it, it still
> took a couple of hours to complete the reports. I
> always had an audio recorder in my pocket when I
> did these shops. It helped me to provide accurate
> information but also took me longer to complete
> the report.
>
> I stopped doing the jobs after two incidents: One
> EPMS reduced my pay by $5 because I gave the wrong
> source as to where I learned about the community.
> It was my error so they did what they felt what
> they needed to do. Not a big deal. I couldn't help
> but think, however, that they likely didn't go
> back to the client and confess the error and dock
> the fees they received by $5.
>
> Second instance was when they didn't accept my
> report at all because the community representative
> said I walked into the apartment and threw my arms
> up and said "This will not work." If it wasn't so
> frustrating it would have been laughable because
> that action is so far away from my personality. I
> would never do that.
>
> I asked EPMS about it and told them that was not
> something I would do. They basically took the word
> of the apartment rep (The client is alwase right,
> afterall) rather than mine. It was clear to me
> that the apartment community rep misperresented
> the truth.
>
> I decided if the company was not going to stand up
> for me and not pay me, they were not a company I
> wanted to work for.

I've been a contractor for EPMS for a few years now and have gotten use to their report. It's easier if you just begin completing the phone portion while you're on the phone with the agent. I try to only complete "Shop Anyone" shops just because target shops are annoying. After you complete more shops the reports will get easier.

Strevel -- I understand why they ask for the description of the office, etc. I just don't understand why that part of the report doesn't print. I often fill out the report right after viewing the apartment and, when I first started doing the shops, would forget about the detailed description requirement because it didn't print with the rest of the report.