EPMS

avitoots,
Yet another reason to do audio and/or video shops. As I walk through the office and/or the apartment I say things like, "Hmmm. All the appliances are white, and that red dish really is a great accent." Of course, once I have SAID what the apartment and the office look like, I rarely have to consult the recording, since the original recitation seems to imprint the information.

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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More Discussions About Ellis Property Management Services / EPMS (All Companies)

Avitoots,

... I like that.

EPMS is on my dirty list for the time. I just feel, and this is me alone, that they cannot find their butt in the shower. Everyone else is encouraged to develop their own views of them.

I will politely stop following this thread / string.

Don

avitoots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.

Did a shop for them a few days ago. The report took less than an hour! I amazed myself.

Strevel you are too funny. At times I have felt like an idiot based on editors feeddback or responses. I'm finding that it's the newbies (WITH THE COMPANY) That are the idiots. LOL Robert in video is the best to work with good sense.

Strevel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Avitoots,

... I like that.

>
> EPMS is on my dirty list for the time. I just
> feel, and this is me alone, that they cannot find
> their butt in the shower. Everyone else is
> encouraged to develop their own views of them.
>
>
> I will politely stop following this thread /
> string.
>
> Don
>
>
>
>
> avitoots Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 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.

I won't do recorded shops. First of all, I can't afford the equipment. Secondly, I have a real liability concern and won't risk a lawsuit for taping someone without their permission. When we sign with these MSC companies, we indemnify them so we basically absolve them of any liability related to the shops. So, if someone decides they don't like being recorded without their permission, we're on our own.

... I like that.

I have to say that EPMS is actually my favorite to do apartment shops for. I have their reports memorized so I can breeze through them pretty quickly. They pay well for their apartment shops. I won't do any recorded shops simply because it's just more trouble than it's worth in my opinion. I have been working with them for a few years and have not had any rude editors yet. I get emails to clarify things but they're not rude...yet

EPMS is one of my favorites too. However I took a break from them because of the long reports. I feel burnt out. I was doing about 6-7 a month!

I know after a couple of months, I will miss the fast and fair payments, and go back

For now, its video with super short forms!

I've only completed a couple of apartment shops for EPMS., so far but I like these shops and I think that the pay is well-above average. I enjoy the apt shops and think that they are fun! I don't mind the so-called long reports (as someone else mentioned) because they aren't as bad as the company called "Second to None"! Now those reports are not only very long, but redundant. I just wished that EPMS had more shops in my area of central MO.

How funny, Mother56! I'll do S2N shops all day long and my only complaint is the "N/A" requirement. OTOH, the one EPMS report I did, felt endless, redundant beyond belief and left me swearing never to subject myself to another one again.

(heart)

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

I don't even mind the STN "N/A" answers. I just copy it and then do a paste in each block where I need to put it. Reports go pretty fast. The EPMS reports drove me nuts. I actually am looking for an apartment and it would be nice to take a couple of their shops and get paid for looking but I just can't stomach the report.

EPMS reports are epic.

EPMS currently has about 10-12 apartment shops on their job board. I had an email from a scheduler yesterday asking if I would consider taking 2 of the shops at $50/each. I messaged her that I would love to take them as I could certainly use the cash but the editors nit pick until they have taken away the bonus. I have not heard anything more from her. It's a shame and I am sorely tempted to give it a try again. I've not done one for EPMS in over a year but I still remember the "pain."

And you will probably not ever hear from them ever again. They are testing the "$" waters and will take the lowest cost. They are not actually trying to get you to do some of these shops. Remember when they asked you if you will do some of them, and did not agree in writing / email to give you some? The reason is that they will get them don by some newbie for nothing if they can. EMPS is vexatious and gives me nausea.

Don, shopping since faxed reports were the new thing!

Strevel: The same available shops are still on the board that were there last week plus a couple more. I don't know that they will be able to fill them all that easily. I live in a smaller city and I think there are only 6-7 shoppers here in my area. If they get higher I might be tempted to try them again. For a year I've watched them and they take a while to get the jobs filled but this time it's just not happening for them. The only way we will ever get them to revise their report to something reasonable is if all shoppers start ignoring them. Until they feel the same "pain" we do, they will keep on grinding their shoppers into the dust.

I do not ever accept target agent reports. I had really bad problems trying to reach the target agent for two shops, only to discover that they were MANAGERS who were out MANAGING a large apartment complex. If I were one of these managers who had to appear in court for unlawfl detainers, train staff, and run the business, I would definitely deligate such piddly tasks as answering the phone and giving tours. As a result, someone like that was totally unreachable - no matter what. I got $5 for multiple attempts and still having to fill out a report. I was so angry that I haven't since done a report for them. To top it all off, after they VOLUNTARILY told me that they were going to accept the report, the same scheduler wrote back saying that she was rejecting both reports and asked me to keep calling.

I told her NO.

And I still got my $10.

I will only do non-target shops from now on.

I think EPMS is a rock solid company but their reports make me want to stick a butter knife in my ear. I had avoided them for a while but last month I took one. Around 15-20 calls over several days to reach the target. Report was an extra long report...longer than their usual report. 90 minutes that sucked the life out of me. Never again. I hate saying that because they always pay on time and I respect them as a company. I feel some other MSC could take a lesson buy how professional they are as a company.

I also don't want to go out of my way to buy equipment. The employees usually sign a waiver saying that they agree to be recorded as part of their employment. Unfortunately, this isn't communicated very well to us as potentialy getting the job done.

Also, please see my thread about how we aren't really independent contractors.

avitoots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I won't do recorded shops. First of all, I can't
> afford the equipment. Secondly, I have a real
> liability concern and won't risk a lawsuit for
> taping someone without their permission. When we
> sign with these MSC companies, we indemnify them
> so we basically absolve them of any liability
> related to the shops. So, if someone decides they
> don't like being recorded without their
> permission, we're on our own.

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