Insula calls me on the phone, assigns me a fast food shop without my permission, and then tells me that I'm late, threatening to remove me from the database for lack of timely completion; and I've never even worked with them yet.

I suddenly receive a phone call from Insula Research which interrupts my busy day. The shop recruiter doesn't even speak understandable english, nor can he adequately understand me. Approximately one-half of every sentence is incommunicable both ways. He then assigns me a fast food shop that needs to be done the same day without my permission or knowledge. I later receive an email that the shop is late, which is how I come to realize that the shop was assigned to me. And they threaten to remove me from the database for lack of timely completion. And I've never actually worked any job with Insula in the past.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2011 07:59AM by vince.

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vince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I suddenly receive a phone call from Insula
> Research which interrupts my busy day. The shop
> recruiter doesn't even speak understandable
> english, nor can he adequately understand me.
> Approximately one-half of every sentence is
> incommunicable both ways. He then assigns me a
> **fast food client** shop that needs to be done the same day
> without my permission or knowledge. I later
> receive an email that the shop is late, which is
> how I come to realize that the shop was assigned
> to me. And they threaten to remove me from the
> database for lack of timely completion. And I've
> never actually worked any job with Insula in the
> past.

WTH? You need to take the client name out of your post simply because it's a violation of your ICA. That client uses 2 MSCs that I know of and Insula is not one of them.
>
> Has anyone had a similar experience?

I know the shops you're talking about and yes, Insula is doing shops for the golden arches, just not the usual ones. Apparently, the client uses more MSCs than some might be aware of...

I've done shops for Insula and never had any issues. Sorry I can't provide any help in your particular case. From the email, are you able to get a scheduler's name and/or email addy? That might be your best, and only, course of action.

Strange situation. Good luck on getting it resolved.

I've never received a call from Insula, but what I have received is something like 12 emails in a row about the same shop, if not more, and on several occasions. Enough to make me seriously think about deactivating myself.

I've done a few jobs for Insula and never had an issue.

I did have a shop assigned to me once for another company. The owner sent me a reminder and when I emailed back stating that the shop was about three hours from where I lived and I didn't sign up for it, he sent me an odd email that insinuated a certain scheduler signed me up for it. I guess he didn't see where I had applied for it, just been assigned (systems often show both) and he told me not to worry about it. I always wondered if it was that scheduler playing petty games so that I'd "flake" and hurt my shopper reputation. It was back during the height of the battle between us. Whatever it was, it was odd. I'd never worked with that company either. The closest shop they had was two hours from my house. Too bad. They had some yummy shops.

Definitely contact the scheduler and explain the situation. Give the person calling the benefit that he might've misunderstood you with the language barrier issues and assigned you for a job you didn't want. Being polite will go farther than attacking from the start.

Interesting. I went to Informa and updated my profile and found this at the bottom of my contact info page:

PriceAuditGPA4:

I don't know if it's saying my GPA for the work I've done is a 4 or my writing skills are a 4 or what. Interesting.

it could just be a scheduler unable to meet a quota given by the boss and so decides to sign up random people to make themselves look competent...

or it could be the companies effort to deflect blame onto the shopper instead of having to admit failure to get the shops assigned/scheduled...

one more name to add to the list of "do not take"

as it is your first shop, you have no skin in the game, and if this is they way they treat their shoppers... you need not bother yourself... they just fired themselves... *wink*

shopping north west PA and south west ny

AlwaysAngie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting. I went to Informa and updated my
> profile and found this at the bottom of my contact
> info page:
>
>
> PriceAuditGPA4:
>
> I don't know if it's saying my GPA for the work
> I've done is a 4 or my writing skills are a 4 or
> what. Interesting.

It says that on mine too and I've never done a shop for them. Weird.

3offthecharts Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WTH? You need to take the client name out of your
> post simply because it's a violation of your ICA.

i thought that i had edited it out, but apparently not. i've gone ahead and removed it.

> That client uses 2 MSCs that I know of and Insula
> is not one of them.
> >

well now you know.

MtlShopper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From the email, are you able to
> get a scheduler's name and/or email addy? That
> might be your best, and only, course of action.
>
> Strange situation. Good luck on getting it
> resolved.

i never got the scheduler's name. the email which i was sent was a generically generated email that gave a late warning for the shop. no scheduler names were attached.

the scheduler whom i spoke with on the phone told me that he would send me an email, but didn't. instead, i only received a generically generated email around midnight that night, which threatened to remove me from the shopper list for not completing the shop in a timely fashion.

cooldude581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> it could just be a scheduler unable to meet a
> quota given by the boss and so decides to sign up
> random people to make themselves look
> competent...
>
> or it could be the companies effort to deflect
> blame onto the shopper instead of having to admit
> failure to get the shops assigned/scheduled...
>
> one more name to add to the list of "do not take"
>
> as it is your first shop, you have no skin in the
> game, and if this is they way they treat their
> shoppers... you need not bother yourself... they
> just fired themselves... *wink*

i might have considered taking a shop like this in the summer time, but it's more expensive for me to drive in the winter. i prefer to take a motor scooter instead of my car for gas purposes. furthermore, i've already been fully booked with shops for the first two weeks of this month. i wouldn't have been able to fit it in, even if i wanted to.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2011 08:24AM by vince.

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Insula calls me on the phone, assigns me a fast food shop without my permission, and then tells me that I'm late, threatening to remove me from the database for lack of timely completion; and I've never even worked with them yet.

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