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EPMS

July 26, 2012 04:08PM
Yeah EPMS narratives are like a marathon. I like the company but I do expect the narritives to take 60-90 minutes each.
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July 26, 2012 04:20PM
I don't mind EPMS' long narratives during a non-video shop.

It makes sense - you are providing a "word picture" of the visit, and detail is important.

But on a (correctly framed) video shop - it is ALL THERE ON THE VIDEO!

And having a video makes the report 10x harder. My quotes and descriptions of events have to be 100% accurate.

Can you tell I hated this shop?

Arrrrrrgh.

(Edited because my @#%! cat ruined my Z, X, C, V, and F keys on my laptop by sleeping on it this morning)

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2012 05:39PM by MissyH71.
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July 26, 2012 04:28PM
MissyH71 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't mind EPMS' long narratives during a
> non-video shop.
>
> It makes sense - you are providing a "word
> picture" of the visit, and detail is important.
>
> But on a (correctly framed) video shop - it is ALL
> THERE ON THE VIDEO!
>
> And having a video makes the report 10 harder. My
> quotes and descriptions of events have to be 100%
> accurate.
>
> Can you tell I hated this shop?
>
> Arrrrrrgh.

I do understand. Some of the questions do seem redundant when you provided the recorded video/telephone call. If they could remove the redundant questions that might reduce their paperwork by 25%. I do like EPMS though so I do their shops anyway.
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July 26, 2012 05:47PM
I did the normal non-video and yes, redundant is the word, color of Agent eyes, we have a card and description, guess they check to see we pay attention.
I actually always remember decor (right up my design alley), but at first 40.00
seems like a lot, breaking it down to 3 hours work (all included), not so much,
but they are a great company and, if jobs are close, it works.

Live consciously....
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July 26, 2012 06:28PM
I just read where Steven King is overjoyed if he writes 2,000 words a day.

When I have 3-4 EPMS shops a day, I'm easily writing 5 times that output.

Alas, if only mystery/suspense novels about apartment shopping were million sellers.....
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July 26, 2012 07:09PM
There are actually a few EPMS video shops with almost not written report.

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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July 26, 2012 07:11PM
Irene_L.A. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I did the normal non-video and yes, redundant is
> the word, color of Agent eyes, we have a card and
> description, guess they check to see we pay
> attention.
> I actually always remember decor (right up my
> design alley), but at first 40.00
> seems like a lot, breaking it down to 3 hours work
> (all included), not so much,
> but they are a great company and, if jobs are
> close, it works.


You get $40 for regular shops? Jeez it is $25 by me.
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July 26, 2012 09:11PM
I think it depends on the area. I used to live in Alabama and all the shops paid about $25 or maybe $30. Here in California the shops are $40 and up and I try to get assigned a group of shops that you can do all at once. The narratives can be lengthy but you can usually get it done in a 15 minute sit down. Never had an issue with pay, just be sure you read the specific instructions because they will take off if you don't follow it exactly! I love them.
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July 26, 2012 10:16PM
You can complete an EPMS narrative of 12-19 different narrative pages (approximately 1,800-2,500 words) in "a 15 minute sit down?"

Please tell me your secret.....
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July 27, 2012 12:25AM
I've completed 9 video shops for EPMS in the past 3 yrs., with each having a very short report form. Although it's been a yr. since the last such job, I seem to recall it's 4 questions; perhaps this is what Trinjon is referencing. As to the regular assignments, NO shopper, in my opinion, has the ability to compose, type, scan and wait for the next page in 1/4 hr. My total, covering 6+ yrs. with Ellis, is approaching 200 shops.
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August 02, 2012 12:52AM
I did 5 shops for them about 2 weeks ago for two different property management companies. There were several shops on the board, but as soon as I assigned the 3rd shop for the same property management company, I had no shops available. I haven't really had anything pop up as available since. Do they have strict limits on the number of shops I can do?

Silver certified with a PV-500
Shopping Michigan and beyond
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August 02, 2012 03:02AM
I am seriously waiting for Strevel to chime in on this EPMS thread. Always a pleasure to hear from Mr. Vegas.
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August 02, 2012 12:24PM
angela,
I cannot answer for the written shops, but I know that for the recorded shops that I do, some of the apartment management firms have a limit on how many of their shops you can do in a month. If all of the month's shops in your area are for such a company, that would explain the rest disappearing after you reach the allowed limit.

However, working with Robert A on the recorded shops, there have been several occasions when he got a client to permit extra shops because a shopper was on a long route and could provide a fresh point of view if the cliant would permit more shops to be assigned while that shopper was in the area. Why not ask your scheduler? Folks at EPMS are not good about replying to email, but they do tend to answer their phones.

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.
Reply
August 02, 2012 02:16PM
I took two for Sunday in the same city, and hope I don't get them mixed up, of course I won't, as I'll go to a Starbucks after my 1st. one and get report done. I don't think there is a limit, but for me, two is my limit in a day,
as far as doing these reports in 15 minutes, impossible.

Live consciously....
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August 02, 2012 03:45PM
Thanks walesmaven. I have sent a couple of emails, but never got a response, so I'll give them a call.

Silver certified with a PV-500
Shopping Michigan and beyond
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August 09, 2012 01:57AM
I just finished one for them that was 80 with the bonus...and I see why they've had to raise it so high! I tried for three days to reach the target, and no one ever answered the phone. I got their answering machine every time. The scheduler suggests I not block my number, and I finally got to speak with someone. I made the hour drive to the property only to find that "they don't show the property." Ugh! Well, I guess five minutes on-site wasn't so bad for 80 bucks.
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August 09, 2012 02:13AM
Same thing happened to me and I didn't get paid the 40.00.

Live consciously....
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August 09, 2012 02:02PM
I like the company but those targeted shops can waste many hours/days if the target refuses to pick up the phone.
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August 09, 2012 02:40PM
Irene_L.A. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Same thing happened to me and I didn't get paid
> the 40.00.

That stinks! The shop I did is showing as completed with payment pending, so we'll see.
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August 09, 2012 03:08PM
I have found all targets I am given are not agents and normally do not show property. I got one to show property, but they don't answer the phone, and
I was told, she only responds to email.....

Live consciously....
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August 09, 2012 03:12PM
I spent several weeks trying to reach a target, eventually leaving messages for her with another employee as well as voicemails, and she never called back. EPMS finally removed it from my job list because I was going out of town. It was really frustrating, and I don't understand how that person could keep her job if she is so inaccessible.
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August 09, 2012 03:18PM
I find it just too difficult to get the "target"....you can't ask for them and I live in a college town that every complex has tons of agents and they get commission so they are not willing to just let you have anybody......not worth the pay to me to remember exactly what he/she is wearing AND all the details of the shop. I remember the huge "hub bub" a few years ago with some sort of breach with our shopper info and people being livid, so I have pretty much backed away from these.
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August 09, 2012 03:43PM
Sometimes there are cases where a target never answers the phone because he/she is a manager. Sometimes it is easy to reach the target. Sometimes it is near impossible.
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August 09, 2012 03:59PM
And, when the manager does finally come to the phone, she is rude, unprofessional and passes you off to one of her underlings. That happened to me and I hope the woman was either demoted or fired. Her behavior was inexcusable and cost of $25.
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August 10, 2012 01:41PM
Although I don't KNOW what I'm going to type to true, I've, on several occasions, suspected some rental agents avoid the phone when they have inside knowledge they're being shopped. I had one gal who always permitted the calls to go to an answering unit. Correctly guessing she was dodging me, I received permission to not block my number and presto, she picked-up on the 2nd ring of my first call.
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August 10, 2012 02:35PM
bob,
Of course they avaoid answering the phone and also will hide out when we arrive for the appointmets.

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.
Reply
August 10, 2012 02:47PM
I really don't get why you need to block your phone number since the call goes through their recording system and it supposedly generates a bogus number. You have to give your real contact information during the tour anyway so they end up getting that info. Sometimes it's taken a few calls to get someone and I figured they were showing an apartment or dealing with a tenant. But, I always got someone on the phone within a day or two. Not always the target, but I always talked to a live person.
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August 10, 2012 05:07PM
I fired them after they kept sending me emails with the subject line 'wallet empty?' Dont have time for this nonsense.
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August 13, 2012 12:34PM
I've done over 150 written/audio/video shops for them in the past 3 years. I've had problems with their editors/schedulers over the past 4 months and I'm done with them now.

-They don't care about telling the client the truth about what's going on. If you want to get paid, give a good report.

-Their instructions are confusing and contradictory and if you don't catch their mistake and contact them for correction, you don't get paid.

-They are so hell bent on using their standard instructions/forms, that important directions get lost in all their form letter garbage. THEY can make all the mistakes in the world but still get paid. But, any chance they get to mess you out of a few dollars, they will.

-They are not responsive to emails, and are often rude.


Not sure what's happened to them this year but I'm done.
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August 13, 2012 01:04PM
Avitoots,

You're mistaken. SOME calls are routed through their system, I'm guessing when the client pays an extra fee, but others, at least in my area, are direct dial. And yes, I have a dial phone. It's been working since 1965 and I've never seen the need to update.
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