A Closer Look

Does anyone else on here do shops for A Closer Look? I have been a shopper for them for 3 or more years now. I like some of the places they do, but their editors are so hard to please. Today, I turned in a shop for a very upscale place we shopped last night. The editor sent me an email saying that we had only ordered one side but were supposed to have ordered 2. In actuality, we had ordered 3 sides. We ordered a baked potato and 2 different non-entree salads.

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What do the guidelines say and, did you order ala carte? The editor may be assuming that the sides you ordered came with the meal.

I have worked for A Closer Look for a few years and haven't really found them hard to please. I've always thought they are pretty easy to please. I have only once heard anything back from them after reporting. I answered their query and they said OK. Did you list the items in your narrative that you ordered to document that all required items had been ordered? And if the required items are not listed on the itemized receipt or are listed incorrectly, I comment in my narrative that I ordered this, which is not shown on my receipt, and that, which is listed incorrectly on my receipt as XXX. If all the editor questioned was whether you ordered the required items, and you actually did order the required items, it doesn't sound like a really serious problem. I'm assuming you just e-mailed back and explained what required items you ordered and it was no problem.

Yup, I've had no issues either. Whenever I 'break in' a new editor there are likely to be a couple of canned comments stuck onto the acceptance email that the shop is being sent on to the client. Perhaps once a year I get a follow up email or phone call other than the basic notice the shop has been sent on, but I've never had a shop rejected.

I had an inquiry from an editor once where I had emailed before the job and asked if soup would be considered an appetizer. She emailed back yes and fortunately I kept the email because the editor wanted to know why I had ordered soup when the rules clearly said an appetizer was required. I forwared the email to her and never heard from her again except to say the job was accepted, thank you.
I find some of the instructions at ACL particularly very difficult to follow as some restaurants I shop for them do not have a section on the menu called appetizers and another section called sides. The last one I did had only one additional section called "sides" with things ranging from Baked Potato, french fries etc to very exotic pricey items I myself would consider an appetizer. I did not want to order one of the $4 items when I suspected that was not what they meant. I always try to look at the menu online so I can make sure I verify with them what they mean by an appetizer or side or add on or salad. It just seems safer. It makes me feel very nit picky to ask these questions before hand but I do not want to run the risk of being stuck with an unreimbursed high end tab because what they include as a side is debatable.

I've done some of their shops and have found the editors to be very courteous. The only difficult thing I found is that sometimes they require a name when the counter order taker doesn't wear a name tag. (I think this has been discussed in another subject). Otherwise, they are straight forward and not difficult at all. I have never had a rejected shop, but sometimes I get a reminder for next time.

I am wondering if they are questionning that you counted salads as a side. Often times salads are served before the main entree, not as a "side". Also, salads are often served soley to the individuals who ordered them (as opposed to being shared, which has a set of standards about allocating and what not)

My thought is of coures just a guess (not knowing the shop you did).

In general I find them easy to please, and very much willing to work with you to create an accepted shop. Did they actually reject the shop or just remind you for next time?

I have sometimes had to appeal to my scheduler concerning how the editor interpreted some things on an hotel shop. The scheduler explained that sometimes the editors "didn't get the memo." So, my policy is to first ask the editor for clarification and then either clarify in my report or go back to the scheduler (cc to editor) to get it straightened out. Either way, I have found them to be helpful, as long as I kept open communication.

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.

The menu's now have newer sides, and quite inexpensive. I think that is what they wanted instead of a salad. I love the small sides, they are too small to split.

Live consciously....

I love A Closer Look! I have only had a couple of shops returned for more details. One that bugged me was for a take out. No where in the guidelines or on the surfey does it mention commenting on the actual food. I have learned not to assume anything so I didn't write any comments. It was returned with some instructions. Those instructions should have been on the survey in the first place. We are enjoying accuring the points from multiple shops with the same parent client company.

A Closer Look is one of my favorite msc! The editors are wonderful. I have gotten phone calls and emails asking for clarification and they were always resolved quickly and I get thank yous back from them. I agree with an earlier post that their editors are courteous and reasonable. One time, I "N/A" the question about two comparable restaurants to the one I was shopping. We were out of town to do the shop and I can't even name two comparable restaurants. The editor suggested I google some restaurant names. Works for me!

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

OMG!! I just took the shopper test for this company....I thought I was back in school. Not sure how some of those questions realted to mystery shopping...good grief. I passed it but really????

I have only had great experiences with the schedulers and editors at ACL. If you follow the guidelines and document your experience as it happened (especially if something happens to throw off the guidelines) they are easy to please!

I have worked for them for 10+ years. Lately, I have had a couple editor issues...I'm thinking they have some new editors that haven't been fully trained.

Yes, of late there have been some 'interesting' scheduler and editor interactions with new ones. They will learn soon enough. :-)

I love the editors and schedulers at A Closer Look. The editors actually read my replies and answer back appropriately. The schedulers have been responsive and lets me know if they can't assign a shop to me due to rotations.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

Overall their schedulers and editors get such high 'thumbs up's that it is very apparent when there is someone new on the job.

I must agree with Flash. 99% of the time both editors and schedulers are great. When a "clinker" shows up you gotta know that that's a newbie. I just contact my scheduler and ask for "clarification." That always seems to do the trick. Gotta love the veterans at ACL.

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.

I have been working closely with a scheduler/editor on a pricing audit. She has been amazing! What a great company to work with. I don't think she ever sleeps. She answers my e-mails immediately or apologizes that she answers the next morning. This continues to be a top MSC in my book.

I signed in today and saw we are all required to sign a new shopper agreement before we can shop again. I looked at the new agreement but do not have the old one memorized so if there are changes I have no idea what they are. I could not resign it so perhaps that will be available tomorow.

All I ever see from them are health club shops. You all seem to have some really good shops in your area.

~~*~~*~~*~~ kal ~~*~~*~~*~~
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just forget to load the film.

Yes! They do a lot of upscale casual and fine dining. I pass the fitness shops right by .....

I was thinking about signing up for one of the fitness shops but cannot see the extent of the info they want until after i sign..for the amount of reimbursement if it is a 2+ hour form like the upscale dining ones I will pass as well....anyone done them yet and have feedback?

I have only done their restaurants, after doing one fitness for another MSC, I'll pass.

Live consciously....

I do the upscale restaurants for them. They do not have them often in my area. I find them nice and not at all hard to please to work with.

I just signed up with ACL because of the glowing recommendations many of you have written. I haven't done any work yet. There are many shops in my area, but it appears that the reimbursements are on the low side. I have been working for Customer Impact (CI) for years. How does ACL compare to CI?

I don't even like working with Customer Impact. I have always found that ACL covers a middle of the menu meal for two or one going high and the other one low. CI I always seemed to be out of pocket and having editors who were out of sorts.

I would say the reimbursements for ACL are all over the map. There are some that you would be very hard pressed to not go out of pocket on (or it is downright impossible); others the reimbursement is so high that you will be under even with ordering liberally. I just did one where we ordered everything we wanted, including wine and a 'higher priced' entree and we were still under with a 20% tip.

I find the upscale restaurant reimbursements for CI to be very generous. I have gone out of pocket for some of the casual restaurants, though. I have gone a few rounds with the editors. LOL Nothing that wasn't able to be worked out, though. I'll give ACL a try.

kalfini Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All I ever see from them are health club shops.
> You all seem to have some really good shops in
> your area.

The type of shops you see are based on your rating and experience. Prove to them they you are a great shopper and you will see the fine dining and hotel shops.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

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