I munched on a veggie sub sandwich for dinner tonight while I read my newspaper. I love them. Just for fun I went over the the very polite clerk and asked him if the mystery shopper had been here this month, and he said yes. Which is driving me nuts, because I'm registered with over 150 companies, and I don't know why I'm missing them since GFK dropped them. Unless it's one of the two companies who have dropped ME. It's not Customer First in my area. Any input? Do not name the client, please.

I forgot to tell you it was me, Sneaks.

Try Q4B



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2008 08:26AM by JoanG.

I don't know if we are talking about the same client, but I did some for confero.

I have done them for three different clients at the same location this year. I have not seen them with the client Sneakers did them for but I suspect it was to check responsiveness to the campaign that was just getting started when we did them. When you consider the requirements for success on that shop, a major focus was the campaign. And the campaign was successful enough that a competitor has changed their pricing/advertising as well.

I didn't do them for Customer First, I've just seen posts on another forum that CFF is doing some elsewhere.

Joan--you flew 3000 miles to NY to grab my sub shops?

We're not friends any more!!

Vero--the store is named for an underground railroad system, and thanks for the tip. Are they still revealed or secret? again

sneakers:

we are talking about the same client. They were revealed.

Just looked at Confero. No subs in my area.

They do have them in mine.

Mine was revealed, for RR co, and huge MSC.

I've decided not to let other shoppers know who I work for any longer. After five years of giving hints and letting other shoppers know what company does what shops I have closed the information booth.It's not anyone in this forum that has made me make this decision.It's taken five years of hard work to finally get to the point where it's important to keep things close to my chest,(and wallet).Their are a few companies that I work for that are never mentioned in the forums and I like it that way. Reading other forums I have noticed that a lot of newbies are so lazy and expecting handouts that they don't even bother reading the forum threads to find information that is readily available.And don't get me started on their spelling.I understand now why a lot of MSC are folding or being gobbled up by more structured companies. I envision a future of shop forms that have nothing but yes/no or multiple choice questions, so that the uneducated can do our jobs at half of what is being paid now.
I was just thinking some would consider this post a rant,but in all honesty, it's all just reality.

Hellbent wrote:

Their are a few companies
=====
And don't get me started on their spelling
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I understand your point, which I don't share 100%.
The forum is there to help each other, or only to talk to each other.
The forum is not a price winning grammar school or spell competition.
Most of the time, I read or write late at night before I go to bed. Sometimes my keyboard doen't want to write as fast as I want.
The message counts and not the spelling.

Where ever you go you will always find people who are lazy and use you.
The Lord said, give when you have.
I don't see any harm, to help others. I am happy to receive help.
I think you should not visit this forum, if you don't like it. There is NO MUST to come here.

I want to thank all the forum members who helped me in the past, and I will continue to help where I can.

That is your chose.

Hellbent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've decided not to let other shoppers know who I
> work for any longer. After five years of giving
> hints and letting other shoppers know what company
> does what shops I have closed the information
> booth.It's not anyone in this forum that has made
> me make this decision.It's taken five years of
> hard work to finally get to the point where it's
> important to keep things close to my chest,(and
> wallet).Their are a few companies that I work for
> that are never mentioned in the forums and I like
> it that way. Reading other forums I have noticed
> that a lot of newbies are so lazy and expecting
> handouts that they don't even bother reading the
> forum threads to find information that is readily
> available.And don't get me started on their
> spelling.I understand now why a lot of MSC are
> folding or being gobbled up by more structured
> companies. I envision a future of shop forms that
> have nothing but yes/no or multiple choice
> questions, so that the uneducated can do our jobs
> at half of what is being paid now.
> I was just thinking some would consider this post
> a rant,but in all honesty, it's all just reality.


I was kind of surprised to see this in this forum, Hellbent. I felt like I was back at V. I understand where you are coming from, especially with some of those posts you have mentioned - some drive me nuts, too. But, publicly stating that you aren't going to share, when you will be reading what others do share makes the equation unequal. It might also limit what those who did want to share will now share with others. I see that as an unfortunate side effect of saying something like this here. :-(

My point is not about sharing, its about telling others who shops who.I share information about shops and help out as often as possible when ever necessary,everyone who has read my thousands of post understands that. My point was I will not give information of who shops who. I had spent hours signing up for all the companies out there gathering information from all sources. I have shared on another forum a list of contact numbers to head honchos of hundreds of mystery companies.So apologies to those that do not for what I write

I did get your point. I still stand by mine, as you do by yours. However, I have to say that "thousands of posts" are not what is shown here, although from what I know from other forums I am sure it is a true statement. However, it is not a true one for this forum, the source of this posting. It also makes me, specifically, very discomforted. I suppose I will stop sharing as well, as I don't feel that forums with unequal exchanges of info are safe havens. If this has a ripple effect, which is what I feared and stated above, so it does. I now feel this same way about the other safe haven I had found (which we are both in together, as you know.) I am sad now about this situation in which I now find myself...If I share, you learn. But I have no way to learn the same info back from you. And, if I stop writing, others stop learning. That might spiral into a domino effect. For me, it would have been better not to have known this intent.

One final thought-Before criticizing other's posts, as you did when you first shared this thought, it might be helpful to check the spacing of your own punctuation.

best,
dee



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2008 11:29AM by dee shops.

Good grief folks! I can understand where you all are coming from. For those who may be new to shopper forums, there are folks who have gotten grief from shopping companies about what they have posted on forums. This comes from a direct reading of forums by those companies and from busybodies who have chosen to report to companies what they have read on forums for whatever advantage it may give them personally. It is why we need to be careful about what we post on a public forum.

I can attest to the fact that Hellbent has been most forthcoming with help to shoppers on other forums, but I also know that the "well runs dry" when you are trying to make a living as a shopper and there are fewer and fewer shops as there are more and more shoppers in your area gobbling up jobs long before they reach the bonus stage where they make economic sense to perform. On a public forum, for every shopper who posts there are a number of "lurkers" who never share yet have the advantage of everything others post.

Over time you develop a small group of companies that shop your area where the pay is better, you are treated more like a colleague than a slave and you aren't spammed with emails six times a day for jobs you can't do because of age or geographic location or you won't do because of terrible scenario, outrageous fees or outrageous useless expenditures. This type of company I have been pleased to share privately with folks who are not in my area to directly compete with me for the jobs, who are otherwise actively involved with forums and mature enough as shoppers to successfully perform the jobs. I have not and do not plan on sharing these companies in an open public forum. They are on the lists if someone cares to sign up and develop a relationship with them. I learned about some of them from Hellbent, I learned about others from other shoppers, I learned about most of them by being signed up, taking jobs that were available and building a good reputation with the company. There is a learning curve to this business and there are better opportunities available that you have to earn yourself by your own pride in your workmanship and your reliability.

HB--

I know you're very active and helpful at MSF. I'm registered with over 155 companies, and spend hours every night poring over emails and resources, so when I can't find a client, it has to be really knotty. I also know that no one else on this forum lives in my tiny area, so I have no problem sharing info. The situation might be diff for you, HB. But why have you suddenly popped up here to state what you're NOT going to post?

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
There is a
> learning curve to this business and there are
> better opportunities available that you have to
> earn yourself by your own pride in your
> workmanship and your reliability.


True. I agree. But that is not what was stated.
:-(

I recognize that what he stated was that he had no inclination to be helpful and chastised writing. And I agree that it was a very strange post, even for HB. But I also recognize where he is coming from in terms of building his business and not being willing to hand out free samples. That has to be a personal choice and it is a choice of every lurker here and elsewhere. Would you prefer he just lurk? At the same time HB can be extremely helpful (and entertaining) when not being asked to "gimme on a platter".

Flash:

Thanks for the background info. I am only on this forum.

Thank you Flash.

Thanks for the background info. I am only on this forum.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recognize that what he stated was that he had no
> inclination to be helpful and chastised writing.
> And I agree that it was a very strange post, even
> for HB. But I also recognize where he is coming
> from in terms of building his business and not
> being willing to hand out free samples. That has
> to be a personal choice and it is a choice of
> every lurker here and elsewhere. Would you prefer
> he just lurk? At the same time HB can be
> extremely helpful (and entertaining) when not
> being asked to "gimme on a platter".


Point taken. But I still do not see where he was asked to hand over sources HERE... As this was a newbie post to a continuing thread HERE, it was, in my opinion, best left either unsaid, or worded in a different, less ME-centric manner. YMMV. It has left me, however, less willing to share, more willing to lurk. If that was the intent, it succeeded. If not, it backfired. At any rate,
I am now mostly a PM kind of girl, if I do stay at all. I haven't quite decided yet...But, I will.

Funny how this started with a simple question!
You all are so passionate and I applaud you.