What is your top 10 favorite companys from 2012!!!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2012 11:43PM by ericaalexander.

Hi Erica,

I try never to be a pessimist. I am an optimist at heart, but every once in a while that pessimistic part of me sneaks in.

I know that you wrote a post not too long ago, asking for the best mystery shopping companies to sign up for. I know that most of us gave you the same (our very typical) advice. Sign up with as many as you can. Use the list of companies at the lower (middle-ish) part of the page to check out which ones those are. To take the time to do some research online (Google is very much your friend in this situation).

Is this post, perhaps... a little fishing expedition (maybe for the same information)? =D

The list of everyone's favorite mystery shopping companies of 2012 is going to be very similar to the list located at the bottom of your screen. Everyone's favorites are different and the reasons they are number in the millions.

You're really new here (or so it would seem-- I _think_ if memory serves, you even said so). Really, if you trust us, do the research (go back and read old posts on the forum-- I'm talking back back! Like years!), apply to every MSC you can, contribute to the board, and apply your Google-fu, you'll be in good shape!

Sending the best,

Jen

jentodd, I started to respond last night but it was late, I was tired, I just couldn't find the words to explain my thoughts ..... you did it beautifully.

Another problem I have with the question "Who is your favorite company?" is that the answer is very dependent on a lot of different things. Your location is a big one - some favorites of my friends have no jobs in my area. One of my favorites is more or less local to my state - so only my competition also loves it. One company is my favorite because we do all our communication through e-mail (I do not have time to mess with telephoning and neither do they), but many shoppers hate that they are not available by telephone. Sometimes another shopper posts a favorite that is a company I have worked for and don't even like much, much less think of them as someone's favorite. My delight is someone else's poison. And vice versa.

We do a real service for each other and ourselves by identifying companies with serious problems - to me, the major issues deal with low pay, no pay, and late pay. Freeman. Franchise Compliance. My best advice? Sign up with as many companies as you can. Formulate your own list of favorites based on those who have your favorite shops and policies that meet your needs. Realize that your favorites will not be everyone's favorites. Come here to do a "search" on any new-to-you company before accepting that first assignment. That's what I have done, and so far, knock-on-wood, I have never been burned on a fee.

Good luck - I know as you sign up with more companies you will find some great favorites.

Great posts to a lazy question. We all have different "favorites." Some of it has to do with one assignments are available in our areas.

My favorite 10 MSCs for 2012 are the ones who...

1) pay quickly (prefer PayPal payments)
2) pay a fair rate based on the amount of work
3) offer great communication among schedulers and shoppers (even on weekends!)
4) offer bonuses (Show me the money!)
5) use job boards to post their available jobs
6) allow self-scheduling (once you have proven yourself to be a reliable shopper)
7) allow me to create routes (to save on gas and time)
8) have well-written and easy to understand guidelines and reports
9) have a 24-hour (or more) turn-around for reports (12-hour deadline is tough for me since I work a full time job.)
10) respect me as a shopper and a valuable asset to their company and clients (Am I humble or what?)

I am also new and would have asked the same "lazy" question...just as a starting point. But now I see from the above posts how the answers vary depending on a person's preferred work style and location and other factors.

So, as a newbie, I'll take the advice and search each prospective company using this board and the accumulated posts about that company as a guideline.

So in a way...I got the answer to the question.

Sometimes when one is very new...they are so new they don't even know what to ask.

Eric...I'm glad you asked. Now we know.

Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My favorite 10 MSCs for 2012 are the ones who...
>
> 1) pay quickly (prefer PayPal payments)
> 2) pay a fair rate based on the amount of work
> 3) offer great communication among schedulers and
> shoppers (even on weekends!)
> 4) offer bonuses (Show me the money!)
> 5) use job boards to post their available jobs
> 6) allow self-scheduling (once you have proven
> yourself to be a reliable shopper)
> 7) allow me to create routes (to save on gas and
> time)
> 8) have well-written and easy to understand
> guidelines and reports
> 9) have a 24-hour (or more) turn-around for
> reports (12-hour deadline is tough for me since I
> work a full time job.)
> 10) respect me as a shopper and a valuable asset
> to their company and clients (Am I humble or
> what?)

You beat me to it. I was about to say "the ones that pay the most and the fastest"... and that takes researching on the
search function in the upper right hand corner.

Hi Lady, welcome!

I will say this-- when someone comes in and asks this question we will respond with a very comprehensive "how-to" to help you get to where you need to go. Do we give you the exact names (or folks shopped)? Nope. But we tell you how to search the forum, how to search Google, how to help yourself get signed up with as many MSCs as possible. As a matter of fact, AustinMom is like... amazing with it! I think she must have it tattooed behind her eyelids, she posts it so often!

But... when a person comes in and asks this question and we have answered it, then sets up another post with a very similar question in an effort to circumvent doing the work (we're pretty smart around these here parts), well... then the response looks a little like this. (; It's not that the question from a new person is "lazy" ... it's the not taking our advice to begin with and then thinking we're dumb by re-wording it and posing it again. (;

I want you to tell like you can ask _any_ question. You're new, and it's hard when you're new... like you said! Just know that if you're willing to go back in time and read this forum as if it was the HOW TO book of the decade, you'll find out more about this business and how to make the best of it in very little time.

Sending the best,

Jen

Ladyofthelake Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am also new and would have asked the same "lazy"
> question...just as a starting point. But now I
> see from the above posts how the answers vary
> depending on a person's preferred work style and
> location and other factors.
>
> So, as a newbie, I'll take the advice and search
> each prospective company using this board and the
> accumulated posts about that company as a
> guideline.
>
> So in a way...I got the answer to the question.
>
> Sometimes when one is very new...they are so new
> they don't even know what to ask.
>
> Eric...I'm glad you asked. Now we know.

Bestmark
second to none
maritz
a closer look
stragetic reflections
corp
Start here I just started less than a month ago. i have done shops for these companys they seem pretty good.

eric,

I'm not seeing "strategic reflections" in the "official list" at the bottom of this page. What can you tell us about them? Are they part of the MSPA?

I love GFK. They have high paying shops, and pay SUPER fast...usually less than 2 weeks.

I also like STN, even though they don't pay all too much.

Neither of these two have the belittling rating system.

There is a perfect example of how different things can be for each of us. Here GFK has really crap low paying shops and STN has good higher paying shops.

You know, I thought they were on there. I have done a couple of shops from them they pay the month after shops are completed. Like september will be paid at the end of october. I signed up for them because I read information on this site. I will let you know if I get payment from them at the end of this month. They say the 27th-30th.

I love ACL...I was ill yesterday and contacted the scheduler about a shop I had that night at a high end restaurant. Not only did she move the shop date for me but she actually followed up later on that evening with an email concerned about how I was feeling. And then this morning I got an email from one of the schedulers asking how I was today and wanting to know if I needed to reschedule again if I was not top shape yet.
Now compared to all the scheduler stories I have heard expecting people to go out in a blizzard, or finish the shop when their loved one just was hospitalized or died, or on their way out of town as they are being evacuated these people are the cream of the crop. Above the cream of the crop even. After you get some experience under your belt, some great grades and feel you are ready for high end, I definitely recommend this company.

I like ACL as well. In fact, I enjoy most companies. However, "X" issued me a "citation" this year, due to a shop being canceled. My mother in law, my sons grandmother, passed away at age 62. Both my sons were devastated, as was I. I emailed the scheduler, explained what was going on and it did not matter. I did cancel the shop, but in my opinion, I did not "blow it off", but rather explained what was going on.

All the other MSC's I had to either cancel or postpone shops were caring and sent sympathetic emails. Not "X'. It was nice to see that citation on my account, after attending a wake, funeral and mercy meal. NOT.




sandyf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I love ACL...I was ill yesterday and contacted the
> scheduler about a shop I had that night at a high
> end restaurant. Not only did she move the shop
> date for me but she actually followed up later on
> that evening with an email concerned about how I
> was feeling. And then this morning I got an email
> from one of the schedulers asking how I was today
> and wanting to know if I needed to reschedule
> again if I was not top shape yet.
> Now compared to all the scheduler stories I have
> heard expecting people to go out in a blizzard, or
> finish the shop when their loved one just was
> hospitalized or died, or on their way out of town
> as they are being evacuated these people are the
> cream of the crop. Above the cream of the crop
> even. After you get some experience under your
> belt, some great grades and feel you are ready for
> high end, I definitely recommend this company.

Just a few weeks ago there was a post with people listing their favorite companies. Search the board and you will find everything you need. That's how I found 90% of the companies I work for!

I haven't been paid since July. I have made numerous attempts to contact them and they never answer back. Has anyone else had a problem with this company. If so we should make the community aware of them.

I see several companies being discussed. Which one are you talking about?

i have worked for several years as a mystery shopper. I find that if you are reliable in getting your shops and reports done on time, the scheduler will be understanding when you have to reschedule or cancel shops. I just fractured my baby toe on my right foot. I am wearing a boot and have to keep off my feet as much as possible. I have scheduled some mystery shops to do but paced myself. I have had a few days where my foot was bothering me. I contacted the schedulers. They were more than willing to work with me to reschedule the shops. A few of them I was able to reschedule myself on the job board.

There are two companies that I really like doing shops for: Feedback Plus and Jacyn. Feedback Plus shops are easy,short reports and they pay within 2 weeks. Plus they allow you to take up to 4-6 shops at a time. I think they pay well for amount of time invested to do the shops. Jacyn are usually reimbursement shops for restaurants that can do alone or with a guest. They do not give you a fee but the reimbursement is generous. So nice if you want a free meal at a casual type restaurant (not fast food). They also have retail shops that they have just raise the pay on. I have always done them because they are fun shops to do. The lower pay was not bad as it still paid more or the same as other retail shops. I have just started doing bank shops for Customer Perspectives. They also pay well. I am just finishing up a round of banks for my first assignment. We will see how long they take to pay. But the scheduler worked with me when I needed to reschedule two days because of my foot. I think this is because I was still willing to see that the shops were completed but at my pace.

I think they (Summitt Scheduling) are only a scheduling company. Do you know what MSC you actually did the shop for?
(Someone correct me if I am wrong.)

daadeee1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I haven't been paid since July. I have made
> numerous attempts to contact them and they never
> answer back. Has anyone else had a problem with
> this company. If so we should make the community
> aware of them.

AndrewTX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> eric,
>
> I'm not seeing "strategic reflections" in the
> "official list" at the bottom of this page. What
> can you tell us about them? Are they part of the
> MSPA?


I shop with Strategic Reflections a couple shops a month. They don't have a lot in my area... one bank company and one ff chain--but, they are in the same town... so it makes the trip worthwhile. You can check the site near the end of the month under payment history, and there will be a PDF there for any work you have done... and the PDF's go back through the year.