So, here's my dilemma. I've received a couple calls from MF lately and I've been absolutely unable to get them off the phone without just hanging up on them! What happens is that I decline the glorious $5 shop they're offering me, and they say "Well, let me look at other shops in your area" and then keep offering me shops, refusing to take no for an answer. At one point I said "My baby is crying and I need to take care of him, please do not assign me any shops" (not entirely truthful since the "baby" is almost 3, but anyway...) and the lady said "Well, I'll go ahead and assign you this one..." Finally I said "I'm going to hang up now. Do not assign me any shops." But I felt so rude and uncomfortable.

I've been screening my calls ever since, but MF always calls from a different number each time, and since I'm job searching I hate letting long-distance calls just go to voicemail. Any tips?

Get Google Voice and have it screen calls. If the caller does not identify himself/herself, don't accept the call.

You can also be more firm about your boundaries. Don't let them push you around.

I think schedulers are just used to shoppers wanting shops - we usually can't get them off the phone! Not that it bothers us though, they help us fill shops. This seems to be a bit extreme though, I've never heard of schedulers doing anything like this. Have you contacted the company in regards to this?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2013 09:28PM by CAscotch.

Were these schedulers from overseas?

BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz Wrote:
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> Were these schedulers from overseas?

I think so. They had pretty thick accents.


DLerner, from what I've heard this is somewhat common for Marketforce.

I've never had Market Force schedulers based in the U.S. do this, but I've had overseas (Phillipines and India) schedulers from different MSCs try to do this to me.

It didn't work with me. I had/have no problem being "rude" if the other party was/is rude first.

The U.S.-based schedulers for Market Force I've dealt with are almost always from the south and sweet and polite as can be. I love speaking with most of them and say "yes" to them most of the time.

Honey, vinegar and flies, ya know? =D

I agree about the overseas call centers being very pushy. With them being so aggressive it is no more rude to be abrupt with them than it is with a telemarketer and their tactics are eerily similar. Plus they can never understand why we don't want to drop everything and run out for a $5 shop. Puhlease.

If you call me unexpectedly and are wanting me to do something for you, I have absolutely zero qualms about hanging up when you start to annoy me.

My response is the same as BusyBee. Get another phone number (Google Voice) that will ring to the phone, or phones (up to six) you are already using with Market Force (MF). At least you can change your phone number in your MF profile so they are the only ones that call it. You have the option to just get another number using your same area code, and when they call and leave a message; the control for you is better. You won't miss your other calls (long distance). And you can still fulfill your need to get shops with MF. So, you are not totally ignoring them. They always leave a call back number and extension.

Believe me when I say, I do not ever want schedulers to stop calling me, but it is hard to get them (some schedulers) to accept "no" as an answer. MF is the only company that does this to me. Especially for the casual fast food shops. I wasn't aware of the outsourcing for schedulers until very recently. I must admit that, when the person that is heavily accented is at the other end of the line on a Market Force call, I know I am in for an adventure.

I am not racist in any way. So my comment concerning heavily accented people is the only way I can convey my experience to this forum. I realize that others use it the same way I did. Both my grandparents on my Mom and Dad's side came from the Cape Verde Islands, so I know heavily accented.

Google Voice; [accounts.google.com]

Not only are the folks from the overseas call centers pushy and uding a really stupid script, but also, they keep calling me about shops for two clients that I am on record as NEVER wanting to do. And, they keep talking no matter what I say to them. So I end up having to just hang up. Oddly nough, only the stateside schedulers ever call me about the shops that I DO want from this MSC.

I'd like to add this, they do not leave messages. While traveling a couple of weeks ago I kept getting phone calls from the same area with no message. Finally one of the calls came through when I was off the interstate. It was them trying to get me to do a job I had completed the previous month and they were offering less than half to go back again.

I must be lucky, they haven't tried to call me from any other numbers other than (925) 293-3386, and that's auto-voicemail with a "I don't do overseas scheduling, Thanks!" custom voice mail greeting.

I mean, their welcome to try. I'll just add that number to the listing for MFI-Phillipines.

And regarding hanging up.. if their being pushy... just hang up. it's not worth the aggravation to deal with someone who just won't take 'NO TOO CHEAP' for an answer.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/2012 01:34AM by starblazr.

If they call my home phone, caller ID alerts me of a no-no. But since all of the companies I am with have my cell phone number, I let it go to voice mail and add them as a contact immediately, so I can be ready the next time that they call. I add ALL numbers that ALL of the companies call from. I don't let them get on the phone to get off. haha I can call THEM back. The End.

cake... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Were these schedulers from overseas?
>
> I think so. They had pretty thick accents.
>
>
> DLerner, from what I've heard this is somewhat
> common for Marketforce.

The overseas callers keep you on the line forever. I also found this with DSG. My politically incorrect opinion is that the folks in overseas call centers are originally trained for either tech support or general customer service and that the MS companies do not properly train them to know the difference between fields. The calls are long and very frustrating. I can't understand the reps., they don't understand me or the guidelines and I really don't want to answer whether they have provided me with "Excellent customer service" or not.

CLICK !!!!!

Say you'll only do it for an amount you know will never be accepted. The one who called me today from purple portal also had the heavy accent. When she had to put me on hold to get approval for the amount I wanted, I could have hung up. Since I was willing to do it for the bonus I requested, I waited. But otherwise, it would have been a good time to just hang up.

That's a good approach if the scheduler actually listens and respects what you say. The problem, IME, is that many of these schedulers just disregard what you say and tell you they're going to assign you the shop based on what they want to pay you and when they want you to do the shop.

Here's a trick I learned long ago...if you want to end a conversation just start a sentence and hang up in the middle. The other person won't think you hung up on yourself so it must have been a phone connection issue. Just be sure not to answer the return call

I think you should just get over feeling guilty for setting boundaries and saying NO to doing something for someone else especially if they call unexpected and don't listen to your first polite no thank you. You need to keep your own interests in mind just as they are doing.

Period.

more of the overseas people should be trained by those with southern hospitality.

just my 2 cents.

Don't answer the initial call.

Yeah but how would some shoppers know the call was from MF? The overseas schedulers are allegedly using different area codes now.

If you would be willing to do the job for more money, it would be a good idea to make that offer. Be prepared for them to call back and accept. It happens.

I wanted to ask this but didn't know how since my comments can be offensive to others. They generally tend to (act as if) they have a bad understanding of the English language period.

I usually take at least one regular paying shop so that I can see the bonused shops in the future. A scheduler tipped me off to this. It was said that if they see that you only accept the largely bonused shops they will take that privilege from your screen. I need those $20 fast food shops at the end of the shopping cycle.

BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz Wrote:
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> Were these schedulers from overseas?

I've been working with this company for 6 years and have had a totally different experience than a couple of you. Although I receive 2-3 calls per week about available shops, none of the schedulers are from overseas, either. The schedulers that do call are always polite and are not pushy in any way. I always listen to the shop that is being offered and if it is not appealing, I just tell them I can't do it or ask them for more money if it is too low paying. Then that's it, they politely thank me and hang up. I'm not sure why you would be experiencing pushy schedulers. Maybe it's regional? I'm in the NY area.

My favorite was a person who called sometime a go and mentioned that there was a shop in my area which had my name on it. I mentioned that I had two adult children in the hospital one of whom had just had a heart attack while the second was being operated on for cancer. The person suggested that I could go the next day. Sadly, my story was true and I did not go.

I only work for the purple portal (food services), but the only calls I get are for theater assignments on the blue side. That always seemed weird to me. All of the voicemails have seemed to be from US-based callers.

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> I'd like to add this, they do not leave messages.
> While traveling a couple of weeks ago I kept
> getting phone calls from the same area with no
> message. Finally one of the calls came through
> when I was off the interstate. It was them trying
> to get me to do a job I had completed the previous
> month and they were offering less than half to go
> back again.


Both overseas and U.S. MF schedulers always leave me messages. When I see the 925 area code, I answer only if I want to pick up some bonused shops.

I usually get the same overseas scheduler, "Carly." This week I didn't have my glasses on and couldn't see the phone number, so I answered. It was Carly. She wanted me to take a fast food dinner shop that night. I explained I was already doing a a fast casual (drive-thru) and a restaurant dinner shop for MF that night, and she couldn't understand why I wouldn't want to do 3 dinner shops on one night! So then she said, "Let me find you something else," and during the pause I jumped in and thanked her for offering me the shop, that I had to go, and said good-bye. Click.

She called again today and left a VM, so I guess she's not mad at me.

U.S. schedulers for MF usually leave messages but not always, IME. I have not ogotten calls from overseas schedulers from MF yet.

cake... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, here's my dilemma. I've received a couple
> calls from MF lately and I've been absolutely
> unable to get them off the phone without just
> hanging up on them! What happens is that I decline
> the glorious $5 shop they're offering me, and they
> say "Well, let me look at other shops in your
> area" and then keep offering me shops, refusing to
> take no for an answer. At one point I said "My
> baby is crying and I need to take care of him,
> please do not assign me any shops" (not entirely
> truthful since the "baby" is almost 3, but
> anyway...) and the lady said "Well, I'll go ahead
> and assign you this one..." Finally I said "I'm
> going to hang up now. Do not assign me any shops."
> But I felt so rude and uncomfortable.
>
> I've been screening my calls ever since, but MF
> always calls from a different number each time,
> and since I'm job searching I hate letting
> long-distance calls just go to voicemail. Any
> tips?


OK OMG - I have had this happen to me numerous times. They will just not shut up. They want me to take that wonderful $5 -$7 shop. I have refused the shop and then had the MF rep ask me why I don't want to do it? Really how about because I said NO?? There is one lady that calls me in particular and I just tell her no immediately and hang up. I do not want to be rude, but offering me a shop is one thing, bagering me abnout taking the shop or trying to find other shops I might be interested in is crossing the line. OMG -