Is Bestmark worth it? I feel bad doing this but....

January 10, 2013 04:36AM

Is Bestmark worth it? I feel bad doing this but.... i think i'm going to late cancel this restaurant shop that i signed up for. i'm not new to mystery shopping but i am new to this company and this web forum. i have done many restaurant shops with several other companies, and bestmark requires more narratives than any other assignment i have ever done! even hotel and sporting venue shops, and this was a measley 1-hr lunch!

which would be totally acceptable... IF they paid me at least a fee plus the reimbursement. it is really my own fault for not looking over all the narrative questions before i did the assignment... but when i looked at it tonight i just kept thinking this must be a joke! i would rather just not receive my $20 reimbursement than spend 3 hours writing 25 repetitive essays.

i never flake out on assignments so i feel really bad and stupid because really i should have known better. is this a good company to stay with, or should i forget the whole thing?

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January 10, 2013 02:35PM

Emily asks:

is this a good company to stay with?

BOB'S reply:

Absolutely not! I was fired by this MSC 6 yrs. ago for refusing their high work/low pay shops and have not. in the slightest, missed the association.

Emily's second question:

should I forget the whole thing?

BOB'S reply:

The same absolutely not! As you have stated, you are completely at fault for placing yourself in this predicament. Profit from your mistake in not reviewing the form, maintain your reputation and complete the report for your self dignity; in addition, BestMark is a reputable MSC. My sole objection to the company is their business model, which is predicated upon requiring voluminous amounts of work for a meager payment.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2013 03:01PM by shopperbob.

January 10, 2013 02:48PM

It's worth it if you love the food at the place that the assignment requires you to shop and it is worth it to you to complete the report, recognizing that your payment is the meal. Many MSCs do not pay a fee along with the reimbursement for casual and fine dining. Others pay a fee that is really nothing more than a token fee. I make my decision on a case-by-case basis whether it is worth it to me or not. Nobody can really tell you whether a particular dining shop is worth it to you or not. We could only comment on whether it is worth it to us ......and for me, that varies depending on the dining client.

January 10, 2013 02:49PM

I'm not a fan of this company either....NO it's not worth it....move on....you won't miss them one bit.

January 10, 2013 03:11PM

I think Bestmark's restaurant shops are the easiest reports out there for better food than FF. I found the report very simple. The narratives didn't seem to require a life story in each box, just a quick run down of that section of the report. I liked it, food was okay but for "free" food I would do it again and again.

But that is my opinion. I have done other company restaurants which was a bear of a report. I think Bestmark's restaurant is a good, get your feet wet, type of restaurant report.

January 10, 2013 04:21PM

Maybe actually DO the report. Give them a sentence or two of narrative, not a book. You may find the report isn't as bad as it looks once you actually start to do it.

And then don't work for them again if you think it wasn't worth it.

:
:
==============================================================
I pray it does not occur that the last thing I did before I died was vacuum the house or eat broccoli.

January 10, 2013 05:46PM

I like Bestmark and to date, have never encountered an issue with them. I like their casual meal shops, but if I didn't care for the food or the atmoshere, I would not think that it's worth it.

January 10, 2013 08:57PM

I wouldn't cancel. You committed to do it and you might actually enjoy yourself. Next time, read over the requirements before scheduling. Your reputation is on the line and even though you may never shop for them again, mystery shopping takes discipline. Discipline yourself to following through on commitments and not committing before you read everything.

I have found myself in similar situations and looked at them as learning experiences. Often times, they are not as bad as I think they might be.

January 10, 2013 10:48PM

I would honor my commitment.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

January 11, 2013 02:24AM

I think at some point all of us have taken on an assignment that ended up involving way more effort and time than we had anticipated. It's tempting to back out at the last minute. But if you're in the process of building a reputable business, these are "live and learn" experiences. A commitment was made. Follow through with it as best you can. Sometimes a report can look much worse than it actually is. And even if it is a pretty hideous report, you'll feel better in the end about the manner in which you represented yourself and the way you conducted your business.

On the flip side...Would I do another assignment for BestMark? No. They have incredibly low pay and require an excess of narrative. They ding pay without explanation. I haven't done an assignment for them for a very long time, and don't plan on doing so any time soon. As Bob had said, I do not miss not having an association with them any more.

_____________________________________________________________________________
"Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
~Viktor Frankl

January 11, 2013 03:41AM

I did not know that they did restraunt shops. I have not seen any in our area. However, I love their car shops and electronics shops. they are worth it. And they do not hesitate to add bonuses the closer to deadline they get. The bonuses are not much, but it helps. I have gotten up to a $20 bonus a few times.

January 11, 2013 03:55AM

The MSP, or shop, is not relevant. Of more importance, is a shopper's reputation and work ethic. I recommend doing the shop, not flaking. Just do it. Maybe it won't be so bad. If it is, you'll put it on your 10' pole list. Also, if it is, come back and tell us about it. No doubt, others will commiserate with you :-]

January 11, 2013 07:56AM

I did an automotive job with them. They payed me by check, but I received it in the mail less than 2 weeks after the shop. The bonuses are good, and the report was super easy!!! They paid almost $100 for something I already needed to do in the first place.

January 11, 2013 07:59PM

Emily2012, they also have hotels, fine dining, beauty shops, cosmetics purchase, so you never know where you might move or be in the future. Let's also not forget the lucrative "fun shops" which were very easy and great as long as they lasted. You might need a car service, who knows.

January 11, 2013 11:51PM

Ahhhh...I loved the "fun" shops. Especially the ones that mailed you a large gift card beforehand and all you had to do was go in and spend it....

January 11, 2013 11:55PM

Bestmark also does teasers - take a "bad" shop and you'll get offered really good ones now and then. I do a lot of the reveal shops for $20 and don't find the reports that bad. A narrative is required on each page, but 4-5 sentences does the trick. Then I'll get offered a $75 reimbursement shop at a high-end restaurant, and the report only has a couple of extra sections. Not too bad.

I also haven't had to pay for an oil change or air filter in ages, plus they pay at least $20 for the report. No other oil change shop comes close for shopper pay.

What I miss are the shops where you had to purchase a minimum of $50 to see if they offered a store credit card. Those were the days.....

NOTE: I'm not on the forum every day. If someone comments on my post, I might not reply right away. I've been a shopper since 1991. I've never done any work for a MS company in any other capacity.

January 12, 2013 01:39AM

Seems like a lot of you are in areas where BestMark offers better assignments. I've been with them a couple of years now, and all I see anymore are the big box electronics stores, new car shops, and video things you have to do with a kid. Used to be I could pick up an occasional restaurant or clothing store visit, but haven't seen those in forever.

January 12, 2013 03:38AM

shopgal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think at some point all of us have taken on an
> assignment that ended up involving way more effort
> and time than we had anticipated. It's tempting to
> back out at the last minute. But if you're in the
> process of building a reputable business, these
> are "live and learn" experiences. A commitment was
> made. Follow through with it as best you can.
> Sometimes a report can look much worse than it
> actually is. And even if it is a pretty hideous
> report, you'll feel better in the end about the
> manner in which you represented yourself and the
> way you conducted your business.
>
> On the flip side...Would I do another assignment
> for BestMark? No. They have incredibly low pay and
> require an excess of narrative. They ding pay
> without explanation. I haven't done an assignment
> for them for a very long time, and don't plan on
> doing so any time soon. As Bob had said, I do not
> miss not having an association with them any more.

They are heavy on the narrative :-)!

****************

Motivation increases when we assume large responsibilities with a short deadline.

January 12, 2013 09:14AM

If you cancel too many times you are off their list.

January 13, 2013 03:27AM

I have a soft spot in my heart for Bestmark as they were the first co I signed up for. Their main restaurant which gets shopped monthly for both lunch and dinner does require a lot of narrative, but once you have done some, it's kind of a routine. I find the hardest part is to identify the manager and get a name. Until recently, the managers did not wear name tags.

January 14, 2013 02:43AM

I have always liked BestMark. I've done numerous restaurant shops and the narratives have always been easy, compared to restaurants from other msc. I agree with everyone that once you accept a shop, to commit to it. I made the mistake of taking three new shops with a large msc known for easy shops. It did all there, which took me hours and my net paid was probably zero. I will never do those again, but you gotta honor your commitment.

January 14, 2013 11:11AM

emily2012 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is Bestmark worth it? I feel bad doing this
> but.... i think i'm going to late cancel this
> restaurant shop that i signed up for. i'm not new
> to mystery shopping but i am new to this company
> and this web forum. i have done many restaurant
> shops with several other companies, and bestmark
> requires more narratives than any other assignment
> i have ever done! even hotel and sporting venue
> shops, and this was a measley 1-hr lunch!
>
> which would be totally acceptable... IF they paid
> me at least a fee plus the reimbursement. it is
> really my own fault for not looking over all the
> narrative questions before i did the assignment...
> but when i looked at it tonight i just kept
> thinking this must be a joke! i would rather just
> not receive my $20 reimbursement than spend 3
> hours writing 25 repetitive essays.
>
> i never flake out on assignments so i feel really
> bad and stupid because really i should have known
> better. is this a good company to stay with, or
> should i forget the whole thing?

January 14, 2013 11:36PM

I have done about 10 shops with Bestmark over the last year and I agree, their reports are really long with unnecessary narratives, but one thing I like about Bestmark is that they pay very quickly via check versus some mystery shopping companies that pay 30, 45, or even 60 days later. I did a [name of client edited out for ICA violation] shop with them in the middle of December and I got paid by New years. I use them when I need quick cash lol! But overall, I would still work for them :-) No complaints with the schedulers and they will reschedule a date for you if you request it.

January 15, 2013 02:43AM

have never performed a restaurant shop for Best Mark. Guess there are none in my neck of the woods. One VERY good thing - they pay every two weeks.

January 15, 2013 06:17AM

I don't think the amount of work on the reports is worth the price of the meal. There reports are very long and editors are tough. But they are quick with their payments.

January 15, 2013 07:52AM

I would list Best Mark as one of the least desirable companies. Their Car Dealership visits pay only $17 when other companies give at least $30 to $45 as the base not including bonuses. Plus they dock pay for little things like being late submitting the report. CRI and New Image Marketing are one of the best companies

January 31, 2013 09:20PM

I've never been disappointed with Bestmark. While their fees are not the highest, I find their narratives to not be burdensome as others are, nor have I ever had problems with prompt payment. I enjoy their 'every-other-week' payments which are always on-time.

I always use a voice recorder for my entire dining experience, which allows me to enjoy my meal with my husband and pull information off the recorder as I fill out the form. Easy and it only takes a few minutes to do....and I usually get a pretty, good free meal!

February 01, 2013 01:42PM

I'm late to this one, but I have to say in fairness that I had several decent casual dine shops with BM in the last two years. One came along, I'll call it Fancy Car Farm that was reimbursement with a full write up. I wrote to them and told them it was way out of line for the pay in my area. This one shop seems to be the exception.

~
up, up, down, down, left, right,left,right, B,A, start.

February 02, 2013 08:21PM

I did the electronic shops at first...then it became two shops for the price of one...

“He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic , rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him In !

February 03, 2013 04:17PM

I say if you accepted the job you gave them your word you would do it you back out your word means nothing. We have to build a reputation with our clients so they know they can count on you to complete the shop, and then they can full their commitments to the client it's a full circle.

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