EPMS....of all the companies I have worked for, this one gives me the most struggle. I love to work for them, yet rethink that love once I have completed the shop and sit down to do the report.

Here is why I am like a moth to a flame with them:
1. The folks I have dealt with there are first class. They offer great help, give quick responses, and really seem to be on the shopper's side.
2. From the onset, they offer pretty good payments for their shops.
3. They are willing to work with you on deadlines if an issue arises.

Here is why I feel like the moth who got fried by the flame and hesitates to go back:
1. Their reports are unexplainably and unjustifiably long, redundant, ask the same question over and over and over and over with a minimum of 5 new sentences each time, redundant, repetitive, and redundant.
2. Their reports are unexplainably and unjustifiably long, redundant, ask the same question over and over and over and over with a minimum of 5 new sentences each time, redundant, repetitive, and redundant.
3. Their reports are unexplainably and unjustifiably long, redundant, ask the same question over and over and over and over with a minimum of 5 new sentences each time, redundant, repetitive, and redundant.

I suppose all their shops are being filled each month and the army of disgruntled report-filler-outer's (yes, that is a word I just made up) is not much more than the aggravation of a hangnail. However, is there any way that the shopper community could possibly work together to tell them how often shops are not taken knowing the dreaded report to complete that is as awful as being covered in a wet wool blanket on an August afternoon? They pay a little more than most, but their reports are FAR worse than any company I can think of....eye color of the consultant, where the bathrooms are (ummm...even if a shopper were dumb enough to try to fake the shop, you could get that info off the property website), the décor of the clubhouse (ditto on the previous website comment), and the same questions about the consultant decorated about 5 different ways.

If you search for comments about them on this forum, you are guaranteed to hear comments about how dreadful their reports are. It seems like they are missing a lot of really great, experienced shoppers for what looks like a relatively easy issue to tweak. I have no problem with giving a detailed report that is heavy on narratives.

The reason for my question is that I recall a while back, someone from EPMS started a thread on how they could make things better. A big complaint was chasing the target as it seems like a never ending cat-and-mouse game. I took a shop with them this week. It was a video shop. I would be hard pressed to do the same amount of work for 1/2 the money as the traditional shops pay. I had issues, but Robert and my scheduler were so pleasant to deal with, it washed out my previous aggravations. For the first time, the shop instructions gave the days the target was working and the days she would be there by herself. What the what???!?!?!? Hallelujah! I wonder if the comments made from the other thread that was started had any impact on this new, well, never seen by me, addition.

That being said, is there any way that experienced, knowledgeable, level-headed, rational shoppers like hopefully all of you are, could possibly make an impact with EPMS in regards to their report expectations? I spent over 2 hours working on a report for a shop that lasted 36 minutes. That is ridiculous. When I was a relatively new shopper, I chalked it up to learning the business. Now that my bones are not as green, I can't justify taking those shops. Unfortunately, and here lies the problem, this is a company that I really, really, really, really, really, really would like to work with. Until they are willing to send someone to take care of my kids for me to devote my "free" time to complete a repetitive report, I am not sure if the payment is worth it.

They are a niche company. For that reason, I understand and expect outstanding shoppers and shopper reports. However......(shoppers with experience in completing those reports can complete the sentence)

Yes, EPMS reports are long, tedious, and very redundant. My biggest complaint with EPMS is when you must shop a specific target. They don't have that many shops on Long Island, but when they do, I try to avoid the specific person shop. As a result, I have not done any of their shops recently. Also, if you must try 3 to 5 times to reach the target, that makes it difficult to do other shops that day.

For my first couple of EPMS shops, the scheduler was helpful and extended the dates. Unfortunately, I had some schedulers take away my shop when I failed to reach the target even though I had tried for days. So as a result, you make phone calls for several days and don't get paid even a few dollars for them.

BTW, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get through to a specific target without being seen as a target?

amie068 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> EPMS....of all the companies I have worked for,
> this one gives me the most struggle. I love to
> work for them, yet rethink that love once I have
> completed the shop and sit down to do the report.
>
> Here is why I am like a moth to a flame with
> them:
> 1. The folks I have dealt with there are first
> class. They offer great help, give quick
> responses, and really seem to be on the shopper's
> side.
> 2. From the onset, they offer pretty good payments
> for their shops.
> 3. They are willing to work with you on deadlines
> if an issue arises.
>
> Here is why I feel like the moth who got fried by
> the flame and hesitates to go back:
> 1. Their reports are unexplainably and
> unjustifiably long, redundant, ask the same
> question over and over and over and over with a
> minimum of 5 new sentences each time, redundant,
> repetitive, and redundant.
> 2. Their reports are unexplainably and
> unjustifiably long, redundant, ask the same
> question over and over and over and over with a
> minimum of 5 new sentences each time, redundant,
> repetitive, and redundant.
> 3. Their reports are unexplainably and
> unjustifiably long, redundant, ask the same
> question over and over and over and over with a
> minimum of 5 new sentences each time, redundant,
> repetitive, and redundant.
>
> I suppose all their shops are being filled each
> month and the army of disgruntled
> report-filler-outer's (yes, that is a word I just
> made up) is not much more than the aggravation of
> a hangnail. However, is there any way that the
> shopper community could possibly work together to
> tell them how often shops are not taken knowing
> the dreaded report to complete that is as awful as
> being covered in a wet wool blanket on an August
> afternoon? They pay a little more than most, but
> their reports are FAR worse than any company I can
> think of....eye color of the consultant, where the
> bathrooms are (ummm...even if a shopper were dumb
> enough to try to fake the shop, you could get that
> info off the property website), the décor of the
> clubhouse (ditto on the previous website comment),
> and the same questions about the consultant
> decorated about 5 different ways.
>
> If you search for comments about them on this
> forum, you are guaranteed to hear comments about
> how dreadful their reports are. It seems like they
> are missing a lot of really great, experienced
> shoppers for what looks like a relatively easy
> issue to tweak. I have no problem with giving a
> detailed report that is heavy on narratives.
>
> The reason for my question is that I recall a
> while back, someone from EPMS started a thread on
> how they could make things better. A big complaint
> was chasing the target as it seems like a never
> ending cat-and-mouse game. I took a shop with them
> this week. It was a video shop. I would be hard
> pressed to do the same amount of work for 1/2 the
> money as the traditional shops pay. I had issues,
> but Robert and my scheduler were so pleasant to
> deal with, it washed out my previous aggravations.
> For the first time, the shop instructions gave the
> days the target was working and the days she would
> be there by herself. What the what???!?!?!?
> Hallelujah! I wonder if the comments made from the
> other thread that was started had any impact on
> this new, well, never seen by me, addition.
>
> That being said, is there any way that
> experienced, knowledgeable, level-headed, rational
> shoppers like hopefully all of you are, could
> possibly make an impact with EPMS in regards to
> their report expectations? I spent over 2 hours
> working on a report for a shop that lasted 36
> minutes. That is ridiculous. When I was a
> relatively new shopper, I chalked it up to
> learning the business. Now that my bones are not
> as green, I can't justify taking those shops.
> Unfortunately, and here lies the problem, this is
> a company that I really, really, really, really,
> really, really would like to work with. Until they
> are willing to send someone to take care of my
> kids for me to devote my "free" time to complete a
> repetitive report, I am not sure if the payment is
> worth it.
>
> They are a niche company. For that reason, I
> understand and expect outstanding shoppers and
> shopper reports. However......(shoppers with
> experience in completing those reports can
> complete the sentence)


I have done several shops with these people. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting how long it takes to complete their paperwork. As a matter of fact: I performed a shop for them yesterday. I drove 62 miles one way. I performed a 46 minutes shop. I left the parking lot and filled out the paperwork behind the theater and invested another 30 minutes. I got home last night and started doing my paperwork online. At 11 PM I logged on to the EPMS website to input this information and complete the shop. It was 3:28 AM when I hit submit. This was for a $35 shop and I told myself I will never do it again. Again unfortunately, I keep forgetting how terrible it is to make these reports. I did not go to college and I am not a math whiz; nonetheless, I seriously doubt that it was profitable for my time invested. Not to mention the frustration of seeing that online report to be never ending.

I have considered putting a note somewhere on my desk, where I can see it regularly, telling me not to accept any assignments from EPMS unless I take into consideration and investment of at least five hours plus the cost of gasoline and drivetime. That idea has bumped my minimum acceptable payment for an assignment with them at approximately $70. And at that rate it still does not seem to compute as profitable.

Like so many others, I agree they are very nice. They are easy to work with for rescheduling. This particular assignment I had been working four days, trying to contact the target.

For me, the most important issue is acknowledging that I am not the only person finding this company difficult and actually frustrating. After all, their paperwork is laid out in a format that asks five questions that are yes and no. At the end of the five questions is a little tiny field to enter your explanation on why you reported whatever it is that you reported on each of the five previous questions. And then of course there is that little extra that they throw in: "please be specific".

Ha ha ha ha, the redundancy is killing me.

What do you mean they are "redundant?"
What do you mean they are "redundant?"

This reminds me of a certain shop where they ask you 3 questions that are all the same.

Questions by editor:
1. What did the target do to close the sale?
2. Explain how the target closed the sale?
3. Explain the closing process done by the target?

I used to grab as many as I can but now I have been avoiding them. 90 minutes for some reports that a lot of narrative is too much. Their target shops have had me chasing some people for weeks. I like how they do business as a company but for now I will pass on most their shops.

My last few reports took me about 45 minutes to an hour. Still way too long for a video. I open each of the sections in a separate window which doesn't get closed until that page is complete. It allows me to copy and paste all of the redundant information.

Oops...failed to mention that the reason I wondered if a collective voice would matter was because on the original thread started by a rep from EPMS, a lot of us complained about the target issue. For this last shop I did, the instructions listed the days the target was working and included dates she would be working alone. That was the first time I had seen that and was very relieved.

I too rethink them from time to time. I completed a shop last week where i was asked to give an update on a shop at around noon my time. Figuring that I'd have the report completed that night, I began the report and fell asleep at my desk, something that had never happened before. However, the report was about 90 percent done. I woke up at 8am, disgruntled that I'd fallen asleep, and continued with the page. When I attempted to go to the next page, I found out that my shop had been unassigned. Another scheduler once told me that they are able to see when the last time you were in the report was, so if true, I find it unfair and redicolous that someone unassigned me if they could see that the report was almost done and that I was just working on it in the last five hours. And of course the shop had already been picked up.

I just returned as an EPMS shopper after a six-month self-imposed hiatus.

Here's what is helping me get through the reports (I do video shops only for them):

1. Voice Recognition software. I use Siri on my iPad, and she's a lifesaver. I can click my cursor into the comments field, then scroll up and down to comment on all the individual sections in a report. This has taken my average report time for those 13-section, 14-narrative block reports down to 60 minutes or so. Five minutes of talking to my iPad for each section, and I'm done. For a laptop, Dragon Naturally Speaking software would work well too.

2. My printout of adjectives and phrases to use in narratives. I have about 50 of them printed out and they have words like "engaged," "attentive," "listless," "robotic" - and helpful phrases like "a missed opportunity," "completely focused on my needs" and so forth. When I'm dictating, I scan the questions above the narrative box, have my printout in had, and can select appropriate phrases. Totally helps with writers block.

3.. Eye color? "Hazel." Works every time, especially if I'm wavering on the physical description. Also - the average height of an American male is 5'10". And the female average is 5'5". When in doubt, go with Mr. or Mrs. Average.

4. Trader Joe's Two-Buck Chuck wine. I brought back two cases of the lovely stuff from my recent CA road trip. We don't have it here in Colorado, and it's a lifesaver.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2013 01:34PM by ColoKate63.

When I began completing video shops for Ellis in Aug. of 2009, the report was 2 or 3 questions; now, they require a full written report. I reacted by increasing my fees, but haven't had an offer accepted. In addition, targets, at least for me, are far more difficult to contact. Therefore, due to the disruption to my schedule, I no longer apply for an job that names a specific person, UNLESS, I'm permitted to use that name for my calls. This decision was prompted by my last apt. work in which the target didn't use her name in the introduction AND the client was aware of this situation, but I was still expected to speak with her on the phone. I was instructed to ask for her name, but to be careful I didn't arouse her suspicion as to my being a shopper. I, reluctantly, returned the shop.

Thanks for reminding me why I never check their board anymore. I don't shop an apartment unless its a video shop and only has a 1 page narrative. I got into video shopping to AVOID tedious reporting.

EPMS doesn't have video shops in this area. A few are audio recorded; most are not. I know the reports can be long and tedious, but it's the best paying gig in this town. Since it's not difficult, I just fire up the laptop and watch my DVR while using every adjective and similar phrase - have a list of them is a good idea! Having been in clerical functions for 30+ years has helped me a lot, too - after awhile, writing BS gets really easy!

However.....$ per total time spent on one EPMSONLINE shop = less than a non bonused Arches shop.

However.....$ per total time spent on one EPMSONLINE shop = less than a non bonused Arches shop.

However.....$ per total time spent on one EPMSONLINE shop = less than a non bonused Arches shop.

Oh, did I also mention

You can actually make more per hour on a non bonused Arches shop, than you can doing one EPMSONLINE shop?

I'm not redundant, just answering your question a different way with the same darn answer because I just like to type unnecessary words and I have all the time in the world to do so...

Lol

ColoKate63 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>...Trader Joe's Two-Buck Chuck wine. I brought
> back two cases of the lovely stuff from my recent
> CA road trip. We don't have it here in Colorado,
> and it's a lifesaver.

TJ's opened up a year or so ago here in my area, and you won't find any of my gal friends without at least a half a case of Chuck stashed at their house. You can't beat that value!

Except for one small detail, IGOOgleit - I like looking at apartments, and I HATE arches food.

Tip from a current shopper with EPMS.

You see a shop you want to work but can not go to the location if the target is reached. Call first, don't use the recording system - just your own personal phone. Ask for the target. You will either reach the target or learn the target is off for the day or away from their desk, etc. If the target is on site - go ahead and self assign. One call constantly went to their SC office. Of course the target was 20 miles way not 1000 so I called and after calling three straight days - I was finally allowed to ask for that person who was 20 miles away and not 1000. This call had to be recorded so it made it more difficult.

"You see a shop you want to work but can not go to the location if the target is reached."

Huh? I might be the only one here, but I don't understand most of that post.

You are not the only one.

I suspect it should read:

"You see a shop you want to work but can not go to the location if the target is not reached."

I shop them. The attraction is that the fee is higher than an average shop fee. I don't have an issue with targets, it's sometimes a challenge, but generally takes minimal time. If reaching the target is difficult, with permission, EPMS normally allows asking for them by name, after 3 or 4 attempts.

It takes me too long to do their reports. 60% is of my own making, 40% is report redundancy.

Back to the point. A $50 shop taking 3-4 hours, or 5 $10 shops taking 2 hours? I mix and match to benefit my schedule, and preferences.

I agree Mert. While they don't necessarily work if trying to fit them into a route, a few phone calls don't take all that long. I mix it up including fake accents stating it is a wrong number, the 'Hello. Hello. I can't hear you." and asking a question or two before cutting them off to say I need to speak with my S.O. Worse case it takes about five minutes over the course of a day.

Amie068, did you say redundant? You are not kidding!

txmedia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tip from a current shopper with EPMS.
>
> You see a shop you want to work but can not go to
> the location if the target is reached. Call
> first, don't use the recording system - just your
> own personal phone. Ask for the target. You will
> either reach the target or learn the target is off
> for the day or away from their desk, etc. If the
> target is on site - go ahead and self assign. One
> call constantly went to their SC office. Of
> course the target was 20 miles way not 1000 so I
> called and after calling three straight days - I
> was finally allowed to ask for that person who was
> 20 miles away and not 1000. This call had to be
> recorded so it made it more difficult.

Can anyone who's had experience doing these types of shops clarify if this is OK to do or not? I can see how it would save a lot of time and make the shops much easier, but I wouldn't want to do anything to violate either ICA or shop instructions.

99% of the ones I've done for EPMS require a recorded call. It is not okay to ask for the target if that contradicts shop guidelines. I just did a search and previewed a targeted shop ~

"Please attempt to call this community 3-5 times per day at various times of the day until you reach your target. Call EPMS if you are having trouble reaching your target; do not just call and ask for them!"

Mert,

I think txmedia is saying to call the community directly without recording it before even booking the shop. Once the target is reached, make an excuse to end the call, book the shop, then start calling through the recording system like normal.

I know we "can" do this, but "should" we?

Hey, Lisa, just wanted to mention that although there is a ton of great advice on this forum, you need to always take it in context. If a poster has a history of assignments being rejected because of freelancing or rewriting guidelines to suit themselves, you might want to really consider what the intent of the client is supposed to be. You don't want to end up in a jackpot by utilizing practices that the MSC would not approve of.

Yes, thank you, Shopgal; that's exactly why I'm questioning this further. From reading a lot on this and other threads, I have little confidence in this suggestion. I have only had one shop where I had difficulty reaching the target. After calling for three days straight (how many excuses can you make up for getting off?), I was allowed to ask and found out she was on vacation for that whole week. Otherwise, it hasn't been a problem for me. In fact, I'm doing a targeted shop this afternoon after confirming with her this morning - and it's nicely bonused. Think I'll stick to what I know.

I don't like targeted shops myself. But if a shopper accepts one of these assignments, they also must agree to complete it the way the client/MSC intended. It's freelancers that are making all of our assignments more complicated.

That, I believe, is the source of the proposed 'loophole'. You make the first call attempting to locate the target BEFORE accepting the shop. Therefore, the client's/MSC's rules don't apply. It sounds like "fuzzy logic", and I'm not for it.

I'm not up for any attempt to skew the guidelines. That kind of thing adds more inane rules and steps to ensure that even the most obtuse shopper can handle doing the assignment correctly. I hate it when processes have to be dumbed down just because a few don't belong out in the field doing this gig.