LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think Mary's views of building a relationship
> with a MSC are right in the vast majority of
> cases, just not all the time. The MSCs I will go
> out of my way to help are the same ones that keep
> me on speed dial for high paying local shops. For
> them there is also very little negotiating
> involved because their first offer is often what I
> would have asked for or even better.
>
> It has been proven over and over that Market Force
> treats their shoppers like numbers and believes
> for every one they dump (or that dumps them), 20
> more will come along. They are probably right
> since they are the first MSC most shoppers find
> and because of their ridiculously easy jobs and
> reports, they are still the one that gets
> recommended as a "starter" company.

The schedulers and the company apparently do not work with the same understanding. A scheduler may TELL YOU "It is OK to shop when they call you desperately but the computer is not counting that as a effort to build a relationship it is counting it as a shop performed. If you shop too many times they cut you off. Schedulers called me after I was no longer offered shops. They were disappointed that the computer would not let them assign me shops.

Indians, Orientals, Amish, and many other cultures look to their elders to give them the benefit of their wisdom and experience. Market Force wants a "fresh face", even though the chances of seeing the same employee face twice and evaluating the same person is not likely.

I told the schedulers many times, "I was just there last week". The answer was, "Some customers eat there daily." or "The rotation of employees and shopping a different day at a different hour most likely result in not evaluating the same person twice." They would be correct. I very rarely saw and evaluated the same person unless they were a manager and then there was no acknowledgement that you were a "regular" that shopped the same location only a week ago.

I never did anything "memorable". I had a recorder so I never took a note or looked at my watch while I was on premises. When I got home I heard every word that was spoken. When the tray hit the counter I asked for barbecue sauce for my fries not catsup as catsup was available at the self serve convenience counter and would tip the server that you are the shopper. I would ask if the fries were hot if I waited over two minutes and they would take the fries off the tray, toss it them in the can and give me another fry. I would say the fries were hot and fresh!

On occasion I did point out a negative on the report and found they wanted only positive. A manager would object so why report it at all? Who should corporate believe a shopper with no axe to grind over a manager that may lose his or her job if the truth be known? Unfortunately the editor believed it was better not to complain to harshly. A minor issues every once in a while was acceptable, as it appeared I could spot a timing that was off by a few seconds even though the actual time was much worse. If I were a shopper I would rather wait a few minutes and get a properly cooked fish, chicken or burger and fries.
The fast food company is finding customers are finding the alternatives. Only those shops in "convenient" locations are doing the same business as last year unless a better alternative moves in nearby and then the figures will not lie. Fresh is better than speed. people will wait a few minutes for properly cooked items.

Now all I get are airport shops beyond security or shops that are way beyond the $10 they offer and would require a personal contribution beyond the amount they are paying. The client has big bucks, they do not need me to pay for gas and spend my time for Philippine wages. Rule number one, "Show me the money!" If I were working for peanuts I would apply to a circus for a job as an elephant.

If I am passing the door and a job will give me a snack and money for my gas tank on the way to the beach my vehicle will turn into the driveway and I will perform the shop. I would have been going there anyway on the way to the beach and if it were a bonus shop I would get money for gas. The supermarket will make me a sandwich or give me the deli to put a sandwich together. While I am sitting in my lounger on the beach listening to my recorder and answering the questions on the paper report on the clip board all I would have to do when I get home is transfer the information onto the computer. I might be otherwise listening to a ball game or doing a crossword puzzle.

I really do not know why some companies actually pay for evaluators to mystery shop. Can they really believe the reports when the district managers come in on unscheduled visits and see the reality of the locations. There will be fast food locations that will have nasty toilets that are locked and all the condiments will be behind the counter. There will be supermarkets that are trashed and the employees will be dressed improperly and have negative attitudes but the editors will clean it up and give you a poor score for reporting that. Give the editor what they want and “Take the money and run!” Denial (de Nile) is not a river in Egypt.

As judge Judy says if it isn't in writing then there is no contract



Assuredd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I really like doing business with MarketForce. I
> have been doing business with them ever since I
> started in May of last year. However, I have had
> two assignments for XYZ company. This is a fast
> food shop. Unfortunately the guidelines are very
> rigid. As rigid as they are, there is no reason
> beneficial to MarketForce to begin a systematic
> process alienating the shopper.
>
> According to the guidelines, I am required to do a
> drive-through and a walk-in. Multiple timings are
> required. Specific mealtimes are published. Cash
> is always required for payment.
>
> Now here is what happened to me: a while back I
> performed the shop and to expedite I decided to do
> the walk-in first and then the drive-through. I
> did the walk-in and forgot to use cash. I
> immediately left to begin the drive-through. After
> completing the drive-through I waited the
> appropriate time and did the walk-through again.
> This time I did use cash. This was a very long
> distance shop. I spent $50 on gasoline. The price
> was negotiated and I was expecting to earn $30 (I
> think).
>
> I submitted the shop and all the timings were
> proper. I happen to mention what had happened and
> that I had gone through the walk-in twice. Quality
> control refused my shop for that reason. I asked
> why? The response given to me by a quality control
> representative who was a male and his name started
> with a J was I could have been identified as a
> shopper.
>
> "I could have been identified as a shopper." Duh!
> This job we always run the risk of being
> identified as a shopper. If we are identified as a
> shopper we will not be paid. That is the nature of
> the beast. We all know it and accept it. The fact
> is, I was not identified as a shopper; however,
> this person decided to penalize me for making a
> mistake. This shop was a negotiating tool to
> negotiate lower prices on four other shops at the
> same time. In effect he used this as an excuse to
> lower total payment on all of the shops. I.e. (for
> example )my price for each shop before adding this
> shop at their request was $90 each. By adding one
> more shop this one, I agreed to $80 each.
>
> I should have been paid for this shop. I don't
> think anyone will disagree with that except "J".
> However, I feel I was used because of what
> happened the other day.
>
> I received an emergency call: please please please
> help me with this shop. Name your own price and I
> will submit it for payment. It can be done
> anytime, as long as it's done today. The shop is
> over 200 miles round-trip. I requested $90. They
> came back and offered me $75 and promised to make
> it up somewhere down the line with another shop.
>
> It just so happened that I was free and I could do
> the shop. I got in my car and I drove to perform
> the shop immediately. I.e. I printed out the
> assignment, put in my briefcase and left. I
> arrived to begin my shop at 1:30 PM. Normal
> scheduling for shops during the lunch ends at 1:15
> PM. However, I remember being told I could shop it
> any time. So I perform the shop and it took me
> more than one hour before I was ready to leave for
> home. I made the trip home and uploaded my shop.
>
> As a matter of practice, I refueled my car and the
> shop cost me $50. Therefore, I was looking at a
> $25 profit for four hours driving time one hour on
> location and a half hour online report. I was
> doing them a favor. This was not a surprise to me.
> I knew what I was doing when I started.
>
> The next day, you all know what happened! "J"
> rejected my shop because it was not during the
> normal lunch. Nor was it during any other
> mealtime. When I received the email I immediately
> responded by calling MarketForce to try and work
> this out. I was put in touch with "J". I explained
> to him that I was told this shop could be
> performed at any time. I told him this is exactly
> what I was told. His response to me was this: it's
> your own fault! You should've read the
> instructions. It's part of your contract.
>
> It was irrelevant what I had been told. He did not
> care and he didn't try to smooth things. He simply
> "cut me off while I was speaking" and told me I
> was not going to get a dime. That was rude. I
> retaliated and raised my voice and said I said,
> under the circumstances you should at least
> reimburse me for my gasoline. He said absolutely
> not. I asked to speak to his manager and he said
> he would leave a message with his manager to call
> me.
>
> The idea of arguing this any further is a bad
> idea. Therefore, I'm going to let it go. However,
> the schedulers know what happened and they are the
> ones we have to deal with. They know "J" just made
> their job more difficult. As a shopper, I guess I
> am most upset by his attitude. Any gesture of
> goodwill would have gone a long way. However, this
> is the second shop for this particular assignment
> company that I have lost money on. That I have to
> live with. However, as a businessman I must
> calculate these possible losses into future
> scheduled assignments. Regardless of the
> intentions of the scheduler, there are people in
> quality control that are overzealous.
>
> From this point forward I will not lower my fee to
> do MarketForce a favor. In addition, I owe it to
> myself to try to recuperate $100 in lost fuel
> expense, not to mention my lost time. I will
> calculate these expenses into the future.
>
> I wonder how many others have had this type of
> problem? Tell me about your stories. This fast
> food shop is the only shop with MarketForce that I
> have ever had a problem dealing with the
> schedulers or quality control. I have always found
> the others to be open to negotiation and fostering
> goodwill.
>
> I believe all professional shopper's appreciate
> understanding what has happened in our business.
> For that reason, I have shared this story with you
> today.

Glad you were paid, Assuredd! I have been questioned by quality control probably about 3 times and ultimately, never had a problem. Sometimes it's just a matter of providing more information or clarification.

In general, never had any problems with MF over the years I have shopped for them and I have done many shops for them. These days I only do shops that are bonused and I never will do the arches. I make a rule not to travel more than 30 miles one way for MF regardless of bonuses. I really have been enjoying the grocery store assignments and there are quite a few in my area. MF is generally willing to bonus them nicely, which helps feed the family quite well. However, a few months ago, they tried to reject a grocery store report of mine because I did not evaluate the meat service counter employee. This particular grocery store was very small and did not have a meat service counter. I looked thoroughly. They had a deli and a bakery but no meat or seafood service counter. I even asked the deli department employee to make sure and was told that they did not have one. They had a back room where a meat cutter packaged meat and put the packages out in the refrigerated meat bins. I received an email a few days later after submitting the report stating my shop had been rejected because I did not evaluate the meat counter. I replied to them that I had looked all over the store carefully, then asked the deli employee about the meat counter, and had been told that they did not have one. I wrote asking that they call the store and ask if they had a meat counter. They refused to do so, stating that previous shoppers had evaluated the meat counter and that the store did have a meat counter. I wrote back that the only way this was possible was if the shopper was lucky enough to encounter a meat department employee who had come out of the back room and into the main store area to stock the bins. They wrote back that they had called the store and that they did have a meat department. I wrote back that yes, they had a meat department, but it was back behind the gray double doors and customers were not allowed back there. They wrote me back stating that they had both a meat department and a meat service counter. All of this correspondence occurred with half a dozen different people, but none of them would call the store and all of them stuck to the same sort of responses. At that point, I called the store and spoke with the service desk associate. I asked about the meat counter and was told by her that they did not have one. I emailed Helpdesk and explained that I had been told by the deli employee in store and again on the phone by the service desk associate that the meat counter did not exist. They wrote back that they were sorry that I had been given incorrect information by the store employees who did not know their store well enough to know that they had a meat counter. I was persistent. I kept emailing them politely, restating my case. One QC person wrote me back and stated that even if they did not have a meat service counter, I should have still evaluated the meat department employee. I wrote back stating that I was not allowed into the back room of the store where the meat cutters were located and no meat department associates were present in the main part of the store, and I had browsed the area for over five minutes on three separate occasions while in the store. It took me approximately 30 emails back and forth with QC before my email was read by a different person at Helpdesk who believed me and called the store. He wrote me back apologetically and told me that my report had already been excluded and there was nothing that he could do about it, but that I would be paid since they did not have a meat counter and I had completed the shop according to the guidelines! Haven't had any problems since, but I won't accept shops at that particular location anymore. I still enjoy completing assignments for this company as long as they are bonused. I can't imagine what I would do if I had to travel a distance and then get a shop rejected!

The last 4 grocery stores I did had no deli/meat/bakery departments and all these stores were in small towns with 3 employees or less. Fortunately, I was believed and paid.

Sorry this happened to you. They should be ashamed for not believing you. geez!

Yeah, it was a pain in the rear! I got over it because I won. I probably would have divorced MF, regardless of the fact that I like getting groceries for free and would miss doing the shops, had they not agreed to pay me. I am just really careful about not going back to that store and having the same thing happen again! I guess they didn't take in consideration that if other shoppers had evaluated a meat service counter employee there was a chance that some reports might have been falsified in the past. After all, they had submitted reports for quite some time to the client about the meat service counter employee, and now come to find out it doesn't exist? But my main point was about being persistent when you are in the right. I probably spent way more time emailing than was worth it monetarily, but it really was the principle of the matter!

Canuck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The last 4 grocery stores I did had no
> deli/meat/bakery departments and all these stores
> were in small towns with 3 employees or less.
> Fortunately, I was believed and paid.
>
> Sorry this happened to you. They should be ashamed
> for not believing you. geez!

I believe we need to develop a "Shoppers Policy" to speak only to a supervisor in these cases. There is no obvious relief dealing with Quality Control. As I was told, we should ask to speak with a supervisor whenever a little "TLC" is needed to resolve or clarify discrepancies.

Maybe this concept will save us all time in the future? If it saves time, it will surely save us from some frustrations.

I saw on the forum where a shopper did a meat and bakery audit. The instructions said “complete the AUDIT and leave the store by 7:30” (probably because the butchers or the bakers go home at that hour.). The shopper gathered the information and finished the AUDIT before 7:30. It was obvious that the word AUDIT was used ambiguously.

The shopper had to go back into the store to do shopping to get paid as the cheap client pays in merchandise that costs them far less than the retail they sell it for. The shopper was out of the store after the audit because the shopper did not have a cart while doing the audit. (I KNOW, I DID THESE AUDITS)

He or she would have had to leave the store to get a cart thereby complying with the guideline to complete the audit and leave the store by 7:30. Unless the guidelines said you had to finish the ASSIGNMENT or SHOP by 7:30 the shopper should have been paid. In my humble opinion (which means nothing) I believe the shopper was done shopping and had checked out by 7:45 and would have had to spend more than 15 minutes shopping.

It takes more than 15 minutes to leave the store get a cart do your shopping and check out (you can wait in line to check out for 10 minutes.).The MSP twisted the terminology to deny the shopper his or her payment for the shop.

The correct understandable language could have been used. "You must finish the audit AND SHOP FOR YOUR MERCHANDISE TO BE PAID FOR YOUR SHOP and be out of the store by 7:30". If this were the guideline I would agree the shopper should not be paid..

The MSP has not raised the amount they pay for the Meat and Bakery Audit. This means $10 bought a heck of a lot more 6 years ago than it does now. The shopper is bringing one bag of groceries home today rather than the 3 bags $10 would have bought 6 years ago for the same $10 payment. Example: you could buy CHOP MEAT for $1.50 A POUND in 2006 that same cut of meat will cost you about $4.50 A POUND today. This is why I stopped doing the Meat and Bakery audits.

Again, I did those audits also and I quit when I did not get compensation equal to my effort. Instead of getting a raise to keep up with inflation shoppers are being cheated by the “shrinking buying power of the $10 fee. When you get paid a fee in U.S. dollars you can spot the shrinking dollar. When you get paid in merchandise most people do not realize they are working for less value. Before you do a meat and bakery audit you should be aware of the gimmick to cheat you after you work for them.

Wow! That is quite the story. I would venture a bet that when this was discussed: The shopper was probably told "Instructions said that you should have asked if you did not understand the assignment!" Oh, that part kills me. I hate to hear that line. i.e. Multiple interpretations strike again.


Piled Hip Deep, PHD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I saw on the forum where a shopper did a meat and
> bakery audit. The instructions said “complete
> the AUDIT and leave the store by 7:30” (probably
> because the butchers or the bakers go home at that
> hour.). The shopper gathered the information and
> finished the AUDIT before 7:30. It was obvious
> that the word AUDIT was used ambiguously.
>
> The shopper had to go back into the store to do
> shopping to get paid as the cheap client pays in
> merchandise that costs them far less than the
> retail they sell it for. The shopper was out of
> the store after the audit because the shopper did
> not have a cart while doing the audit. (I KNOW, I
> DID THESE AUDITS)
>
> He or she would have had to leave the store to get
> a cart thereby complying with the guideline to
> complete the audit and leave the store by 7:30.
> Unless the guidelines said you had to finish the
> ASSIGNMENT or SHOP by 7:30 the shopper should have
> been paid. In my humble opinion (which means
> nothing) I believe the shopper was done shopping
> and had checked out by 7:45 and would have had to
> spend more than 15 minutes shopping.
>
> It takes more than 15 minutes to leave the store
> get a cart do your shopping and check out (you can
> wait in line to check out for 10 minutes.).The MSP
> twisted the terminology to deny the shopper his or
> her payment for the shop.
>
> The correct understandable language could have
> been used. "You must finish the audit AND SHOP FOR
> YOUR MERCHANDISE TO BE PAID FOR YOUR SHOP and be
> out of the store by 7:30". If this were the
> guideline I would agree the shopper should not be
> paid..
>
> The MSP has not raised the amount they pay for the
> Meat and Bakery Audit. This means $10 bought a
> heck of a lot more 6 years ago than it does now.
> The shopper is bringing one bag of groceries home
> today rather than the 3 bags $10 would have bought
> 6 years ago for the same $10 payment. Example:
> you could buy CHOP MEAT for $1.50 A POUND in 2006
> that same cut of meat will cost you about $4.50 A
> POUND today. This is why I stopped doing the Meat
> and Bakery audits.
>
> Again, I did those audits also and I quit when I
> did not get compensation equal to my effort.
> Instead of getting a raise to keep up with
> inflation shoppers are being cheated by the
> “shrinking buying power of the $10 fee. When
> you get paid a fee in U.S. dollars you can spot
> the shrinking dollar. When you get paid in
> merchandise most people do not realize they are
> working for less value. Before you do a meat and
> bakery audit you should be aware of the gimmick to
> cheat you after you work for them.

I know cash is a big thing to Market Force. I've never understood the logic of why it's so important to pay cash, but perhaps that's so they can't trace the transaction to a name and try to identify you as a shopper in the future. Either way, doesn't matter, I just make sure I have cash.

And I know that any time means any of the shopping times for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I've done these twice now. I had a third opportunity, but my GPS sent me to the wrong direction and I wasn't going to make it by 1:15. I had just accepted that shop an hour earlier, so I went back in and cancelled because I knew I wasn't going to make the window. There was no point in trying. If Market Force wants to penalize me for accepting and cancelling on the same day, then I'll just move on to someone else.

EyesOnYou Wrote:
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> I know cash is a big thing to Market Force. I've
> never understood the logic of why it's so
> important to pay cash...

That's because debit or credit cards can throw off the standard timings. Examples: customers forgetting their PINs or not having adequate funds for the transaction.

Yes, I have had similar experiences . The (2) meal deal walk-In and Drive thru is a dead give away that we are shoppers. I never under the logical.

I have a grocery shop near me that doesn't have a staffed meat department counter, when I get to the section of the online report it will bark at you if you select yes with "this store does not have a meat department explain the area you evaluated". Hit back and select no.

BTW my store just updated the shopper guide and now they ask for a question and a escort item for every department and up to three floor employees plus a question at the courtesy booth. Is seems like to much work for the $20 plus the $5 deli reimbursement compared to before.

In my experience the CPI says time to shop, if they are 9:15am to 7:15pm if you in the door on or by 7:15 your golden. I did an arches and was in a DT a long time and when I completed it was after 6:45pm and they still paid.

Tips: Evaluate WI then DT, If someone asks or looks suspicious at you give them I only have enough time to eat one inside drive to work to eat the other or I use It's for the wife.

Another reason cash payment is important is that the client wants to see if a cash payment is being rung up and if the money makes it into the cash register. A receipt should be generated for each purchase if it is rung up. If a worker were a thief, and if a customer approached with $7 cash in hand to make a $6.57 purchase, it would be very easy to not ring up the purchase, make change and pocket the money.

My report did not "bark" at me because dozens of other shoppers over the past few years had stated in their reports that they evaluated the meat counter. Marketforce believed that this store DID have one. I wrote that the store did not have a meat counter in the comment box and the report went through, then they rejected it several days later. I have done many, many of their grocery stores and am very famliar with their reports. I have evaluated a deli department twice before in one visit, interacting with two different employees, because I was supposed to evaluate a deli employee and a cheese counter employee according to my CPI, and the location did not have a cheese counter. I have seen on those particular reports where a message pops up asking how I evaluated the cheese counter when they did not have one. I entered the information that I evaluated a deli department employee with a cheese question and had no problems getting the report through.

This is the only store I have ever shopped that did not have a meat counter. However, other shoppers reported that it did...so I don't know if they were evaluating a meat department employee when he was stocking the packaged meats in the bins or what.

stinkypete Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a grocery shop near me that doesn't have a
> staffed meat department counter, when I get to the
> section of the online report it will bark at you
> if you select yes with "this store does not have a
> meat department explain the area you evaluated".
> Hit back and select no.
>
> BTW my store just updated the shopper guide and
> now they ask for a question and a escort item for
> every department and up to three floor employees
> plus a question at the courtesy booth. Is seems
> like to much work for the $20 plus the $5 deli
> reimbursement compared to before.
>
> In my experience the CPI says time to shop, if
> they are 9:15am to 7:15pm if you in the door on or
> by 7:15 your golden. I did an arches and was in a
> DT a long time and when I completed it was after
> 6:45pm and they still paid.
>
> Tips: Evaluate WI then DT, If someone asks or
> looks suspicious at you give them I only have
> enough time to eat one inside drive to work to eat
> the other or I use It's for the wife.

I am with Cubbiecat - the most "incentive" I have received has been $20. But I do live in an extremely heavily populated area. I have not gotten paid a few times, but it has always been my fault for not following directions to a T. Lately, I do not see many jobs.

heartlandcanuck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well... There are shops I sometimes do for a
> hundred bucks that are 90 miles away. One's a
> drive in and one's the big M on a Stick. While it
> does not seem like enough to some, I can usually
> add another fifty bucks' worth (or more) along the
> way, and it gets me away from the kids for a
> while. I like to listen to NPR on the radio, or
> nothing at all, two luxuries that don't happen at
> home.
>
>
> vlade5394 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > maboug Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > For a shop that was 95 miles one way, I
> charged
> > > $110 and they paid. If they want it done,
> they
> > > will pay! It is your time, not theirs!
> > >
> > > I had a wonderful time talking with my
> husband
> > and
> > > enjoying the ride we had not taken in a long
> > time!
> >
> >
> > Hmmm, business mode is kicking in and concludes
> > that $110.00 is not enough.
> >
> > Why?
> >
> > -- 190 miles at 56.5 cents/mile (the 2013 IRS
> > rate) = $107.35
> > -- 3 hours travel time at $10/hr
>
> > = $30.00
> > -- Time to perform the complete shop - 1 hour
> ??
> > = $10.00
> >
> >
> > Total cost for my time: $147.35.
> >
> >
> > Just something to think about.


I was going to say it is not the shop it is the piggy backs you can add as you go down the highway.

I went all the way out from the east side of NJ to the Pennsylvania border for a $10 shop, am I insane? NO! The shop that was 100 miles away was a short distance from the "piggy back" that did not pay great money but that was a short distance from lunch "on the house" plus a fee, and another shop and another shop. Hippity Hop, Connect the dots. It is like crosing a stream by going rock to rock. When the smoke cleared it was a nice payday and I got food along the way and I found out there are bison in New Jersey. I hate when I miss a rock and fall in but it happens sometime.