I have been taking MS assignments in Europe for over two years now.
I have been noticing something that bothers me and I want to know if you all think it's right.

I have been working for a small MSC in the Netherlands and sometimes have to attend training sessions.
Schedulers are always present at these sessions.
The trainer explained things to the MSers that were there and suddenly asked the schedulers who sat in the back row:''You take these assignments too, don't you?'' The schedulers responded reluctantly and seemed embarrassed.
The other day I approached a scheduler of this company with a question about an assignment on a canal boat that included reimbursement of tickets and dinner and he replied:''I didn't know it was such a nice assignment. I may take my gran on that boat trip next time the assignment comes up!''

I did a couple of assignments for ISC too.
The Dutch scheduler there is also the main MS and also the editor.
I know the Netherlands are a small country, but doesn't this create a conflict of interest?
When I wasn't too positive about a shop once, she called me and asked me questions about the assignment. As soon as I had answered her questions she replied:''Strange...I have done this shop many times and never had a bad experience...'' My gut feeling said there was something fishy about her behaviour. I know what I saw, so what's her problem??!

Do you think it's fair for a scheduler to assign themselves the most popular jobs and to try and influence the outcome of assignments? Do you think they might be granting jobs to family members or friends and should they be able to do this?

Some schedulers reserve the good shops for people who have helped them out in a bind. I appreciate those kinds of schedulers.

I would imagine the schedulers have a tough job and do not get paid a whole lot so perhaps it is a nice perk for them being able to take a job now and then. I worked for a company that did a restaurant at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. You got to go to the venue and see the show plus eat at the restaurant and the job was only about the restaurant. I would have loved to do that but they told me the schedulers always took them. C'est la vie. They had other shops I liked. I don't see it as a conflict. Most people who work take advantage of whatever they can for extras in their job. Now, if you are an editor and you edit your own job, then that is a conflict as I see it. Also trying to convince you, the shopper, to change your report is wrong as well but that could happen even if the scheduler was not a shopper too.

If I were a scheduler and had to rely on some of the dingdongs that post on this forum - I think I would complete most of my own shops too.

dingdongs? hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you. I'm here all weekend.

A scheduler was on the phone giving pointers on doing really nice hotel and she kept saying, "I always do it like this..."

mysterymiep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been taking MS assignments in Europe for
> over two years now.
> I have been noticing something that bothers me and
> I want to know if you all think it's right.
>
> I have been working for a small MSC in the
> Netherlands and sometimes have to attend training
> sessions.
> Schedulers are always present at these sessions.
> The trainer explained things to the MSers that
> were there and suddenly asked the schedulers who
> sat in the back row:''You take these assignments
> too, don't you?'' The schedulers responded
> reluctantly and seemed embarrassed.
> The other day I approached a scheduler of this
> company with a question about an assignment on a
> canal boat that included reimbursement of tickets
> and dinner and he replied:''I didn't know it was
> such a nice assignment. I may take my gran on that
> boat trip next time the assignment comes up!''
>
> I did a couple of assignments for ISC too.
> The Dutch scheduler there is also the main MS and
> also the editor.
> I know the Netherlands are a small country, but
> doesn't this create a conflict of interest?
> When I wasn't too positive about a shop once, she
> called me and asked me questions about the
> assignment. As soon as I had answered her
> questions she replied:''Strange...I have done this
> shop many times and never had a bad
> experience...'' My gut feeling said there was
> something fishy about her behaviour. I know what I
> saw, so what's her problem??!
>
> Do you think it's fair for a scheduler to assign
> themselves the most popular jobs and to try and
> influence the outcome of assignments? Do you think
> they might be granting jobs to family members or
> friends and should they be able to do this?

Mysterymiep, that's the problem in Europe and that's why the large multinationals are controlling the game internationally and just subcontract it to small marketing companies in each country. In the USA people are more experienced in being their own boss in a setting other than being a shop owner/they travel a lot geographically/demand their rights, bonus, etc. As a result, a lot of the lucrative assignments in Europe are being gobbled by the employees in the small companies that their field is marketing in general. But that's why they do not get any significant bonus/have to write really long reports/ and have to report everything in the short time range periods stated in the assignment.

I prefer, greatly prefer, to work with schedulers who have actually done the types of shops that I am doing. Among other things, these seem to be the schedulers most likely to understand the challenges and take interest in fixing ambiguous or contradictory shop instructions and/or survey contents!

Moreover, in the video world, at least in the US, most v-shoppers tend to distrust schedulers who have not personally done many video shops. I realize that "distrust" is a very strong word in this context, but this really is an almost constant theme when v-shoppers network. Video shopping requires close partnership between shopper and scheduler; schedulers who are not experienced v-shoppers can really wreck havoc on video assignments.

When I was scheduling, I made an attempt to be the first one to visit each new client so that could answer questions about the shop for each shopper that I scheduled.

Now you see? I didn't know the schedulers did that. Live and learn! :O

I want my schedulers to be experienced shoppers.

I do too, Mary, but I really didn't know they still shopped. I figured being a scheduler would take up all their time.

What do I know, eh?

I think it's really good for a scheduler to have done the shops they're scheduling for, and, from what I gather, many (most, maybe?) schedulers come from the ranks of experienced shoppers.

But I think it "could" be a conflict, depending on circumstances, for a scheduler to continue shopping his/her own jobs once other shoppers are qualified for them....

Scheduling has to be the most stressful job ev-va, particularly since so much of it is out of their control. In my opinion, ANY perks they may get are not enough to compensate them adequately.

(heart)

I know several schedulers that do shops in their area.
I don't see anything wrong with it. They schedule for
50 states and are doing some shops around where they
live. Plus it's better for us since they will know how the
actual shop goes instead of schedulers who are clueless
about reality sometimes when it comes to some shop
logistics.

But the problem with many of these schedulers in Europe is that they keep the plumb assignments for them, like going to a high end shop and get $80 reimbursement, and then throw the bone, aka the golden arch without the bonus, to the shoppers. Multinational clients usually have locations in major cities and the schedulers who work for the marketing companies just go and do the nice job themselves. I have seen the bonus that they give to travel to distant locations in Europe and it is not even close to the amounts paid in the USA.

KateH Wrote:
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> I have seen the bonus that they give
> to travel to distant locations in Europe and it is
> not even close to the amounts paid in the USA.

Would the bonuses be enough to offset train/bus fare if one chose those modes of transit?

DrSquash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> KateH Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I have seen the bonus that they give
> > to travel to distant locations in Europe and it
> is
> > not even close to the amounts paid in the USA.
>
> Would the bonuses be enough to offset train/bus
> fare if one chose those modes of transit?

Yes, it is just enough to cover minimal transportation costs but does not value the shopper's time. I am not going to go to a remote distant area just for the 15 euro shop +"basic" transportation. I want a bonus for my willingness to go there. And this was when the economy in Europe was great. Now it is even worse with the high unemployment.

I have not seen huge bonuses at all where I live, let alone paying for travel. There seem to be some select really upscale companies that might do this when they only choose their 10+ rated shoppers. Even the shoppers in smaller towns I read about on the forum rarely seem to get enough compensation from one job at a distance that is bonused to make it worthwhile for them to go and just do that one job. So they string together a few of these better paying shops due to bonuses. Where I live in the USA a bonus is rarely above $3, only at the tail end of the month and usually only for fast food that would mean driving an hour out of your way to some low income neighborhood which does not have the better retail establishments, so no high paying shops. All that to get a McD hamburger with $3 for your extra hour or two of time and gas in addition. Correct me if I am reading this wrong American shoppers, but for day to day shopping I have not read of huge bonuses including mileage and gas and time compensation. These seem to be rare and few and far between if at all.
I have never tried to shop in Europe so perhaps it is even worse there.

sandyf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have not seen huge bonuses at all where I live,
> let alone paying for travel. There seem to be some
> select really upscale companies that might do this
> when they only choose their 10+ rated shoppers.
> Even the shoppers in smaller towns I read about on
> the forum rarely seem to get enough compensation
> from one job at a distance that is bonused to make
> it worthwhile for them to go and just do that one
> job. So they string together a few of these better
> paying shops due to bonuses. Where I live in the
> USA a bonus is rarely above $3, only at the tail
> end of the month and usually only for fast food
> that would mean driving an hour out of your way to
> some low income neighborhood which does not have
> the better retail establishments, so no high
> paying shops. All that to get a McD hamburger
> with $3 for your extra hour or two of time and gas
> in addition. Correct me if I am reading this
> wrong American shoppers, but for day to day
> shopping I have not read of huge bonuses including
> mileage and gas and time compensation. These seem
> to be rare and few and far between if at all.
> I have never tried to shop in Europe so perhaps it
> is even worse there.

Sandyf, large bonuses (and I mean +10 to +250, without including mileage) depends on how remote the area and the number of shoppers there, weather conditions, etc. I live in a large metropolitan area in the northeast and get +15 to +20 per shop in downtown at the end of the month. The arches, with all companies go even +80 bonus if it is the last day of the month, and they assign more than 1 shopper for these locations, and the shops are self-assign on the board for everyone. Same thing with the gas stations. I am doing a very simple route right now of basic shops, walking 5minutes to go to each location, and get +10 in my area. I do the same shops in a different area and they are only the basic $10 pay. Smartphones that start with $10, actually pay $50 as the month closes. If I go to a ghetto area, I ask +15 at the start of the month, and significant more at the end. Cosmetics, non purchase, start with $10 and go up to $50. The mutilated pizza I get +15 in mid month for the nearby location, and I ask for +30 for ghetto area mid-month. Same rate for all shoppers here, not just select few. Newbies just grab them for peanuts. If they need a male shopper for clothes, then I get +50 to drag a male relative. Tobacco purchase is +10 per shop from the first day of the month, +20 at the end, more with snowstorms.

But the reimbursement is worth it for me here because there are more branches and competitors. I have not paid anything for dry cleaning(I do 3 different chains with multiple locations near me) supermarket (4 chains +Whole Foods, and Trader Joes, that they all shop themselves and their competitors), teeth cleaning, office supplies, for years. I have stopped cooking often as I prefer to go out and then spent the time writing the report. I can do a bar almost every night if I want as there are so many hotels and restaurants around. These are without even getting the trouble to go to the suburbs. And of course when you throw in the various clothing and other shops that have very few locations in the USA and are only in the major US cities, the quantity of shops is plentiful to make walking routes as I can string $15 vanilla shops in 3 blocks at the start of the month.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2013 11:22PM by KateH.

Hi Kate, I guess the northeast and bad weather gets you better jobs. I live in sunny (not so much today) california and the ghetto shops, if bonused at all, are paying a hero citation or an extra $2. In my neck of the woods the ghetto areas do not have much retail so therefore the numbers of shops you could line up there is small and low paying. I am not full time so I am not signed up with hundreds of companies but in the many years I have been mystery shopping, the only bonus I have seen that was worth anything has been for the Payday loans. I did one of those today. I took a $10 bonus a couple of months ago but it took me an hour to get there and back plus another hour to park, walk to the shop from the parking garage a couple of blocks away and do the shop. I was able to schedule a non bonused parking job nearby but not near enough to do the shop while parked. Still, to drive the mile or so from the parking job to the retail job I spent 20 minutes.
I was not referring to regular shops and how much could be made on them in my reply about the difference between shopping in Europe and here in the US. I got the impression the thought was that in the US, bonuses are enough to cover time, mileage or some sort of public transportation and great reimbursement for a shop with a fee too. I have not seen those ever in LA. and if they are in the rural areas and you happen to live in that rural area you can do well on shops nearby but there are few of those since you live in a small town. Those who live close enough to rural to make up routes seem to pick up good bonuses as well, but they do not get enough to drive to the rural area for one job and make it worth while. At least that is the sense I get from reading threads by route shoppers.

Exactly, Sandy. The rural shops are well bonused but they are scattered and require a lot of driving.

No kidding, Mary! :O

I've received a newsletter by email the other day from a MSC I work with.
They sent photos of all employees having a dinner party because another round of assignments for a certain company had been completed.
I find myself to be offended by behaviour like that.
It's bad enough they go out to dinner while MSs bust their butts every day for little pay to complete the assignments, but to rub our noses in it by publishing photos in the newsletter?
It's as if us, low-life MSs may feast our eyes on them, the upper class, feasting on our behalf.

Wow. Which MSC was that?

I really am not offened by schedulers celebrating a successful assignment. And I look upon the photo as a way of sharing, not a way to abase the shoppers.

Really, let's switch to decaf coffee folks!

I'm with wales on this one.

MSers can go out for nice meals whenever they want by taking a dining assignment. Schedulers often spend their entire day behind the computer for very low pay, trying to complete their projects.

Why would you hold a grudge against them for celebrating a job well done? Was it being held on a yacht with each scheduler getting a personal massage therapist or something?

These were the same schedulers that reluctantly admitted to taking on assignments themselves.
Why would you think, StevSoCal, that schedulers would earn less than MSs?
It usually takes me three hours to complete a $15 assignment, including traveling, filling in the questionnaire and visiting the shop. Excluding going on the job board looking for assignments that schedulers might not even assign to me.

What type assignments are you doing that take three hours and pay $15.00?