GFK's tech shops surprise instructions

I know GFK reads the board.
The instructions look normal, visit a computer store. But then when you accept one, you are surprised with the "real" instructions, 18 PAGES WORTH, with many minute questions that need to be answered. I don't think it would be possible to do them without taking many notes while you are there.
I've received 11! emails about them today. No one else must want to do them. They only pay $11 or $12 depending on your location.
Just be forewarned.

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Yeah, I found the same thing. I signed up for one shop at the beginning of the year and I did it since I committed to it, but no more.

Between the guidelines and the survey, it was pages and pages printed out. I am detail oriented, but they wanted everything from the name of the phone to the name/version # of the operating sytem and processor type if mentioned - for three different recommended phones. Not to mention that phone sales staff usually don't want to make "recommendations", let alone three recommendations. Sales staff usually say "It's all down to personal preference."

I've decided they are not my cup of tea. I have turned off their emails. At the end of 2014 I'll disenroll after I have all my records from them.

Yes. These fell into my "Wow, I'm sorry I signed up for this" category.

Appreciate the warning.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

Once you get the hang of these phone shops, and it takes a few to get the hang of it, they are not so bad. I made a cheat sheet of the things the MSC wants. After a few you remember the questions you need to ask - the rest just comes up in conversation. If it doesn't come up in conversation, there is a place to note that on the survey. I learned early on that you will forget most of the conversation, but if you use a brochure to take notes, you will do fine with the survey. If your state allows, record the conversation. You can buy a decent voice recorder at a spy shop, and carry it in one of those old basic phone holders.

The ones I'm referring to aren't phone shops. They are computer shops. The questions were like, "How many computers in the store are turned on?", etc. which would not be so hard but there are many, many questions. "How many computers have a touch screen?" It would be doable as a revealed shop at a higher fee.

ahhh,
But you miss the kicker if you do not do it........
After you submit the survey it is sent back a few days later with the following instruction...
"There were questions that were not visible to you the first time you submitted the survey, please answer the additional questions within the next 4 hours or you will not be paid for this shop"

Jackaroe, why didn't you answer the invisible questions the first time?

I was JUST about to say what jackaroe did. I submitted one earlier that had questions that were not on my printed eval! Not a pleasant surprise at all.

They have raised the reimbursement rate for their usual restaurant in my area, though, which means more snacking for me and my SO.

TERIW
Simple
THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED in the original survey they supplied.
they sent the report back with ADDED questions after it was submitted and said they needed the additional information.
This additional information WAS NOT included in the initial survey or initial guidelines.
Its more commonly called
BAIT AND SWITCH!!!

It states a $10 bonus, which is an error.
The bonus pay is $4 for a total of $9 shopper pay.
I am sorry .......

Got this from them today.... ummm no thanks... Bonus is $4 when it said $10? Another bait and switch.

What do you do in the face of bait and switch? Especially when you've already done the shop?

That's the problem. Normally there are two choices, provide the additional information or you don't get paid. At that point the MSC has the upper hand. Granted, they gained the upper hand by tactics which would probably not hold up in a court of law, but who goes to court over an $11 assignment.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

I'm absolutely stunned by this. How dare they? This is totally unacceptable, for any reason. And, frankly, a complete breach of contract on their part. "I will pay you $10 for doing A, B, and C." then after you do A, B, and C, they think they can come back and say, "Oh, and D, E, and F too."??? And the pay will now be $9? After you've already done the shop?

Sorry, but if they did that to me, I would take the trouble and spend the $40 to sue them over it. Win or lose, it will make them think twice before pulling that kind of crap.

Totally unacceptable.

I think I'm going to shut them down again. Life is too short to put up with that kind of nonsense. There are too many honest companies to work for to go through all that for $10. If they want you to answer a question, they need to include it in the printout to start with.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

Aah, the bait-n-switch thing and swiping away the extra bonus. That's what I call a deal breaker. It's not really about the size of the money, but it's the fact that they would try to do something that if someone did to them would be called swindlers, which it is, and they would sue. The one thing I wish I could instill in MSCs is to do the right thing by people. That's why far too many have such bad reps.

Please my thread titled "GFK Swindle" for another bait and switch, rip-off example. I would've put it here but I wanted it to be seen by the most people possible. I didn't even see that Delwilliams wrote the word "swindle" in the post above mine. That is what it is.

I really don't have a problem with their dinner shops though. Those are paying a little better especially now that they're bonused. But I'm especially wary of having the questions changed up. Since there are other people experiencing this, I'm afraid it'll happen again.

I completed the shop and re submitted as requested.
I then proceeded to cancel my 5 scheduled shops.
I did NOT de activate my account But on PRINCIPAL will no longer do a shop for them.

I had similar problems with their shops earlier this year. I called the report sneaky because you couldn't see the questions until you entered certain responses. I've done plenty of cell phone shops and no one else pulls this kind of crap. Oh and on one shop they expected me to go back for a brochure that didn't exist, when I said that they said I should have asked for something else proving I was at the store. Or made a small purchase. Seeing as I had the Geoverify code and a time stamped picture I felt that was enough. I haven't deactivated my account but anything that says GFK Bonus!(2.00 entire dollars) goes into my trash.

Floating around like a feather hoping the wind will set me down somewhere awesome.

Some time ago I did cell phone shops for GFK with reports like that. However, I *knew* ahead of time, somehow. I forget if the scheduler gave me a heads up, or if the guidelines mentioned it, or if I accidentally discovered it when checking out the report ahead of time. So I printed my forms with the key things clicked that would make the other questions show up.

But it's just dirty pool to not let you have access to those questions in advance, so you know what information is important to the shop. :/

Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.

It does seem like a way to gip you on pay

I love GFK. I will go out of my way for the company. I will check their site first for assignments and then look around else where for more work.
Then GFK met the Easter Bunny, or at least some bunny or another. You go in to fill out the survey. Sweet 25 questions and one narrative. You start filling it out and another 25 questions pop up. So you forge ahead and are greeted with another 2 narratives. Suddenly that short survey has multiplied into a 500 question nightmare that has so many narratives you are wondering if there is any detail left unsaid, or repeated.
So I am left wondering did these surveys take cue from the multiplicity of the bunny? or is this just a little bit of forced torture to mystery shoppers?
Please GFK, go back to your old surveys that were honest and upfront with their questions and details. I don't mind the detail, questions or narratives. I mind the hidden, multiplying questions.

Hey other shoppers, Am I alone in this?

Just lost trying to find a fire pit in a concrete jungle wishing it was a wooded glen...

if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all

There's a whole thread on here that just started in the past few days discussing just exactly this. So I'd say the answer is no, you're not.

I know *I* hate it!

Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

Mod note: Threads have now been merged for your convenience.

I have not had any issues with GFK. They have been fair with me.

The comments above sound like Maritz with all CAPITALS!! I used to enjoy the shops with Maritz, pay commensurate with shop, but not lately. My reports would not submit. Only responses from them..."You are overdue" EVEN THOUGH I HAD REQUESTED HELP MULTIPLE TIMES DAILY.

They've certainly learned some of the seldom-used features of Sassie survey design.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Hoju that was succinct and funny as hell. I sincerely hope nobody is able to find offense in your comment.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2014 03:00AM by LisaSTL.

Well, let's see... she didn't call them old or mention Maritz... I think she's okay.

My (current) gripe about GfK is some of the schedulers who are sending me emails for shops located in PA when I live in Ohio. Not the national shop lists mind you, but shops that are just in PA (I updated my GfK profile last July when I moved). I will not go to PA to do $10 shops.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Succinct and funny as hell. I sincerely hope
> nobody is able to find offense in your comment.

Arguing with fools is like playing chess with a pigeon...
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Not scheduling for ANY company.

LisaSTL - I thought I only used big words! Wow I needed my dictionary after that and thank you for reminding me that I may have bit the hand that is feeding me so well.

Just lost trying to find a fire pit in a concrete jungle wishing it was a wooded glen...

if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2014 04:06AM by gypsymonkey.

It is obvious you do not often read my posts. I predominantly use monosyllabic words only when writing mystery shopping reports.

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