I just love when I can say, "I have another MF job!"

Ha!

Has anyone been able to log in this afternoon?
I cannot log in and I have a report to submit within 12 hours, that means it is due at 8:30 PM.

I just tried and had no problems doing logging in. Try restarting your computer, maybe?

(heart)

RisingHorizon, 100 shops ! Wow, They informed you that? Did you get an anniversary gift or bonus?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2014 11:17PM by ShopperFun99.

I still have an email from them from a couple of years ago that says I completed 100 plus shops. however, my account was also deactivated. I even emailed to find out about shopping for them again. I figured that since it had been a few years, I would not have any problems. boy was I wrong! I never received a response.

Around 2 pm, I got a 'page not found' ,but I refreshed it and it was alright. My report did not disappear = phew!


ShopperFun99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has anyone been able to log in this afternoon?
> I cannot log in and I have a report to submit
> within 12 hours, that means it is due at 8:30 PM.

I'm not sure if there is where I put this, but I have a question. So, MF apparently retaliates against you when you have questions. In my case, I have shopped a certain FF chain for nearly a year with almost no problems. But there is one location that always returns every report I do for clarification. I finally asked why? Why this one shop? Then MF sent me an email canceling every shop I had scheduled for this particular client, even ones that were bonused that I accepted. No explanation. Now this client is off my list of shops.

My question is, why? If there's a location with an obviously bad manager (and I have no dog in this hunt, I am merely here to observe and report), then why am I "punished" for asking a very logical question? Do their algorithm wizards not see a pattern when a good shopper who successfully completes every other shop keeps getting inquiries back on just one same location?

I don't get it. And it doesn't seem fair, it's punitive. All I did was ask why I always get this one shop returned and then, ZAP! I even said, that just because my food got delivered a few seconds after their window, it didn't render the whole experience bad and gave them good marks for everything else.

Does this happen to others? Are we not supposed to be inquisitive?

Not a fan of this company. They are difficult to work with and the pay is way too low.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2014 05:03PM by CLO JACKSON.

That does sound punitive, but as you say, I don`t think we are meant to be inquisitive. I hope they let you back in after a break


atlash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm not sure if there is where I put this, but I
> have a question. So, MF apparently retaliates
> against you when you have questions. In my case, I
> have shopped a certain FF chain for nearly a year
> with almost no problems. But there is one location
> that always returns every report I do for
> clarification. I finally asked why? Why this one
> shop? Then MF sent me an email canceling every
> shop I had scheduled for this particular client,
> even ones that were bonused that I accepted. No
> explanation. Now this client is off my list of
> shops.
>
> My question is, why? If there's a location with an
> obviously bad manager (and I have no dog in this
> hunt, I am merely here to observe and report),
> then why am I "punished" for asking a very logical
> question? Do their algorithm wizards not see a
> pattern when a good shopper who successfully
> completes every other shop keeps getting inquiries
> back on just one same location?
>
> I don't get it. And it doesn't seem fair, it's
> punitive. All I did was ask why I always get this
> one shop returned and then, ZAP! I even said, that
> just because my food got delivered a few seconds
> after their window, it didn't render the whole
> experience bad and gave them good marks for
> everything else.
>
> Does this happen to others? Are we not supposed to
> be inquisitive?

Clo Jackson, our ICAs and the forum rules prohibit naming the client and MSC together. At the bottom right side of your post is a blue Edit which will allow you to remove the client name since the thread is about the company.

The best thing happening to me was a few years back when MF de-activated me without giving any reason. Since then I shop less and make more money.

I believe everyone can make a useful contribution somehow and I am hesitant to toggle people.

stilllearning Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, aggiejim, I think it's just the three of us
> left--you, LJ and me; some took LJ's tagline
> suggestion and toggled him/her, others found me
> chronically annoying--although I can't on God's
> green earth imagine why (smile)--and toggled me
> and, well, the rest, all, toggled you. So sad.
>
> So now, is there anything LJ and/or I can help you
> with?
>
> (heart)

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good grief! He has left off the list a long list
> of people that I lean from!


I lean from a lot of people too, walesmaven, especially the smelly ones. I learn from a few too.
I couldn't resist. Some typos are just plain fun!

MF keeps insisting that bad at timing. But I re-stated several times that, no, it's not an issue of poor timing, because I can time "correctly" for every other shop that I've done for this client, even for other clients. But they just responding that I can't time right and that they've offered me "coaching" multiple times, which, again, is not true. I just want to know what deal is. Seems sorta fishy to me that they do this sort of thing. Does MF "really" want me to report all good times and give every shop high marks so they don't risk upsetting their client with the truth?

I just got the 100th shop e-mail a few days ago.

No, no bonus or anything, but it's slightly nice that they notice.

atlash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MF keeps insisting that bad at timing. But I re-stated several times that, no, it's not an
> issue of poor timing, because I can time "correctly" for every other shop that I've done
> for this client, even for other clients. But they just responding that I can't time right and that
>they've offered me "coaching" multiple times, which, again, is not true. I just want to know
> what deal is. Seems sorta fishy to me that they do this sort of thing. Does MF "really" want me to report all good times and give every shop high marks so they don't risk upsetting their client with the truth?

Be glad they are offering to coach you instead of just deactivating you.

@ atlash ~ What are you using to track your times? Smartphone time, stopwatch, old-fashioned watch? I used to use the stopwatch feature in my Android which records hours, minutes, seconds and what comes after seconds? Milliseconds? I just started using an Android app called Mystery Shopwatch LITE which is working well for me so far. I have heard other forum members talk about the Shop It app but I haven't used it yet. I am not sure if there is an Android version.

I think if you respond to this post and tell us how you are recording your times, forum members might be able to "coach" you better. Give us an example from when you first enter the store/restaurant, etc. Good luck!

Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have heard other forum members talk about
> the Shop It app but I haven't used it yet. I am
> not sure if there is an Android version.
>

Yes, there is now an Android version - a search for "Shop-It Stealth Notes" should bring it up on Google Play. It also has to-the-second time stamping.

atlash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MF keeps insisting that bad at timing. But I
> re-stated several times that, no, it's not an
> issue of poor timing, because I can time
> "correctly" for every other shop that I've done
> for this client, even for other clients. But they
> just responding that I can't time right and that
> they've offered me "coaching" multiple times,
> which, again, is not true. I just want to know
> what deal is. Seems sorta fishy to me that they do
> this sort of thing. Does MF "really" want me to
> report all good times and give every shop high
> marks so they don't risk upsetting their client
> with the truth?


You too, huh?

Six years and over 500 shops (got that email last month) with MF and I just cut ties with them this weekend over this same nonsense.

The first sign was when I was asked about the DI menu boards and if those missing endcaps were noticeable. You know...when they are all missing, my CC reader doesn't work and it's got plastic broken off, then yes it is! Not that they ever have fixed them, mind you.

Then there was the question asking how I timed the shop. You know, because six years of doing this just gets muddied up out of the blue. I was petsitting at my friend's house and had no notes on me, so that qualifies as incorrect timing. As in that means I can't use that hybrid stopwatch app properly on site. Oh, okay.

TL;DR - The store got butthurt and I got my shop rejected. I don't do feelings on shops, so hopefully Jamie at MF can handle that with whomever takes my cancelled shops.

I cancelled the dozen or so shops I had on my list and that's that. No calls from their "925" number at least. I recommended to Jamie that if this is going to happen, then don't require timing entries and appearance judgements from shoppers. Only ask for an uploaded entree picture and....leave it at that. No feelings get hurt that way and you don't insult shoppers.

I think it was Consumer Impressions who did me like that on a DT shop because "normally they don't take that long" and they wanted me to retrain. Not sure how that was relevant to me timing that one shop that was also my last shop for them, too.

I'm chowing down on a chili cheese dog thanks to a Stericycle shop right now instead.

P.S. The funny thing is that I had a ~12:40 service time for a drive-in shop nearby last year and nobody batted an eyelash over that. You know it's going wrong when you're scrambling for your notes to see what should be done when an order possibly doesn't come out to you. That was a hoot!

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2014 08:34PM by AlfredB1979.

Atlash, don't worry about it. All it meant for me was that I dust off some other shop companies I had under wraps, get reacquainted with another one right now, and explore what else is out there.

This made me remember how a gal pal of mine got rejected on a "golden arches" shop basically because they didn't like the report--and I have no reason to believe it wasn't a crap shop, either. I don't think she does shops for MF after that, but more of the narrative-required ones where she can take her hubby to dinner since then.

So, I get you. MF will have to reassess their role here (cheerleaders or neutral observers) or risk alienating their shoppers even further. Their call. Not backing longtimers leads me to the direction that they're leaning quite easily. That's a pretty dicey proposition there, too, since I'm pretty sure MF doesn't get paid for rejected shops or shops that don't get done, period. They can't have it both ways and ask us to report "just the facts, ma'am" and yet fluff things up in favor of the client.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2014 09:11PM by AlfredB1979.

No. Market Force is very large with many shoppers so you hear a lot about Market Force....... more than about many of the smaller companies. Many companies either decline to explain when deactivating shoppers or offer explanations that do not satisfy the shopper who has been deactivated.

This is a business. There is no room for hurt feelings. Have your father sign up with more companies. I'm sure that there are shops that cater to an "older" clientele.

Your Dad is probably putting you on a little about the hurt feelings. Any mature, reasonable adult who has worked for many years probably has no expectation that he will be hired by every company he applies for work with. Over the years that I have been in the job market, I have filled out many job applications that resulted in interviews and job offers and others that resulted in no thanks letters or no response at all. And most reasonable adults know they do not have to accept any job that is offered.

If you have a poor opinion of any company, it would probably be wise for you to find other companies to work for.

Billy
I actually know a lady who is 94 and turning 95 next week and shops every single week. (Not MF)
She does not look her age and is of sound mind.

BillBryaninCarthage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> AustinMom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Your Dad is probably putting you on a little
> about
> > the hurt feelings.
>
> Nope. He is in his 70s and he feels that he was
> discriminated against because of his age, so that
> hurt his feelings. He knows there is nothing he
> can do about age discrimination.
>
> I am curious now to know if any shopper in there
> 70s who has worked as an IC for a company.

I am not going to out anyone but there is a forum member who has divulged that he/she is in their 70's and that person seems to stay pretty busy with MS'ing.

And the MSCs do not discriminate against age, race, sex, etc. Most MS clients have a certain demographic that they cater to so they want MS'ers who fit that criteria. There have been many shoppers in this forum who have voiced their aggravation or disappointment because they are too "old" for a certain jewelry shop.

Yes, Shop2Live is very correct about older shoppers working for MF. I know 3 forum members who are definitely well over 70 who actively work with MF. There may be others..........I pay little attention to the ages of other forum members.