We read a lot about the horrible things MSCs do, how about a positive?

I am very happy with the editors at Reality Check. Recently, I did two shops at retailers with names so similar they are only one letter off. Example: John's Store and Joan's Store. I did my report and upladed the receipt when I was tired and blurry-eyed, and I inadvertently uploaded the wrong one. They had to email me and ask for the correct receipt as well as a little more description on of of the 7 employees I interacted with. I still received a 10/10 score and "keep up the good work" comment. I thought that was very generous.

Another time, I made a glaring error on one of their shops and kinda goofed another area. (Really bad day, I guess) I still got a 9/10 AND the editor took the time to explain exactly how they wanted it to be written, and where my mistake was so that I could correct my error the next time. I appreciate the fact that their editors take the time to explain what they like and don't like about your report and what they expect in the future.

Does anyone else have a favorite and want to say who and why?

HDE tops my list. I give them a solid 10/10 on everything. Scheduling, editing, bonuses, reasonable shop fees.

ICCDS is another that's up there for me. I've been paid for a shop assigned to me in error that I did not even complete.

Wow. I am signed up with ICCDS but I don't think I've completed any shops for them yet. I'm not familiar with HDE unless that's an acronym than I haven't deciphered yet.

Yep, they assigned a shop to me that I applied for that I didn't fit the age requirements for. The fault was ALL mine, I applied for it on my phone and thought it said 28, not 23 as the max age. Anyway, they cancelled it on the day it was to be shopped, with an email that the scheduler had assigned it in error, but that I would be paid for it anyway. It also said that if I had already performed the shop, to email back with the receipt and I'd receive the reimbursement amount. I hadn't done the shop yet, so told them "Whoops, my bad, I thought it was 28. No need to pay me. Thanks for letting me know."

They paid me anyway. Full shop fee.

HDE is Hilli-Dunlap.

I have been pleased with all MSCs I have worked for so far. My sole shop for Intellishop, for which I received a 9/10, was even positive as the editor wrote a paragraph explaining exactly what they were looking for and that the details I had included were not needed making the report seem too wordy. While other companies actually want this wordiness, I appreciate knowing from the start this MSC does not and keep a copy of my feedback in the folders I have for each MSC so I can review what was particularly good or in this case what could be improved upon.

I agree, I like it when the editors take the time to explain what they want. They must have really liked your work to take the time to do that. I figure, if you did a terrible job or wrote poorly with bad grammar, etc. they wouldn't even have bothered.

Other than Gfk, every MSC I've worked with is good in my books. The MSCs that have rating system I am scoring 9/10 or 10/10 and pay on time. Can't ask for more

LJ wrote: "I figure, if you did a terrible job or wrote poorly with bad grammar, etc. they wouldn't even have bothered."

You meen the "edukashinal level" of rite-ing is grate in the report and no speeling errors, right?

Right, Sunny! :snort:

I find the Reality Check approach disturbing if you really care that the client company that you're ultimately being paid by gets an accurate portrayal, as well as its employees getting honest, fair, and full feedback. I have had outstanding, above-and-beyond service from an employee which Reality Check wouldn't communicate to the client because there was no rule or box allowing comments for employees that weren't in a select department. The pages of criteria and editors at Reality Check are not there so that the client company gets a full, dynamic view of what a shopper experienced in the store--quite the opposite. They are there to prioritize minutiae (i.e., don't care what that employee said or did if you failed to note his or her hair length). Employees that are paying attention just laugh with the Reality Check approach because it's as plain as day that you're a mystery shop when you go department to department and are having to stop and document all that minutiae after each conversation. I guess it's okay if you're a neophyte shopper or are just interested in checking the boxes and getting paid, but when the editors kick back really important experiences and comments because they didn't have a box for that to go in, it doesn't provide the kind of feedback that executives actually need to know. Ironically, I have found that producing an actual "reality check" is probably the one thing Reality Check isn't very good at. They're much better at red tape. Maybe they could do IRS shops or something. That would be a better fit.

The client decides what information it wants on the report, not Reality Check or any MSC.

We are independent contractors getting paid to provide that information. What feedback they desire to receive and what they do with that feedback is none of our concern.

Well said, Roxy!

BBird0701 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HDE tops my list. I give them a solid 10/10 on
> everything. Scheduling, editing, bonuses,
> reasonable shop fees.
>
> ICCDS is another that's up there for me. I've been
> paid for a shop assigned to me in error that I did
> not even complete.


Hilli Dunlap? Is that a bad joke? I thought that they went out of business. Their M.O. was to get new shoppers and not pay them until they threatened a lawsuit or called the BBB. I see that their BBB rating is clear now, but it only goes back 3 years. I can ASSURE you with God as my witness, that they had an F for many years. I think it was around 2005 that they had so many issues. They even screwed their schedulers. It was a shame because the mom started this company and her son completely ruined it. You might be able to find some info on the older MS forums (i.e. V-God's forum)

ETA: The issues started in 2003 and continued through 2012 at least. I just found an old thread on V. So basically, their plan was to schedule 1000 shops. Pay a few people, and then wait for the rest to complain before paying them. Not everyone complained. They got a lot of free shops.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2014 04:11PM by SoCalMama.