From the Beyond Hello website:

Mystery Researchers Acquires Beyond Hello
October 07, 2014

Mystery Researchers Grows Company with Second Acquisition in 2014

Atlanta, GA – Mystery Researchers (www.mysteryresearchers.com) announced today that it has acquired Beyond Hello of Madison, Wisconsin.

Mystery Researchers, industry leader in providing business intelligence, looks forward to integrating the mystery shopping expertise of Beyond Hello, a well-known provider of mystery shopping and other customer experience measurements for over 23 years.

In a staff announcement, Beyond Hello Owners Gary Godding and Christopher Warzynski expressed their excitement over the acquisition, “Merging the complementary services of these two companies and adding a stronger market research component represents a tremendous opportunity for our clients. We are confident that our very similar philosophies and business practices will be a comfortable fit for all parties and we anticipate a seamless transition.”

Mystery Researchers CEO, Lisa van Kesteren, responded with, “The Beyond Hello team has done an extraordinary job becoming a powerful force in the customer experience industry and we expect to continue that tradition, as well as utilize our combined expertise to further strengthen partnerships and programs that truly impact the business world that surrounds us. Our acquisition of Beyond Hello is a great step forward in not only our future, but the future of customer experience as a whole.”

Mr. Godding and Mr. Warzynski will continue their business relationship with Ms. van Kesteren as members of the Mystery Researchers’ board of directors.

Earlier this year, Mystery Researchers also acquired Insula Research of Columbus, Ohio, specializing in on-site data collection.

About Mystery Researchers

Mystery Researchers is a business intelligence provider which offers organizations a range of quality programs and services to cover their information needs. Mystery Researchers’ depth of understanding and experience within the industry is unparalleled.

Beyond Hello is one of the few MSCs I dislike, mainly because the schedulers in my area seem to play favorites. Mystery Researchers is excellent, though, so I welcome this change.

I like Mystery Researchers as well. I hope things go smoothly with the new acquisition.

Growing too fast spells doom and gloom for many companies...


And Beyond Hello hasn't really had any major accounts in a long time.

I've had good luck with both companies. Looks like I might be seeing more shops.

I guess I am one of the few who do not like RSG. I just logged in and saw their cell phone shops and discovered they are being done by demographic 20 something to 45. Guess older people do not use cell phones or maybe we just are not smart enough to have/want smartphones.

plmccut Wrote:
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> I guess I am one of the few who do not like RSG.
> I just logged in and saw their cell phone shops
> and discovered they are being done by demographic
> 20 something to 45. Guess older people do not use
> cell phones or maybe we just are not smart enough
> to have/want smartphones.


I think that might be a little harsh (and I am over 45). It's probably just a requirement of the client. On my board the rocker recliner shops have a demographic of over 30...so the under 30 crowd is not getting to shop those.

Liz

Well, since I'm a senior I do use the little ol' gray-haired lady in tennis shoes role when I do the smartphone shops! It seems to work and the nice young things working are quite willing to tell me what I need to know. ;-)

I like both and am happy for their merger. Maybe this means I will be paid quicker for the Beyond Hello shops ;D

I have only been doing the Mystery shop gig for a couple of months, RSG was one of the first ones that I shopped for: Checking over the log they were the first one and the ones that paid first. The only complaint I have about RSG is that when they bought Insula they went from twice a month payment to once a month. My first MS was on 8-6 and paid on 8-19, Then a shop on 8-12 and paid on 9-3. I do miss the quick turnarounds.

Beyond Hello was on my list, but I've only managed to do one of the two shops that they have in my area. The first shop was back on 9-3 and, they finally paid me this past Friday for that one, the next shop is this coming week and then I can't shop for them until next year.

Will this give us one site to check, or will we have to still check all three going forward.

Jobs at beyond hello site still showing. Eventually everything will most likely go over to Mystery Researchers.

Beyond Hello has some decent shops in my area and there is one shop at my local airport that I do basically every time I travel anywhere. I haven't done anything with RSG yet but I hope they are as good to work with as Beyond Hello has been.

BuffaloNY101 Wrote:
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> Jobs at beyond hello site still showing.
> Eventually everything will most likely go over to
> Mystery Researchers.


Negative to that. According to emails and the BH website it is the Beyond Hello website that will host all new projects for Mystery Researchers, Insula (also recently acquired by Mystery Researchers) and Beyond Hello.

BuffaloNY101 Wrote:
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> Jobs at beyond hello site still showing.
> Eventually everything will most likely go over to
> Mystery Researchers.


Actually there is an announcement on the Beyond Hello and Mystery Researhers page that all jobs will be posted on Beyond Hello.

All the MR bank shops are gone from their page. I finished two this week but no more on their site and I do not see any listed on BH yet.

Anybody else have trouble contacting this new merger of companies? I understand the switching sites, but when I go to the main Beyond Hello page which then says to log in on the right - then that takes me to a second page to log in again on Sassie ... fine.

But as usual on Sassie there is no way to get help. No phone numbers and the jobs don't list who the scheduler is. Unless I capture a name from the initial email there is no way to contact them (the help function is anything but).

I think I also forgot, this is one of those companies where your assignment requests sit in limbo for days and days (RSG or Beyond can't remember which was worse).

I can't work like this.

Boutique -

The double login is a long-standing "feature" of the Beyond Hello website. I have never found a way to avoid it. Even using the URL of the second log-in page and trying to go there directly does not work. BTW, this feature is true for all browsers which I have tried.

Boutique Wrote:
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> But as usual on Sassie there is no way to get
> help. No phone numbers and the jobs don't list who
> the scheduler is. Unless I capture a name from the
> initial email there is no way to contact them (the
> help function is anything but).


Don't you keep your e-mail communications? I have folders on my computer for each and every company. I save all my assigned e-mail confirmations and any communication between schedulers or editors. And any bonuses, date changes, deadline extensions, etc. are all in writing and saved. Believe me, there will be a time when you need to access an old email as proof of a bonus or special arrangements.

If you got to beyondhello.com, their contact information is right there at the bottom of the page. Two phone numbers (one being a toll free #) and their email address. There is also a "Contact Us" link.

I have had no problems with any of the three and look forward to cutting down those line items in my spreadsheet to one! They all have plenty of work in my area, and all has gone smoothly. Now, if I could just get them to approve me for those darn blue banks!

I am 46 years old. I get to do all those senior shops that are for people 45 and over. What they entail is that you are looking for caregiver aid for your elderly parent. I do well because I actually care for my elderly mom. I do not understand why a younger person is not allowed. I do not care for that is more for me to choose from.

With age related restrictions have to do with what the client wants. I do not question them on that. There have been other younger geared shops I felt I could do. I do not care because it is the client and not anything else.