I am putting this out there to all of you shoppers to get an idea if what I did was right or wrong or how you would have handled this situation and what your expectations might be. I am not here to slam KSS or their scheduler - it's possible that I am off base here and if there is no resolution the world is not going to end. I'm almost 100% certain of that, lol.

Recently I applied for two cell phone shops through KSS. I scheduled time to do these shops on the day they were due. I called both numbers of the cell phone stores before I left home and found one number was disconnected and the other rang but no one answered it, and I called several times and each time no one answered. This might be where I went wrong coming next? I went ahead and crossed this huge metro area to get to these stores, and found one did not exist and the other store had gone out of business to be replaced by a Metro PCS store (not a client of KSS that I am aware of).

Here is my question. When I arrived home I sent the scheduler at KSS an email letting them know what had happened and asking for some payment for my time and trouble. Was I wrong in asking for this since I made the decision to cross town even though the first number was disconnected and the second no one answered? How would you have handled this? Am I off base expecting some (reduced) payment?

The scheduler did email me back very promptly and stated that they would see what the client says and then get back to me. This does sound like passing the buck or does this sound reasonable?

I put these questions out there as there is a lot more experience on this board freely shared than the few year's experience that I have to offer.

if the store is closed were you suppose to still go
there and take a picture as some require? and MetroPCS is owned
by the client they shop.

squireparty wrote:

"When I arrived home I sent the scheduler at KSS an email letting them know what had happened and asking for some payment for my time and trouble." and "The scheduler did email me back very promptly and stated that they would see what the client says and then get back to me. This does sound like passing the buck or does this sound reasonable?"

Since KSS is only the scheduling company, they have no authority over your payments. In my opinion, rather then suggest you contact the MSC yourself, I give kudos to KSS for not only responding promptly to your email, but also for offering to check with the MSC for you versus saying "it's not my job".

(heart)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2014 11:46PM by stilllearning.

You arrived at 2 locations. 1 had changed hands and the other went out of business. You take a picture of each location and do your report. You notified the Kern Scheduler of this. That is the end of your responsibility for now. As long as you did something to document what you found, its up to Kern to work any issues with the MSC they schedule for. That is their responsibility. I would just wait to hear what happens next. Please keep us posted...

Which company were the shops scheduled for (Kern is only a scheduling company)? As a scheduling company, Kern will not pay you and really has no control over whether the MSC pays you. What the scheduler said sounds reasonable. Did the company's guidelines require a pre-visit phone call to establish whether the stores were still in business and to determine the store's hours? If so, did the guidelines address what to do if the phone was not answered?

Having called both locations, I would not have visited the one with a disconnected phone line. If the guidelines did not address visiting if there was no answer, I may have visited the one where no one answered. Did you take photos of the businesses at the address of the closed locations to document your visit?

Thanks everyone for your input. And I can see where I ROYALLY flubbed up. Which goes to show that I have not ended my learning curve and I have still more to learn - in this case how to handle things when things go south.

So what did I neglect to do? Cringe. I didn't take photos. I was so flustered, especially since I had been to this mall recently doing a shop for another MSC and had seen one of the two cell phone stores open and doing business. Just a very short while ago. I had not run across this situation until now.

The scheduler was very polite with her email and I understand the Kern is not the one who would be paying me so I can see where kudos are due for not just saying That's Not Our Job Here. So I guess I can see already that I could have handled this better. Next time I'll know better!

This trip was not a total washout as there is a Goodwill down the street from the mall these shops were to be in and I picked up a few books there dirt cheap that I had been wanting for some time. So some good came of this trip and I'm learning here better what to do when things go wrong. (I guess I'm lucky, I've been doing this awhile and I have not encountered a lot of problems, really.)

Squireparty, congratulations on having a great attitude about this. I hope you get a partial payment but at least you got to go "junking". Any time I'm out of town on a route I keep my eyes pealed for Goodwills and junk stores. Heaven on earth!

I have posted this experience before.

If the store did not exist, what photo can you really take? I took a picture of the the huge poster on an ad on the wireless area of the store. But there was no specific kiosk of that particular brand. I also called the number on the log. No reply. I
looked all over the place and was even told by security to go to the reception. So I did and I was told someone would help me.
And sure enough, someone did and I was interrogated and eventually told that they did not have a wireless kiosk because they were not into wireless. I offered to send them a scanned photo but they did not accept my offer. After a long time, I discovered I was paid $5 for the trouble.

Since this was just one of about 4 locations with incorrect or no direction and where I tried everything to find the store/kiosk, after calling a number of telephone #s before I went to the location, I asked the scheduler not to give me any more of those shops. She replied, "I am so so so sorry about this debacle! You are one of my best shoppers..." She told me that a number of shoppers had complained about the same situation and asked to forward my email to the MSC.

I don't think I like the outcome...

I've seen shops that have instructions for closed locations including a modified payout.

I'd assume if the instructions do not have this covered one may not be subsidised.

I performed a Cable TV job to deliver fliers. There was no office at the address provided. I found the location for the developments office and was informed someone else updated the flyers a day earlier. I gave them my flyers and collected the information on the survey. I was paid in full.

Hi,

For these types of shops I have done, I have also worked with schedulers at KSS, it is generally required you call ahead of time to confirm the store is open and the hours of availability. You do not get paid if you go out and do not do this at least a day before the shop. If you have done this and there is a problem then is when you get paid. At least, this is all stated in the instructions when I have done these type shops. As an independent contractor you need to consider this. For instance, I will not do any reimbursement shops whatsoever because if it is discounted for any reason I get stuck paying for something when I was try to earn. I have gotten paid when rules have not been followed exactly. So...Good luck anyway. Happy Holidays.

I always use Google maps street view ahead of time and if I cant see the location, and the phone calls are coming up zero, I will not drive there. I'll take the $3 or whatever and not leave the house.

Well, good advice above. I guess I have had good luck as this is the first time I have run into this but I am definitely going to follow the above advice going forward. I will not be getting any pay for these two shops, as per the scheduler at KSS but as I said, I'm looking at it as a learning experience and honestly, if this is the worst thing that has happened to me lately, I need to be grateful!

Congrats on a great attitude. I'm sorry to hear you won't be paid at least for the one that did not answer the phone when you called. It's a disappointment and a bummer to hear for a shopper to hear she isn't getting paid for a shop after putting in the time. We've all been there. Good luck and happy shopping!