Maritz is stressing me out!

February 12, 2015 04:55PM

I received an email invite for a route over a year ago at an agreed rate. I completed the shops and then was not paid what I had agreed to. I contacted accounting who asked for my evidence and I didn't have any. Lesson learned.

So last week I received an email again. I counter-offered and they counter-offered back and I accepted. The route of 22 shops is in my log. However, once again I have nothing in writing as to the agreed upon price. When I click on 'complete list of shops for this project' it only has the base rate and reimbursement. I have called Maritz multiple times and was told that they have never been asked for the rate to be in writing before and she would have to talk to a supervisor. I then called accounting and asked them what they would need if I had to prove the agreed-upon rate. They said the confirmation email would do it. No confirmation email ever came.

I'm going round and round in circles with Maritz and I'm getting ready to pull the plug on the route as I just don't want to do it without having the fee in print (email). However, I'm afraid it will count against me if I pull out as they're all in my shop log.

What would y'all do? Advice appreciated.

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February 12, 2015 05:13PM

Here's what I would expect if I did that route based on what you've told us. I would expect to be paid the rate quoted in the list of shops and not a cent more. I would have to cancel the route unless they provided me with agreed upon rates in writing. Verbal wouldn't do it for me at this point. Love them love them love them, but I think you've hit a brick wall here and the pay day supervisor is going to pay on what's written down.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

February 12, 2015 05:19PM

Accounting will only pay you the agreed upon rate if it is in writing and the scheduler claims nobody ever asks for it in writing? Someone needs to introduce the right hand to the left hand.

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.

February 12, 2015 07:09PM

Is it just me or has Maritz been kind of messy lately when it comes to incentives? (There's another thread about this)

I just made an offer on a route actually yesterday, they havent gotten back to me yet.

Somewhere in the Midwest, shopping / auditing full time since 2014. Will use PV-500 for food!

February 12, 2015 07:17PM

"was told that they have never been asked for the rate to be in writing before"

NNNNOPE. I've asked them on several occasions and they've emailed it to me informally.

I've had a similar issue with their lack of transparency so much so that it cost them a bunch of money.
One of their ladies agreed to a price. I completed the route and was summarily paid about 1/5 what they were supposed to pay me.

After much arguing I finally got them to pay. You'd think they would have gone out of their way to create a system that tells people what they've agreed to before the job is paid.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

February 13, 2015 12:19AM

I know a lot of people love them, but honestly they're so difficult to deal with that I only deal with them when I absolutely have to have some extra shops to make a route work or I think I can negotiate a bonus that's just pretty much ridiculous.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

February 13, 2015 03:17AM

@LisaSTL wrote:

Accounting will only pay you the agreed upon rate if it is in writing and the scheduler claims nobody ever asks for it in writing? Someone needs to introduce the right hand to the left hand.

Sometimes, I'd like to introduce my right hand to the side of their collective head.

February 13, 2015 03:26AM

@AlexG wrote:

Is it just me or has Maritz been kind of messy lately when it comes to incentives? (There's another thread about this)

I just made an offer on a route actually yesterday, they havent gotten back to me yet.

Messy? Perhaps. On two separate occasions toward the end of last year, they called me for a last minute shop and I gave them a somewhat outrageous amount that I would need to do each of them. Not to gouge them or take advantage, but because they were both a ways from me and had no plans to be in the areas. Anyway, each time--much to my surprise--they called back and agreed to pay my rate. To my greater surprise, when I invoiced each shop, they had inputted my TOTAL amount required as just the bonus amount. Amazing, given their serial aversion to bonuses.

February 13, 2015 03:45AM

I had that happen last fall on some of those quick and easy gas station mystery shops. I don't think y'all have them in Chitown. Anyway, I was surprised, and quite happy, considering there were 4 or 5 of them!

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

February 13, 2015 12:31PM

IMO, if they countered with an E-mail and you accepted, their counter offer would be the proof you need. Did you save that correspondence?

February 14, 2015 05:02AM

Maritz doesn't use email. Do they even HAVE email? I thought they just worked via telegraph.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

February 14, 2015 06:33AM

I would think their counter offer is your written proof. Look through your message center for the email and take a screen shot of it. Always take screenshots of the offer/counter offer.

February 14, 2015 12:37PM

How do I take a screen shot of a telephone call?

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

February 14, 2015 01:37PM

You follow-up with an email stating the agreed upon terms from your phone conversation. And yes, the project managers and higher-ups have email addresses. I don't think the lowly schedulers do but they also do not have the authority to approve incentives.

February 15, 2015 05:48PM

All companies have a few bad apples, and Maritz has more than its share. And all companies will have some small-minded schedulers who will ignore you out of spite. Good riddance to them.

February 16, 2015 01:53AM

They also use Kern which uses email as most companies do. Does Kern schedule the routes for them?

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

February 16, 2015 05:09AM

I had no problem getting them to email me the agreed upon amounts for some routes last fall. With their system, if you have six shops, and complete five of them, the route bonus does not kick in. That last shop triggers the bonus. That is unsettling to me, if I am looking at a 300-mile route (or farther) and the shop list mentions no bonus.

February 18, 2015 06:17PM

To the OP:
Just curious as to how you finally decided to handle this.
I am faced with a similar situation.
With all the advice and comments received above, what did you find out?

February 18, 2015 07:26PM

@KenK & @jpgilham: What team(s) have these projects been with?

I've never had an issue getting bonuses properly applied, but all of my verbally negotiated bonuses have been with team 3 & 4. Was just wondering if this is related to a particular team or just several individuals.

February 20, 2015 02:15AM

@vlade5394 wrote:

Does Kern schedule the routes for them?

Not for any of their GS routes.

February 22, 2015 02:53PM

I always get an email from them saying that such and such a row had been assigned. It had the shops and the agreed price in it. I save these for just that reason. I have always gotten my contacted pay.

February 22, 2015 04:41PM

I have been getting an abundance of request for debrief items not submitted. I submit everything for the entire shop, but some how (out of all the picture and receipts) only one will make it through. I have to re do the entire upload thing again.
It takes up time re doing them when I should be doing my current shop report.
Just wondering if anyone is having this same issue. It is beginning to get frustrating. It it interfering with my production time and causing all my materials to be overdue when in fact they were never overdue to begin with.
Just wondering, They don't communicate very well over there. I will get a phone call two to three days later on a shop issue to late to help much. I call but they are either busy, in a meeting, not at work yet, or gone for the day.

February 22, 2015 05:11PM

bus377, I am not having that kind of trouble uploading and I've done over 200 shops for them since Jan 1. Every now and then (rarely) a picture or receipt doesn't go through but it sounds like you're having repeated problems. I don't know what can be wrong. I am using Explorer but I think some others are successfully using other browsers.

Is it possible there might be a technical issue with your computer?

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

February 22, 2015 05:35PM

Yes it is possible I am having personal computer problems. I guess thats why I posted just to see if it is me or the masses having the same issues. I am like you I do hundreds of shops and even a little nitch can back log me.. My Momma lives with me and she is sick so that takes extra time as well.
My computer may need to be cleaned or something. Thanks for the message I do appreciate your time.

February 22, 2015 07:18PM

I've also had problems uploading photos and reports. Oft times, I've had to re-submit my report due to the upload of the report timing out.

I know enough about computers to understand how to 'clean' it or how to upgrade my drivers (wireless primarily). I've also gone so far as to change wireless routers as a way to establish what may be at fault.

In the end, I've now gone to using free WIFI from businesses offering them as a part of doing business.

Starbucks, Dunkin donuts and McDonalds come to mind immediately, although there are others I've used.

I've established that it is my internet provider that is at fault. It is not my computer, wireless card or wireless router, or, the distance or metal objects between my computer and the wireless router. My reports virtually hasten expressly when using the above 'free' wireless providers. This occurs even whilst sitting in my auto, 3 lanes from the bulding.

You might wish to try that (if you have a laptop, that is).

As for my provider, I've read the online complaints about them. For many people (like me), the problems began at the beginning of the new year. I am currently deciding upon which provider that i shall use for the future.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2015 07:21PM by Tatjana.

February 23, 2015 06:57PM

@Tatjana wrote:

>>>You might wish to try that (if you have a laptop, that is). <<< My next acquisition for sure will be a laptop.

>>>As for my provider, I've read the online complaints about them. For many people (like me), the problems began at the beginning of the new year. I am currently deciding upon which provider that i shall use for the future.<<<

I do not have that option I am stuck with what I have it is the only thing available to me where I live. The only other option is Hugh's net and it just plain ol sucks rusty nails. Thanks for your response.

February 27, 2015 09:54PM

Yes, Bus377, I had massive debreif problems. It almost had me in tears. Mine was different. I'd go in circles redoing the report. When I'd go to submit the review would show that questions were left unanswered. I go back and correct them, re-answering them all, double checking them and then when the review came up they went back to an unanswered state. This is a recent problem. My prior reports from them did not do this. I contacted them using their canned email system; got no reply.

So I had to submit the report as is, because I noticed all no answers returned to unanswered. After twelve repeats, I submitted anyways and contacted the team letting them know of this. The next day the shop was removed. No pay. No reply to either email. I had screen shots and no one was apparently interested in looking at them or acknowledging the problem.

Where are we going... and why are we in a hand basket?

February 28, 2015 02:56AM

Yes I agree it is nerving. Yet I continue to have the problems. They are constantly asking for receipts not uploaded with the report. Please this is the one thing I would upload no matter what it is what gets me paid LOL! I don't get answers from them either from the email. I will sometimes receive a phone call several days to late to help. I call them but 9 times out of ten no one is available to help me they are unavailable. Oh well I love the company even with all the problems. All we can do is hope it gets fixed soon so we can shop our little hearts desire.

March 05, 2015 12:22AM

I have had several "pay issues" with Maritz lately on my (client)'s shops. I always attach the receipt and can even see the image of the receipt before I submit my report. I did not get paid in February, so I called the Accounts Payable Department yesterday. Fran told me that since I had the pay issues that they were having to get to everyone's checks as they could. That told me that I was not the only one having problems.

I have to re-scan the receipt and e-mail it to them. This has only started happening since the first of the year, so I am thinking they have new editors. I have done these shops in 2014 and never had a problem. Fran said that the receipt was not attached to the invoice and that I needed to watch the tutorial. I do not remember there being a place to attach the receipt to the invoice and I have been doing these shops for months.

It is just not worth it to me to be paid $10 for a (client)'s shop and have to spend at least $1.00 in merchandise. It would not be so bad if they did not have an issue with the receipts being uploaded and holding our checks.

(Mod note: Linking the MSC with the client is a breach of the Forum rules and probably a violation of your ICA.)

March 05, 2015 12:49AM

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2015 11:50PM by MDavisnowell.

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