@myst4au wrote:

EVERY GfK shop that I have ever done has REQUIRED an external photo. I have never seen one where it was listed as an optional photo. Dante said the same thing. Why they need a photograph for some of the shops is something I don't understand because it does not have to be time or date stamped, but they do. This is characteristic of GfK. Just like submitting an invoice is characteristic of Maritz.

Date/time is embedded in the details of the photo itself.

Jeez...Can we puhleeeeze be done with this already? Yep, I know that I don't have to torture myself with all this back-and-forth, ad nauseam, but enough-is-enough already.

VeriTES also pays twice a month.

I have shopped for GFK for years and never had any problems except with some of the [client name deleted] Audits. Their firm you had to take a picture if had a line that was easy to miss when filling it out and they wanted me to submit again, which I did.

Mod note: Please do not link the company with their client. It is against forum rules and an ICA violation. Thanks

@myst4au wrote:

EVERY GfK shop that I have ever done has REQUIRED an external photo. I have never seen one where it was listed as an optional photo. Dante said the same thing. Why they need a photograph for some of the shops is something I don't understand because it does not have to be time or date stamped, but they do. This is characteristic of GfK. Just like submitting an invoice is characteristic of Maritz.

IMHO it should be either a date/time stamped photo (which most of the time it automatically is when using a smartphone) OR the Geo Verify Code. ((sassie platform) Why do we need both, really? Aren't they both reliable POV's? So if a shopper submits one, I feel its unnecessary to have to do the other whether you like it or can do it or not!

I haven't read this whole thread, but I like GFK. Every scheduler I've been in contact with has been super nice and helpful. The bonuses are good when a deadline is looming. And I like the videos and guidelines because believe it or not I don't already know everything about every shop and audit. I don't mind the testing either. Lots of companies ask for testing. Come on, they don't know us. They need some clue as to whether we have two brain cells to rub together.

Posting on the forum was the only way I could get anyone's attention to listen to me which is sad. It was not my first choice as I explained I had emailed several people multiple people no responses so I didn't really see any alternative.I have been doing this for 10 years and have never posted because I have never been so frustrated .my issues should have been resolved 1 month ago not steaming over it for a month with no responses and then having to vent on the forum just to get someone from GFK to take notice and respond that is no way to run a business.it seems the bigger the company the more lost you get in the shuffle.the bigger the company to the more they are into making money instead of hiring enough staff to get the job done to get back to people when they need help.I have work for much smaller companies that made less money paid less and have been more user friendly and more attentiveand willing to help.,as far as my reputation I'm really not too concerned with that as I am of vascular technologist that makes 30 bucks an hour with good benefits this was just a little side hobby..everyone is entitled to their opinion and I had just as much right to post the thread as any of you other guys on here complaining... so don't judge me you don't know me! the only reason you'd be trying to judge me is to suck up to the company..good luck with that.
If my issues have been resolved in a timely matter I wouldn't have needed to post. since they weren't resolved the post stays up. In other words this is GFKs report card and it is GFKs reputation also on the line ,not just mine.Remember guys.. people treat you like you let them treat you. Respect gets Respect.Austin mom I suspect you are a scheduler because you are consistently taking up for the scheduler's rather than shoppers who are having difficulties and are frustrated, just my opinionIn a real world schedulers are supposed to help, that's their job!
But some have been doing it a long time and are burned out and overwhelmed and very busy or don't feel like it. When they finally decide to respond to you the shop is past due and you lose out.
So basically it's your fault but not necessarily totally your fault ...because you asked for help and did not receiveit in time to get your report done before the deadline.
when you realize you've been had and they dropped the ball on you..and you decide to complain, they're very good at twisting the truth around claiming it is your fault because you misunderstood, you didn't follow the rules,your shop was denied because of this and that ..blah blah blah blah..then they tell you that your shop could not be used and had been assigned to another shopper..all the while you're the last one to find this out..
How do you know they still didn't use your shop and just decide not to pay you by giving you some lame excuse .the shopper is at the losing end of the team because they don't see what exactly is going on...only the little scraps and crumbs of information that the scheduler and proofreader decide to share with you. you set out with a good attitude looking to do the best job you can for the shop hoping for the best that you will actually get paid and that your report will be accepted,praying that if you get locked out there will be someone to help you praying that if you need some help you can get ahold of someone in a timely manner.if we are expected to be able to be contacted within a certain amount of time after being contacted then I believe the proof reader and the scheduler should be held to the same standards. if there is not enough staffing to get this done then perhaps hire some more staffing or some technical number you can call when your locked out of the report.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2015 06:55AM by Gabishopper.

@Gabishopper wrote:

Posting on the forum was the only way I could get anyone's attention to listen to me which is sad. It was not my first choice as I explained I had emailed several people multiple people no responses so I didn't really see any alternative.I have been doing this for 10 years and have never posted because I have never been so frustrated .my issues should have been resolved 1 month ago not steaming over it for a month with no responses and then having to vent on the forum just to get someone from GFK to take notice and respond that is no way to run a business. ..everyone is entitled to their opinion and I had just as much right to post the thread as any of you other guys on here complaining... so don't judge me you don't know me! the only reason you'd be trying to judge me is to suck up to the company..good luck with that.
If my issues have been resolved in a timely matter I wouldn't have needed to post. since they weren't resolved the post stays up. In other words this is GFKs report card and it is GFKs reputation also on the line ,not just mine.

Austin mom I suspect you are a scheduler because you are consistently taking up for the scheduler's rather than shoppers who are having difficulties and are frustrated, just my opinionIn a real world schedulers are supposed to help, that's their job!.

Gabi, you would not have needed to post on the forum if your issues had been resolved in a timely manner? Some of us are trying to tell you that your issues have NOT been resolved. Your report was rejected and you will not be paid. Regardless of computer submission issues, your report still lacks the photograph, which both Cindy and Dante say is mandatory. What purpose has your post served? It's provided great advertising for GFK but has not helped you at all.

I am not a scheduler with any MSC. Although I am registered with GFK, I have NEVER performed an assignment. The pay is not high enough to be tempting to me.

If I did not know better, I would think that GFK paid you to post this. Your post has allowed both schedulers, Cindy and Dante, to look GOLD by showing how responsive they are with their detailed and patient responses on the forum. This has been great advertising for GFK, and several shoppers decided to sign up with GFK because of this thread. You certainly DO have every right to continue posting, and I'm sure GFK hopes you do. You have improved their report card and pumped up their reputation! The more you post, the better GFK looks.

Gabishopper wrote:
"Posting on the forum was the only way I could get anyone's attention to listen to me which is sad. It was not my first choice as I explained I had emailed several people multiple people no responses so I didn't really see any alternative.I have been doing this for 10 years and have never posted because I have never been so frustrated."


First of all, I can not even read past the first few sentences of Gabi's posts anymore. The lack of spacing and paragraphs among other grammar and formatting issues is not worth my time.

Second, you say that you have been a MS'er for 10 years but your behavior is that of a disgruntled newbie. And you have to wait 10 years and for something "bad" to happen before deciding to post in this forum? This forum is not all about negative experiences and whining about not getting paid when YOU clearly did not follow all of the guidelines. Time for you to move on or find another line of business.

EDIT: For some reason the quote box is not working properly today. This is the third post that has not formatted correctly.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2015 03:01PM by Sybil2.

Suggestion folks: Don't feed the troll.

I did not know this was a troll.

I do not believe Gabishopper is a troll. I think she is a frustrated shopper who had difficulty with entering her report. I also think she was confused by the guidelines and made a mistake by not taking a mandatory photo. She is unwilling to accept that the photo was mandatory. Many of us understand her frustration, but her 31 posts to the forum have resulted in no change to her circumstances. Her report is still rejected and she still will not be paid for it. I would be surprised if a GFK scheduler would consider scheduling her for another shop at any time in the future.

Gabi says "this is GFKs report card and it is GFKs reputation also on the line ,not just mine," [sic] and I agree. Her thread and many posts have allowed GFK schedulers to come off looking GOLD. This has probably improved GFK's reputation. The more Gabi posts, the more emotional and confused her posts sound. GFK sounds better and better. I'm sure GFK hopes she keeps posting - it's great advertising for GFK which is not her intent. Unless she wants to continue to make GFK look better and better, she should stop posting and move on.

I find it hard to believe that I'm actually continuing to post in regard to this thread. Maybe I should seek some kind of counseling about this problem I'm having? Anyway, I digress.

My suggestion to Gabishopper is to seek some other kind of source-of-income and/or diversion cuz she ain't gonna make it as a Mystery Shopper.

Her complete and total lack of ability to communicate in a way that makes sense precludes any MSC to seriously consider her to be a resource. Forget the run-on sentences, lack of syntax, grammatical faux-pas as well as confusion regarding what capitalization is all about but her lack of comprehension about why her report was not accepted shows a breakdown of rational thought process (even after some very constructive and well-meaning comments by fellow posters).

Just sayin'

Am I the only one who sees Gabi's point here? Yes, she screwed up and did not take a mandatory photo and ultimately her report cannot be used and she will not be paid.

However, that does not negate the fact that she was asked for clarification, was locked out of her report, was unable to add the comments they asked for and could not get any response from the company. If a company is not responding to shoppers in a timely manner, especially when they contacted them for more information, that is a problem.

I can see why she is so upset by the response she got here. For one thing, she was accused of uploading a "random photo" (which implies clip art, a picture of her dog, etc.) just to get the report to submit when she says it was a business card from the business. For another thing, nobody is acknowledging that she she really did have a problem and instead members are pointing fingers at her and telling her only what she did wrong. Maybe she gets that it's her own fault that her shop was rejected for lack of photo and maybe she doesn't, but there's no reason that we can't have the grace to acknowledge that GFK screwed up on their side too. She just needs a little support instead of being shunned and called a troll.

I agree with LJ here. Having worked for GFK over the years I will say that communication
is hit or miss, depending on which scheduler is assigned to your project. Some respond
quickly and it seems like they never sleep. Others either respond not at all, take multiple
days to respond when a response is not relevant or only when it suits them. GFK has
high turnover with their schedulers and perhaps that speaks to why some are great when
their first hired but get worse as time goes on. Being an experienced shopper I've learned to
work around this and know how to contact the right people there for a fast response.
However, new shoppers dont and the great inconsistency doesn't help gfk.

If I were a new shopper and saw this on a job post as one of GFK's schedulers puts on their
jobs for them: "You are expected to complete the shop on the date assigned. Rescheduling
will not be tolerated." and it's in bold print, I wouldn't take it for fear if something came up
I would get a flake...

I like working with all the schedulers at GFK to date. It's a few editors that really are a hit and miss. And there is no way to know ahead who would be editing your report...

@Day2Day wrote:

I like working with all the schedulers at GFK to date. It's a few editors that really are a hit and miss. And there is no way to know ahead who would be editing your report...

GFK outsources their editing to a 3rd party company(wordsmith pros). I find
some have a tendency to make mistakes depending on the editor you get while
others are great and actually know the projects. To me there should be zero toleration
for mistakes from editors because of the reprecussions it has and any of the editors
that make mistakes should be removed from the project.

@techman01 wrote:

Being an experienced shopper I've learned to
work around this and know how to contact the right people there for a fast response.
However, new shoppers dont and the great inconsistency doesn't help gfk.

The OP is not a new shopper. She said somewhere in this thread that she has been doing this for 10 years.

@LJ wrote:

Am I the only one who sees Gabi's point here? Yes, she screwed up and did not take a mandatory photo and ultimately her report cannot be used and she will not be paid.

However, that does not negate the fact that she was asked for clarification, was locked out of her report, was unable to add the comments they asked for and could not get any response from the company. If a company is not responding to shoppers in a timely manner, especially when they contacted them for more information, that is a problem.

Ok, she made her point at least two pages ago. Does she need to keep repeating the same thing over and over again? Forum members already responded; two GFK schedulers already responded. Don't you think it is time to lick your wounds and move on?

As far as her responding when asked for clarification, if she was indeed locked out of their system, she could have answered the editor's questions in an e-mail. That way the editor would know that he/she was not being ignored by the shopper and that there was something wrong with their reporting system (if there really was a problem.) The editor could have very easily cut and paste the OP's e-mail answers into the report and the report would have been completed in a timely manner.

@Sybil2 wrote:

The OP is not a new shopper. She said somewhere in this thread that she has been doing this for 10 years.

She's been doing it for 10 years, but that doesn't mean that she's been actively shopping for a single company for that amount of time.

@pyrofuego wrote:

@Sybil2 wrote:

The OP is not a new shopper. She said somewhere in this thread that she has been doing this for 10 years.

She's been doing it for 10 years, but that doesn't mean that she's been actively shopping for a single company for that amount of time.

But she has 10 years of experience under her belt. She should know about guidelines, photo requirements, meeting deadlines, responding to clarification questions in a timely manner and how to handle a situation when there is a technical snafu. Those are all general qualifications not anything specific to one MSC.

@Sybil2 wrote:

@pyrofuego wrote:

@Sybil2 wrote:

The OP is not a new shopper. She said somewhere in this thread that she has been doing this for 10 years.

She's been doing it for 10 years, but that doesn't mean that she's been actively shopping for a single company for that amount of time.

But she has 10 years of experience under her belt. She should know about guidelines, photo requirements, meeting deadlines, responding to clarification questions in a timely manner and how to handle a situation when there is a technical snafu. Those are all general qualifications not anything specific to one MSC.

Not to be snarky or anything but...methinks the OP will be the one being shopped when working at "the golden arches" cuz mystery shopping is not her calling (10 years of maybe doing 1 shop or so per year, perhaps?)

@Sybil2 wrote:

But she has 10 years of experience under her belt. She should know about guidelines, photo requirements, meeting deadlines, responding to clarification questions in a timely manner and how to handle a situation when there is a technical snafu. Those are all general qualifications not anything specific to one MSC.

That's all true.

I took your previous response to @techman01 to mean that OP should have known how to contact someone at GfK because she'd been shopping that long, and was just pointing out that it wasn't necessarily true that OP has a long-standing relationship with the company or its schedulers that would give her that advantage.

@parkcitybrian, you better watch out or the Forum Snark Police will be hunting you down.

@pyrofuego, thanks for explaining your response.

It is very easy for some shoppers to be sanctimonious just to prove that they are better than everyone. It is their nature.

As in this case, many times the fault does not only lie in the shopper. The editor/scheduler/MSC may have played a part in it. I don't care if OP has been shopping since she was born. Is the function of this Forum to browbeat a poster when she is down and comes to this board? So we have pointed her mistake, do we really have all the time in the world to continue posting to tell her again and again that she was mistaken and she should crawl in a hole? Aren't we supposed to be mshopping and not spending our time acting as instigators to prove that we are better than her or everyone else? Do we really consider that a positive contribution to the community as the Posting Guidelines suggested?

Let the first one who has never, ever made any mistake, including in this Forum, cast the first stone or in the case of some, more stone...