We get desperate requests out of left field, almost hysterically requesting our much needed help! And then if somebody dies (or other circumstances) and we can't make the deadlines, we are forever branded as "flakes."

Flaking would be on a shop when we have independently signed up for it, and don't make the deadlines, but have the option to reschedule. Flaking is when a shop is dumped at the last minute.

Flaking is not when we have managed to balance everything else going on with our schedules to fit in some miserable shop that nobody else wants to do, only to have it fall through. It isn't when the scheduler has 2 weeks to find a replacement.


Thank you for the hearing the vent. Now, I am gripping myself for the cross words and finger wagging....

I know of two kinds of flakes. Snowflakes and dandruff flakes

Okay, all kidding aside... I'm sorry that happened to you. Nobody ever wants a flake on their record. Myself, I will do almost anything to not have a flake but serious things can happen to anyone...

I have never flaked but I am of the opinion that if a shop is not completed because of a very, very serious legitimate reason, beyond the shopper's control, it should not be considered a flaked shop. It it can be proven and proven well, the records should be removed or the shopper should ask to have his account be deactivated or deactivate it himself. There is no reason to carry that citation on your record and be religiously doing shops for that MSC. There are a thousand and one MSCs who are worthy of that loyalty. Move on!
Edited for typo.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2015 02:27AM by risinghorizon.

@risinghorizon wrote:

I have never flaked but I am of the opinion that if a shop is not completed because of a very, very serious legitimate reason, beyond the shopper's control, it should not be considered a flaked shop. It it can be proven and proven well, the records should be removed or the shopper should ask to have his account be deactivated or deactivate it himself. There is no reason to carry that citation on your record and be religiously doing shops for that MSC. There are a thousand and one MSCs who are worthy of that loyalty. Move on!
Edited for typo.

Hear, hear!

I've flaked a bunch of times. I've gone home mid-day with heart issues and left the MSC hanging with shops I committed to for that day and the next.. I was in a wreck on the way home one night and didn't report five shops I had already done before they were taken off the boards. One year I had pneumonia which put me down for three weeks. I couldn't get what I had scheduled for that time frame and I was too fragile to reschedule. Life happens at my house and I deal with it the best I can. I haven't left any of those MSCs because I had a hole in the bucket and I am still shopping happily with every one of them. A flake is any shop I say I'll do that I don't do. It doesn't matter what the reason is. It doesn't matter if I give notice. If you haven't flaked and you wonder what it feels like, wait.

Urban Dictionary---flake n. An unreliable person; someone who agrees to do something, but never follows through.

I don't believe this applies to everyone who does not complete a shop because of reason beyond his/her control, so I don't have to 'wait.' As I said, it was my opinion. And of course, it is up to the MSC to decide if one is a flake and up to the shopper to shop for that MSC with a flake citation hanging over his/her head, if he/she does not agree with the MSC that he/she is a flake. If he/she agrees, that's fine. To each his own.

They are comparing shoppers to a single ice crystal which falls through the Earth's atmosphere! I wish they could change the name to something else. Snow flakes are beautiful....

That's the key here. Someone else's perception determines the answer. It's a subjective determination that differs with MSC, situation, scheduler, and maybe even the scheduler's mood that day.

I think that it's all about respect, if you have been a reliable with the company and have fulfilled all of your commitments but one day you have an emergency and can't complete an assignment you should not be considered a flake. If you are then it is their loss because stuff happens to everyone. If my child is in the hospital I am not leaving her to go to a hardware store.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2015 08:15PM by pammie8223.

Over the years, I have cancelled shops after they were assigned to me once I had a chance to read the guidelines and report. One required giving out my SS# and other very personal information in a public place in a sketchy part of town. I contacted my scheduler right away voicing my concerns and I had the shop removed with no citations, negative comments and received a thank you.

Another time I had a designer clothing store with required purchase. I think there was no shop fee but $150.00 reimbursement or something like that (this was several years ago.) After the shop was assigned to me so I could see the client's name, I checked their web site and discovered that even sale items were more than $150.00 and the style of clothing was for much older women. There was no benefit to me to perform this shop. I immediately contacted the scheduler and she was very understanding about the situation. The shop was removed, my account remained in good standing and I have worked for them for the past 5+ years.

Last year I negotiated a hard won bonus for a shop 80 miles away. I started there and about 20 miles in we got a surprise blizzard. The snow was blowing so hard I couldn't see, and the roads were covered with not a snowplow in sight. I am from the desert and have no clue how to drive in those conditions. I turned around, went home, and called them. They removed the shop with no penalties as far as I know, as I still work for them a LOT.
That was my only flaked shop so far.

I would never consider that a flaked shop. Mother nature caused it and therefore, you were not a flake. I fully agree with Sybil.

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

Last year I negotiated a hard won bonus for a shop 80 miles away. I started there and about 20 miles in we got a surprise blizzard. The snow was blowing so hard I couldn't see, and the roads were covered with not a snowplow in sight. I am from the desert and have no clue how to drive in those conditions. I turned around, went home, and called them. They removed the shop with no penalties as far as I know, as I still work for them a LOT.
That was my only flaked shop so far.

There is a difference between "unforeseen circumstances" and an actual "flake". Most of the schedulers I have dealt with can tell the difference between the two. My idea of a flake is one who just does not follow through, and does not keep the scheduler in the loop. The scheduler is against a deadline as well, and needs to be able to trust that their deadline will be met when they put their confidence in us shoppers. A two week leeway with communication seems reasonable to me, but I am not a scheduler,,,,,

About 2 months ago I broke my collarbone. I only had one shop that I performed that day, but it sort of worked out because I had flubbed it. I did have several others that I worked with schedulers to set a new date range. They offered to remove them without penalty, but I wanted to do them anyway.

Some MSCs will assign a shop and then the shopper has to actively select either accept or decline the assignment, usually within a set timeframe such as 12 hours or so. Most of the time, I will accept the shop even if it isn't exactly what I expected. Every once in awhile, I decide to decline the assignment. I often wonder if my 'declining' the assignment gets held against me in some way or is considered a flake in the eyes of the MSC? Does anyone have any insights into this situation?

I hope my question is similar enough not to be considered a 'hijacking'...lol!

Some companies prefer that you respond to let them know that you are logging in regularly. However, I suspect that some MSC may not want that action so I just let it go if I don't want to do it. I don't respond unless the MSC indicated in their website that they prefer a response.

Risinghorizon, what you described is not a "flaked" shop. It was more of a "flakes" shop.

I completely misunderstood the question. I thought the question was when shops are offered and you are asked to reply, accept or decline. I seldom click decline if I don't want it. I just let it go. But some MSC want a reply to let them know you are logging in.

However, if they accepted my application, I always accept. Because I asked for them. See, there is a difference. I applied for the shop. Naturally, I have to reply. And if I declined it, there must be a very good reason. lol But I know what you meant, LJ.

To me, flaking is when you've irresponsibly not completed a shop and notified the company. Emergencies happen and the decent companies understand that. I've been pretty lucky. I was sick one day, shaking and trembling with fever. I got up and contacted everyone, apologizing and telling them honestly what was happening. Every single one was understanding and allowed me to reschedule without penalty. Another time, the one I really did feel extra horrible about, was a shop that somehow got off my radar because I was involved with a shop that should have taken a few hours but took two days. It was full of aggravation and problems and every waking hour went to getting that shop done and reported. Then I sat down and looked at my calendar and went, "Oh no!" I felt so bad. I immediately contacted the scheduler, told her the true story of the nightmare, apologized, acknowledged I totally messed up, and offered to do it the next day or whenever they wanted. Again, absolutely understanding. I got a 10 on the shop and whew, no penalties. I was so relieved, but I still feel guilty. I saw that shop on my calendar, but just got so involved with the headaches of this other shop, that it slipped. I really am thankful that thus far, I haven't had any villain schedulers. There are some I'm cautious about and a few who I'm not that fond of, but then there are some, like those I'm thinking about in these shops, that I love because they do understand that things happen and I think as long as you are honest with them, they'll help however they can without pulling out the dreaded flake/penalty coin.

@risinghorizon wrote:

... I know what you meant, LJ.

Are you sure?

Well I am just starting out and we are dealing with floods because of the hurricane that is out there right now. So I had to cancel my first two shops that I have received due to weather so I hope that doesn't give me a bad review.

It shouldn't. Just tell them what is going on. No one expects people to be going out in hurricane weather. I'm sure a lot of east coast shops are being rescheduled right now.

I did explain in detail what was going on. Thanks

I was out of town, 200 miles from home. There were several shops in that town, plus a few in sparsely-populated areas on the way home, that MSCs were DESPERATE to fill.

I offered to do them, making it clear (especially on the en-route ones) that I would TRY to get them done but was not positive I'd be able to do it in the time frame specified. Due to the delay in the MSC returning my emails/accepting my application, I got a late start. I did as many in the town as I could, then started back. I was not going to be able to get to the out of the way, boonies location that they had been begging and pleading with people to fill, and no one but me had stepped forward to do.

I got home at 2:30 AM and immediately sent the scheduler an email telling her I was unable to complete the shop because I wasn't there at the prescribed time (it was a 2 hour window, as I recall.)

She flaked me and wanted me removed from shopping for that company. All because I offered to TRY to fill a shop that she had been unable to get filled by anyone.

@LJ wrote:

@risinghorizon wrote:

... I know what you meant, LJ.

Are you sure?

Uh, oh! Clicked Reply when I had not even posted anything. I am in trouble with LJ because I think I did not really know but I thought I did and I am already late for my shops. Ok, take care. I am going southbound, eastbound, westbound and then northbound today and only up to 5 PM.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2015 04:29PM by risinghorizon.

@risinghorizon wrote:

I am going southbound, eastbound, westbound and then northbound today.

I always knew you were a square. :snort: