New contest (unscientific cuz I just don't have the time to use analytic analysis to give a scientific one). Names only WILL NOT BE TALLIED . The name must be accompanied by the company that they schedule for. For those who are paranoid about the competitive aspects of that...get over it cuz if a scheduler values the contribution that you provide they will not abandon you and if they do, you're in bed with the wrong partner.

Send along an anecdote or why they are deserving of this high honor, if you wish.

I urge everyone to respect the rules and regulations/conditions of using this forum. Don't link the scheduler/msc with any client names and visa-versa.

Don't waste your time with any negativity (start a new topic but only with your own screen name and don't hide behind the cloak of anonymity).

I will also accept submissions to my direct personal email address for those who have access to it. My personal email is not monitored or moderated by anyone other than myself and that information is unavailable to anyone.

Submissions will be accepted until January 31, 2016

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2016 12:33AM by parkcitybrian.

Don't we already do this every year?

@bgriffin wrote:

Don't we already do this every year?[/quote

don't know but feel free to enlighten me and if it was done it really doesn't matter to me.

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

@parkcitybrian wrote:

don't know but feel free to enlighten me and if it was done it really doesn't matter to me.

Sorry PCB but BG is right. This "contest" has been done to death and always ends in controversy.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2016 01:16AM by Sybil2.

That contest has a lot of rules and is nevertheless gamed by some of the MSC's and schedulers. I'm kind of interested in PCB's take on it. I vote you go ahead. And I submit the name of my favorite scheduler, Sandra C at Maritz. When I was still new and ready to throw my laptop out the window from trying to resize each and every pic one at a time, she called me, she helped me find the right software, she talked to me for about an hour and a half. She provided a significant amount of hand -holding. I'm not going to say I wouldn't be shopping today if it weren't for her, because I have a dear friend who would have helped me as well. But she was a stranger and she took the time to soothe my nerves and help me understand that the MSC's and shoppers are on the same team. We want the same thing. That was in 2014 and in 2015 she helped me just as much with starting the gas station routes which have turned out to be my favorite shops. I always help her out if i can.

You might want to check with Jacob before continuing this thread. He is the one who runs the contest every year and this is his forum. CoffeeQueen, who is going to stop those same MSC employees, schedulers, editors, etc. from posting nominations foe their co-workers or themselves? That is exactly what happens with the "other" contest.

@Sybil2 wrote:

You might want to check with Jacob before continuing this thread. He is the one who runs the contest every year and this is his forum. CoffeeQueen, who is going to stop those same MSC employees, schedulers, editors, etc. from posting nominations foe their co-workers or themselves? That is exactly what happens with the "other" contest.

Probably no one. I just find PCB mildly entertaining. So whats the harm in it?

I'm of the opinion that attempting to run a contest that the forum owner already runs on his own forum is just bad form. But that's just me.

I think it couldn't hurt to give kudos to good schedulers, although I share the heartburn with seeing the desperate schedulers who "vote" for themselves and their co-workers and send out e-mails begging their shoppers to sign up so they can "vote for me." I was very pleased to see last year's winner was a scheduler who did none of those things. And I was pleased to see Jacob's post, when he revealed the "winner" and the runners-up, acknowledging that some of the runners-up were only runners up because they had voted for themselves and their co-workers.

Indeed, where's the harm? It keeps PCB busy and happy (I KNOW you need more to do, Brian!) and it may give us the opportunity to recognize some outstanding schedulers. Why limit kudos to once a year?

What I would love to see is an ongoing thread acknowledging deserving schedulers. They are such an important part of our lives and our businesses why limit it to some silly contest once a year? Despite my chafing against heavy moderation, post or thread deletion and censorship overall, a kudos thread would be the exception. I would like to see it limited to positive stories with general negativity and b-itching prohibited.

I was just thinking of something similar. We don't even have to give details if we prefer not to. It could just be "that bgriffin really helped me out on a hop yesterday" or whatever.

i've received 74 submissions on my personal email in 3 days (there are a few duplicates and some nominating themselves and colleagues, etc.) along with some negativity aimed at specific schedulers, MSCs, and editors. i really don't want to get into a negative-based thread although i'm the first one to call out an MSC; scheduler; editor if i feel that i've been wronged (but only after attempting to rectify the situation myself). almost all of the submissions made to my personal email have asked that i not publish the names and/or the companies they are associated with because they feel that they might be giving up a valuable resource (source for shoppers to take shopping assignments away from them). i don't agree with this philosophy because if a shopper has done a good job and has a good track record with an MSC/scheduler it would be foolish for that MSC/scheduler to give assignments to someone untried/untested. but, with that being said, it's important for me to not violate a confidence and i will honor those requests. i'm finding that what i thought would be a slam dunk, easily moderated "contest" (by me) has become a verrrry daunting task and i'm not sure that i have the time/inclination to actually tally results while attempting to eliminate the ballot-stuffing that might be occurring.

i shall keep everyone posted.

in the meantime feel free to contribute to this (even the nancy/norman negativeness ones).

i have posted my favorite schedulers (along with their company(s) below i'm hardly the paranoid one).

While i run the risk of forgetting/neglecting/omitting some schedulers due to memory-lapse here is my curated list of "2015 Scheduler Of The Year":

amy from summit scheduling

bree from second-to-none

jennifer from summit scheduling

kim from summit scheduling

marcie from summit scheduling

melissa from monterrey

I only have one criteria for a scheduler...LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION. even if there are issues with guidelines, scheduling, editing or payment situations it is up to the scheduler to be the go-between and/or communicator with the MSC that they work with.

with that being said, while there isn't a category for "2015 Scheduling Company Of The Year" if there was, the winner hands down, would be Summit Scheduling. look up the name "instant communication" in the dictionary you the name Judith Gill pops out. judith, for those who have interacted with her and/or sees her constant input on this forum, readily understand that she "gets it" and that she fully, completely and without-question realizes that her most valuable asset is...US (boots on the ground) and without the dedication and loyalty of we shoppers it wouldn't matter how many MSCs would engage her to conduct their assignments.

judith must explain, hand-hold, defend, etc. from the likes of some clown (whose name is unimportant however i do believe have has something to do with wine?...or more apropos "whine" who insists everyone is wrong but him/her with equanimity and a degree of contrition but also be the final arbitrator and deliver bad news from time-to-time.

judith also has demonstrated a high-degree of integrity (in a marketplace that keeps under-valuating the work of the shoppers who keep them in business) in by-passing MSCs whose overall vision of this industry is not in keeping with hers. judith won't prostitute her company and her ideals in taking on clients that she cannot support and feel good about.

Full Disclosure...nope, i'm not affiliated in any way, shape or form with any company and i'm sure there will be accusations however to those i have one thing to say (unusual for me to have only ONLY ONE THING TO SAY)...you don't know me !!!

This type of contest is a good thing for those who like this sort of thing. I find any electoral process to select the best of something or the worst of something is usually tainted, slanted, skewed, or just plain crooked in one way or the other. Not that anyone intends it to be that way but as we all pursue our goals by whatever means we think justified that's the way it turns out. I like all my schedulers. They do a great and thankless job. Thank you.

@MDavisnowell wrote:

This type of contest is a good thing for those who like this sort of thing. I find any electoral process to select the best of something or the worst of something is usually tainted, slanted, skewed, or just plain crooked in one way or the other. Not that anyone intends it to be that way but as we all pursue our goals by whatever means we think justified that's the way it turns out. I like all my schedulers. They do a great and thankless job. Thank you.

yep and well-said

We seem to have lots of candidates in the Kudos area, but I want to nominate a scheduler I've never seen mentioned: Jeff Capper at DJC's. He may have the best memory of any scheduler I know, he's personable and flexible and a great communicator!