I have received responses from other shoppers who have also been denied Hotel/Casino shops with Intellishop when they have also been fully qualified to perform these shops. There is a trend going on here and I would like to get to the bottom of it. I am asking you to please read and if this situation has also occurred with you I would like to know. Thank you!

I recently applied for a 2-night Hotel/Casino shop with Intellishop. I have performed 10 shops for them in the last three years and my shopper score is "9" with them...it wasn't a "10" because of punctuation errors on a couple of the shops. I left more than the allotted time to apply for this shop which was a requirement. After my app had been sitting out there for more than 5 days I decided to call the scheduler (Name Withheld). When I called I was directed to HIS voicemail so I left him a nice, professional and detailed message telling him of my experience and asked for a return call and told him that I would loved to have the opportunity to be of service. The scheduler did not call me back but emailed me telling me that unfortunately, I was not experienced enough to perform the shop. So I emailed the scheduler back and explained that I am a seasoned traveler (my husband is a pilot with a major airline) thinking that this must be the reason why I was not "experienced".

A couple of days ago I saw the SAME Hotel/Casino shop mass-generated email from him that I had applied for and been turned down for posted again!!! I went into my shop log and saw that my app was deleted. So being determined as I am and unwilling to let this go on a matter of principle, I decided to apply for that shop again but with a different date...because I don't give up easily without a reason. By now, it was a matter of determination. The next thing I know, I went into my shop apps and my new app with a new date had been deleted again! In my opinion, I am more than qualified to do this shop. If I wasn't, I would have accepted his initial denial without a second thought. I have shopped for some of the most difficult hospitality companies out there in my book like A Closer Look, Maritz and International Service Check. I'm a semi-retired professional who still does consulting work and mystery shopping in my spare time because I like it. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???

Sounds like they don't consider ten shops with them to be enough experience. It really doesn't matter how much you have traveled personally or how many successful shops you have completed for other companies. The only record Intellishop can judge you on is the one with Intellishop.

From what I understand of these shops from this forum (my only experience with them), these are big, complex shops with lots of moving parts. You'll be out of pocket a lot of money and will have spent a lot of time on the shop before it's done. I would agree that a shopper who has only done 10 shops for the MSC is probably not the person you want to go out on that giant limb.
You may have done lots of travelling in your life, but if you don't capture the right observations, or write the shop up correctly, that won't matter. I think the MSC just wants to make sure that the shopper they select is going to have a good chance at getting their reimbursement back. I don't think the problem in this case is with the MSC.

@shellheller wrote:

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???

I think something may be wrong with you rather than "those people." Intellishop is the customer. You are an independent contractor registered to do business with them. In 3 years, you have performed 10 assignments for them. Now they have a plum assignment and you want it but they prefer someone who has a more established track record with them. They don't care about your track record with other companies or your personal travel itinerary. As the customer, they have a right to pick whoever they want to do business with them.

When I am the customer, I choose who I want to do business with. If I choose to go to WalMart instead of Target, it's my choice. Because I choose to drive across town looking for a Walmart because I prefer it to Target does not mean there is anything wrong with me. It just means I don't care much for Target and I would prefer to go to a different store. And it's my money to spend however I choose.

What's up with the belief that you are somehow entitled to the job just because you feel you are qualified? What a sour grapes post.

10 shops in 3 years simply is not enough experience with that company. As I scheduler, I would be very concerned with your judgement since you fail to recognize that and might even completely deactivate you from the company. If you really want this job, do MANY more jobs with the MSC during the year and then re apply at the end of the year for this job.

Among other things, I would never expect to get a 2 night hotel/casino shop without first having performed SEVERAL simple casino-only shops for them with high marks. It would be unethical of the MSC, in my opinion to put any shopper at risk for the funds that would be on the line for a 2 night casino shop without the shopper having a lot of less risky casino shop experience.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2016 09:50PM by walesmaven.

I would also suggest that you consider applying for any one-night hotel assignments they may offer. A two-night hotel/casino evaluation is very complex - with lots of interactions and timings and multiple outlets. Prove that you can handle and excel at a one-night hotel stay evaluation and perhaps they will consider you for more complex evaluations. Also, try not piss off your scheduler.

The single best piece of advice on the entire thread

"Also, try not piss off your scheduler."

No matter how much experience you think you have, unless the customer recognizes the experience, you've got nothing. With 10 shops for Intellishop over a 3-year period, that's not enough to get you the great two-day assignments. Pay your dues and try in a year or two.

I'm afraid you've made yourself memorable in the wrong way. While it does appear that you would be a natural for these types of shops, they can't know that. I would suggest signing up with Service Sloth and trying a few of their one-night casino shops and then apply for their longer ones. Or sign up with Coyle. Even though their 2-nighters can be a bear, they are STILL easier than the casino shops.

PS ACL's hotel reports are about a quarter (maybe less) as difficult as the casino shops. Using ACL and Maritz as the benchmark of your abilities probably did not bolster the scheduler's confidence in you. (NOT knocking those two companies; I am thrilled that their reports are not the most difficult in the industry.)

@shellheller wrote:

I was not experienced enough to perform the shop. So I emailed the scheduler back and explained that I am a seasoned traveler (my husband is a pilot with a major airline) thinking that this must be the reason why I was not "experienced".

I have shopped for some of the most difficult hospitality companies out there in my book like A Closer Look, Maritz and International Service Check. I'm a semi-retired professional who still does consulting work and mystery shopping in my spare time because I like it. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE???

I agree with the above responses. Being a "seasoned traveler" with an airline pilot husband does not equate to being an experienced mystery shopper who has a documented track record of successfully performing Hotel/Casino shops and completing quality reports detailing the experience.

It's nice that you have experience with Maritz, A Closer Look, and International Service Check, but none of these 3 comes anywhere close to being "some of the most difficult hospitality companies out there ."

I have done Coyle, ACL and Maritz shops and they are all difficult and every format is different. Thank you all for your advice. I will try for the lesser Casino shops first to establish a track record so they feel comfortable that I have an understanding of their own personal formats, etc. Thank you for your input!

Thank you so much for your responses about the Hotel/Casino job post.

At present, the requirements state for a 2 night Hotel/Casino stay you must have a level 8, be 36 years of age, have $2000.00 in spending money and have not shopped this locations within 365 days. Somewhere in the description it states that you must be well traveled.

I think a more defined explanation of their requirements would give us as shoppers the guidance that we look for when we consider applying for the harder Hotel/Casino jobs. We seem to be getting turned down with only an explanation of "not enough experience".

I want to thank you all that have responded and also giving me the insight I need to rationalize my concerns about this subject. Let me start out by saying that I don't ever expect these types of shops to be easy. I know they are very labor intensive not only in observation, memorization and timing, but recall and accurately reporting each event correctly in every section of the report. I believe that every shopper wanting to perform shops at this higher level should at least be offered a written equivalency test to determine if they meet the requirements. We all understand that the Company they represent needs to be assured that their report meets the clients expectations.

Coyle, Maritz, International Service Checkers and ACL are also ones that are incredibly labor intensive down to the spoon and fork you are presented, but once you learn how to construct these types of reports it goes fairly easily and you eventually have a feel for them. I know from experience and I know many of you do too.

I like hotel shops because every time I walk into a hotel lobby the mystery shopper comes out in me regardless if I'm on vacation or otherwise. I start looking for name tags, remembering descriptions of people and the manner in which they greet you, their demeanor, your surroundings and, oh yes, your stop watch...lol. It's like second nature when you have been performing them long enough. You really do pretty much forget how to be just a "real customer" wanting a room for a night... lol.

I would love your comments on how Intellishop as well as other companies could improve on stating their requirements more specifically. We as a whole are shoppers who are willing to bring our game and we do take pride in the valuable information we provide to their companies that put their trust in us for a job well done.

Here's wishing you good luck, great pay, excellent bonuses, perfect grammar and great fun in your future mystery shopping endeavors! Hoping to hear back from you soon.

shellheller

Honey, I have done Coyle shops with (client names removed). I'm sure you have more experience than I do. I just want them to tell us what the parameters are when applying. Is that not too much to ask? I haven't pissed anyone of yet, unless it was you and I'm really sorry. I don't want to make this a thread where people feel defensive.

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

Is it too much to ask they elaborate on the parameters just for you? Yes. The posting gave the parameters. When a shop is not self-assign it should be expected a scheduler is going to look at the applicants and their history of assignments and reports with the company. The scheduler went on to explain you did not have enough experience with those shops. Since mystery shopping companies don't make a habit of contacting each other, we should expect any application will be based solely on our track record with the one MSC.

Don't be so sure you haven't pissed off the scheduler because he had to go back and delete two more applications from you after explaining you were not going be assigned. It would not make me happy to know a shopper created more work for me. Don't forget, the MSCs are our clients.

I'm not sure who you are calling "honey" or where you came up with the idea any of us might feel defensive.

@shellheller wrote:

I would love your comments on how Intellishop as well as other companies could improve on stating their requirements more specifically. We as a whole are shoppers who are willing to bring our game and we do take pride in the valuable information we provide to their companies that put their trust in us for a job well done.
shellheller

Comments on how Intellishop and other companies could improve stating their requirements, or any other of their operating processes, really seems like a futile endeavor to me. This is primarily a forum of mystery shoppers. Our most productive discussions are those in which we identify how we can improve our performance as mystery shoppers and deal with the industry and our customers, the mystery shopping companies.

A discussion of how companies can improve themselves is one better left to the companies themselves, perhaps on the Volition Scheduler Forum or the Company area of MSPA. If by some chance companies come to us and ask for opinions, I have suggestions I might make to them. I agree that as a whole shoppers are willing to bring their game, and this forum is here to help them grow and improve. JMHO, but I'd rather work on what we can impact - ourselves - and make us the best mystery shoppers we can be.

It is ridiculous to call ACL hotel shops difficult, intensive, complex or narrative heavy. There is no comparison between ACL hotel shops and 2 night casino shops' requirements. In addition, no written test could possibly simulate the high pressure environment of a casino which has all of the noise, flashing lights, and SURVEILLANCE equipment and personnel of a police siege. The OP needs to do a few 4-6 hour casino shops (without hotel) to establish credentials and to test herself before considering casino+ hotel shops.

I have no idea why anyone would want to do that shop anyway. It used to have a $500 fee and very liberal reimbursement limits, including a travel allowance. I hope that they lose that account so that it can go back to a decent paying company.

I would like to offer a comparison scenario to your post about the base requirements the msc is asking for.
Almost every college has a set of stated requirements to apply. For instance, for UCLA or Berkeley you need to have a certain set of high school classes and they will tell you the average SAT scores the previous class had and the average GPA. etc. This does not mean that anyone who meets the basic requirement will be accepted to that school, far from it. I liken this to the msc requirements to apply. This is the basic requirement to apply but it does not mean that you will be selected for the job. I have actually read here that some of these jobs might go to someone who the msc feels is "less qualified" if and when the deadline is near. But if the msc has the luxury of time (something the shopper would not know) they might very well hold out for the candidate they prefer.

Can you imagine a plumber you got a quote from, but didn't hire for a job, badgering you afterward? "Yes, but exactly what were the reasons you went with that other plumber over me? And why didn't you tell me specifically what you wanted in a plumber before asking me to apply for the job?". Doesn't work that way.

Sounds like you answered your own question.

I have done both hotel/casino and casino only shops. They are intense. It's not as fun as you think...