@BirdyC wrote:

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

When schedulers call with unreasonable requests just say no. Either they will pony up your requested amount or they won't. However, I think it's a little unreasonable to expect them to when you have only completed one shop for them. .

I "get it" about establishing a track record before "expecting" to be awarded higher bonuses. But this particular shop is underpriced as is; everybody here agrees on that, from what I read. Plus, I got a $28 bonus for the first shop (same shop) I did for them. I was asking for less of a bonus ($18) on one of these because it was closer. And another shopper asked for the same amount--which makes me think it's fair.

Then the scheduler "misheard" me (maybe on purpose?) on the second shop he asked me about. That one was an hour round trip, plus in-store time, plus report time, and they wanted me to do it for $30 in total? That's crazy--for anybody--to do it at that. I think the $38 bonus I asked was fair, all things considered.

I'm not griping for me, personally; my point was that Maritz seems to be out of touch--at least on this particular shop--on the time required and what's fair compensation. I asked for bonuses that were lower on one and higher (due to distance) on the other. They gave me a nice bonus on the first one, I must have done a nice job since they paid me--everybody was happy. Why is it unreasonable to ask for and expect a bonus again? Why would anybody do a shop for far less than he or she did it for the first time?

No doubt the bonus amount requested was fair. You are missing my point. And no doubt you did a good job. I wasn't suggesting otherwise. All I am saying is that you are not currently in a strong position to negotiate. They were probably desperate the first time and took a chance on you. Lucky you. I've done many base pay jobs for many MSC's just to build a record with them. That puts me in a better position to negotiate a bonus. Look at it this way, They have two shoppers asking for the same amount. One shopper has a track record and good rating and the other has done one shop. Who would you give it to?

Getting a certain amount doesn't carve that amount into stone. You might get a big bonus until the day a shopper moves 2 blocks from that location. Shopper availability, bonus amounts, even clients are all fluid. A certain scheduler calls me every month to do a shop in a certain location, but never offers me less than $25. That doesn't mean that one day another shopper won't take those shops for base pay.

Then again, maybe Maritz is just out of touch.

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

Then again, maybe Maritz is just out of touch.

On this particular shop, I truly believe they are. Not just my opinion, but just about every thread about that shop on this forum has shoppers expressing the same thing. I don't know about their other shops; I know that people can do well on their routes.

Although I'd like to get in good with them, I'm not inclined to lose money to do it. Really, though, any company that thinks that $30 is a lot of money for a 3+ hour shop (not to mention the wear and tear on my vehicle) has to be out of touch. The scheduler seemed to think that $30 was a windfall for me. And the other shopper, who probably was established with them, turned down the first job at the same price I was asking, before I did. I'm not sure why they thought someone else would take it for less.

It's not that I think they "owe" me a bonus because they gave me one before, when, yes, they were desperate. It's more that the job is worth far more than base fee--no matter who's doing it. And, knowing how much work it is, I can't see anyone taking it for the base plus the whopping $8 bonus they originally offered. I just don't know how they expect to get these jobs done without offering a fair fee. My "fair" might not be what someone else's is, but shouldn't they be able to figure out that they're not offering enough? Or, maybe I'm out of touch by not understanding why they don't understand....

I'll start off with some break-even jobs for companies that I want to work with, but not lose-money jobs.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2016 11:31PM by BirdyC.

@BirdyC wrote:

The scheduler seemed to think that $30 was a windfall for me. And the other shopper, who probably was established with them, turned down the first job at the same price I was asking, before I did. I'm not sure why they thought someone else would take it for less.

@BirdyC, Because someone else WILL take it for less. It happens every day.

@BirdyC, I think you have beaten the Martitz CX horse to death. It is the end of the month, end of another quarter and heading into a long holiday weekend of a new month. Have you booked up the month of July yet? What about August? I am already booked past Labor Day weekend. September is not booked up yet but I am booking into October.

@BirdyC, I think it is time for you to move on and focus on the future.

ETA: I forgot that this poster likes to be addressed personally in each and every post of mine. I added the @BirdyCs for clarification.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2016 12:11AM by Sybil2.

i signed up for two shops and they never got approved. Well I told them to just cancel. Not sure what is going on

@BirdyC wrote:

Do these people (the Maritz powers that be and the schedulers) ever actually have to do a shop? Do they not know how much work they are? Do they know and not care? Does anyone know?

shop pay has nothing to do with how much work you have to do or how much you're worth. it has nothing to do with your quality of living standards or your bill requirements.

it has to do with supply and demand of shoppers. if someone is willing to work twice as hard as you for half as much money, then they will get the shop.

believe it or not, there are people who are poorer than you who are willing to work for less money. you are not the pay standard for the industry. instead, they are.

if i want more money, then i ask for more money. they'll either accept my offer or deny it. if they deny it, then i move on.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2016 11:29PM by vince.

I haven't had to many problems with Maritz. They wanted me to do some gas shops so I asked for an extra 10.00 they said no so I said no also. some drive time alone was over an hour if not more. So no way. When the bonus got to 20.00 I took them so it all depends if you can out smart them sometimes. I once inquired about the T Mobile shops because I was interested, They grouped them without looking at a map.. One was Puyallup and then off to Silverdale I think some where across 16 and if you live in Wa we pay to use the bridge if we want to come home.

You can't invoice a shop unless it's been completed. Don't hang on to them once they are done. I print page one of the paperwork when the shop is assigned, and then print the invoice receipt and staple them together since I usually do at least five shops or more in a day with them. I have never not been paid for a job in three years. I make about an avg of $800 or more a month with them.

Just some added advice for the Maritz newbie or anyone else: On my worksheet I have for each shop performed, spaces for shop pay, incentive promised, night eligible amounts, invoice date, invoice amount and finally, invoice ID. Last of all a total of what is to be expected when paid.
Similar to balancing my checkbook, I review those shops and their amounts every time i receive their check.

Never been shorted.

BTW, I've performed a number of the Yellow gas station pop audits. Has anyone else noticed that there is no actual requirement to show the station's address? All they want is a PID photo, and overall and a photo of each pump (along with all the various counts).

Upon submitting the report, I never saw any place where one needed to prove the address.

Crazy!

PS: Cherry trees are now fruiting. Lovely!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2016 12:37AM by French Farmer.

I have shopped for Maritz for many years now, pay is quick but not a lot. With all MSCs, if the pay ain't right then I do not do them. But just this week I took the horrid (fuel station) shops, four of them. Tons of pics, and yes I did make a bad on one of the shops in answering the questions, but as far as the pics I was nickled and dimed to deah asking for more and more pics, some would have required me driving 40 miles one way. I refused, I called three times and did get ahold of very pleasant and understanding folks. I suggested they make the editors do some of these shops before they are hired to edit these things, she thought that was a good idea. Bottom line, after they looked into the issue, lo and behold they disappeared, which I hope tells me they were finally accepted. I will know if a check comes in the mail. I asked them to mark my profile to not call me EVER again to do a (fuel station) shop. Worst experience ever, but hopefully they made it right. Bless their hearts.

(Mod note: Welcome to the Forum, angelmist. Your post has been modified to remove the client's name. It is a violation of Forum rules and probably also a breach of your ICA to link the MSC with the client)

ALSO i FAILED to post that I was told they had hired several new editors, which explains a lot. I do not like being a guinea pig. And if you notice that at the end of you report they are asking for referrals for new shoppers.

Two words: print screen. How else would you ever know what to expect in your check?

I know the company you are referring to and try, at all costs, not to do those shops. For three years now, my shops sit for two or more weeks before they are even edited. By then, I have 500 photos on my camera and am fed up with having to save them until they get around to doing their job. That said, you will wind up with requests for different photos, especially the overall interior. I did a shop recently where the store was 25 x 25. There are two aisles, a deli counter and checkout counter. That;s it. How many times do I have to tell them the photos submitted show everything in the store before they get it. If you take the photo from four corners of the room, you get the same items!! Uggggg!

well that was my experience this week so I told them no more. That is when I told them they need to send those editors out to do these things so they can "experience our joy". And there ya go, to me the inside photo is also the product photo. These are the only stations shops I have ever done that have this kind of persnickety, and to me it is useless.

For those (fuel station) shops, I have a simple solution: I take 4 interior photos, one from each corner. I take 3 product photos. I take 3 food photos. I take 2 restroom, 2 storefront, 2 vest, 2 counter, 2 overall, 2 forecourt and 2 PID (one for each side) . I take 1 receipt photo
I label them as I review them after downloading them onto my laptop (while at the site). On my worksheet, I check off the required photos and make comments of any infractions and their photos.

My camera is them empty and on to the next shop.

My advice: find a system that works for you and follow it.

(Mod note: The client's name has been removed from your post as the MSC is listed in the title. It is a violation of Forum rules and probably also a breach of your ICA to link an MSC with its clients)

For those who named clients, please go back and edit your posts and remove the client names.

My first comment to all Forum participants is "GROW UP." I have worked for Maritz for over eight years, and I have NEVER had any issue that was not my fault. As for your shop information being removed, did you submit your receipts and submit an invoice? In order to be paid by Maritz, you need to go to the link to submit an invoice, which allows you to confirm the bonus that you agreed to. Once you have submitted the information, a screen pops up that gives the information, and gives you the opportunity to print the invoice. If you do not submit the invoice within 14 days, the shop is removed and you won't get paid. This invoice is your proof. If your job was removed after 14 days, it tells me that you didn't submit the invoice. As far as low payment and complicated shops, that is why we are Independent Contractors. If you don't want to complete the job, PER THE COMPLETE REQUIREMENTS, for the fee that they offer, don't accept the job. Don't expect the MSC to pay you whatever fee you want, as they want to make money just like any other business. The MSC is paid a fee by the client, All MSCs offer initial low payments for their jobs, if they pay bonuses they lose money. Like any good business would do, they will try to find a shopper that will complete the shop for as little money as possible.

As far as the complaint about the job with the associate in the "red shirt," I know which job your talking about. I agree that the job is harder and takes more time than they think, but if don't like what they offer don't take the job. They have called me to do these jobs, many times offering huge bonuses, but I always refuse because I don't want to do the job. If you don't want to follow the requirements, don't expect them to pay you.

Regarding the person that had her child in the car, if you can't get a baby sitter, you better find a new profession. I've been a Mystery Shopper for more than ten years, and 99% of companies and assignments have the "no children" restriction. Why? They want you to concentrate on doing the job correctly and getting all the information. For the person who didn't want to do a job with 16 pumps, again, the basic rule of mystery shopping is "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO COMPLETE THE JOB BY FOLLOWING ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, PRECISELY, FOR THE FEE THEY OFFER, DON'T ACCEPT IT!!!"

I have ranted long enough, but, finally, petty complaints given here is what gives reputable MSCs a bad name. You might want to go to the MSPA website, as they offer training on how to be a successful mystery shopper.

Whoa there Robshoppin, go easy on the caffeine. My complaint was not about doing the shops. They were far for the fee, but doable with the bonus. My complaint was that the scheduler assigned the shops and the supervisor tried to take them away about 1/2 hour later. Sure hope you don't run into any issues that you would like to vent about here...besides petty shopper complaints.

I have done shops for Maritz for several years. With the exception of a few computer glitches on their end, I have never had any issues with them. I have always been paid quickly and correctly. The employees are friendly and responsive. That said, Maritz is cheap. And they are getting cheaper. I have built a good reputation with them and in the past was able to negotiate very fair bonuses. I believe Maritz is either out of touch or the supervisors who approve the bonuses just don't care whether the job gets done properly.There is one shop that I am frequently contacted to do because I live within 60 miles of the location. I refuse to do the shop without a substantial bonus. I have told them this repeatedly, yet the same representative calls me almost every month to offer me the shop either with no bonus or a nominal one. I do wish that Maritz would increase their shopper pay or at least be willing to negotiate higher bonuses because I really like performing shops for them. I just can't work for what nets out to be less than minimum wage.

@rebshopin wrote:

My first comment to all Forum participants is "GROW UP." I have worked for Maritz for over eight years, and I have NEVER had any issue that was not my fault. As for your shop information being removed, did you submit your receipts and submit an invoice? In order to be paid by Maritz, you need to go to the link to submit an invoice, which allows you to confirm the bonus that you agreed to. Once you have submitted the information, a screen pops up that gives the information, and gives you the opportunity to print the invoice. If you do not submit the invoice within 14 days, the shop is removed and you won't get paid. This invoice is your proof. If your job was removed after 14 days, it tells me that you didn't submit the invoice. As far as low payment and complicated shops, that is why we are Independent Contractors. If you don't want to complete the job, PER THE COMPLETE REQUIREMENTS, for the fee that they offer, don't accept the job. Don't expect the MSC to pay you whatever fee you want, as they want to make money just like any other business. The MSC is paid a fee by the client, All MSCs offer initial low payments for their jobs, if they pay bonuses they lose money. Like any good business would do, they will try to find a shopper that will complete the shop for as little money as possible.

As far as the complaint about the job with the associate in the "red shirt," I know which job your talking about. I agree that the job is harder and takes more time than they think, but if don't like what they offer don't take the job. They have called me to do these jobs, many times offering huge bonuses, but I always refuse because I don't want to do the job. If you don't want to follow the requirements, don't expect them to pay you.

Regarding the person that had her child in the car, if you can't get a baby sitter, you better find a new profession. I've been a Mystery Shopper for more than ten years, and 99% of companies and assignments have the "no children" restriction. Why? They want you to concentrate on doing the job correctly and getting all the information. For the person who didn't want to do a job with 16 pumps, again, the basic rule of mystery shopping is "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO COMPLETE THE JOB BY FOLLOWING ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, PRECISELY, FOR THE FEE THEY OFFER, DON'T ACCEPT IT!
I have ranted long enough, but, finally, petty complaints given here is what gives reputable MSCs a bad name. You might want to go to the MSPA website, as they offer training on how to be a successful mystery shopper.

jeez...shout much? and your "My first comment to all Forum participants is GROW UP" just kinda/sorta smacks/reeks of the type of old guy that shouts (in all caps, of course, as that seems to be a fave of his/hers). ......YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN and maybe shouts at clouds, too.

no offense (of course) but jus' sayin'

and...to all other Forum participants be like peter pan and don't grow up.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2016 12:09AM by parkcitybrian.

In addition, rebshopin seems to have totally misunderstood many shoppers' comments relating to pay vs. thinking a shop is worth more and refusing to do it for less. Nobody's demanding to be paid what they want to be paid--we all know you either take a job at what's being offered (bonused or not), or you don't. Asking for a bigger bonus isn't the same as demanding. And expecting a scheduler to hear and understand what a shopper is requesting, so nobody's time is wasted, is perfectly reasonable. Having an opinion that an MSC is out of touch on fees for some shops is perfectly reasonable. Which we are all perfectly entitled to express, just as rebshopin has expressed his or her opinion.

Maritz is a classic example of whats wrong with America today. Its all Corporate Greed. News flash they don't care about the shoppers. Whoever will do it at the cheapest rate possible is who they want. If you are reliable and do shops for them at negotiated bonuses all the time expect less and less work unless you willing to work for less pay for the same jobs. None of their base rates are worth it IMHO. Do I work for them yes occasionally when they are desperate and pay a fair rate. Because of this I have gotten less and less work from them lately. I think the reason their schedulers are generally so nice is they are trying to get the jobs filled at as low a rate as possible. I am sure they have quotas and if they don't fill enough jobs at base or very low bonus rate they will get canned. Easier to get them filled by being nice then rude. I am guessing the occasional rude one is the ones who are close to getting canned and are upset because of it. Just my two cents.

Edited for spelling corretions



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2016 05:50AM by BuffaloNY101.

Y R so many of these neg posts & shouting posts by newbies? they seem 2 familiar w/subject matter too. something smells fishy 2 me.

@rebshopin wrote:

My first comment to all Forum participants is "GROW UP." I have worked for Maritz for over eight years, and I have NEVER had any issue that was not my fault. As for your shop information being removed, did you submit your receipts and submit an invoice? In order to be paid by Maritz, you need to go to the link to submit an invoice, which allows you to confirm the bonus that you agreed to. Once you have submitted the information, a screen pops up that gives the information, and gives you the opportunity to print the invoice. If you do not submit the invoice within 14 days, the shop is removed and you won't get paid. This invoice is your proof. If your job was removed after 14 days, it tells me that you didn't submit the invoice. As far as low payment and complicated shops, that is why we are Independent Contractors. If you don't want to complete the job, PER THE COMPLETE REQUIREMENTS, for the fee that they offer, don't accept the job. Don't expect the MSC to pay you whatever fee you want, as they want to make money just like any other business. The MSC is paid a fee by the client, All MSCs offer initial low payments for their jobs, if they pay bonuses they lose money. Like any good business would do, they will try to find a shopper that will complete the shop for as little money as possible.

As far as the complaint about the job with the associate in the "red shirt," I know which job your talking about. I agree that the job is harder and takes more time than they think, but if don't like what they offer don't take the job. They have called me to do these jobs, many times offering huge bonuses, but I always refuse because I don't want to do the job. If you don't want to follow the requirements, don't expect them to pay you.

Regarding the person that had her child in the car, if you can't get a baby sitter, you better find a new profession. I've been a Mystery Shopper for more than ten years, and 99% of companies and assignments have the "no children" restriction. Why? They want you to concentrate on doing the job correctly and getting all the information. For the person who didn't want to do a job with 16 pumps, again, the basic rule of mystery shopping is "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO COMPLETE THE JOB BY FOLLOWING ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, PRECISELY, FOR THE FEE THEY OFFER, DON'T ACCEPT IT!!!"

I have ranted long enough, but, finally, petty complaints given here is what gives reputable MSCs a bad name. You might want to go to the MSPA website, as they offer training on how to be a successful mystery shopper.

@rebshopin wrote:

My first comment to all Forum participants is "GROW UP." <snipped>

The hallway monitor has entered the room.

@rebshopin wrote:

If you do not submit the invoice within 14 days, the shop is removed and you won't get paid.

Is that actually somewhere in their Independent Contractor Agreement? If not, I'm not convinced it is legal to withhold payment from a contractor for such a flimsy reason.

@rebshopin wrote:

.......if they pay bonuses they lose money.

If you believe this, you will never make much money in this business. It is conceivable they would lose money on some individual shops if high bonuses need to be paid in order to complete their contract. First, a smart company is going to have factored that in to the overall contract. Their profit/loss is not going to be based on each shop as a stand alone just like route shoppers look at their own profit/loss overall rather than breaking it down to per shop. Second, often there are other bonuses built into their contracts, such as a completion bonus. So if even if they suffer a slight loss on the base contract, the loss will then be offset by their bonus. Naturally, it is in the MSC's best interest to have some shoppers like you who believe the myth. Makes it easier to get ICs to take on loser shops "just to help out."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2016 08:01PM by LisaSTL.

MSC scheduler: "Can you help us out on this shop?"

Shopper: "Sure, if you'll you pay me enough to make it worth my time."

"Helping out" at a fee less than what you want or need because you think the MSC's pocket will be hurting if you don't is, well, silly. A shopper may want to help out once in awhile for other reasons, but it shouldn't be because he or she is worried about the MSC losing money on the shop.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2016 10:16PM by BirdyC.

I forgot to add this for our friend who thinks Maritz will lose money. Maritz is a billion dollar company. Mystery shopping is simply an add on they want to provide directly to their clients instead of subcontracting the service. The small mystery shopping department could lose money and it would not even be a blip on the corporate radar if it was sold as a small part of a much bigger contract.

@LisaSTL wrote:

I forgot to add this for our friend who thinks Maritz will lose money. Maritz is a billion dollar company. Mystery shopping is simply an add on they want to provide directly to their clients instead of subcontracting the service. The small mystery shopping department could lose money and it would not even be a blip on the corporate radar if it was sold as a small part of a much bigger contract.

exactly.,..like a lot of multi-national companies that have revenues into the mid-billions. check out companies like ipsos, mf and others who have merged smaller companies together but..;.it does translate into less $$$ for us because there are fewer mscs overall. all of which are competing for the same number of shoppers and are able to post and get shoppers who "partake of the dreaded low-hanging fruit".

yep, i'm pointing at way-to-many-of u and u know who you are.

LisaSTL is correct. The history of Maritz is interesting. They have thousands of employees and over a billion dollars of revenue. Scroll down to the "Facts" area of this link if you don't want to read the entire article: [en.wikipedia.org]

I have not read ALL the posts about Maritz and I like Maritz, and shop for them almost weekly but I would think a "billion dollar company" could at least update their website and shopper portal. Just one example is numerous conversations I've had with schedulers begging me to do XYZ Shop that according to their archaic website is 30 miles away and I have to almost argue with them tell them I have lived the same house for 30 years and such and such a town is more like 130 miles away. And the "print your secret code" and submitting an invoice. . .YES I like to waste my time . . .I just don't feel very "valued" by them at times.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2016 03:54AM by sun&fun.

I remember there are 3 interior photos.

Product-- Prepackaged foods like chips and packaged bakery items. Try to get something special like wine or packaged jerky into the shot.

Food-- Deli or fresh fruit or fresh bakery, and never prepackaged stuff.

Interior-- Includes floor and ceiling, must be unique from other 2 photos.

I usually have problems with the counter photo, because of customers in line to make purchases.

As for bonuses, if they offer $30 for 60 miles round trip, it's not enough. I try to schedule other shops to make it all worth it. Late last week they offered $50 plus the regular fee to do a bank shop. It was grabbed fast, but if I waited for those kinds of bonuses here, I would only be doing one shop a year, and have to compete with the competition to get them.

I've scheduled $30 shops and then packed my schedule as tight as possible, and be up all night getting the reports in, but I'm too burnt out to do it anymore. Those were crazy days, and I even worked nearly 40 hours at my day job, before mystery shopping. Of course, I had been trying to figure out how to get into to it forever, and unhappy that I had let a chance go years before to get into mystery shopping. After the first couple of years, I was burnt out. I rested for six months, got back to it, and hit it again for a year or so and kept it up for a long time.

Now I just pick around and do whatever looks good. I like mystery shopping. It's sort of like a distraction from my other work, and other ordinary stuff. I love to get checks in the mail and PayPal.