I have searched through the topics on this company. I have not found anything that answers my question.
I have tried to sign up with them, to no avail. Is it possible there are demographics they want, and I don't fit? Just wish I could get an answer one way or the other.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2016 03:09PM by janalou.

I don't know of any specific demographics nationwide. It seems to be limited by need in a particular area and by training. Before a shopper can perform shops for them, the shopper has to take a 2-3 hour on-site training that the company puts on in one of the restaurants in the area. If no training is scheduled, a shopper can't start shopping for Ardent.

Training is only scheduled when Ardent needs new shoppers in an area. Since it's a great company, most shoppers continue to shop for them. They don't just bring new shoppers on unless they need them. Their long-term shoppers get automatic assignments every month. This is not a company that wants a huge overload of shoppers. As long as the long-time shoppers are effectively handling the shops in an area, they do not train new shoppers, preferring to continue to work with and to reward their current shoppers. I respect that. It is hard to get in, but, once you are in, this company values and respects its shoppers.

What area are you in? How many of the restaurants are there in your location? With the problems the company has recently been through, Ardent has told shoppers that the client is cutting down on the number of monthly shops being performed, so it is probably getting more difficult to get in. However, if you are in an area where the company is opening new locations, there will probably be training coming up. If there is not a lot of growth in your area, you may not get an opportunity until a current shopper dies or quits.

Thanks for the quick reply. I am in Northern New England. There are 2 stores relatively close to me...20-25 miles. I happened to see an invitation for the training a couple of months ago. I applied, but did not receive anything back. So, that explains it then. They have enough shoppers in my area. OK...I can live with that.

Couldn't hurt to e-mail them again. They usually respond quickly.

I was invited for training, and did that in June. I got 1 job( 35 miles away) on July 1st and I took it so I could get paid for the training. I just received my second job today( another 35 miles away) and declined because if they give you one job, you're supposed to complete in the first week. Why won't they give me the locations in my own town? There are 3 of them here. Frustrating.

Calicakes, I wouldn't worry too much about their requirement to complete one the first week. I've worked with them several years. I think of myself as a reliable shopper, but scheduling frequently makes it impossible for me to do the first shop within the first week. Sometimes I get right down to the 25th and do two shops that week. I have never received any criticism.

As for getting shops at the 3 locations in your own town, it may be that there are other shoppers who live and work in your town. If those shoppers have been performing the shops at those locations, the scheduler is likely to continue assigning the shops to them rather than a new shopper. While it is difficult to get "in" with Ardent and to build your seniority, one thing I respect and admire about Ardent and its schedulers is that they respect their current shoppers and value seniority. As you build seniority with the company, you will likely find you start to get some of the closer locations.

Thanks, but if i ONLY have one scheduled, they said I need to do it the first week. Is that true or not true?

They may mean for that to be true, but I will tell you that in the years I've worked for them I have almost never done that. I have never been scolded or punished.

Calicakes- update your current "I can shop these locations" list. Put a note on that location that you are only in that area once in awhile. Try sending your scheduler a note also, and tell her/him you are happy for the work, and would really like to do a location close to you, and state those 3 locations. And- the "do this within the first week" is fairly new, maybe last 6 months or so? Last month I only had one and did it towards the end of the month. If unsure, emails your scheduler and ask her if next week would be okay.

@calicakes wrote:

Thanks, but if i ONLY have one scheduled, they said I need to do it the first week. Is that true or not true?

If I can't complete the shop by the first week, I email the scheduler and tell her my expected date. Never been a problem. Sometimes I even complete shops after the 25th but with the scheduler's approval.

Have you made notes for the locations you are willing to shop? The scheduler usually takes those notes into consideration when assigning shop locations. For example, when the shops used to be assigned as a dinner or a lunch, I made notes for locations that I would consider doing only lunch or dinner shops because of the traffic associated with a dinner shop. I also won't go into certain areas after dark because of safety issues. If the location they keep assigning you is too far then take if off of the list of locations you are willing to accept. Communicate with your scheduler (try the FB page as well) and see if your issues can be resolved.

Well, I denied the shop right away, but now I know to go back into my shop log and make notes on the locations I can shop.

First, you can be very specific in your notes and the schedulers will try hard to accommodate. i.e. only for lunch or dinner, closest location, etc. I have actually numbered my top closest locations and my scheduler knows that even if I am quite busy I can always do my top closest ones bec. they are so close to me if they are unable to find a shopper for that location. Also their official rule is to do the first shop in the first full week (Sun. to Sat.) so that gives you quite a bit of time even if you only have one shop. This month it would be the 13th. Only when the first of the month is Sun. does it result in having to do the shop in the first 7 days of the month. For that month, I was not able to do it that early and I also received no negative feedback, but I usually do try hard to do them in the time that they prefer.