@roflwofl wrote:

I've been declining the burger shops almost every month. I did accept the one this month and I'm kind of sorry I did, but I won't cancel. I don't like not having a choice about what I order. I don't like their knowledge questions. And when I can't have a shake I'm not sure taking the shop is worth it to me. I took the one this month because I'm planning to be next door on a specific day and it is a lunch shop so it is convenient for me.

But I'm turning down more of the burger shops than I am doing. Too bad because the food is okay (although not spectacular) but the lack of choice and the annoying knowledge questions make it not worth it. The shops seem to be getting taken, though, so I guess it is worth it to most of the burger client shoppers.

The burger shops pretty well (for the amount of work I put in, at least) and when they do let me order food I like, I have a blast. My current agreement with my scheduler is to only assign me burger shops that are in the vicinity of burrito shops so I can get them done on the same trip, which basically means I take the burrito home and have two meals of it some other day.

Which reminds me another thing that bothers me; how they recently shortened what times I'm allowed to get dinner at the burrito joint to 5:30-7. Maybe that's just me, but I find that to be very restrictive, especially since I used to be able to go until 9 PM, and even during months where they had me be there during specific times it was at least 5:30-7:30.

@PuaM wrote:

@AustinMom wrote:

I never got that notification either. Maybe it's something new. I learned how the company worked from other shoppers on the forum but never received any communication from Ardent after signing up.

Ditto on all of the above.

More ditto. After signing up with Ardent, I never got any email confirmation or notification of how they do business. I heard absolutely nothing until I got an email about training in my area. I'm curious when LGRM got that email confirmation, because he is the first person I've ever heard say they got a confirmation. Most report that they registered and heard nothing until being notified of training.

I'm glad if they are now sending an email confiirmation. That is far more professional than no communication until notification of training. I hope they have started doing that. They are a great company, but not responding to people who register is not very professional.

@Misanthrope wrote:

@roflwofl wrote:

Which reminds me another thing that bothers me; how they recently shortened what times I'm allowed to get dinner at the burrito joint to 5:30-7. Maybe that's just me, but I find that to be very restrictive, especially since I used to be able to go until 9 PM, and even during months where they had me be there during specific times it was at least 5:30-7:30.

Some months the client wants to know how service is during peak times ... at least that's my guess. It is easy to keep the food line stocked during off-hours, but is it being monitored when it is busy? Are the tables being cleaned? While I like the months when the shop time is flexible, I rather enjoy trying to guess why it is restricted during other months. This month's question is one I would have thought the client would have wanted asked a couple of months ago.

Shopping SoCal and Maui.

@PuaM wrote:

@Misanthrope wrote:

@roflwofl wrote:

.

Please be more careful with quotes. It's fine to quote posts that have multiple quotes from different posters, but please be sure the correct quote is attributed to the correct poster. The above post quotes Misanthrope's response to my post, He quoted my post. The poster above quoted Misantrope's post in order to respond to him. She removed my comments but not my name, making it appear she is quoting and responding to me.

@roflwofl wrote:

@PuaM wrote:

@Misanthrope wrote:

@roflwofl wrote:

.

Please be more careful with quotes. It's fine to quote posts that have multiple quotes from different posters, but please be sure the correct quote is attributed to the correct poster. The above post quotes Misanthrope's response to my post, He quoted my post. The poster above quoted Misantrope's post in order to respond to him. She removed my comments but not my name, making it appear she is quoting and responding to me.

Thanks for clarifying. This has become a very popular string.

Shopping SoCal and Maui.

@Jay C wrote:

I'm curious when LGRM got that email confirmation, because he is the first person I've ever heard say they got a confirmation. Most report that they registered and heard nothing until being notified of training....I'm glad if they are now sending an email confiirmation. That is far more professional than no communication until notification of training. I hope they have started doing that. They are a great company, but not responding to people who register is not very professional.

She. No worries.

The email I quoted is not "new," not something that "they have started doing" recently. It is from three years ago, and it is my understanding that it is still being sent out, based on conversations with a scheduler a few months ago. A friend of mine also got this email when she applied. I waited four months for my training email to be able to do the shops. They have trained in my area at least three more times since then. At my request, about a year and a half ago I sat through training again when they came through my area (instructions had changed). Of the four new trainees there, only one ended up as a shopper. It's not for everyone. If you want one regular meal there per month, it's good. If you adore the chain and go there often anyway, it's good. If you don't like the food, can't justify the net, or don't want to deal with the learning curve, it's probably not for you.

I shop this restaurant once a month because this food, imho, is very distinctive. And I occasionally pick up an orphan if I'm going to be in a certain area around lunchtime. The Key Questions sometimes are not to my liking, but, hey, that's part of mystery shopping, yes? The new report takes me about 20 minutes, accounting for interruptions; after my second training I realized what not to stress over. It actually changed my whole outlook on MS, and I found my reporting mojo.