I'm starting to get the feeling that this MSC Treats there shoppers like we're not human. To send me a message that my shop has been rejected because I did not ask a question word for word. There is a lot to remember with the big box shops. I have done about seven of them, and have never had a problem.
In my narrative I wrote something down and did not word it the way they wanted it. Rather than reaching out to me, I got an email that my shop has been rejected. I feel this is rude and unprofessional.

At least they were nice enough to give you a reason for the rejection. Many MSCs will not contact you or give you a reason when your shop is not accepted. If you did not follow the guidelines to their client's specifications,the MSC can not accept the shop and pay you for it because their client won't accept the shop and pay them for it. It is a tough break but a good learning experience.

When writing your narrative, for some things you have that one opportunity to properly report it. In this situation, they have to take you for your word.

Sorry you had to go through that. I have been burned by Sentry too, where they made up completely false rules AFTER the report has been submitted. In my case at the pizza joint, I ordered buffalo chicken which was on the menu as a meat item, and ordered another topping to make the 2 toppings requirement per the guideline. I diligently stuck to the guidelines, but they rejected my report, saying that buffalo sauce is a third topping. SERIOUSLY?! In who's world is buffalo sauce considered a topping? Not even this pizza place list buffalo sauce as a topping, as I was NOT charged for 3 toppings. My report is otherwise perfect, so I have the sneaking suspicion that Sentry was trying to pull a fast one on me and getting away with not having to pay me back for what they owe, and might even submit that report to the client to pay themselves.

It was a very infuriating incident, and I can no longer trust Sentry. What's worst? I can't even stand this particular client of theirs anymore. I hope prospective clients see this and beware of what a horrible company Sentry is. Their complete lack of integrity doesn't bode well for them.

Oh, how I wish that clients read this forum!

Some clients DO read this forum. And their employees.

@Sybil2 wrote:

Some clients DO read this forum. And their employees.

I think so. Any reputable company would do their due diligence before signing a contract with another company. One that employs a good background-checker would unearth these forums from the internet.

Why every time a newer member talks about a rejected shop they: a) did nothing wrong; b) accuse the MSC of using the report? We all know that these unsubstantiated and spiteful accusations have no merit. The fact that someone would assume or suggest this clearly indicates a potential internal struggle.

i was once accused to removing one slice of pizza (oddly, one slice was braided ?) and i never did them again.

This sounds pretty abrupt, to reject a report without any discussion. This accusation has been tossed this company's way more than a few times. I think you would do well to refrain from working for this company and allow a second chance to waste your time and energy.

I do not think a member here for six months is the same as a member who just signed up in order to post. I've been here for more than five years, so what?

I've been shopping forever and crossed this company off of my list for similar reasons. Cut your losses and move on. Best to you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2017 10:51AM by RobinMarie.

Robin

I'm not sure what grudge you have against Sentry, but I find your accusation that we reject reports to avoid paying shoppers to be both baseless and irresponsible. This allegation is leveled against many companies on this forum, usually without any proof, and I don't believe that you can back up with facts your innuendo that it is a legitimate claim against our company.

Every day our team works with shoppers to clarify reports. We call, email, and text shoppers to contact them. While every situation is handled on a case-by-case basis, the general rule is that we do everything we can to avoid having to reject a report. As Isaiah58 noted, there are some circumstances which don't allow for a shop to be revised or updated. Invalidating reports is an unpleasant part of the business, however, it is something that happens to all mystery shopping companies. If we have to invalidate a report, we notify the shopper by email. In addition, shoppers may request a review of their shop by email help@sentrymarketing.com. I don't believe our process treats shoppers in a subhuman manner.

Alienating shoppers is bad for business. Each of the members who posted about rejected shops in this thread had successfully completed and been paid for assignments. What would be in it for our company to refuse to pay them for a subsequent assignment after they have proven to be reliable shoppers? It just does not make sense.

Dave Agius

Quote: This allegation is leveled against many companies on this forum, usually without any proof,

As per the contract between I.C.s and MSCs, we can't post "proof", otherwise I sure would. Not from Sentry. Reports are rejected every day for misunderstandings, sometimes on the ICs side and sometimes on the MSCs side!

Dave,

Thank you for the thoughtful post. Unfortunately, some people forget their manners when posting in an "anonymous" forum.

I especially want to thank you for pointing out the help@sentrymarketing.com email. Assuming one has contacted one's scheduler, and not gotten a favorable review, most MSCs have some form of "help" email or contact form to reach another party to request a review. I try not to post anything until I have exhausted all avenues for contact, and even then it is usually to ask for other contacts.

We all need to vent once in awhile, this can be a frustrating business. Just remember that you can vent without mudslinging.

I am sure clients read it.

That's too bad, Dave. The allegations are many on this forum, where there is smoke there is fire. I stated the allegations have been tossed around but there you are, throwing the insults of baseless and irresponsible.

I'd advise you to work harder on your company's public relations. There was nothing baseless and irresponsible about my post. It IS true your company, over the years I've been here, has had shoppers complain of very similar situations. Second, I do have experience with unprofessionalism with your company and do not shop for you nor receive emails. And let me emphasize this: there was zero communication from you or your company.

The only thing irresponsible and baseless is your constant complaining and attacks against shoppers who are here to share their experiences and seek advice. I do agree it is bad business to alienate shoppers yet you seem to do it consistently.

I got burned on a very high dollar shop. I've been very hesitant to work for them again.

That is my complaint too. I was spoken to as if I was a moron by one of your schedulers when I simply asked for a clarification. This occurred after I had done over 60 shops for you with no problems. I decided life is too short and never looked back In fact your letter of complaint sound exactly the way some of your schedulers speak. So defensive and no request to try and resolve the problem.

A whole year almost. That's dedication. I thought OOB for sure. We tend to get set in our ways. But then sometime we are in our own ways to a point ----->we can't get out of our own way. I am looking for $100,000 and 20% of my company.

Robin,

I stand by my statement that your comments are baseless and irresponsible. You are asserting statements to be true when the facts don't support your claims. If you think I am wrong, why don't you post data to support your claim that allegations of rejection for nonpayment are posting about Sentry more than other companies? If you can, your position will be supported. If not, your claims are nothing more than an attempt to smear Sentry based on some grudge.

The decision to reject a report and withhold payment is not taken lightly. Our actions in this area are no different from other companies in the industry, including companies widely lauded as member favorites. I am happy to discuss, on this forum or offline, any decision we've made to invalidate a shop report. Feel free to PM the details of your situation so I may research it and present our side of the issue.

Dave

@RobinMarie wrote:

That's too bad, Dave. The allegations are many on this forum, where there is smoke there is fire. I stated the allegations have been tossed around but there you are, throwing the insults of baseless and irresponsible.

I'd advise you to work harder on your company's public relations. There was nothing baseless and irresponsible about my post. It IS true your company, over the years I've been here, has had shoppers complain of very similar situations. Second, I do have experience with unprofessionalism with your company and do not shop for you nor receive emails. And let me emphasize this: there was zero communication from you or your company.

The only thing irresponsible and baseless is your constant complaining and attacks against shoppers who are here to share their experiences and seek advice. I do agree it is bad business to alienate shoppers yet you seem to do it consistently.

Robin

You are asserting a statement to be a fact and offering only your opinion for the supporting data. I stand by my belief that you statements are baseless are irresponsible. If you believe your statement to be true you should post supporting data that demonstrates that accusations of Sentry rejecting reports to avoid payment occur at a greater frequency than other companies. Paraphrasing a quote from Daniel Moynihan, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts".

As far as my "attacks against shoppers", this is again, your opinion. You'll notice that I did not respond to the OP or to the second post about our company. I responded to your post because I believe it is prudent for companies to respond to allegations of misconduct that are posted on public forums. In a world where "alternative facts" are not part of our lexicon, it's important to deal in actual facts.

The decision to reject a report and withhold payment is never taken lightly. The reality is that this is part of our industry and our actions in this area are no different that other companies, including some companies that are clearly the favored by members of this forum. I am happy to discuss, on this forum or otherwise, any decision that we've made. Any forum member wishing to discuss their situation can PM the details or email me at dave@sentrymarketing.com.

Dave

@RobinMarie wrote:

That's too bad, Dave. The allegations are many on this forum, where there is smoke there is fire. I stated the allegations have been tossed around but there you are, throwing the insults of baseless and irresponsible.

I'd advise you to work harder on your company's public relations. There was nothing baseless and irresponsible about my post. It IS true your company, over the years I've been here, has had shoppers complain of very similar situations. Second, I do have experience with unprofessionalism with your company and do not shop for you nor receive emails. And let me emphasize this: there was zero communication from you or your company.

The only thing irresponsible and baseless is your constant complaining and attacks against shoppers who are here to share their experiences and seek advice. I do agree it is bad business to alienate shoppers yet you seem to do it consistently.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2017 03:21PM by Sentry Marketing.

Dave,

It's unfortunate you did not understand my post. This could be some of the reasons why your company's reputation is such. This is what I said: "This accusation has been tossed this company's way more than a few times." That is a fact. Not an alternative fact, an actual, look it up, fact.

Later in my post, I stated that I too, had similar issues with your company. That's a fact. It's unfortunate you run the company in a reactionary fashion. Had you practiced a few proactive strategies, perhaps my experience would be different. It's not. And your chronic complaining about how people detail experiences here on the boards is tiresome.

If you believe in your company, you might want to refrain from the bullying techniques used here. Concentrate on doing a good job and your company may reap the benefits of getting the best loyal shoppers.

Claiming my statements are baseless and irresponsible are only some of the inflammatory remarks you've displayed here over time. Sorry, you do not get bonus points for restraint from replying to the initial post's experience.

I'll leave you with this quote: " The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure." John C. Maxwell

To address the OP's points; I think there is some confusion between treating shoppers like humans, and treating shoppers like employees. The complaint appears to be mainly based on the abrupt rejection seeming inhumane and unprofessional.

Humans make mistakes, and employees mistakes are often forgiven, due to the nature of the relationship. It's less work and expense to retrain and forgive employee mistakes than to replace an employee.

I worked at one point as a true employee doing mystery shopping and though I pride myself on being an excellent shopper, I accidentally shopped the wrong location of a store due to a clerical error on my part. I was paid for my time, scolded and asked to shop the correct location as soon as possible. That's when a large component of the employee vs. IC status really became apparent to me.

As someone who has been a contractor almost all of adult life, I was shocked that I was paid for the useless data I submitted to my employer. I was half-expecting to be fired for the mistake when it was pointed out to me. Upon further reflection, I realized that after all of the paid training, drug-testing and other time/expenses the company had put into me, it was certainly worth $50 to them to sweep my mistake under the rug and move on.

However, almost all of us in MSing are working as contractors. As a contractor, the responsibility to perform the assignment correctly lands on you. It is specifically professional and businesslike to decline a shop that was not done to the required standards. This is a business-to-business transaction so asking to be treated with humanity goes both ways.

Yes, the MSC can potentially spare the time and expense to reach out to failed shoppers, explain what went wrong, why the shop could not be accepted and gently inform them they will not be paid, but that same courtesy could also be extended from the shopper business. Where is the expression of shame in not providing the required completion of the assignment to the MSC?...and the understanding that human beings at the MSC now have additional work and expenses to be handle because the assignment was not performed correctly?

I'm just saying that it's a two-way street. If you make a mistake, own it! Apologize to the MSC and promise to do better next time. And if a MSC makes a mistake and declines a shop for invalid reasons, feel free to make stink and demand that they do the same thing. Seems like in this case, the OP is kind of admitting the mistake was on their end, however.

Robin

I understand your post very clearly. Your comments that "where there is smoke, there is fire" are clearly innuendo that Sentry rejects shop reports to avoid paying shoppers. Moreover, you want members of this community to believe that this accusation has been posted about our company more frequently than it has been posted about other companies. I replied to your post because your accusations are without merit as supported by actual fact.

It's clear that you harbor some grudge against Sentry and this is driving the tone of your posts. You are entitled to believe what you post is fact in the same manner that I am entitled to believe that your posts are irresponsible and baseless.

It's laughable that you would accuse me of being a bully while hiding behind an anonymous online persona. We have many loyal shoppers and I interact with a great number of shoppers every week. I would love to explore your interaction with our company on this forum so that the members here can decide whether my team I acted appropriately. Are you willing to share the details of your interaction with Sentry?

Dave,

I'm starting to understand why your company receives so many accusations. It's your inability to read, distinguish fact from fiction, and your downright lousy attitude. Your posts are misdirected. My comment about where there is smoke, there is fire is just an observation based on numbers. Use the search feature here and other forums.

This form is for members to share their experiences and information. And that is exactly what I've done for the last upteen years here. The entire industry relies on the anonymity of shoppers. It's laughable how you consistently attempt to provoke members to out them.

My only real grudge are your responses to shoppers over the years. It's unprofessional. Rather than go on your hunts to out members, why not work on your reputation and practices. A simple google search shows your history of unprofessional responses.

We agree that this forum is here so members can share information. It's not here as a vehicle for members to smear companies by posting opinion asserted as fact. Clearly, you don't like Sentry. I respect your opinion. What I don't respect is your asserting your opinion as facts.

I agree that a simple search of this forum or Google search of Sentry will prove the point. Members of this forum post about Sentry no more than other companies. In fact, over the last 90 days, I believe there have been fewer posts about Sentry than other companies. In fact, in the last 90 days, I counted five threads started about Sentry and five threads mentioning Sentry. Only one thread accused us of rejection for nonpayment.

The comments you've asserted as facts are simply not supported by the content of this forum. We have a responsibility to both our clients and our shoppers and I think the content about Sentry on this forum will show that we take both responsibilities seriously. Like any other company, we have our share of shoppers who like working with our team and we have our share of shoppers who don't.

I've had an email from MF, who, in my opinion and experience is VERY unresponsive as they have a cluster-##$@ of a system and is such a large company that I, as a shopper, just get lost. Nevertheless, on my keyboard the two is right below the five and I, somehow, typed the five instead of the two for the time I entered the establishment. The email asked if I thought I was correct when I reported that I entered at 5:..pm. If not, then I should respond to the email stating the time of entrance. Their email thanked me and apologized. I think if MF can't take the time to "clarify", then Sentry can also.

In this Forum, we should be allowed to say our opinions of MSCs and tell our stories so we can get feedback and so we can alert our peers without getting a beat-down from the company (And From Our Fellow Shoppers Here!). I feel invaded, lol. Must be a very small company to not have resolved the issue with the shopper and try to shush shoppers here. Weird.

We contact shoppers for every day for a variety of reasons including the situation you described. We don't contact a shopper if the report clearly describes the interaction and based on the description, the assignment guidelines were not followed.

Invalidating a report, or any other action that impacts shopper payment is not taken lightly at Sentry. Any time that the assignment guidelines are not followed, the possibility exists that a report may be rejected. Our team does everything in our power to avoid having to take this action. Situations exist, however, in which an alternative course of action is not possible.

I am not trying to "shush" shoppers. That being said, if I feel that it's appropriate to share our side of an issue, I should be able to do so without being attacked. As Steve said, it's a two-way street.

@spicy1 wrote:

I've had an email from MF, who, in my opinion and experience is VERY unresponsive as they have a cluster-##$@ of a system and is such a large company that I, as a shopper, just get lost. Nevertheless, on my keyboard the two is right below the five and I, somehow, typed the five instead of the two for the time I entered the establishment. The email asked if I thought I was correct when I reported that I entered at 5:..pm. If not, then I should respond to the email stating the time of entrance. Their email thanked me and apologized. I think if MF can't take the time to "clarify", then Sentry can also.

In this Forum, we should be allowed to say our opinions of MSCs and tell our stories so we can get feedback and so we can alert our peers without getting a beat-down from the company (And From Our Fellow Shoppers Here!). I feel invaded, lol. Must be a very small company to not have resolved the issue with the shopper and try to shush shoppers here. Weird.

I understand and appreciate all of that, I do. But, your posts have an aggressive tone that diminishes the point. I wouldn't want to work for Sentry based on your response in it's tone. But I've been called a Snowflake, so...

Dear Dave,

I don't have to do or say anything to make your company look bad. You do a fine job of that all by yourself with your responses. If it is true, that Sentry is about the same as far as positive and negative feedback, then stop calling attention to your unprofessionalim by attempts to out shoppers. It IS bullying, it IS unprofessional and that's the facts Jack.

I stated my opinion and that others have the same opinion as well. Your whining about how I state my opinion is ridiculous. It's the point of the forum, get over it.

Love,
Robin
xoxo

When did this forum become so passive-aggressive?