Mileage request amount?

How much money do you usually request per mile? Also TrendSource is always low on their miles to the actual shop. How do you address that?

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By not working for Trendsource. I do not charge by the mile. Due to traffic congestion, I figure how long it will take me, round trip, look for other shops along that route and divvy up my bonus requests among the MSCs along my route. That makes it that much more likely that my bonus requests will be accepted. AND, I tell the schedulers that my route (and their shop) is dependent on the bonus. No bonuses; no route.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I second what walesmaven said. Trendsource has low paying jobs, and I have never been approved for a PAD that I requested. The request just sits and sits and sits. On the other hand, they have called me numerous times in dire need of a last minute shopper, and then I can get a decent bonus from them over the phone. YMMV (no pun intended), but that "distance pay" box never gets me anything.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2017 08:26PM by xenshopper.

Per mile doesn't work well for me either because it is too inconsistent. Schedulers tend to think in terms of mileage, but only I know how long it will actually take to drive there and back.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
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The MSC will pay the least amount that they have to in order to get the job done.
If Shopper A lives three miles from the location and requires a $6 bonus (PAD) and Shopper B lives 30 miles from the location and asks for a $9 bonus, Shopper A is going to get the job, even though the MSC is paying Shopper A $1/mile roundtrip and the MSC would only be paying Shopper B $0.15/mile roundtrip.
Unless, of course, Shopper C lives 50 miles away but is making a trip to the area for other work anyway and requests only a $2 bonus. Then Shopper C gets the job.
Unless, or course, Shopper D lives 75 miles away and is visiting family next door to the shop location and picks it up for base price while the the other three shoppers' PAD requests are pending.
Mileage has virtually nothing to do with it.
Ask for what you need in order to have it be worthwhile for you.

Another thing to consider is that the bonus and mileage often is based on previous approvals and needs as well. If you live 50 miles away, but Shopper A, B, and C all quit and shopper D won't be back for eight weeks you may still not get your PAD request of $9 because the max they have ever approved was only $6. I try to be reasonable and make requests based on my hours spent driving and traveling.

MegglesKat

I'm still a little confused. So if it is an hours drive there and an hours drive back home, how much would you ask for if that was your only shop on that route?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2017 12:48PM by christyvad.

@christyvad wrote:

I'm still a little confused. So if it is an hours drive there and an hours drive back home, how much would you ask for if that was your only shop on that route?

I can't answer for everyone else, but here is what I would ask for. I aim to make no less than $15 an hour, so I would start with $30 between fee and bonus. I"d add at least $10 if the shop is one that takes awhile like a car shop or a retail that requires some interaction time. Then depending on how difficult the report is I might add $10 if I know it to be a PITA. I'd probably not worry about it if it's an easy one I can do in my sleep. That is the LEAST amount I might ask for assuming it is a pretty day and I want to go for that drive, or maybe I need the money for my phone bill.

Good luck getting a fair price out of Trendsource though. They are as nice as pie but tight as a clam.

@christyvad wrote:

I'm still a little confused. So if it is an hours drive there and an hours drive back home, how much would you ask for if that was your only shop on that route?

I have a very simple formula. For local shops (which I rarely do) I want to PROFIT $20 an hour. So I figure up how much time it will take to do the shop (drive there + shop + drive home + report) and multiply that number by $20. Then I add to that my actual costs for doing the shop. My car costs me about $.22 a mile to drive. That includes gas, maintenance, estimated repairs, and depreciation. Your costs may be higher or lower. I got a good deal on a used car that gets 37.5 mpg so I imagine mine is lower than most. So I multiply the total number of miles driven by .22 and add that to my first figure. I then add any additional costs such as tolls. That gives me the total amount I need to do the shop.

So assuming averaging 60 mph for 1 hour in each direction and for simplicity sake let's say it's a 15 minute shop that will take 15 minutes to report. That gives me 2.5 hours (1+1+.25+.25) @ $20 an hour - $50. To that I add $26.40 (.22x120) for a total of $76.40. If the shop pays $11.40 then I need a bonus of $65. They can call it PAD. They can call it travel pay. I don't care what they call it. I need $76.40 to do that shop.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

bgriffin - I don't want to see your complicated formula.

I want $1/min to do the shop. Mileage I determine by experience: how badly do they need this? Am I the only one who can do it? Can I add any other shops out there? What's traffic going to be like? Basically, if I have to think about all that, I'm probably going to want $50 to even consider it.

Honestly I've been doing it long enough I can figure it in my head pretty quickly.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

@bgriffin wrote:

Honestly I've been doing it long enough I can figure it in my head pretty quickly.

Yeah, me too. $0.55/mile. My car isn't cheap.

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There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

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