Hey guys - Just started doing shops for them. Grocery ones.

I'm relatively new to The Source. I know it's a love/hate thing with forum members here. Some think they are one of the best and others hate their shops. I'm not sure how I feel, since I'm new to them.

Is it common to have shop requests linger for more than one week without a reply?

I still see "pending" after applying for three shops like 9 days ago.

One of them I got "B" for back-up, but I never requested to be a back-up. I think it just gave me that by default. Yet, there's little likelihood I'd be able to perform the shop without a route in place. So back-up doesn't work for me, b/c I have to know for sure about shops in order to map out a route. Can you ask to NEVER be a back-up? Will you get penalized for not doing the shop if they call your name so-to-speak as the back-up when the normal shopper doesn't do it?

Lastly, has anyone scheduled multiple grocery store shops in one day? If so, how many were you able to handle? I feel like these take a long time, as you have to walk around and talk to SO MANY people. Also, food can spoil if that's what you're buying. Do you just have a cooler in your car's trunk if you do numerous grocery shops? Also, the reports are kind of long and they must be submitted the same day, which could make it rough. But still curious, since I see a grocery route as a possible good option for me for one type of route I'm hoping to schedule.

Thanks for your feedback! I know it's a ton of questions. But you all know me!

I did four in one day, once. It was a bit much - only because I reported all of them later in the day. I really had to rely on my notes because I would have confused the employees from the different stores otherwise. I've been doing my local grocery store for well over a year, I think I could do the shop in my sleep. It's a breeze as you begin to learn the staff names and you no longer have to stare at their chest for their names.

I've been doing the grocery stores since 2005. I can do up to 6-7 a day but typically do 3-4. In the summer I have cooler in my car, winter is fine here (ick). You don't have to walk around forever to find people. You have to check twice. If there is no one there, there is no one there. I am usually out of the stores in 20 minutes and I start my form and sometimes finish it on my phone. It just depends if I am in the mood to do it that way or come home and do it. I typically have at least some of the report done before I come home to finish it off. I feel like the reports now are much better. The cashier part is still a bit redundant but you really don't have to say a lot. Just give them a basic picture. Again, they don't want a lot of details because they don't want you to out yourself.

I am one of the lovers of Trendsource or the The Source as they like to call themselves now (I have been through a few names). I laugh and say I wouldn't know how to grocery shop in one haul. I am a 3-6 item person under 9-12.00 at a time. There are only two of us and we eat out a lot so this works fine for me. Plus I also shop a couple of other chains with different requirements.

Liz

Trend Source has been good to me, and I to them....having said that, I am able to self-assign, so no waiting.
Business Verification, maybe a 2 day wait. Being new, you have to prove yourself, they do use the same people over and over. I remember it taking me awhile to gain trust, then it was all good. They don't have rotation (as far as I'm concerned), They are the best as far as treating their shoppers, pay twice a month, and doing three grocery shops over the weekends, hardly ever have to buy my own food, although I do go over budget every time, but it's for stuff I'd buy anyway. Last job i spent 17.00 and will get reimbursed + 5.00, I actually spent 3.00 of my own $. Keep applying, when they run out of shoppers, you'll get one. There have been many posts on TrendSource with good information...you use to need an EIN # and a background check for Business Verification jobs".
Couldn't stay away...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2017 02:30PM by Irene_L.A..

I do the grocery shops for them. In my area, the time during the weekdays is now limited to between 4-8 pm, and weekends 12-6 pm, so the amount of shops you can do for them in a day will be limited. Not only that, in my area, they now tell you what days you can do the shops....we used to be able to schedule them to our liking within a several week framework, but that has changed. However, I will say that if you call and ask to reschedule your dates so that you can do several in a day, especially if they are close to one another, they are pretty good about rescheduling them for you. Which is handy, because now, the allowable schedule dates, for example, for Store A would be one day, and Store B, a mile away, would be another, which is crazy!! So if you are interested and get assigned, they will help with the scheduling if you call them. Once you do a few, you can self-assign.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2017 03:44PM by guysmom.

I just did my first grocery shop with them last night. I needed a trip to the grocery anyhow and it was the store I frequent as it is. It took me just under 30 minutes inside the store and would have been less had I not looked really hard for a general grocery employee.... Since I was going to the store any how, I figure I added a total of 30 minutes to my day in order to get $12 plus $12 of my grocery bill reimbursed. That's 24 bucks for thirty minutes of light work. I'll take that. They have about 200 grocery shops within ten miles of home... I only want so many groceries at a time, but if I need to make a major trip, I'd be willing to do it in three or four shops in an afternoon.
It's a good value.

@guysmom wrote:

I do the grocery shops for them. In my area, the time during the weekdays is now limited to between 4-8 pm, and weekends 12-6 pm, so the amount of shops you can do for them in a day will be limited. Not only that, in my area, they now tell you what days you can do the shops....we used to be able to schedule them to our liking within a several week framework, but that has changed. However, I will say that if you call and ask to reschedule your dates so that you can do several in a day, especially if they are close to one another, they are pretty good about rescheduling them for you. Which is handy, because now, the allowable schedule dates, for example, for Store A would be one day, and Store B, a mile away, would be another, which is crazy!! So if you are interested and get assigned, they will help with the scheduling if you call them. Once you do a few, you can self-assign.

Those are the exact stipulations in my area too, guysmom!

We might even be shopper competitors. lol

If so, it's all fine. Kudos to all who can make this a profitable venture!! Mystery shopping can be challenging in a lot of ways!

I don't mind the exact dates so much as the time. Those are very, very traffic heavy hours in my city. 4 - 8PM is a killer on time and gas spend on the road and because of traffic would limit the # of grocery stores I could do.

I really do hope to self-assign soon (5 good shops done seems like the first step), as I've been waiting for some shops for about 9 days to get approved with no luck.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2017 05:30PM by shoptastic.

I only do weekends, Sunday at noon is better than weekdays at four. My shops are 3 to 4 miles, so no traffic problems. I'm not understanding you, did you say you did five jobs but cannot get more, if so why? Reports and questions seem rough, but you get used to it, and it goes quickly, don't over think it. My last one on Sunday, going into Produce, the employee see's me and says, "Hi gorgeous, how ya doing", well hi back at ya!!
They see me so often, feels like my family, and the grocery associate told me about a great sale for Fathers Day...$1.79 for a case (24 bottles) of water, how doesn't this work?

@shoptastic wrote:

Those are the exact stipulations in my area too, guysmom!

We might even be shopper competitors. lol

I'm in SC.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I only do weekends, Sunday at noon is better than weekdays at four. My shops are 3 to 4 miles, so no traffic problems. I'm not understanding you, did you say you did five jobs but cannot get more, if so why? Reports and questions seem rough, but you get used to it, and it goes quickly, don't over think it. My last one on Sunday, going into Produce, the employee see's me and says, "Hi gorgeous, how ya doing", well hi back at ya!!
They see me so often, feels like my family, and the grocery associate told me about a great sale for Fathers Day...$1.79 for a case (24 bottles) of water, how doesn't this work?

Just curious, don't you have to ask them questions? If you know the workers so well, how do they not wonder when you ask them these questions?

I'd do them all the time if it weren't for the specific questions. Did that change? I love The Source for other shops, but I stopped doing grocery stores when they told me the employees had spotted me as a shopper due to the assigned questions I had asked.

@Alter_Ego wrote:

I'd do them all the time if it weren't for the specific questions. Did that change? I love The Source for other shops, but I stopped doing grocery stores when they told me the employees had spotted me as a shopper due to the assigned questions I had asked.

They have 3-4 options for questions for the focus departments. I have always found a way to ask the question without seeming to out there. I think a lot of it is in the approach. For example I don't walk up and straight out ask. I grab an item and then ask about it. For example if the question is what onion is mildest. I might grab a couple of onions and say we are having a cookout and I want slices for the burgers but I don't eat onions so which would be the mildest. And then I put one in my cart and circle around and put them both back lol.

Liz

Some questions are lame, but the other day, I choose the question for Produce, which mushroom is the best to grill. The associate was excited and said use Portobella, that's what I use all the time, seemed very natural.
The way you ask is everything, and remember I do different locations, and they are now trained to answer questions, so, many people must ask. I used to ask the butcher about fish or different cuts of meat..it's not a big deal, if you don't make it one.

I am not sure that they are trained to answer questions in these departments....the number of different answers I get is AMAZING!. For the onion question I had red, yellow, and white all mentioned at one store or another as the mildest. My fav is standing in front of the deli meat that clearly says certified gluten free and them telling me they don't have any gluten free meat. It's really mind boggling the differences in answers.

Liz

I once did 5 shops in a four hour period in a town 40 miles away, each with a $10 bonus for each one. The highway to the last one was blocked by a parade. I found a side way into the store and did the shop in 15 minutes: no one was shopping. I did three on Sunday. I look for bonuses. They seem to have certain locations in which they will pay a bonus. Get to know the names and phone numbers of schedulers. They will text and call for those shops which did not get picked up over the two day window.

As far as the questions required for the grocery shops.....at least the instructions in my area for my particular chain.....if you read the instructions carefully enough, you will notice that they say these questions are EXAMPLES ONLY.....we are allowed to come up with our OWN questions as long as they result in getting some sort of recommendation. The instructions may be different with different grocery chains, or in different areas of the country. But it makes it easier to get recommendations when I can come up with my own questions month after month!!

@guysmom wrote:

As far as the questions required for the grocery shops.....at least the instructions in my area for my particular chain.....if you read the instructions carefully enough, you will notice that they say these questions are EXAMPLES ONLY.....we are allowed to come up with our OWN questions as long as they result in getting some sort of recommendation. The instructions may be different with different grocery chains, or in different areas of the country. But it makes it easier to get recommendations when I can come up with my own questions month after month!!

In GA, we have specific required questions for the one grocery store chain and competitors. There are 4 provided choices for deli (competitor), produce and meat. Deli for the brand requires a specific meat or cheese purchase and observation.

Well, just goes to show you that different Clients/Regions have different requirements!! (Or, as we used to say as kids, "just shows-to-go-ya!"

Yes definitely not examples in mine either...on the drop down list I have to click which question I used and there is no spot to make up my own. For other MSCs, I do have that luxury but not for the ones I do for Trendsouce.

Liz

@Traveliz wrote:

Yes definitely not examples in mine either...on the drop down list I have to click which question I used and there is no spot to make up my own. For other MSCs, I do have that luxury but not for the ones I do for Trendsouce.

Liz

Mine don't have a "make up your own question" option. You MUST use from a pre-determined list of questions. If you have to ask them verbatim, then it could be easier to spot you. I'm not sure if you do or not.

If you can paraphrase or come up with a similar way of asking it, but not with those exact words, then it's not so bad. I like the suggestions above about how to make it more natural and to hide that you are a shopper.

I just hope I start getting assigned grocery shops soon so that I can make it into the Premier Network after completing 5 shops and be able to self-assign. It's frustrating applying to shops and having to wait more than a week only to find out I did not get the shop and was made a back-up.

The main reason I am willing to do a grocery shop is that it's an essential and something I would need to make trips for anyways in life. I personally think it's a ton of work (lots of things to remember, people to talk to, departments to go to, waiting around, etc.) and a complicated report. The value of the shops are low too $14-17 in my area, but I think it's one of the few shops that are worthwhile given those types of negatives, due to the ability to recoup life necessities.

I could see myself building routes AROUND grocery shops possibly, since they are trips I'd have to make anyways.

@guysmom wrote:

@shoptastic wrote:

Those are the exact stipulations in my area too, guysmom!
We might even be shopper competitors. lol

I'm in SC.

I don't want to give my exact location, but we're not close. But I AM on the East Coast, however. So maybe we have similar grocery stores. I know when I lived out West that we had some stores you don't see here and vice versa that are the main/popular grocery stores locally.

Only Walmart, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc. seem universal.

EDITED TO REMOVE NAME OF GROCERY STORE

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2017 07:36AM by shoptastic.

I stick to 3 a day in order to keep my reports straight and my reports thorough. I now can do and have done 6-9 but still, prefer to do 3 locations.

I have been offered a job after being the backup and had to decline and did not get penalized. You are just offered the job in the case that the original shopper bails out for some reason. You are not committed to it. At least in my case.

I noticed that there is the mention of the MSC and then a number of clients. This may possibly be a forum violation. I've noticed a number of them this morning.

@LeslieKay111 wrote:

I noticed that there is the mention of the MSC and then a number of clients. This may possibly be a forum violation. I've noticed a number of them this morning.

I removed a store name from my post after seeing this. Thx for the reminder.

Did anyone find it hard to get initial assignments. The Source released a giant wave of new shops last night and applied for a bunch.

They all went to other shoppers this morning. A few under review haven't gone to me either (at least, not yet).

I'm just waiting around. Really wish I could self-assign. Those are shops I could easily do (close to me and easy to route). Yet, I ...wait...still

I got emails for the new jobs and picked up four, two groceries and two Business Verification by self-assign....
Took me a long time to self-assign the Business Verifications, but now I can. They are with Targets, and I always make the appt. ASAP...they need these appts. done within 48 hours. Lots of work, but decent pay,
still could be more, I never get a pad....

When I first started shopping Trendsource I found their reports daunting. I wasted a lot of time hanging out and circling back to departments in the store trying to find employees to fulfill the evaluation. I felt bad using "I could not locate an employee in this department", like they would think I wasn't actually seeking anyone out. I've come to realize that sometimes that's just the way it is. Now I have schedulers starting to reach out to me to fill gaps. I've only been 'shopping' for a few months- but it is a nice feeling to be contacted because they need someone they feel not only can, but will pick up the shop. Now if I could just get them to do a quick Google for mileage before they glibbly ask me to cover a shop THAT EVENING in a town THREE HOURS from me. Um. No. Seriously. N O.

Congrats. You are a quick study!

Thanks.. working now on my negotiation skills.. just because I happen to be available doesn't mean I don't want a little extra bling for pinch hitting at the last minute. I have to say too that I love being able to complete my shops using the mobile app.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I got emails for the new jobs and picked up four, two groceries and two Business Verification by self-assign....
Took me a long time to self-assign the Business Verifications, but now I can. They are with Targets, and I always make the appt. ASAP...they need these appts. done within 48 hours. Lots of work, but decent pay,
still could be more, I never get a pad....

Uh oh. Looks like you mentioned a client, Irene.

Seems like everyone is forgetting in this thread.

She didn't mention a client, she capitalized a word in the middle of a sentence. The business verification shops have targets you must speak with to make an appointment.

@shoptastic wrote:

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I got emails for the new jobs and picked up four, two groceries and two Business Verification by self-assign....
Took me a long time to self-assign the Business Verifications, but now I can. They are with Targets, and I always make the appt. ASAP...they need these appts. done within 48 hours. Lots of work, but decent pay,
still could be more, I never get a pad....

Uh oh. Looks like you mentioned a client, Irene.

Seems like everyone is forgetting in this thread.

Pardon, I never mentioned the clients name..groceries and business verification is not the client's name....
Do you know what evaluating a target means.....not a client's name. I suggest retention or re-reading before pointing out what you don't understand.