This company has some shops that require you submit your availability and the locations you want in advance. The first time I did this, the scheduling went as planned. I did find that the scheduler would change requirements as we went along and the guidelines had a couple of contradictory statements which also contradicted the training with the scheduler. At first the scheduler says she will assign shops a few days before but then it gets to me the day before (and with some prompting)

So early this month the scheduler emails me and says pick X number of shops and the dates you can do them. I emailed her my requests and she doesn't respond back until the day I said I would start (3 day span) and says I cannot do 2 of the shops I asked for. I set aside this time to complete those shops. She says it is the client's fault and that's just how it goes.

So since I lost a day, I can't do all those shops as scheduled and reschedule one. So the next set of shops I am scheduled to start is TODAY and I have emailed her twice with no response. They have not been assigned to me in the portal either.

I don't know what's going on with this company but I resent setting aside time to complete shops that aren't approved until after I'm available. I don't believe it's the client's fault either. Why ask people what shops they can do and when are they available if the shops don't exist or can't be accommodated ?

I would like to move on and not be bothered with this type of shop but I want to do a different shop with them with a different scheduler. I haven't been paid yet by this company either and my first payment is scheduled for next month.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2017 05:08PM by frodosdojo.

I get your annoyance, but I disagree that the point of view you are giving is the customer's point of view. You are not the customer. You are the service provider. The MSC is your customer. The client is the MSC's customer.

That's the name of the company !

I'm the owner of Griffin's Widgets and Roffle Mystery Shopping does all of my shops. I have 100 locations and we shop each location twice a week. Roffle does a good job lining up shoppers in advance for these shops since we have done them every week for 6 years.

Last week I decided hrm, we've been doing this exact same thing for 6 years. Why don't we change it up this week and only do the 35 locations that failed the last 2 in a row.

So, now. Is it your fault, Roffle's fault, my fault, or just one of those things?

What you are describing is a change in volume of shops offered. That is not what happened. In fact, I received an email today telling me the scheduler was finally ready to schedule the requested shops.

If the scheduler had communicated that she could not schedule until after the dates I had given her for availability, I would have appreciated that. I emailed her twice with no response until today and today I should be shopping.

My issue is the poor communication. I highly doubt the client contacted the MSC at 3pm on Sunday to say, look I only want to do 35 shops for the rest of the month. My understanding is that this client provides a list at the beginning of the month, and the MSC provides shoppers and submits the shoppers' requests for approval. This client is a big company that is not open on Sunday.

I am hoping that the MSC has a contract with the client and does not allow them to make changes willy nilly. It seems they could evaluate their need for shoppers on a monthly basis.

Well to be honest your story is so convuleted and confusing it sounded to me like you set aside time to do shops that you had requested but not received confirmation of and thrn were upset when you didn't get them. Perhaps I misunderstood. But now I'm even further confused. How were you planning on starting the shops today if they are closed on Sunday?

I got all the shops I requested but after the date I told her I was available. The business runs 7 days a week but corporate is closed on the weekends (imagine a gas station or some other similar business).

My chief complaint is that the scheduler will ask me when I am available and to choose my shops. Then she ignores my requests for an update until the actual date I told her I could shop. This the 2nd time it has happened with this company and she blames the client which I find hard to believe. At some point last week, she could have responded back and said, I don't have an answer yet on whether or not you can start on the date you chose. Instead, she says nothing.

I see the nastiness on this forum never changes. Pitiful.

@frodosdojo wrote:

This client is a big company that is not open on Sunday.

@frodosdojo wrote:

The business runs 7 days a week but corporate is closed on the weekends (imagine a gas station or some other similar business).

I'm sorry that you found my response "nasty." I wasn't trying to be. I was simply trying to be helpful. At the same time if you look at the two quotes above I'm sure you can understand how it was easy to be confused. Ok. It still is easy to be confused. Because that makes no sense.

You stated the company was not open on Sunday. I'm honestly thinking homophobic chicken or overpriced art supplies that are always half price. Then you stated you wanted to start them today. Well you said it wasn't open on Sunday. Now you're saying they are open 7 days a week. But you said they weren't open on Sunday.

Maybe we speak similarly, but everything you said makes sense to me -basically (an example, of course). You told them on 8/1 that you were available on 8/10 to do the shop, but not told until 8/10 to do the shop. Which to me means they are wasting your time because you could have signed up for other shops in the meantime.

While it is a good idea to try to accommodate your clients, the MSCs, to do so at the loss of other work is being too accommodating. If I have other opportunities while waiting to be assigned a shop I never turn them down. Instead of asking the scheduler for an update, I will send an email explaining my availability has changed due to the delay and will give them my new dates.

@leaiso wrote:

Maybe we speak similarly, but everything you said makes sense to me -basically (an example, of course). You told them on 8/1 that you were available on 8/10 to do the shop, but not told until 8/10 to do the shop. Which to me means they are wasting your time because you could have signed up for other shops in the meantime.

Exactly !

@bgriffin wrote:

@frodosdojo wrote:

This client is a big company that is not open on Sunday.

@frodosdojo wrote:

The business runs 7 days a week but corporate is closed on the weekends (imagine a gas station or some other similar business).

I'm sorry that you found my response "nasty." I wasn't trying to be. I was simply trying to be helpful. At the same time if you look at the two quotes above I'm sure you can understand how it was easy to be confused. Ok. It still is easy to be confused. Because that makes no sense.

You stated the company was not open on Sunday. I'm honestly thinking homophobic chicken or overpriced art supplies that are always half price. Then you stated you wanted to start them today. Well you said it wasn't open on Sunday. Now you're saying they are open 7 days a week. But you said they weren't open on Sunday.

Again, I suggested the company was similar to a gas station. You cannot reach the corporate office of Grey Gas Station on Sunday. However, you can do a mystery shop of Grey Gas Station on Sunday since they are open.

When you stated my post was convoluted and confusing, the tone was unpleasant to me.

@frodosdojo wrote:

she doesn't respond back until the day I said I would start (3 day span) and says I cannot do 2 of the shops I asked for. I set aside this time to complete those shops. She says it is the client's fault and that's just how it goes.

This part makes your complaint look like your problem is you asked for 3 and only got 1 and you had set aside time to complete 3 shops. Back to my point of setting aside time to complete shops that were not confirmed. Then you state it was the client's fault you can't do 2 of the shops.

You barely mention the delayed response and then glossed over it as if it were an added point and not central to your complaint.

Then later you add this:

@frodosdojo wrote:

I got all the shops I requested but after the date I told her I was available.

But from the previous quote you appeared to be complaining that you didn't get 2 of the shops.

Either way, yes, not getting back to you in a timely manner is annoying, and I personally rarely work with such schedulers. And I agree with Lisa's point. Until I get a confirmation from the scheduler that time is not booked.

@frodosdojo wrote:

Again, I suggested the company was similar to a gas station. You cannot reach the corporate office of Grey Gas Station on Sunday. However, you can do a mystery shop of Grey Gas Station on Sunday since they are open.

When you stated my post was convoluted and confusing, the tone was unpleasant to me.

I'm sorry you didn't like my tone, next time I'll think of a nicer way to say your post was convoluted and confusing. When I figure that out I'll tell you that your post was convoluted and confusing in a nice way, but unfortunately I don't have that in my brain right now.

Also you didn't say "the corporate office isn't open on Sunday." The corporate office should have nothing to do with your ability to perform a shop. You said "the company is not open on Sunday." Yet another way your post was convoluted and confusing.

@LisaSTL wrote:

While it is a good idea to try to accommodate your clients, the MSCs, to do so at the loss of other work is being too accommodating. If I have other opportunities while waiting to be assigned a shop I never turn them down. Instead of asking the scheduler for an update, I will send an email explaining my availability has changed due to the delay and will give them my new dates.

But where is my accountability when I tell the scheduler I am available on specific dates ? I feel that if I tell someone I can work for them on a certain day, then I stick to it. If something better comes along and I email the scheduler that I can't work the dates I committed to, how does that make me look ? By the way, there were only 2 weeks open this month for these shops and this week is the last. I had committed to doing 12 shops this week starting today for this company. I do have 2 shops scheduled this week with another company as well.

I'm really not trying to fight with you and I really am sorry you didn't like my "tone."

@bgriffin wrote:

@frodosdojo wrote:

she doesn't respond back until the day I said I would start (3 day span) and says I cannot do 2 of the shops I asked for. I set aside this time to complete those shops. She says it is the client's fault and that's just how it goes.

This part makes your complaint look like your problem is you asked for 3 and only got 1 and you had set aside time to complete 3 shops. Back to my point of setting aside time to complete shops that were not confirmed. Then you state it was the client's fault you can't do 2 of the shops.

You barely mention the delayed response and then glossed over it as if it were an added point and not central to your complaint.

Then later you add this:

@frodosdojo wrote:

I got all the shops I requested but after the date I told her I was available.

But from the previous quote you appeared to be complaining that you didn't get 2 of the shops.

Either way, yes, not getting back to you in a timely manner is annoying, and I personally rarely work with such schedulers. And I agree with Lisa's point. Until I get a confirmation from the scheduler that time is not booked.

If you read my post, you would understand that I was speaking about earlier in the month when I talked about the 2 I did not get.

I never said it was the client's fault. The scheduler told me I could not do 2 of the shops. It is clearly written that the scheduler blamed the client. I think you are not reading what I wrote.

@frodosdojo wrote:

But where is my accountability when I tell the scheduler I am available on specific dates ? I feel that if I tell someone I can work for them on a certain day, then I stick to it. If something better comes along and I email the scheduler that I can't work the dates I committed to, how does that make me look?

If today you say you are available next Monday and the scheduler emails you Monday to do the shop then they have absolutely no right whatsoever to assume you are still available. Yes they are your customer and yes you should do what you can to work within their parameters, but if they can't let you know within a day or two then they should assume you are no longer available.

Personally, I don't work with companies like that, but people who do have been known to add into their request that they need to know with in 48 hours or they won't hold the availability.

@bgriffin wrote:

@frodosdojo wrote:

Again, I suggested the company was similar to a gas station. You cannot reach the corporate office of Grey Gas Station on Sunday. However, you can do a mystery shop of Grey Gas Station on Sunday since they are open.

When you stated my post was convoluted and confusing, the tone was unpleasant to me.

I'm sorry you didn't like my tone, next time I'll think of a nicer way to say your post was convoluted and confusing. When I figure that out I'll tell you that your post was convoluted and confusing in a nice way, but unfortunately I don't have that in my brain right now.

Also you didn't say "the corporate office isn't open on Sunday." The corporate office should have nothing to do with your ability to perform a shop. You said "the company is not open on Sunday." Yet another way your post was convoluted and confusing.

The reason I mentioned the company is not open on Sunday is because the scheduler emailed me today stating that the company JUST confirmed the shops with her. I just find that difficult to believe since the company's office is not open. It seems like an excuse for her responding so late. You can repeat convoluted and confusing ad nauseum, but it is obvious you are not reading what I wrote.

I think it's more obvious that you are pissy about the situation and because of that are writing less coherently than you think you are and are not realizing that people who are reading are not in your head with all of the information you are trying to get out. It's ok, we all do the same thing when we're ticked off about a situation.

How does that make you look? Like an in demand business person. You are thinking like an employee and we are anything but.

Try this. You tell a painter you would like your living room painted. The painter gives you the dates they have open, you respond by saying you will have to let them know. Time goes by, you don't say yay or nay on the dates offered while the painter gets other clients ready to commit. Should the painter cancel on those clients when you decide mid-week you really do want their services or should they try to reschedule you for the following week?

@frodosdojo wrote:

But where is my accountability when I tell the scheduler I am available on specific dates ? I feel that if I tell someone I can work for them on a certain day, then I stick to it. If something better comes along and I email the scheduler that I can't work the dates I committed to, how does that make me look ?

@bgriffin wrote:

I think it's more obvious that you are pissy about the situation and because of that are writing less coherently than you think you are and are not realizing that people who are reading are not in your head with all of the information you are trying to get out. It's ok, we all do the same thing when we're ticked off about a situation.

No, you are just another nasty poster on this forum who starts off by attacking the poster because you feel everyone is an idiot but you. They seem to be rampant here.

At any rate, I hope you decide to move on from my thread. I would like for Lisa to answer my question and you have been of no help whatsoever.

HA! Actually I think I'm usually a pretty big idiot. And I did not attack you at all. I was trying to be helpful, I got confused because you did not post the complaint that you thought you did and you corrected me. I simply explained why I got confused. If you want that to be an attack then go for it.

@LisaSTL wrote:

How does that make you look? Like an in demand business person. You are thinking like an employee and we are anything but.

Try this. You tell a painter you would like your living room painted. The painter gives you the dates they have open, you respond by saying you will have to let them know. Time goes by, you don't say yay or nay on the dates offered while the painter gets other clients ready to commit. Should the painter cancel on those clients when you decide mid-week you really do want their services or should they try to reschedule you for the following week?

@frodosdojo wrote:

But where is my accountability when I tell the scheduler I am available on specific dates ? I feel that if I tell someone I can work for them on a certain day, then I stick to it. If something better comes along and I email the scheduler that I can't work the dates I committed to, how does that make me look ?

I am going to have to adjust my thinking on this. I appreciate your insight.

I could suggest a few other things to adjust your thinking on but I'm assuming it wouldn't be well received.....

I always suggest people mentally step back from mystery shopping and substitute another service provider because that is what we are. Ask yourself what the painter or plumber or landscaper would do in the same situation. They will make reasonable accommodations in order to earn and keep your business, but they will draw the line at losing out on day's or week's worth of other work.

That's funny! And btw, I get your annoyance also. Maybe it's time to bail before they waste any more of your valuable time? I would be seriously considering it.

quote: frodosdojo
That's the name of the company !

I understand what you're saying. This disregard for our schedules runs rampant in this business. Many MSCs and schedulers believe we are so beholden to them that we will just wait to see if they will schedule it. Sometimes it could be the Clients making the final decisions at the last moment, even on a Sunday, but I've not known of it personally. It's usually the MSC getting it together at the last minute. It's especially disappointing if you really wanted the assignment or one that depends on you completing this set.

This is very similar to my post office shops. I understand they have a certain amount of shops per period and must shop a location at certain intervals. However, if a company lists a shop with available dates from Aug 1-10th, I apply, and then they assign it to me on Aug 11th for the period of Aug 11th - 17th......pffffff....I have moved on with my schedule already and, unfortunately, usually have to cancel the shop with them. Even as much as I like to complete them.

Maybe not the post office shops, but I always have hope that the client will come to know how they are scheduling, or find out via shops/contract not being completed, and find another MSC. Hopefully one of my favs.

@frodosdojo Also, I would cancel the shop via email say, after a certain deadline (that I decided) since it wasn' t on the portal and let the scheduler know up front that I needed a firm assignment from them by that date. I had to do that with a testing center which works through a third party scheduler. One of the parties in that line kept dragging their feet and by the time they finally decided to give it to me, I had moved on. It didn't affect my rating when I told the scheduler to cancel.

It shouldn't make you look bad to change your availability if you've given the MSC a little time to respond to you initially. You can't wait around forever and they have to understand that.