Once a shopper starts getting emails for promo shops for A Closer Look, is that the top of the food chain? Just wondering if there is a higher shopper rating than whatever makes you eligible for promo shops.

I suspect, but do not know, that there is. Why? I get promo shop offers regularly but suspect that I am NOT yet at the top of the ACL tree!

what are promo offers? Are they the emails that say, "I'm sending this message to only a few of you. Literally, only six people"? LOL

@eyelove2shop wrote:

what are promo offers? Are they the emails that say, "I'm sending this message to only a few of you. Literally, only six people"? LOL

Literally almost everybody in the area who has done at least one successful shop gets some of these promos, although not all. Some of the promos are reserved for the best of the best, so just because you get some promo offers, you may not get them all. You can receive promo email offers and not be anywhere near the top of the chain.

As I understand it, a "promo" offer is a request to do a demonstration shop for a potential client that they are trying to impress with them. At least those are the ones that I have done.

I get lots of offers for promo shops. They usually have very generous reimbursements. Sometimes they aren't in my city and I don't do them, of course. I have found that payments and reimbursements are much lower after they snag the client, however.

@Jamesdf wrote:

Once a shopper starts getting emails for promo shops for A Closer Look, is that the top of the food chain? Just wondering if there is a higher shopper rating than whatever makes you eligible for promo shops.

It is my understanding that promo shops are assigned a rating just like any other shop, although I imagine it would be a higher rating than the shop would be assigned after they get the client.

My rating has been up and down the entire range. I once had a problem with a shop that I ended up flaking on and the scheduler had my rating lowered to the absolute bottom in retaliation. I spoke to an editor about the situation and she lamented the fact that prior to that I had their highest possible rating. It is normally very easy to tell where your rating is if you're familiar with what they shop. Sometimes after a shop is graded I'll log in and be like "oh they dropped my rating" or "oh I got a bump" because I pay attention to what shops are on their board. If you are not that familiar the best way to get an idea is to look at the job board in states that have high populations. You will see trends. For instance a large company that owns several casual dining chains. If you see the most basic brand only you're rating is pretty low. If you see a few of their brands then you're doing better, if you see their entire range then you likely have the highest rating. The same can be said for one of their hotel clients. See only 2.5*, most likely your rating is average, see a few of their 3*, then you likely have a high rating. If you can't see any hotels, well you have work to do.

Where do you check your shop grade?

You do not get to check your shop grade. ACL uses a supersecretrating.

Can you find out your rating based upon restaurants and their reimbursement? For example, I get assigned restaurants with over $100 reimbursement right away after I request them. When they sent out the email saying that you should request "premium shops" (and listed these restaurants with over $100 reimbursement) along with a pizza shop or lower casual restaurant, that makes me think that I possibly have reached the higher rating. Am I correct or is there a higher rating than these restaurants? I do see average hotels as well (the ones about $150 a night or so).

lbw,
It is possible that you see those lower ranked hotels because of your search radius. If you use the search method the bgriffin describes, for a major state, and do not see the higher ranked hotels, that will tell the tale.

I've been wondering about this. I actually got sent an e-mail about a shop that I don't see on the board, and was assigned it right away when I requested it. It's a reimbursement only, but it's take-out, and it's for a very great restaurant that I actually did a take-out and dine-in shop for a different MSC a year or two ago, so I don't mind. I was just curious though, since I still don't see the job on the board (not even in the section that shows shops that have been assigned), what this means as far as my rating. Any ideas?

I would like to thank everyone. After completing my 1st shop with ACL, a dine in reimbursement only shop that did not cover the cost, I stopped reading their emails. I had no clue that some shops were not visible to me until reading a thread here. A few month ago I received a "Please help" text, I was working nearby, hungry, and decided to complete the quick carry out shop. The next week an email arrived with a shop I had never seen. I completed it and received a "Great Job" email, I was inspired and completed 3 more. Now my list of available shops seems endless and I have 4-star hotels available.

@lunajumper wrote:

I've been wondering about this. I actually got sent an e-mail about a shop that I don't see on the board, and was assigned it right away when I requested it. It's a reimbursement only, but it's take-out, and it's for a very great restaurant that I actually did a take-out and dine-in shop for a different MSC a year or two ago, so I don't mind. I was just curious though, since I still don't see the job on the board (not even in the section that shows shops that have been assigned), what this means as far as my rating. Any ideas?

It means your rating is not high enough to see the job but they were desperate to have that particular location completed and so emailed it to local shoppers with a lower rating.

Thanks, that makes sense. I've only done three shops for them so far, but have five more scheduled right now, so hopefully I will be moving up quickly.

Hmmm, A higher level hotel shop in the DC Metro area just appeared on the list that I see, so maybe my 3 mid-level hotel shops earlier this month moved me up a notch? Or, maybe they just got a new DC hotel client, cause I see higher level hotel shops in other regions when I do routes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2017 01:29PM by walesmaven.