Previously, this MSC was 'supposed' to run payroll (still their stated policy on Gigspot) for a previous month on the 27-30 of the current month and then inform shoppers via email when the checks (yes, they DO NOT use Paypal) would be mailed. I have learned that this policy has now been permanently changed to the 15-20th, two months later. So, for example, if a shopper did work in September, the check would be printed between the 15th-20th of November. An email is supposed to be sent to the shopper when that check is mailed (late November). Bottom Line? -- A shopper will receive a check 8-12 weeks after the work is done! .

Well, if that's true, it's unfortunate as I'm doing a bunch of work for them at the moment. I was expecting a check for the largest portion of my November shops to be mailed end of December. May I ask how and from whom you learned this?

From Emma at Strategic.

They have also lost several clients recently

Well that's unfortunate.

Interesting you guys mention them... they had a casual dining shop I used to do monthly as there are several locations in central Ohio and I haven’t seen it on the board since the end of October.. so it looks like they might have lost that client. Too bad I loved that place and haven’t seen it with another MSC...

I think they lost my favorite shop. I bagged gigspot, was able to return to the classic site, and still haven't seen the shop. My test for that client was noted as not having been completed even though I completed it years ago. I thought they may have removed me from that client but thought I would drop gigspot first to see if that was the issue. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if they still have that client.

I'm hoping that this is a *future* policy and that the terms have not been changed from the dates of already completed shops.

Just on their job board they had 19 shops nationwide. I have done at most 10 shops for them in all my years. No big loss.

@BuffaloNY101 wrote:

Just on their job board they had 19 shops nationwide. I have done at most 10 shops for them in all my years. No big loss.

That's odd! I just check Strategic Reflections right now, and they are showing 946 Open Opportunities nationwide right now!!

The written policy on their website does not reflect any change. To me it is a non-issue. The main client they have near me only pays $10 for shops that at 90 minutes were not worth it with the previous MSC that paid $15 to $18. It left a bad taste when a scheduler deactivated me for refusing to take any at base rate. Despite having my account reinstated after complaining to another scheduler, I still do not check their website.

So basically they are just admitting what has been true for a year. When I first started with them they "processed payroll" the end of the following month. So a shop done in Jan would be "processed" the end of Feb. But somehow or another it took them 10 days almost always to "process payroll" and checks would be mailed on the 10th. Then it became the 12th. Then it became the 15th. It's hovered, for me at least, around 15-18 days for a year or so. At least there's something to be said for them being honest instead of this whole "it takes 18 days for us to print a check" crap.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2017 05:42PM by bgriffin.

@guysmom wrote:

@BuffaloNY101 wrote:

Just on their job board they had 19 shops nationwide. I have done at most 10 shops for them in all my years. No big loss.

That's odd! I just check Strategic Reflections right now, and they are showing 946 Open Opportunities nationwide right now!!

I show 1725 nationwide but Zip for a 75-mile radius around me.

@2stepps wrote:

@guysmom wrote:

@BuffaloNY101 wrote:

Just on their job board they had 19 shops nationwide. I have done at most 10 shops for them in all my years. No big loss.

That's odd! I just check Strategic Reflections right now, and they are showing 946 Open Opportunities nationwide right now!!

I show 1725 nationwide but Zip for a 75-mile radius around me.

Hmmm! Mine still shows a lower number than yours...right now it's at 918. Wonder why that is??? Maybe because I don't qualify for several of their shops, so I can't see them. Interesting, tho!

Hello Everyone, this is Emma at Strategic Reflections.

I follow mystery shopping forums, so our team can understand everything our shopper's go through so that we can improve our business. We value each and every one of you.

I was informed of this post recently and wanted to ensure everyone has the correct information.
We have not changed our pay policy. We have had the same policy since we started in business. I do understand however, that our pay policy is a bit difficult to understand the way it has been written, so I am in the process of working with the IT department to get the wording changed.

We do not have an option for pay pal or direct deposit. The only form of payment we offer is paper check.

An example on how payment works:

Any shops completed in October, the checks are mailed between the 10th and the 15th of December.

October checks go through the final editing, processing and client approval throughout the month of November. At the end of the month the checks are printed.
The beginning of the following month (December) the October checks are then stuffed, sealed, and stamped. After that the checks are placed in the mail, this happens between the 10th-15th.


Printing what is below may help keep track of your payment:

October shops paid in December
November paid in January
December paid in February
January paid in March
February paid in April
March paid in May
April paid in June
May paid in July
June paid in August
July paid in September
August paid in October
September paid in November


Thank you and I hope this helps!

Hi @econwell,

I'm curious if you could answer a question. On average how many checks are mailed each month? I ask this only because it seems odd that it takes 10-15 days to stuff some checks in envelopes and mail them. It is reasonable for someone to think this is just an excuse to push your payment terms out another 10 to 15 days.

Absolutely it is reasonable to question your own payment.
I'm not sure on an exact number because I am not included in that information but I want to say about 3- 5 thousand depending on the month. I do know we have 1 person whom does the stuffing and such because we don't want too many hands on your payments.

Emma is stating something different than what was told to me via email yesterday. I was told yesterday via email (yes, i have it in writing!) that the checks would be PRINTED and SENT between the 10th and 20th of December for October shops. I was also told that their stated policy (Gigspot) of emailing auditors when checks are mailed is still in place. According to staff at Strategic as of one hour ago, checks have not been cut yet....I don't know about emails, but i sure haven't received one. YMMV

This has always been the payment policy as far as I know, December gets paid in February just like the old Papa Johns MSC, there were some who believed they paid the next month.

Also, when I was a bookkeeper, I would take the statements, checks and letters (around 50,000) to Staples where they have an envelope stuffing machine, it is an option!

@Winemaker
Can you forward me that email? I do not ever remember telling you this. And if an email was sent from my account by another employee or possibility someone different we have a bigger issue on hand.
Yes an email is sent by me personally when Strategic Reflections payment is placed in the mail. Gigspot has nothing to do with Strategic Reflections payment as they are not our company.

@econwell wrote:

Yes an email is sent by me personally when Strategic Reflections payment is placed in the mail. Gigspot has nothing to do with Strategic Reflections payment as they are not our company.

Yes, I have always gotten a personal email from Emma when checks go out, and I appreciate it, and always send her back a "Thank you" for letting me know. No problems here with Strategic Reflections!

Ditto Guysmom's comments. I completed my first shop for SR in 02/08, with a current tally of 400+ jobs. During the past decade, I do not recall a single problem with either editing or payroll and they have a toll free number. In addition, a big plus for me is they do not require a cell phone.

I rate this MSC a "three thumbs up!"

@shopperbob wrote:

I rate this MSC a "three thumbs up!"

I don't think I would go that far. Try rescheduling a simple shop with a 2 week shopping window because of snow and getting flack that they're not supposed to reschedule shops.

Or try moving and a scheduler attempting to deactivate your account because she called during the 3 days your phone was disconnected even though you had sent her several emails during those 3 days.

Your phone was disconnected because you moved? That used to happen when I had a landline but not anymore since cellphones. Do you not have a cell phone?

Why does having a cell phone matter? I had both at the time. Great companies got both numbers. Not great companies only got my landline.

I see. So you gave them your landline, they couldn't contact you and that's their fault.

Huh??

@spicy1 wrote:

This has always been the payment policy as far as I know, December gets paid in February just like the old Papa Johns MSC, there were some who believed they paid the next month.

Believed? Unless the order of the roman calendar had changed when I used to track my payouts, they sure did pay at the end of the next month...until a certain point in time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2017 08:33PM by AlfredB1979.

I encourage everyone who works For SR to read SR's Gigspot blurb on payment policy. It clearly says that payments are processed at the end of the month FOLLOWING the month in which the work is done. Then it ambiguously states that an email is sent to shoppers saying when the checks will be mailed. I was TOLD that checks are mailed "...at the beginning of the next month..." Hindsight tells me (as well as posts here by AlfredB and others) that payments used to be received earlier, are consistently arriving at later dates, and are now received by shoppers two or three weeks later, (post the the 15th of each month!) at best.
That practice and verbiage is deceptive. If SR would just tell us what the payment schedule is, we will decide if we want to work for SR.
Emma, you are picking nitsl...sending an email 'saying' a check has been mailed on 12/15, and telling the shopper that the day of their receipt of said check will vary depending on USPS, is NOT good customer service.
Especially after telling them the payment to shoppers are verified far earlier! If a shopper did a report for you on 10/1...it is LIKELY that they will not have a payment in their hands until Christmas! Here's a hint: Use Paypal. ...of course, unless, er...ah...um...SR is milking the cash flow stream...oh yeah...that's probably it!

It says "begins processing" it doesn't say PAYS.