I completed a good amount of shops for MaritzCX and never had any issues.. They would call me all the time to get me to complete shops for them and everything was going fine. Then one day I got a call about two shops that were only 8 miles apart... They ended up being over 20 miles apart from each other. I called Maritz after I was done reporting to ask about the shops I just completed. I assumed that maybe the man had made a mistake and assigned me to the wrong location. The lady I spoke to told me there was no way he could have assigned me to the wrong location. I ended up saying something on the lines of if he did not make a mistake than why would he lie about them being only 8 miles apart from each other? I felt like he just made a mistake. But the lady took it the wrong way and said she knows the man and he wouldn't lie. Which I agreed cause there is no reason to lie over something like that. After that day I have not heard from them again and I have not been assigned to any shops!!! I believe that lady probably told the man that I said he was a liar or something like that. So any ideas on how to fix this?? I loved shopping for them so this really sucks for me!

Hi,
That is frustrating. I've always had great communication with MartizCX, too. However, they are as human as you or I and capable of making mistakes. They are good folks.

It might be worth calling back and taking a high road. Contact the specific team and ask if you can speak to a project manager. Open by saying that you think you spoke more harshly than you intended (don't blame them for misinterpreting you, even if they did). Apologize and say that you would like to make sure that you are in good standing with them as you have really valued and enjoyed working with them over time.

I have no idea what their internal communications regarding your previous call have been like. When you call, assume the worst, show humility and see what they say. There is nothing wrong with apologizing for something you don't think you did (but might have been interpreted as having done). Your goal is to maintain a business relationship and you may have bridges to repair.

A thought for the future.... I would have approached my initial call with something like this, "Hi, I completed the two shops I was assigned, but was under the impression that I was going to be assigned two that were closer together. I want to make sure that I did the correct shops." This asks the same question you asked, but is completely non-accusatory. It is entirely possible that the two shops were eight miles apart "as the crow flies," but 20 miles apart by driving. Schedulers generally will not know our geography well enough to know that - and it's up to us to verify routes and distances before taking shops.

Thank you for the advice! I will call and see how it goes. I really hope I can get it resolved because I like doing work for them.

I'd love to hear how it turns out.

Just as an FYI I don't think they realize how far the shops really are from us. They will tell me a shop is 20 miles when I know it is really 40 miles.

Their distances are not driving distances, they’re “as the crow flies.” You need to figure out how far apart they are on your own before you accept

@Hoju wrote:

Their distances are not driving distances, they’re “as the crow flies.” You need to figure out how far apart they are on your own before you accept

True the map distance is far away from the real distance on all phases of MSing, we should all know that...but, they want to "sell the job".

They are very sensitive. They expect me to know that the person I am talking to does niot "know-understand' the guidelines. The fallback is to say put a note in the report. I do not want to go back to a $10.50 job.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2018 04:04PM by spicy1.

Agreed. Most of the shops i get from Maritz are easy to get to, outside of traffic issues....no mountain ranges or lakes to drive around....and often I am asked to accept shops that are =estimated by the MartizCS perosn to be close but are really pretty far away!

I had an email from The Source that a job was 1 mile, and (in fact) it was 16 miles, not even close and for 5.00,
had to say no.....

All companies, except for Cirrus and maybe a couple of others, have maps that are way off. Maritz has one of the suburb of my city as being 9 miles away when it is actually 30 miles. It is 30 miles on a 75 mph highway also and that is the end of my zip code to the beginning of that zip code. MF is the same or worse. When I'm talking to any of the companies about it I mention that their map is way off but only that and only when discussing a bonus. When the phone rings and I see it's a MSC I know they are going to want to negotiate so I pop open my google maps on my tablet.

When I lived on Long Island, the bank team kept trying to get me to accept shops in CT "Only 15 miles away." Except that those 15 miles crossed the Long Island Sound where there is no bridge or tunnel. To get over the bridge and thruway was over 80 miles round trip with tolls in both directions. Think I politely educated every member of the team on geography as I was telling them "no."

I have the same problem with Maritz trying to explain that the cities may not look that far apart on a nap but between them is this little obstacle calked the Sierra Nevadas.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/2018 07:41AM by whiterosie.

Yes, those sweet ladies do enjoy their "naps."

@kryswyn916 wrote:

When I lived on Long Island, the bank team kept trying to get me to accept shops in CT "Only 15 miles away." Except that those 15 miles crossed the Long Island Sound where there is no bridge or tunnel. To get over the bridge and thruway was over 80 miles round trip with tolls in both directions. Think I politely educated every member of the team on geography as I was telling them "no."

Unfortunately, not every member. I live on L.I. and constantly have to explain that I am not a crow. I don't know what system they use but Google maps give fairly accurate mileage. I wish they would switch from the system they are using.

Maybe they think this has already happened:
[www.courant.com]

I get the same thing being in CT about Long Island shops, but its not exclusive to Maritz.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2018 12:01AM by tcurione.

Interesting article. The Seaford/Oyster Bay expressway has been finished years ago waiting for the connecting bridge to Rye. In the meantime I'll continue the round about route of going through city traffic and using the Throgs Neck Bridge.

@MFJohnston wrote:

I'd love to hear how it turns out.

So I procrastinated about calling them. But, yesterday they called me to assign me to shops I applied for weeks ago! Haha! Apparently they have been going slow assigning people because of the new system. I was super nervous during the call you have no idea! Thankfully nothing was mentioned about the whole situation that happened. So I assume we are still in good standings!