IPSOS

We need to pay attention so this doesn't happen again...it seems they have an over supply of closed shops.
I wonder what they have done with submitted reports, just not right.

Live consciously....

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More Discussions About Ipsos Mystery Shopping (All Companies)

People have said that they have been paid for a closed location for IPSOS, but they don't pay for closed locations so I don't know what's up with that. Did you know that, according to our contract, we are required to destroy our shop information after 30 days? Pretty cool, huh.

I am reading people saying this must be a new client and not the MSC's fault. I didn't see the job so I can't say for sure but these stories sure sound like the problems I had with the MSC and a cell phone client some time ago. Multiple locations closed or not actual storefronts, schedulers removing the shop completely (once notified of the problem) so no proof of job assignments exists. The cell phones jobs from earlier were not assigned in groups but besides that, this all sounds very familiar to me.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2018 01:38AM by wwin.

Mine was not a new client, they've been doing it for ages, but some of those stores did close across the nation.. I'm thinking they're using us to find out what has closed...I know many have said they did get paid, has this just changed.

Live consciously....

This sounds like a nightmare. I'm so sorry so many of you are having this issue. And so glad I didn't take any of these shops. I think the bundled ones were out of my normal shopping area, anyway, thank goodness (in case I'd been tempted to take one).

If you call a location and don't get either an answer or a "line has been disconnected" message, what are you supposed to do? Especially if you can't contact your scheduler. Not getting an answer doesn't mean the place is closed. If you don't go, you're damned. And if you do go and the place is closed, you're damned. They should pay for the shops that were completed.

I've pretty much stopped taking their technology shops, anyway. They don't pay enough for the time involved. I'll do one if it gets bonused, but sadly, it seems there must be other shoppers in my area who take them at base.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2018 02:57AM by BirdyC.

The usual cell shops they have are easy peasy and I take them all day long. They are for a company that makes phones that I love anyway and so I know everything about them. These new ones are for a cell phone company and are very different with much longer report that is based on the interaction itself. I don't do those judgmental interactions unless the report is very simple or pays $25 or more.

I assure you the editor forwarded your email on to the company.

Becky
becky@summitscheduling.com
Summit Scheduling & Editing

It's a completely different project with completely different guidelines.

Becky
becky@summitscheduling.com
Summit Scheduling & Editing

Do the guidelines say that if a location is closed or otherwise unable to be evaluated, that you will not be paid for any of the ones that you have completed?

Every project has different guidelines, but some of the guidelines do state that.

Becky
becky@summitscheduling.com
Summit Scheduling & Editing

EditorBecky: to be clear, you are an editor for this MSC? If so, you should state it in a tagline (it's common protocol in the forum for MSC reps to do this). Thanks!

However, and unfortunately, these guidelines do not state that.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

EditorBecky: to be clear, you are an editor for this MSC? If so, you should state it in a tagline (it's common protocol in the forum for MSC reps to do this). Thanks!

To be clear, I am one of multiple editors for this project, but I am not a representative for this company.

Becky
becky@summitscheduling.com
Summit Scheduling & Editing

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2018 01:59AM by EditorBecky.

Hmmm. Okay then. But it still would be helpful if you wrote in your tagline which companies you do represent. It's an unstated expectation.

I appreciate hearing from you. As I am an independent contractor, and not an agent for the company, so are these editors so I'm sure it's not necessary, and actually a bad idea, to state that she is by placing a tagline.

This is funny I also had another job from another company I called the store no answer got a message the voice box is full. I checked the web page it states the hours and directions. I went to the store it was closed another gentleman was standing looking in the window a not was on the window telling customers to contact them at this 800 number. He told me the other location in town was also closed. You can see inside it looks like they are in business this was around 1:00 Pm on Wednesday. I submitted the shop but doubt if I receive the full payment. My report was accepted.
I am disappointed in Ipsos

I really like and IPSOS and this just sounds crazy to me. I don't see how it makes any sense at all to ANYBODY including decision makers at IPSOS and whatever cell phone company this is about. I don't understand how an otherwise good company could allow itself to get into a contract that's likely to PO a bunch of their best independent contractors. And apparently be pretty blase' about it.

What's done is done. An egg cracked cannot be cured.
There are 3 kinds of lies. Lies, Damn lies, and statistics.

My job was not a cell phone it was for an appliance...why don't they have a list of closed (major) stores, once in
awhile his happens, but in my 11 years, never saw anything like having a client send a shopper to closed stores one after another.....then not pay. I do not call a store everytime i go out and rarely are they closed.

Live consciously....

In that case, I am not so sure I appreciate hearing from them in the forum.

And I see that Becky qualified that by adding an appropriate tagline, so my response is moot.

@spicy1 wrote:

I appreciate hearing from you. As I am an independent contractor, and not an agent for the company, so are these editors so I'm sure it's not necessary, and actually a bad idea, to state that she is by placing a tagline.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2018 04:16AM by JASFLALMT.

If I put all the companies that I work for it would be a novel.

There is no expectation that you should do so.

@spicy1 wrote:

If I put all the companies that I work for it would be a novel.

ok, so, more mods everywhere. congratulations.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2018 01:01PM by spicy1.

decided to weigh in on this (been absent for a while)...

i have no dog in this fight and while i'm not an apologist/spokesman, for either ipsos or their scheduling company/team (summit scheduling) both entities are nothing but...the best, top-of-the-line companies to work with.

summit's schedulers are communicative and pro-active, their editing team the same way and they treat us in the trenches with respect and value the work we do.

if ipsos chooses to do their own scheduling for a special/one-off project, etc i really can't comment on that other than sometimes it's best to stick with what you do best and not get involved with things that others can do better?

is it not incumbent to read the guidelines/instructions, etc for each and every assignment and not make assumptions that they will be the same (even day-by-day) or that its a one size fits all ?

if guidelines/instructions are to call before going to ensure the biz is still open, etc. and you didn't/can't or there is no answer or an answering machine then you didn't follow those guidelines/instructions you shouldn't be paid if the biz is no longer there.

If you called and there's no answer, then therein lies the dilemma. It's an actual and true dilemma that happens!

Just because they didn't answer, doesn't mean they are closed for business, especially a cell phone company as they are notorious for not answering the phone when they are assisting a customer.

One of my solutions has been to call a business that is next door or close by and ask them if the location I'm going to shop is open if they haven't answered the phone.

The same scheduling company scheduled these assignments, not a scheduler@IPSOS scheduler. So.....

Well, good news is my bundled shops have been approved. I had emailed the new addresses to the scheduler and he advised me to complete the reports and the editor would change the closed addresses to the new ones. So, it worked out, but still would have been much easier to do the shops and reports independently for more $$$. Now, I can't return to any of those places for several months.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

I generally do not call stores to see if they are open as in this large city if the place is still in business they have regular hours and usually more then one employee so being open is not dependent on the one employee being healthy. But I do check locations I am wary about on (often) yelp and yelp informs me if the particular address is closed. Then I will look at google earth to double check. I only do this when it is out of my area and I am suspicious because the job sat there for a long time. I have done this and informed the msc for free because it is a whole lot less of a bother than driving somewhere in Los Angeles for a few dollars. But I have taken a pic of a closed location for Ipsos once when I had a shop across the street and got paid the pittance all msc offer for that. It sounds like in this case the 4 shop thing is the issue. Hopefully they will get that straightened out as what those of you who ran into problems are reporting is more than unfair. Ipsos has always seemed to be one of the nicer companies.

Nice, but no pay for closed locations

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