I found this on that old thread:

@BooG690
Marc Kravitz at i-SPY Hospitality has recently gotten more rude and crude in his emails.

I did an assignment at the end of July. Since he edits the reports as well, he had to make a handful of edits (about seven). He HATES making edits. He will criticize your work against an imaginary set of rules that he doesn't initially provide. After making these edits, he writes me an email that reads, "Your last assignment." I confirm that I received the email and thanked him since I really didn't enjoy working with him.

It's now Monday, August 17 and I'm only just now getting his check (this is slow for him). He sent me the check after a barrage of emails that he never answered. I called him about the check and he says to me, "Let me check." After that, he hung up on me. This is the owner of i-SPY Hospitality, mind you.

After emailing him telling him that I will have to make a Small Claims claim against his company, he finally emailed me back confirming that he sent the check ("I said I’d check on it. You said nothing. I hung up." - direct quote from email).

I write "respectfully" at the end of my emails. He responded: "You were rude in all communications with your assignments. Now you are “respectful”? Treat people as you would like to be treated.

I said I would check."

After asking him how I was rude, he wrote:

"Please – your work was crap no matter how much time I spent editing and providing feedback; not once with an apology on your end, or “thanks for taking the time to rewrite … sorry…” … All emails with not a word in the body … just rude and careless." (Proof here: [i.imgur.com])

Finally, the check comes in today. It's $30 short. For this amount, it's difficult for me to go to Philadelphia and file in Small Claims court (they require I be there in person).

This is NOT a person you want to work for. Steer clear of Marc Kravitz and i-SPY Hospitality.

I for one appreciate the head's up to never work for this jerk's company.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I found this on that old thread:

@BooG690
Marc Kravitz at i-SPY Hospitality has recently gotten more rude and crude in his emails.

I did an assignment at the end of July. Since he edits the reports as well, he had to make a handful of edits (about seven). He HATES making edits. He will criticize your work against an imaginary set of rules that he doesn't initially provide. After making these edits, he writes me an email that reads, "Your last assignment." I confirm that I received the email and thanked him since I really didn't enjoy working with him.

It's now Monday, August 17 and I'm only just now getting his check (this is slow for him). He sent me the check after a barrage of emails that he never answered. I called him about the check and he says to me, "Let me check." After that, he hung up on me. This is the owner of i-SPY Hospitality, mind you.

After emailing him telling him that I will have to make a Small Claims claim against his company, he finally emailed me back confirming that he sent the check ("I said I’d check on it. You said nothing. I hung up." - direct quote from email).

I write "respectfully" at the end of my emails. He responded: "You were rude in all communications with your assignments. Now you are “respectful”? Treat people as you would like to be treated.

I said I would check."

After asking him how I was rude, he wrote:

"Please – your work was crap no matter how much time I spent editing and providing feedback; not once with an apology on your end, or “thanks for taking the time to rewrite … sorry…” … All emails with not a word in the body … just rude and careless." (Proof here: [i.imgur.com])

Finally, the check comes in today. It's $30 short. For this amount, it's difficult for me to go to Philadelphia and file in Small Claims court (they require I be there in person).

This is NOT a person you want to work for. Steer clear of Marc Kravitz and i-SPY Hospitality.

Thank You for the warning. I don't know how big the audience of this site is in numbers but for all you know you may well have spared some shoppers from dealing with this MSC owner and the stresses and nightmares dealing with said owner seem to entail. Bravo to you for warning others!

It was others who did the actual sleuthing, I just copied and pasted. Thanks to other forum members. I didn't like the original post that started this thread as it was, but as more and more forum members chimed in with additional info, I became even less enchanted.

I have no reason to doubt what has been posted about @ispyhospitality. However, most stories have two sides. I'd be really curious to hear a response. What was posted online is pretty damning.

I notice that the OP has gone silent.

That went well!

Who'd have thought that when you act like an ass online, the online community will swiftly call you out for it??



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2018 12:38PM by Hoju.

@Rousseau wrote:

I notice that the OP has gone silent.

My guess - and it's only a guess as I don't personally know this MSC owner - is that said owner's ego is too big to handle reality thrown at him from the shopper's side of the table. I am sure that as a business owner his life can be stressful and there are problems and issues we don't know of that vex him and his business endeavors. That said, however, it really does appear, at least to this shopper, that this MSC owner was very much surprised to be called out and given a reality reading by the mystery shopping online community. I'm going to guess - once again I don't know this person, to be fair - that this may be the last we hear of this MSC owner, either for good or for some time. It would be nice if he would show his pixels and reply......but I don't believe that is going to happen. Whatever. Ten foot pole to this MSC owner and said owner's company. It would also appear as if I am not the only mystery shopper with this take.

@MFJohnston wrote:

I have no reason to doubt what has been posted about @ispyhospitality. However, most stories have two sides. I'd be really curious to hear a response. What was posted online is pretty damning.

You are correct there are two sides @MFJohnston

First, no matter what, it was wrong for me to disparage someone like that. I let frustration with an individual get the better of my emotions and wrote something I should not have. To you all reading in the MS community, please accept my apology for my error in judgement and decorum.

The explanation, not the excuse, is this person (I will take the high road and not write his name) was not “respectful” as they claim.

Three-plus years ago, this person did restaurant mystery shops for us for less than a year. All reports were subpar. We received reports without basic requirements fulfilled: including pictures, skipping bar visits, not finishing beverages, writing wrong food descriptions, and overall just not paying attention and repeating mistakes.

There were no apologies or gratitude. (We have all emails.). I should have stopped assigning this MS sooner. That was my error.

Yes, I learned from my lack of judgment. We all make mistakes. We learn and try to improve, make more mistakes and try again. That was three years ago and we have bettered ourselves since.

Again, no matter the circumstances, I was 100% wrong. Thanks for your time.

You get what you pay for, sir.

@Hoju wrote:

You get what you pay for, sir.

True that, Hoju. Though I do respect this MSC owner for returning and offering his side of the story it would appear as if the real issue has not been addressed - low pay for the shops this MSC offers coupled with very high standards. As others forum members have posted, professional experienced shoppers are not likely to snap up these fine dining shops with a $15 fee - this is the province of (mostly) newbies who are much more likely to submit "subpar" reports. How do I make this clear to this MSC owner? Namely, like with anything else, you get what you pay for. If you want quality reports and have high standards, fine. This in and of itself is not problematic - the problem is this MSC owner's refusal to face the music - i.e., if said owner wants quality reports, this said owner needs to be prepped to pay at a level where experienced professional shoppers will "bite" (in other words, accept these shops and submit high quality work).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2018 01:44PM by squireparty.

"6. Commit to at least ONE meal per month."

If we shop for you, are we guaranteed at least one assignment per month?

Most of the "fine dining" shops that I have seen have a $5 - $15 fee, this is not at all unusual. Which is why I don't do them.

Honestly, the fact that he offers a low fee for the fine dining shops does not bother me. It is well within industry norms. I won't do them, but if other folks are happy to do them to the satisfaction of the MSC, why should he pay more to coax me into them? Why pay $50 when somebody else will do the work for $10?

Now, if he were not able to get the quality that he's seeking in the visits and reports, it might make sense to raise payments. Of course, only he is privy to that information.

For restaurant shops, the meal and any fee on top of it are considered compensation. I therefore don't see an issue with the $15 fee. Other shoppers have given similar accounts on this forum and elsewhere of the MSC owner's behavior. What I would like to see are positive testimonials from current i-SPY shoppers who are active on this forum. If the owner has changed his stripes in the last three years, surely there must be shoppers here who can vouch for him.

The owner is correct on this. The fact that this forum exists to bash schedulers and mystery shop companies just shows the problems with this industry. If you are going to try and come here and ruin a company's reputation you should be held accountable if it's not true. Most here bend or stretch the truth to fit their poor me scenario. If you stand by your story why not make yourself known. The post on JMRidgeway last month, the constant bashing of other MSPs on a daily basis. it makes the industry look petty and ridiculous. AND after all the bashing you expect to get paid $75 for a fine dining shop is hilarious. Why would a company use anyone here when you can come and lie about them on a public forum and not be held accountable.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2018 08:18PM by samshopper.

oh and another one of my favorite posts, I signed up for a 100 MSP and I get to many emails. Grow up already.

Sam -

Not all of us disparage companies. The fact that you would bash all forum members under the same umbrella is just as bad as the bashing of companies about which you are complaining.

If you would read through many of the posts, you would see that a lot of shoppers who come with a "poor me" scenario are re-directed by seasoned shoppers who do frequent this site. *That* is what makes this forum valuable. You will also see that the majority of the knocking on various companies is from new shoppers who simply do not understand the industry. MSC's make a minimal effort to help new folks. Sorry, but most training videos only give shoppers basic ideas of what they need to do and no new shopper (who is likely short on money) can be expected to fly across the county to attend a conference on his/her own dime. There is a ton of very valuable information found through this forum. Experienced shoppers share freely here.

$75 for fine dining - that's after reimbursement, yes? (I have yet to see a dining shop for $75 + reimbursement). We'll assume that we are not really talking about "fine" dining as, in my experience, those dinners can easily top $200 for two.... This could easily amount to a profit of $15 for three hours of work. I'm sorry, but $5.00 an hour is completely unacceptable for anybody trying to make ends meet. In my area, MINIMUM wage is $15/hr. Yes, shoppers trying to support themselves should refuse to work for that.

@samshopper wrote:

The owner is correct on this. The fact that this forum exists to bash schedulers and mystery shop companies just shows the problems with this industry. If you are going to try and come here and ruin a company's reputation you should be held accountable if it's not true. Most here bend or stretch the truth to fit their poor me scenario. If you stand by your story why not make yourself known. The post on JMRidgeway last month, the constant bashing of other MSPs on a daily basis. it makes the industry look petty and ridiculous. AND after all the bashing you expect to get paid $75 for a fine dining shop is hilarious. Why would a company use anyone here when you can come and lie about them on a public forum and not be held accountable. I have been a shopper for 10 years and worked as a scheduler a few years ago. I had to quit because of self-entitled, overrated, self-important shoppers like you all.

I can't imagine how a self-entitled, overrated, self-important shopper like myself would make you quit your job. However, considering how you spoke to and about shoppers on this forum who have real or perceived issues with a shop, payment, scheduling, etc. I would like to personally thank you for quitting. I would not want someone who is as biased toward shoppers as you have shown yourself to be screwing around with my work and reports.

@MFJohnston wrote:

$75 for fine dining - that's after reimbursement, yes? (I have yet to see a dining shop for $75 + reimbursement). We'll assume that we are not really talking about "fine" dining as, in my experience, those dinners can easily top $200 for two

That was my post. Yes, that’s my fee. I do a couple a month for a boutique company. My reports need no editing. I’ll also testify (with pay) when necessary.

You did mention, that..... That's a rare payment for most of us.
Yes, I would do dining shops for $75 plus reimbursement.

@SoCalMama wrote:

@MFJohnston wrote:

$75 for fine dining - that's after reimbursement, yes? (I have yet to see a dining shop for $75 + reimbursement). We'll assume that we are not really talking about "fine" dining as, in my experience, those dinners can easily top $200 for two

That was my post. Yes, that’s my fee. I do a couple a month for a boutique company. My reports need no editing. I’ll also testify (with pay) when necessary.

Deleted by Poster

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2018 08:17PM by samshopper.

Do you know how many shoppers I could out as terrible shoppers who are always saying they are fantastic shoppers?

YIKES

@samshopper
I have no doubt that there are quite a few shoppers who turn in poor reports, can't bother to read guidelines, call at all hours, etc. However, let's look at why that happens:

* The screening from nearly every MSC before accepting shoppers is minimal. For the most part, if you have a pulse, MSC's will give you a shot. This of course will put a lot of stress on schedulers and editors as most folks will "dabble," drop assignments and vanish from the industry.

* If there are shoppers who continuously turn in low quality work and/or flake on assignments, the MSC should cut them loose. Period. The shopper will still have plenty of other companies, but, if the reason for being turned away is explained, the shopper just might might learn a lesson. You cite a shopper who turns in lousy reports. Has the shopper been informed as such, or does she keep getting paid to do lousy work? Overall, I assume that my work is good. However, I rarely get feedback from most companies more than, "You had a few grammar errors." Of course, sometimes that feedback is written with grammatical errors, leaving me to wonder if I actually did have blunders or if the editor is the one with grammar issues. So, I am left to assume that my work is "good enough."

* Let's face it: This is not something you can jump into and a make a living wage. It takes some time and work to establish yourself. Folks who have skills, a strong work ethic and/or good education are largely already employed with more traditional careers. Supporting a family with mystery shopping is extremely difficult. In other words, folks with other options for careers will rarely become shoppers full time. If MSC's want well-educated professionals to perform all their shops, they will have to offer considerably more in payments - perhaps hiring folks as employees to be full-time shoppers, earning benefits. However, I do not believe the industry is financially set up to do this. It would mean that MSC's would incur higher expenses and have to charge clients more. More clients would back out of mystery shopping programs.

Forums like this do not ruin the industry. They might highlight things within the industry that need improvement, but a conversation board cannot destroy a company. Any MSC that feels threatened by this forum needs to take a long look at itself.

"In other words, folks with other options for careers will rarely become shoppers full time."

Wow. Just wow. Bgriffin, walesmaven, myself and others should just take our toys and go home since we only shop full time because we have no other options.

That's not at all what I meant. I would suggest that the folks who do this full time are rare. I'm not saying that the folks who do do this full time are devoid of skills. Rather, that most folks choose other paths. I would also suggest that I have shown enough respect for all of you over the last two years that you should know that I think much more highly of you than that.

@LisaSTL wrote:

"In other words, folks with other options for careers will rarely become shoppers full time."

Wow. Just wow. Bgriffin, walesmaven, myself and others should just take our toys and go home since we only shop full time because we have no other options.

These are great points. However, limiting applicants isn't always the answer. I believe shoppers must be coached and trained. MSCs need to do a better job with expectations. When I started shopping I had no idea how to write a good report. I was frustrated when it was returned for explaining NO answers, to me this was self-explanatory. (no he wasn't wearing a name tag, I checked it why do I need to type it) it was redundant. Once it was explained to me it made total sense and haven't had a report rejected since. Do new shoppers really understand this is a job, or do they think they are doing it for fun and it's optional? The MSC's that allow shoppers to go through some type of orientation process could probably benefit from less rejected shops and less flakey shoppers. Would the shoppers do the orientation though? If they are not willing should they be allowed to shop? All thoughts I used to ask myself when I scheduled. Just throwing a body in a job to complete a shop benefits nobody, not the scheduler, the editor nor the client.

@MFJohnston wrote:

@samshopper
I have no doubt that there are quite a few shoppers who turn in poor reports, can't bother to read guidelines, call at all hours, etc. However, let's look at why that happens:

* The screening from nearly every MSC before accepting shoppers is minimal. For the most part, if you have a pulse, MSC's will give you a shot. This of course will put a lot of stress on schedulers and editors as most folks will "dabble," drop assignments and vanish from the industry.

* If there are shoppers who continuously turn in low quality work and/or flake on assignments, the MSC should cut them loose. Period. The shopper will still have plenty of other companies, but, if the reason for being turned away is explained, the shopper just might might learn a lesson. You cite a shopper who turns in lousy reports. Has the shopper been informed as such, or does she keep getting paid to do lousy work? Overall, I assume that my work is good. However, I rarely get feedback from most companies more than, "You had a few grammar errors." Of course, sometimes that feedback is written with grammatical errors, leaving me to wonder if I actually did have blunders or if the editor is the one with grammar issues. So, I am left to assume that my work is "good enough."

* Let's face it: This is not something you can jump into and a make a living wage. It takes some time and work to establish yourself. Folks who have skills, a strong work ethic and/or good education are largely already employed with more traditional careers. Supporting a family with mystery shopping is extremely difficult. In other words, folks with other options for careers will rarely become shoppers full time. If MSC's want well-educated professionals to perform all their shops, they will have to offer considerably more in payments - perhaps hiring folks as employees to be full-time shoppers, earning benefits. However, I do not believe the industry is financially set up to do this. It would mean that MSC's would incur higher expenses and have to charge clients more. More clients would back out of mystery shopping programs.

Forums like this do not ruin the industry. They might highlight things within the industry that need improvement, but a conversation board cannot destroy a company. Any MSC that feels threatened by this forum needs to take a long look at itself.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2018 10:01PM by samshopper.

@samshopper

You said that, once it was explained to you, that you now understand the need for the redundancy in reports regarding the "no" explained in detail. Can you tell me what was explained to you so that I can know why this is?

I saw that you talked about the JMRidgeway example and that the example turned out to be a shopper at fault. This forum is full of examples where the mystery shopping company is at fault. I also receive emails wherein the editor writes "Their were a few grammatical errors."

Explaining no answers is simple: If you do not explain it, how does anyone know that was not an accidental click of the mouse. People's livelihoods can be connected to shop scores, so every no deserves an explanation.

There are areas of the country where shoppers are scarce. In those areas, the companies accept a lot of shops that require intense editing. We've said here many times that it is about supply and demand. Cutting them loose is not always an option for some areas.