Hey Sentry - PAY ME to take your survey.............

I am kinda sick of MS companies that think nothing of presuming on my time:

Here is my response to Sentry asking me to take a survey:

"Thank you for the opportunity to do a survey. Were you planning on paying shoppers to complete it? If only a few dollars? Or perhaps an added bonus to the next shop they sign up for?

As a company that pays employees to do work for you, I am sure you an appreciate that shoppers (independent contractors) are also doing work for you by taking the time to fill out your survey so that Sentry can run more efficiently and profitably.

I am not at all against surveys, but asking someone to do "work for free" (doing your survey) is not something your would ask your employees to do, and so shoppers, in my view, should not do surveys for free either.

I do not imagine that if you ask employees to do a survey that they must "clock out" and do the survey then "clock in" when they are done?

I am happy to help make Sentry a better company by completing your survey- I just want to get paid for my efforts.

Thanks kindly, I look forward to doing any possible shops or endeavors in which I get paid.

Best Regards,

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2018 01:55PM by catlassy.

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I have to agree, that was a bit nervy......

Live consciously....

I took the survey with no problem just as I would for any other MSC. The survey wasn't hard and It gave me a chance to express my opinion. It took 5 minutes, quit being ridiculous about being paid for it. I bet you wouldn't have posted this about any other MSC.

Marketforce is always sending surveys. I agree with a171989, it is an opportunity to express yourself. What are the odds you will be, one of the ten, to win the $50.00 gift card (if you call that payment).

After all the whining and crying I have seen on this forum about mystery shopping companies never taking advice from shoppers/not checking shop guidelines and setup with shoppers/not letting shoppers have everything their way, I still wondered how long it would take for someone to post about the Sentry survey with OP's opinion.

I respect that our time is valuable (!!!) and I absolutely understand where you're coming from, but it sure seems like a big difference between a MarketForce survey about theater experiences and a company you frequently contract with asking for your opinion. They're trying to make their company better FOR US - that's what the entire survey was about. I don't think any of the questions would really result in them being able to make more money, just to make our lives easier. It's what shoppers on here have been asking for. I could see if they contracted a few shoppers to do a focus group and paid them as consultants for in-depth work, but this is just for a quick option and suggestions on how to help US.

But hey, ya can't please errbody.

I don't mind taking the survey BUT the code is uniquely tied to your account. Don't think your answers are anonymous.

"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams

"They're trying to make their company better FOR US - that's what the entire survey was about."

I said I did not mind doing surveys-- but I rarely do them for anyone- including MF. I think it is nervy for a company to use my info to make more $$ and not compensate me for my time............I dont work for free.... if others do- that is fine. If you think they give a rat's patootie about "making things better for US" I think this naive.

PROFIT- that is what business is about. If you happen to benefit- it is a sidebar to them. Its not inherently "evil" -
but that is their nature to make as much money and pay shoppers as little as possible.

Q: Do MS companies pay you as MUCH as the can?? OR as little as possible?

OP Did they deactivate you yet? They should in my opinion.

Honestly, I'm surprised the OP still has an account with them by the way she talks. You would think she would have deactivated her own account a long time ago.

@SoCalMama wrote:

OP Did they deactivate you yet? They should in my opinion.

OP had you taken the survey you wouldn't have to ask those questions. Sentry just wanted to know what we think of their payment system and what sets them apart from other MSC. You took all of that time to type out that long post (for free BTW) about not taking a survey. You should have spent that energy on taking the survey and letting Sentry know how you feel in a professional, private way.

wow

Those 5 minutes can be better spent than doing a survey. I completely agree with catlassy. I don't do them for any MSC.

@a171989 wrote:

I took the survey with no problem just as I would for any other MSC. The survey wasn't hard and It gave me a chance to express my opinion. It took 5 minutes, quit being ridiculous about being paid for it. I bet you wouldn't have posted this about any other MSC.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2018 08:14PM by HonnyBrown.

Spent doing what? Making a post about it on a public forum?

I don't do surveys either but I felt I needed for Sentry to know and understand why I don't do shops for them. For them, that info is priceless but for us shoppers, it will hopefully make things better in the future. That's the whole point of surveys.

I'm also in the no surveys, opinion polls, or other market research data collection activities for free camp. The people conducting the surveys, polls, etc are usually making money off the aggregate data they collect, so I feel I should be paid (or fairly compensated) for my information and time.

I find it very interesting that almost all MSCs tell us NOT to fill out receipt surveys, yet ask us to fill them out for free...kinda hypocritical wouldn't ya say?

As for posting on this forum, that is not work, it is a hobby or personal enjoyment activity. I do lots of those for free as that is how I choose to use my time. I value the things I choose to do much differently than those things I have to do or am being asked to do by someone else.

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2018 08:27PM by msimon-2000.

My real problem with this is once any MSC gets shoppers to take a survey, it will be a monthly thing, and you just may (secretly) get a bad rating for not taking them...just my opinion...any MSC can read the forum and know what shoppers want, starting with more money.

Live consciously....

@HonnyBrown wrote:

wow

Those 5 minutes can be better spent than doing a survey. I completely agree with catlassy. I don't do them for any MSC.

Wow is right. Instead of taking the 5 minute survey, catlassy had plenty of other things to do with her time ..... like whining on an internet forum about a survey she thought wasn't worth her time.

OP, is knocking Sentry your new hobby? This is not your first post whining about Sentry emails that you could easily ignore if you aren't interested.

Hello catlassy,

We sent this survey out because we generally want our shoppers to enjoy shopping for Sentry. We want our shoppers to feel we value what is important to them. We look at shoppers like our business partners so to speak and it's good to ask for their opinions and see what's working and not working in their eyes.

Thank you to the thousands of shoppers who took the time to answer the survey, we appreciate your feedback and thank you for taking 5 minutes out of your day to help make our working relationship better.

The survey is absolutely optional so if you feel you want to be paid to voice your opinions then you may opt out, that's what makes this industry so wonderful. We can make our own decisions about our own businesses and time.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

Susan
Sentry Marketing

@catlassy wrote:

"They're trying to make their company better FOR US - that's what the entire survey was about."

I said I did not mind doing surveys-- but I rarely do them for anyone- including MF. I think it is nervy for a company to use my info to make more $$ and not compensate me for my time............I dont work for free.... if others do- that is fine. If you think they give a rat's patootie about "making things better for US" I think this naive.

PROFIT- that is what business is about. If you happen to benefit- it is a sidebar to them. Its not inherently "evil" -
but that is their nature to make as much money and pay shoppers as little as possible.

Q: Do MS companies pay you as MUCH as the can?? OR as little as possible?

Susan
Director of Operations
Sentry Insights and Marketing

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2018 10:57PM by Sentry_Susan.

Hi everyone. I hope you are having a great weekend.

I'm dropping in to respond to a few points about our survey.

- The survey is 100% voluntary.
- We sent out over 80,000 invitations.
- There is and never will be a penalty for not responding.
- We won't be providing payment for completing the survey.
- We don't sell any of the collected information. This information is for Sentry use only.
- We did not claim the survey was anonymous. It's not.

It's disappointing that our intentions were interpreted as nefarious by some. The information we've collected from past surveys has been instrumental in several important policies and procedure changes. Our team understands that we have room for improvement and the views of our shoppers play an important role in our process improvement plans.

I don't expect this post to change anyone's view. Simply, I wanted to provide some context for those readers who would like to hear both sides of an issue.

Thanks for listening.

Dave

You have 80 K shoppers?
I find that hard to believe. Maybe a data base of that many but not that many shoppers. A whole lot of shoppers have found other means than Sentry......

@Sentry Marketing wrote:

Hi everyone. I hope you are having a great weekend.

I'm dropping in to respond to a few points about our survey.

- The survey is 100% voluntary.
- We sent out over 80,000 invitations.
- There is and never will be a penalty for not responding.
- We won't be providing payment for completing the survey.
- We don't sell any of the collected information. This information is for Sentry use only.
- We did not claim the survey was anonymous. It's not.

It's disappointing that our intentions were interpreted as nefarious by some. The information we've collected from past surveys has been instrumental in several important policies and procedure changes. Our team understands that we have room for improvement and the views of our shoppers play an important role in our process improvement plans.

I don't expect this post to change anyone's view. Simply, I wanted to provide some context for those readers who would like to hear both sides of an issue.

Thanks for listening.

Dave

I think it’s great Sentry took the time to respond and give details about the survey.. thanks for that! I don’t have a problem personally getting the surveys from MSCs.. if I have time to complete them I will if not I don’t. I can see both points of view but to me it’s just not something I feel super strongly one way or another. I think it’s great when MSCs take time to post on the forum even if people don’t like what they have to say.

Sometimes I'll take a survey. Sometimes I won't. I filled out Sentry's last survey, but haven't done this one. Simply put: I have yet to do a shop for Sentry and have hardly been on their job board since the last survey. However, when a company for which I shop frequently puts out a survey, I take the five minutes to do it. I figure that if they are taking the time to send out a survey and ask for my input, they are trying to make something a little better for me. A small change for the better with an MSC for whom I work a lot, can make a big difference for me in the long run.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

I don't take any of the surveys, for any company. To say that, on a public forum, doesn't make me a whiner and it doesn't make the op a whiner. What does how the op feels about surveys have to do with Sentry deactivating them? That's the definition of nefarious and it's a very mean spirited response and smacks of spite. Most especially coming from the three people who have talked the most smack about the msc.

MF publishes their surveys and it brings them fame and money. I've never seen a list of the survey winners. My company puts out surveys and says that they are optional and the responses are anonymous. I don't know how they can make them anonymous and still enter me into the survey. When I don't answer the survey I get 5 more emails requesting that I answer the survey. When companies and agencies call me and ask me to do a survey I tell them that I get paid to do the survey. Although Sentry's survey said that it was to make them a better company and that would enhance shopper's experiences, you wouldn't know that for certain unless you did the survey.

Field Agent and WeGoLook provides work to about 6% of the people actually signed up with them.

wrong thread

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2018 05:04AM by JerseyGirlShopper.

I didn’t get the Sentry email.

I’ve actually won 2 Amazon gift cards from MF already in the last two years.

I don't really have an opinion either way on this, I guess I lean more towards I don't necessarily think we have to get paid for a voluntary survey..as I have completed Bare's after I have completed a shop so I can provide input; but I can see how some would feel a little compensation would be nice if the surveys are used to improve the company..I did want to point out that I'm very happy Sentry takes the time to respond to posts on this forum and explains their thought process... As a newer member of this forum; it's tough to know when a member holds a grudge even after an issue is resolved ( Not saying this is the case with catlassy) or if the company is truly horrific and it's hard to guage that when we get no feedback from the msc itself...
Just as an example;
I shop Intellishop all the time with no issues, but on this forum they get slammed. all the time...as far as I know no one is on here from Intellishop so based on this forum if I didn't know better and I hadn't shopped Intellishop my knee jerk reaction would be to put them on my Do not shop list and missed out on extremely easy shops and reports...

Shopping Idaho and Oregon/Idaho border region.

I got the invite to do the Sentry survey. When I typed in that I had never yet done a shop for them, the survey directed me to the end of the survey, and I could not answer any other questions. I am signed up with Sentry, but have never completed a shop for them. Part of the reason was the past use of Bill.com, plus, I'm not crazy about using Dwolla, plus, they get a LOT of negative press in the forum....not ALL of it is false, some may be, I understand that. But I would have thought that Sentry would WANT to have known WHY I had yet to complete a shop for them, and would have had a place in the survey to address that. But....I reckon not! Oh well.

That's why I haven't completed a shop for them, because of their payment methods. I take paypal and direct deposit to a bank account I use just for shopping and that's pretty much it. If they want to send a debit card that is specifically for them, I would do that also. I don't have time to track bill.com, dwolla and all of the other methods that some companies prefer, for whatever reason. Each company that pays through paypal I've never had a problem with and I use the paypal debit/credit card to pay for the shop's required purchases.

@JerseyGirlShopper Do you only shop for companies that process payments via Paypal?

I will complete surveys for almost all who send them. Confidential Consumer just sent one. Took 2 minutes. Market Force sends them out too and will keep sending you reminders. I would love to perform a first shop for Sentry. None in my vicinity.

@Sentry Marketing I take paypal and direct deposit to a bank account I use just for shopping and that's pretty much it.

@JerseyGirlShopper Did you have to give your banking information to the companies that pay via direct deposit?

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Hey Sentry - PAY ME to take your survey.............

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