Does anyone know why the hotel shops on A CLOSER LOOK that I click say "...this cannot be self-assigned"

I have been shopping for at least 4 or 5 years with them and supposedly have a good performance report. Now I can't self assign and unless the hotel is "bottom of the barrel" it is not likely I will be given the assignment. Anyone who has been with them a good amount of time will have noted the changes. Please give answer if you know what is actually the reason that a long time shopper in good standing would not be able to get hotel shops.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2018 02:15PM by krisjb1.

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This happens quite often. I was once told that it could depend on how many shops you had asked for that month, whether or not the client had preferred that a variety of demographics, and some other things not specified. Even though I never took the infamous pizza shops, btw, I still got many hotel shops, often with a slight delay.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

This happens to me often, my feeling is age (for me)....they keep me in pending forever, where I used to self-assign. Probably want a younger demographic or a newer fresher report and choose new shoppers...also they don't have to pay them as much. Remember we have so many new shoppers in large cites, this is just a business, no real loyalty to the shopper. I still have a few left that let's me self-assign.....

Live consciously....

I've been with ACL for over a decade (more like 15 years) and there are shops I cannot get self-assigned, even though I am a previous editor for them with good standing and I have an excellent rating. If I apply, I usually get what I want, but I am not always allowed to self-assign.

Some ACL shops require completion of a training module prior to self-assignment.

Interesting thought that age might be a factor. Despite more youthful shoppers often struggling to write a clear sentence with both a subject and a predicate...Hmm. I guess that may not be as important as point of view. But really, how much is point of view worth when there is no tp in the lobby ladies restroom?

Not only is there a delay, but no response at all now from the from the assignor. Very rude. I end up looking at the board the following day to see the shop either still posted or assigned to someone else.

@krisjb1 wrote:

Interesting thought that age might be a factor. Despite more youthful shoppers often struggling to write a clear sentence with both a subject and a predicate...Hmm. I guess that may not be as important as point of view. But really, how much is point of view worth when there is no tp in the lobby ladies restroom?

You may not like what I have to say - especially when I'm one of those young shoppers - but your response kind of lends credibility to the theory that younger shoppers are wanted. Nobody cares about subjects and predicates anymore. You also put an irrelevant and inaccurate generalization on an entire generation. Oh, and your comment about the restroom being out of TP? Yeah, we report that, too; I even include a note on whether the restroom had a lot of people going in and out so that if there was no toilet paper/paper towels/soap, the company knows whether it was related to how busy the restrooms were because as a millennial, I understand being blamed for something beyond my control so I don't want to put that on someone else.

I get that you're irritated by not being able to self-assign, but quite frankly, this is the world of business. I suspect that companies want to give more shops to younger people because millennials and Gen Z are the target market for a lot of establishments and as such, it makes sense that a peer should be assigned those shops. It may be annoying, but so are people who make comments about youthful shoppers with improper sentence structures while they have a decent amount of typos in their posts.

Hustle like you're a middle schooler tryna get a fresh pair of Js

@themomager wrote:

@krisjb1 wrote:

I suspect that companies want to give more shops to younger people because millennials and Gen Z are the target market for a lot of establishments and as such,

There are many shops that require or prefer a target age group, sometimes under 21, under 30, under 45, etc. In this case, I suspect it may have less to do with age than with ACL maintaining control over the assignment of particular shops.

@roflwofl that's entirely plausible too! There are so many different reasons that the shops are forever pending; the only way OP has a chance at knowing is for the company to tell them. It sounds like the hotel shop that they wanted was assigned to someone else so it makes me curious what criteria ACL has for hospitality shoppers.

Hustle like you're a middle schooler tryna get a fresh pair of Js

Certain "premium" ACL shops cannot be self-assigned. The shopper is selected by the scheduler, often assigning to someone who routinely does the difficult-to-get-completed shops. In other words, "If you do this "dog" shop, I will reward you with a hotel/steakhouse." I've shopped for ACL over 15 years; back in the day, they didn't do that as much, but it's their MO now. Regarding age, the age restrictions are always on the shop posting. As I get older, I too feel like my opinions are no longer appreciated by as many MS companies and/or their clients (except at the end of the month when they have gotten the shop assigned, then suddenly my age is okay!!!).

themomager: Being this is a casual forum I type quickly to get to the point so if you want to criticize my "work" you should become a mystery shop editor. As far as today's public education being much more than a "holding pen" for youth I have good reason to know as I have been a high school English teacher. I have first hand knowledge of which I speak... the correct use of subjects and predicates is beyond the mastery of many students Don't get me started about verbs. As far as target audience goes-there are more retirees on the road than ever before. They have money and time to travel and they want their money's worth because they worked so many years to earn it. I have been privy to so many retirees' critical remarks about hotels overheard in elevators it would make your head spin!

Perhaps the older population having more disposable income and more time might best be catered to- especially at the more expensive venues.

I've never even applied for an ACL hotel shop because they are reimbursement only. Not worth my time. Not to mention that in my area they have nothing upscale, just midgrade hotels.

Double post.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2018 06:50AM by JASFLALMT.

Generally the demographic is set by the client, not the msc. Just yesterday though I got an email regarding a shop I have not done for years due to the age max. When I mentioned this the scheduler said they had dropped the age requirement but looking at the shop details the age requirement is still there. I think they have too many of these shops on the board now so they have arranged to drop the age requirement. Yes, at least for ACL, it seems the demographic requirements go out the window when they cannot find shoppers...and probably the take this shop first and you can have that shop is also negotiable when there are supply and demand issues. Hotel shops are usually grabbed up so there is no reason for them to negotiate.
I remember doing a retail shop once where I was just below the age max. The day I was in the store I was the youngest person shopping there! The glitzy, expensive, loud, lowly lit store went bankrupt a few years later. Even the salespersons used a flashlight to read the labels. They should have listened to us shoppers of any age.

I had a week in Hawaii on points/credit card points earned doing hotels.

I frequently perform shops for ACL (and like them). Sometimes assignments can't be self-assigned because the schedulers use them to package with other, harder-to-fill shops like the pizzas or hot dogs.

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Does anyone know why the hotel shops on A CLOSER LOOK that I click say "...this cannot be self-assigned"

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