Have not been reimbursed or paid the $75 owed for August 8th lunch shop.

Have you heard of them? Either have I, but took a lunch shop through KSS
( Kern ) based on my trust in Kern.
In addition to the money I laid out for lunch, the shop involved a significant outlay of time; 3 pages of narrative plus scoring on an Excel spreadsheet.


I've had numerous promises through the scheduler that my check was in the mail-- $75 in this case was to finally arrive November 1st.
Now it's the week of Thanksgiving.

What angers me, is that the scheduler seems to be shielding this company. After asking 3 different times for the company's address, phone number and owner's name, all I get is his name is Bill.

So who is ultimately responsible?

Obviously this check will never arrive. Who gets the "demand for payment" certified letter?

Is it Operations Analysis, who I never heard of?
Or Kern who scheduled the shop, accepted the shop, scored the shop, and was probably paid for my hard work?

This seems very unusual for Kern. Most of the companies they schedule for have their own website, and, once Kern schedules, I report on that company's website and that company takes over, edits, etc., then pays me. I didn't realize Kern ever did more than schedule. There's never been a payment issue on any of the shops Kern scheduled me to, although they have never scheduled me on a company I was not already signed up with. I also have never heard of a company Operations Analysis. I just googled it and got zip. Who is the Kern scheduler? I'm guessing you were not required by Kern to sign up with the company before they scheduled you? And you sent the report back to Kern? Did you upload the Excel spreadsheet to their website or e-mail it back to the scheduler? Have you mpved up the management chain with Kern?

AustinMom,

I agree with you about Kern. They are very trustworthy and I too have never had a previous or post problem with any of their clients.
The shop was very unusual. I did not sign up with the client, so I have no solid information regarding the client.

The guidelines simply stated to record and time the lunch, then to report on Word and score on Excel ( part of the requirements was to have Microsoft Word and Excel)
Greg, the scheduler, emailed the guidelines with the Excel spreadsheet as an attachment.
The Word narrative was simply everything that happened from phone call to exit.
I had to interact with a number of people; the hostess, the bartender, the server, the manager, and the person who answered the call.
The minimum was a three page narrative plus their scoring spreadsheet.

The narrative and score sheet was then emailed back to Greg, who thanked me for a through, well done job.
Then crickets.

After months of waiting for payment, I emailed Greg, who in turn contacted Bill. Bill stated it was simply an oversight, and payment would immediately be mailed.
Crickets
Weeks later, same scenario.
Now it went from November 1st, to week of Thanksgiving, which is this week.


Greg just emailed me back. He states that he no longer schedules for this company, so he no longer has any other information other than Operational Analysis, and Bill.
He keeps telling me the company information was on the guidelines, but it wasn't. I save everything.

I've been copying Erica into every email, however she only answers when Greg does not. So far, she is letting Greg handle this matter, and is not getting involved.

I would have NEVER taken this job is Kern's name was not behind it.
After this experience, I will now check the actual company who is backing the shop, and no longer take the unknown.

Too bad, they do sometimes get the off beat, unusual clients, which changes things up for me, but I don't have the time to go through this kind of BS.
I'll stick with their tried and true.

As far as this Operations Analysis. Greg only stated that he does not schedule for them anymore. He will not say if they are still clients, so I just want to warn others against this client -- not of Kern, who I enjoy working for and wish this never happened.

I would assume that since you did not sign up with the company, your contract is with Kern and if the check does not arrive this week I would contact the head of Kern, Lorri Kern, at 520-615-0888. Because you contracted with and reported to Kern directly, they are where your "demand for payment" letter should go.

Thanks Flash.

Here's to hoping that check will arrive by Friday.

I agree with Flash that if you never signed up with this company, but you performed the shop for Kern, your contact is with Kern. I take this as a warning about Kern. It sounds outrageous. To hear that Greg, the scheduler, first contacted "Bill" who said the non-payment was an oversight and promised payment, but Greg now says "he no longer schedules for this company, so he no longer has any other information other than Operational Analysis, and Bill" and declines to provide any information at all about whether they are even still clients of Kern. That's SO B.S. If he e-mailed Bill repeatedly, he would have Bill's e-mail in his sent file. Can he not at least provide you Bill's e-mail address? You might try e-mailing Jackie at KSSJackie@kernscheduling.com .... because the whole thing just seems not to make sense. I have always felt Jackie is more on the ball than some of the others..... and she answers me VERY quickly where others do not. This sounds like something you may want to post on V, too, if you haven't already. Only I would post it under KERN as a warning about Kern.

DaScubaLady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Is it Operations Analysis, who I never heard of?




There is a firm called "Operational Analysis." They are a division of Hospitality One services.

[www.hsoneinc.com]

They require MS Word and Excel for their reports. It sounds like that is the company, to me.

I have never seen a shop offered through them where I live.

Googling the parent company yielded this:
[partners.zoominfo.com]

and this:
[employerdirectory.blogspot.com]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2010 10:16PM by Athens.

Thanks Athens --

What's the word on Hospitality One...or doesn't it even matter as Flash pointed out that my contract is with KSS not the end client.

The term used (Operations Analysis) makes me think of F&G hospitality, since it's used as the headline of their website. Bill is not one of the principles listed, however.

I think you have a right to demand the contact info from Kern, and speak directly with Lori, since it's her name on the company.

Athens & I cross posted. Apparently more than once company uses the term on their site.

Your battle is with Kern at this point, and the lack of a professional response from Greg does reflect negatively on them, so I think this should be posted as Kern feedback.

Is this the expensive noodle shop? Had enormous problems getting money last time but did after MONTHS.

No Canadamommy.
Not expensive noodle shop--I've seen that one. Different client from memory.
This was a sitdown bar/restaurant -- hate to call chain, as they have limited locations in the West US.

Steve SoCal-- Does your post mean that you have seen this client?
If so, was it only on KSS or on other scheduler's sites?

I personally have never seen a shop by these folks prior to August, and never saw them again after my early August shop --
It would be interesting to know if they are a current KSS client, which would suggest that Kern received payment.

As far as posting a ding on Kern, I don't want to do that -- yet.
I think it's only fair to give Operations Analysis till Friday.
If the check is still not processed, I'll escalate to Lori.

If Lori makes good on the money owed, or somehow forces OA to pay, then they should receive kudos not a ding -- regardless of the scheduler's emails -- I'm not privy to the back-story, so I'll give the benefit of a doubt and not factor that in.
Bottom line, it's how Lori handles this matter should the check not arrive.

In the meantime, can everyone will that check into my mailbox...I could really use it about now.

Since you referred to the company as OA, I have to ask - is Bill's last name Orilio?

Was the shop posed on the Kern site? Did you apply/get accepted from the Kern site? I ask this because it sounds like Greg emailed you (and presumably others) regarding the shop and then you accepted, and then he emailed you the items - i.e. he never actually used the Kern sassie site- which seems very odd. Am I understanding correctly?

Wouldn't that be a snafu!

Wow how weird. I just wrote a long post and poof...it's not here...Do I need to write my posts in word like a shop?
Just kidding, but this 1 won't be long -- too tired

Bottom line is that I received a nice note from Greg along with a forwarded email from Bill who states my check along with three others was mailed today.
As far as OA -- I only abbreviated it due to laziness, but the email address did have OA in it.

I don't think I can post last names; maybe that's why my post poofed, but it starts with the letter B, so it's not the Bill that others suggested.

After a nice long chat with Greg, who by the way, will not schedule for this company anymore waited for his fee; albeit not as long as us shoppers.
It sounds as if schedulers dread our non pays almost as much as we do, since they're responsible for being the go-between, and in this case he passed along the lies he was fed, which made for 4 rather angry shoppers.

Hopefully this time the check is really in the mail, it's the correct amount, and it clears. If it was mailed today, I should receive Wednesday.

As far as KSS, I'm glad I waited to see how this played out, and I'm glad Greg told me what he went through; I have a lot of respect for him as a result.

I still don't understand who exactly OA is and whether or not they have other KSS schedulers working to fill shops or if they have other schedulers out there, but I would say buyer beware on OA.

KSS on the other hand has my thumbs up.

Update.

Check arrived on Saturday.
Yeah.

The company is Operational Analysis, out of Texas.
Hand written check on a DBA account.

Even though the check was attached to nice note, it took just short of 4 months and lots of agata to receive.

DaScubaLady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Update.
>
> Check arrived on Saturday.
> Yeah.
>
> The company is Operational Analysis, out of Texas.
>
> Hand written check on a DBA account.
>
> Even though the check was attached to nice note,
> it took just short of 4 months and lots of agata
> to receive.

I was correct then?

Athens,

I'm not sure.. the check was a personal check with DBA/ Operational Analysis on the 2nd line. The bank said you can write whatever you want on a check to make it look like a business check, but it still is a personal check with a PO Box from Texas.

He had doubts and made a bet that it would be returned NSF -- it's been at least a week and I haven't heard anything, so no news is good news.

KSS just scheduled another shop for them, so I guess another scheduler picked it up, since Greg will not touch it after this last fiasco. I didn't even click on it, so I don't know the details.
Once is more than enough.