Why are we accepting shops that pay $4, %, 7 and even 9 dollars?

Any shops takes 1/2 hour to select it, review the guidelines, print it and then prepare for it. Then Drive to the shop (time & Gas $) Shop time, start report notes, If not driving to the next shop, drive back home and start to input the repetitive questions to the report that take on average forty five minutes to an hour. Dive the shop pay into that and I get about $1.50 to $2.00 maybe?.

I have stopped taking shops that pay less than $15.

It is absurd to do all that work and all that car and gas expense from me/the shopper to get this extensive report that one gets paid $4 to $9 or a couple of dollars an hour Maybe?.

Plus if there is a comma missing or one misspelled word or one run on sentenced it gets either returned back for correction and you get your rating drooped.

Not to mention but here it is, the continued threatening about not paying your for the shop

So you are being tested to all kinds of quality control to pay you a buck and hour?

I think I have to get out of this business.

Sorry I just had to vent out, I need to know if any one feels the same way and how are you dealing with this.

I have taken myself off a few companies that all they have is these $4 & $7 shops.

Homeless and beggars without cars or doing any work at all get more money on the street corners than these shops pay.

When are these companies going to pay $15, $20 and up for 9-10 rated shoppers.

Carlos

The companies pay the ridiculously low fees because they know the newbies will take them. The newbies think they're getting their feet in the door or making a name for themselves in uncharted terrirory. Money and greed is the name of the game with most companies and there are companies out there who will use every excuse they can think of to either reduce the fee for a shop or get out of paying it altogether. There are companies that will proclaim their innocence and say they won't use a report they didn't pay the shopper for but that's bull. Until shoppers refuse to accept a shop that pays peanuts the companies won't wake up.

I agree, it is what holds the industry down. I will accept jobs for 10.00, but only in my town since I pass by and am not working otherwise. I'm doing a Smart&Final for $7.00 (horrible), but I need a couple things and it's 2 miles from me. When it's easy, do it, if it requires driving, gas, time, no say no!! This MSC is also very strict in it's editing, this job should pay at least 12.00, but....

Carlos, I am sorry to hear you so frustrated. Obviously, something just made you pretty upset and you needed to vent.

To be fair, there are companies paying low fees and then there are companies that try to wiggle their way out of paying by rejecting shops. They, really, are two different things. Luckily for me, I haven't been faced with the latter. Had I been, I would quickly stop shopping for that company and move on. The low fees are just what they are. Either you accept them or you don't. We all have our reasons for doing what we do. I find that those are usually the same companies that wind up having to bonus these shops at the end of the month. So all I do is wait for the end of the month and see if there are any cherries left to be picked. If so, I gladly snag them. If not, so be it, there is always next month.

It is a little drastic to be getting out of this business altogether just because some companies choose to low ball you. Just stay away from them. There is still money to be made here.

Carlos, there are actually a few topics about this, and I'm with you. As long as people continue to take low fees, nothing will change. Like others, I might take a lower than average paying shop if it's convenient, and is commensurate with the work involved. However, I've become much more careful about what I'll apply for and accept.

That said, we all have to start somewhere. This is definitely an industry where you have to pay dues. A year ago, I never would have been able to get some of the higher-paying shops I get now.

Adding to my above post...I don't know any experienced shopper that takes the $4.00 jobs, except if your new and want to learn about what companies are looking for, but they don't last and the shopper quickly move's up.

Carlos, "we" aren't, as I am not. However, someone is. Someone out there who really needs money badly enough to work for next to nothing, or someone who really doesn't need the money at all but needs a diversion. The rest of us cannot afford to do those jobs.

I see a lot of those jobs go in my area and IMO they are being taken by two types of shoppers:

1. New shoppers who find the sites with tons of shops in their area and excitedly grab them before they realize how little they pay.

2. Shoppers who are shopping because they need the money. Often times the lower paying companies are the fastest paying companies so they know that at least they will be getting some money soon.

Even so, taking 7-8 covert photos, making a non-reimbursed gas purchase AND a non-reimbursed inside purchase plus a report and travel time and gas just isn't worth $4. It's basically doing it for free with a $4 off coupon.

Cettie, I've not seen gas shops with mandatory non-reimbursed purchases.

I do some for one company. They are flat fee shops that pay better than any of the reimbursement gas shops I see unless those reimbursement shops are heavily bonused.

Oh ok, I thought she was referring to the company that starts them at $3.

Why are we accepting shops that pay $4 is a loaded question. The answer is because we can, or because we want to, need to, or because that may be the only type shop we're suited for.

Other shoppers' choices don't always make sense to me, but that is totally irrelevant. Often, I will see shops on the boards that are so suitable for routing. A recent example was the small electronics store that's normally $7/$2. It was bonused to $12/$2, with three locations showing within one mile of each other. I would take them all, if interested. Yet, they were picked off individually. Not the way I would run my business, but it obviously worked otherwise to someone else's advantage.

And like every business, this one has a learning curve. When you goof and lose money on a shop you will be more careful next time. When you consistently lose money with a company, you no longer work with them. When you learn that that company sometimes bonuses nicely, you check from time to time to see if their bonuses are approaching your MINIMUM to do the shop. Some companies underpay for some clients, some companies underpay for all clients and a few companies pay fairly for all clients.

There have been times I have taken a low paying job (years ago) in my town with the hope of getting a bigger job, it is a way of showing the MSC you do good work, and introducing yourself. For a constant, it doesn't make sense, but then, everyone has reasons (known to them) for shopping the low fee companies.

Interestingly, the carhop shops in my area are now up to $8.00/$5.25. Still not enough for me but some will jump on them I'm sure.

I never took a $4.00 shop, even when I first started out. All mystery shoppers have to not accept these low paying shops. There is a company paying $3.00 for a phone shop, which is also crazy.

Mystery Shoppers have to set a standard. If everyone would not take these shops, the companies would finally realize that they will have to pay to get the job
done.

When I am slow, I have taken a few $7-10 shops to fill in. In the end, I am sorry. It's just not worth it

A few month's ago, I made up my mind, that I will not take a shop for less than $15.

Cettie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The companies pay the ridiculously low fees
> because they know the newbies will take them. The
> newbies think they're getting their feet in the
> door or making a name for themselves in uncharted
> terrirory. Money and greed is the name of the
> game with most companies and there are companies
> out there who will use every excuse they can think
> of to either reduce the fee for a shop or get out
> of paying it altogether. There are companies that
> will proclaim their innocence and say they won't
> use a report they didn't pay the shopper for but
> that's bull. Until shoppers refuse to accept a
> shop that pays peanuts the companies won't wake
> up.


Cettie, You got exactly what my point is here. Specially the end which is my point!!> "Until shoppers refuse to accept a shop that pays peanuts the companies won't wake up."

Also you are right about this part >
>"There are companies out there who will use every excuse they can think
> of to either reduce the fee for a shop or get out
> of paying it altogether. There are companies that
> will proclaim their innocence and say they won't
> use a report they didn't pay the shopper for but
> that's bull.

'kudos to you my dear Cettie..

I wonder if Maritz pay will go up if/when they have only a fraction of their 2010 shoppers in 2011?

shop-a-holic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Carlos, I am sorry to hear you so frustrated.
> Obviously, something just made you pretty upset
> and you needed to vent.
>
> To be fair, there are companies paying low fees
> and then there are companies that try to wiggle
> their way out of paying by rejecting shops. They,
> really, are two different things. Luckily for me,
> I haven't been faced with the latter. Had I been,
> I would quickly stop shopping for that company and
> move on. The low fees are just what they are.
> Either you accept them or you don't. We all have
> our reasons for doing what we do. I find that
> those are usually the same companies that wind up
> having to bonus these shops at the end of the
> month. So all I do is wait for the end of the
> month and see if there are any cherries left to be
> picked. If so, I gladly snag them. If not, so be
> it, there is always next month.
>
> It is a little drastic to be getting out of this
> business altogether just because some companies
> choose to low ball you. Just stay away from them.
> There is still money to be made here.


shop-a-holic,
Thanks for the therapy writing. Why are you apologizing?

If you read the other shopper's comment on this thread, you realize it is not just I who is frustrated or as you concluded with me, that I am "Upset".

I am not upset, why should I be, as you can see all I did was point out for discussion something that I think everyone here would agree with. Perhaps you don't agree and you are one of those that take $4 and $7 shops. Or Are you a Scheduler by any chance?? '-\

Thanks for giving me the option and informing me that I can take or refuse the shops! Why are you telling me this??

Call it venting or whatever you want, the response of comments here tell that others understand and connect with what I wrote and what I meant.
No need to respond to me about this response to your comment!!

Carlos, you really don't need to quote everything that precedes you. We get the message without re-reading a book.

As far as shoppers taking low fee jobs, it will continue to happen whether you like it or not. It is ridiculously easy to sign up and be a shopper on many sites and there will always be a stream of newbies that will take these jobs "because they can."

Get used to it.

Hello everyone, I was out of town for a couple of days but I see a lot of you responded with great comments and soothing words.
Recently I was nagged by a scheduler to please help out with some $7 shops and I had informed him I was not doing the lengthy long report forms for $7 anymore and that I was not doing any more shops for less than $15.
Guess what? The scheduler now emails me direct for these shops, offers and pays me an additional $8 telling me that, that will make the shop a $15 Shop and of course I then take the shops. Two or three at a time.
About five months ago I saw agencies that upped the shop pay from $15 to $20 and I said great an increase for inflation/cost of living. Now four months later those same shops are back to $15. Shops that should pay the $20 plus anyway. These shops require a three department evaluations and purchase.
Oh well, I will defiantly limit my shops to the $15 minimum Plus range.
Besides what kind of grammar and reporting are these schedulers expecting from people/shoppers that take these $4 shops?
OK Shopper Friends, Happy Holidays and Prosperous Shopping to All. Merry Christmas!
If you know any good MS Co. in Miami, let me know! Thanks

Thanks ShopUntilYouDrop for advising me on this, I though if I quoted it would be inside the comment box of the person that posted a comment. And to relay what I was writing about was in response to.
You are right!

Am with you kittybratt. You have echoed my feelings on this VERY IMPORTANT part of the MS experience. I need to make money, not cost me money to give the MS Co. and Merchant Store Chains my perfectly check by the MS co. Report Forms.
Of-course dissected for grammar, spelling, periods and commas,and don't forget the complete sentences. Oh and the lengthily report form to make $2 an hour if I have anything left for gasoline. I am not upset just trying to see if I am the only one that has puzzled thoughts on this shop pay issue.
Thanks for all the responses and you inputs on my thread.

No, Carlos of course you are not the only one concerned/puzzled about pay. It really isn't an easy problem to solve though.

For various reasons, shoppers will continue to take lower paying shops. As I stated in my earlier post, some are new shoppers that are excited to find a lot of jobs in their area so they jump on them quickly without really realizing how much work they are putting into making the $3 or $4.

The others are shoppers that need money. Right now, I make a large part of my income from mystery shopping. Some other shoppers shop for fun or for extra money. A shopper that needs to shop for the money will obviously take lower paying shops than the recreational shopper because the recreational shopper can afford to pick and choose more. Now, I will not take the $3 and $4 shops, but I would probably take a $7 shop if it fit in my route.

There will always be new shoppers and shoppers that need money so there will always be shoppers willing to take lower paying shops.

I like the $3 phone shops. I can always think of a related household question to ask, and generally I get good advice. I may stay on the phone for 8 to 10 minutes, if the employee has good info to offer.

It doesn't always boil down to pay per hour.

Mert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I like the $3 phone shops. I can always think of
> a related household question to ask, and generally
> I get good advice. I may stay on the phone for 8
> to 10 minutes, if the employee has good info to
> offer.
>
> It doesn't always boil down to pay per hour.


I'm not sure which phone shops those are (any clues haha), but I also do some $3 phone shops. The $3 ones I do take a total of around 10 minutes for the call and report. IMO, they are worth the fee.

Ace Hardware has phone shops for $3.00.

And there is a huge difference between a $3 phone shop you can do in your jammies versus heading out to do a $4 gas station with photos! I too do $3-$12 phone shops and find them worthwhile or I won't bother doing that particular one again.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2010 10:45PM by Flash.