I was paid by them via PayPal on the 18th for something I did late May, although it still doesn't show it on their site as paid. They've always paid on time or early.

Paying on time is irrelevant to ethical, fair, honest business practices.

Paying on time is irrelevant to unethical, untrustworty, dishonest business practices.

Paying on time is irrelevant to unethical, untrustworthy, dishonest business practices.

I emailed Frank and Nikki. Neither one responded.

I seriously don't understand a company that employs Frank. I do very little for this company. Nikki is hot and cold.

I rarely come to this board, sorry. I am doing some research and I don't see any emails to me about bonuses missing. You can email me at nikkia@jmridgway.com

I completed four shops for this MSC between 2007 and 2008. For each, it was necessary for me to inquire as to why I had not been paid according to our agreement; on all of those occasions, a check promptly arrived. I decided, though, that chasing four payments was three too many and that the time might come when I was unable to catch what I was chasing.

I have worked for them very recently and I did not have to chase a single payment. Pay was fast and accurate.

I think Nikki is very very busy and has only so much time to respond. I had a pay issue several months ago, and Frank resolved it quickly.

I have a great relationship with Nikki across several MSC's. Frank is to-the-point, but he's okay. I rarely have issues with either, and none are unresolved.

For those of you that are dealing with Frank, my question is WHY? Yes, Frank isn't exactly the friendliest communicators, but he has schedulers that handle shop questions and payment issues. Nikki has been one that has worked for JM Ridgeway for years, and is very receptive. She may be hot and cold, yet she is one that gets the job done. Beth is another scheduler (works through Quantum) that also schedules JM Ridgeway jobs.

I would try any of these two schedulers first before going to Frank.

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

For those of you that are dealing with Frank, my question is WHY? Yes, Frank isn't exactly the friendliest communicators, but he has schedulers that handle shop questions and payment issues. Nikki has been one that has worked for JM Ridgeway for years, and is very receptive. She may be hot and cold, yet she is one that gets the job done. Beth is another scheduler (works through Quantum) that also schedules JM Ridgeway jobs.

I can only answer "WHY" for myself. I had no options. Being the first time I attempted to work for this MSC I had no history, no resources, no contacts. The only contact available to me was Nikki. From multiple attempts to contact Nikki, I received not even an acknowledgement, let alone response or supply of file required to my questions/requests (documentation necessary to perform the assignment).

Only AFTER the due date passed did I receive communication from JMRidgway. It was from Frank. "This is past due and must be submitted immediately or it will be re-assigned and your account will be cited and/or deactivated. Thank you."
I responded to the provided email reply address with all the above details. I was then cc'd on an email to the scheduler asking why I had not received the PDF file. (this was on Saturday, 4/27). On Monday, 4/29, I received a citation from the scheduler with no acknowledgement of the above mentioned issues.
I made 2 or 3 additional attempts at communication with both parties, wishing to resolve the issue. There was no response. There was no resolution, no explanation, and no way forward.

One of the things I enjoy about MSing is that most organizations are professional, ethical and honest. The mission is straight forward, and serious MSers are treated as valued assets. This was not the case with this company. The feedback from many members of this forum has validated my concern and prompted me to write off JMRidgway.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2019 03:54PM by Susiweb.

When Nikki fails to reply to simple email queries, the next step is her boss. He will answer easy questions, but both choose to ignore shoppers with legitimate, more complicated questions. Disregarding shoppers instead of talking with them? Hardly my idea of integrity or trustworthiness. So many other companies with communicative schedulers.

Nikki, I find it interesting that you address respondents in this topic, but not the initial post. Care to comment?

Susiweb, you nailed it. I, too, was very happy with the company because I never got under Nikki's skin. Once I asked a more difficult question, the answer was, first, NO response by Nikki for a few days, then a brief reply indicating I'd be penalized, then no response but Nikki terminating my contractor role with the company. No direct or honest communication about the issue--just avoidance and then punishment. I'm very happy with the reputable companies I work with, complete with communicative schedulers who like working with people and helping manage problems without simply terminating relationships when a question or challenge is too difficult.
I do believe in Karma, and that gives me some comfort, since I am confident I did the honorable thing in this situation with this company and scheduler (and her boss).

For those that have had trouble reaching Nikki, I have to scratch my head on that one. She's regularly posted her cell # on social media, as well as been reachable through Facebook IM. I think that she's even mentioned that she takes calls/texts as late as 10PM or 11PM CST.

I'm not saying that she never responds, but she has put it out there that she can be reached several different ways other than one email address.

I flaked on a couple of JWRidgeway shops for certain personal reasons. I was suspended. They gave me a second chance and I've since done shops for them.

When I asked them to give me a second chance, they did.

They have paid me on time or earlier than I expected.

The only fault I had was mine. I signed up for one of their bed phone shops. I missed it and asked to have it rescheduled. I was told they were date specific so they couldn't reschedule it for the next day. I can understand and accept that I messed up.

you want me to discuss the original post about the PDF issue is that correct?

Susiweb-I was asked in another comment to respond to this but I will say it's hard without knowing who the OP is. We used to have a client that would ask us to use a PDF. And yes it was challenging. Anytime I assigned a shop (walk in or phone call) I emailed the PDF directly to the shopper. If I got any emails saying "Nikki I didn't get the PDF" I would tell them to check spam or junk (most of the time it was there) and I would email another. As for the above I would be happy to check my sent mail if I knew who you were. You can email me at nikkia@jmridgway.com. As for the other person, that would have been Frank or Scott who was reminding you the shop was late. For anyone saying anything about being deactivated, the 2 citations rule is not mine it belongs to the boss and if you get cited twice I have been told to deactivate. I rarely come to the board so if anyone needs me you can email me or text me at 334.520-2900.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2019 08:18PM by nikki4JMR.

I respond to every email =)

I was able to figure out who the OP is and for the record she was emailed the PDF on April 20th! I have the email I sent her and just reforwarded it to her today. My point is I reply to every email

@Susiweb wrote:

Instead of canceling (automatic bad mark), I let the due date come and pass.

Suze

The only question in my mind: How did a longtime shopper who knew that cancelling gets an "automatic bad mark," NOT KNOW that letting the due date come and pass - FLAKING - would not be a tremendous bad mark?

Kudos to Nikki for identifying the shopper and responding to her situation. I don't work with Ridgway much but I've had good experiences with them.

edited to add: I first worked for Ridgway in 2010 and my experiences were similar to shopperbob's. I too stopped working for them because I had to email Ann and ask for payment after performing my assignments and then not receiving payment. Then a few years ago I was told they had begun paying without being prompted. I don't know whether they changed bookkeepers or what the difference was, but I accepted a couple of jobs and it was true. Since 2014, I've been paid promptly without having to email for my money.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2019 12:34AM by roflwofl.

Don't work for them anymore since I was called "unprofessional" because I had to reschedule because of poor weather. Bye - u don't pay enough anyways.

My conclusion is that it’s the same the world over. Piss someone off and they don’t like you. As a professional, one should both rise above this and communicate with the errant shopper to let them know what happened. I found Nikki both avoidant and less than professional by assessing a penalty without listening to the scheduler (such as the person who had bad weather which prevented the shop). I don’t have Nikki’s personal cell, only her email (re the person who said Nikki gave out her personal cell—perhaps to some, not to me).
Life is too short to work with a moody scheduler. If you haven’t yet crossed Nikki, you are in luck. I did not choose to give her the power over me to make me grovel.
Many other, better companies out there.
Have a nice week, everyone.

I will never shop for this company again..they listed a pretty decent bonus. I signed up..then bonuses taken away..Frank and I had a disagreement on what was listed in the guidelines, before I completed the shops. Guideline not listed when I turned my reports in, but when I pushed back it was miracously in the guidelines a few hours later. I did eventually get paid for 75 percent of the shops I did. Just not worth the hassle.

deleted

deleted

Roflwofl, I pray you never get a blizzard (hurricane, typhoon, home fire, other disaster), or experience another out-of-your-control reason for missing a Ridgeway shop—hospitalization, life-threatening emergency of a child which you decide to handle instead of keeping a Ridgeway shop. I talked with a few shoppers—one of whom was hospitalized the day before the Ridgeway shop, and another who had a life-or-death emergency with her daughter that came before a $10 Ridgeway shop. Both were considered “strikes.” Nikki wouldn’t listen to or respond in kind to either one, saying “a strike is a strike, and i don’t make the rules—Frank does.” Seems like a very uncivil way to treat excellent shoppers who, well, had life happen to them. Loyalty, after all, goes much farther than striking fear and punishment in others.
People in a business can be understanding without giving up the business. I know i deeply appreciate it when someone understands that some emergencies are just more important than making a few bucks with a marginal company.

For something like I think I would have gone to a news company that works for you. Explain how you wanted to do the job but due to situations beyond your control. ie dying child, relative, a severe storm that caused the place to be closed. And how they do not care about anyone's else's life. But only if you are ready to get a grief storm.