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I did an Onsite Inspection today; the first one in a few years. I was able to do the entire report from the app. I liked that! I have two more scheduled.

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

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More Discussions About TrendSource / MSI Mystery Shopping (All Companies)

I did my first one the other day. The app didn't work. I suspect it was because I was inside a metal building and the signal wasn't reaching. It kept closing after every answer. Luckily I had printed out the form so I used that. I am not sure I want to do more.

Coffee, the signal was weak in the building where I was. My app wouldn't open due to network issues.

The owner of the company gave me their wifi password and things went smoothly going foward.

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

I've done 2 onsite inspections for them now. I like doing them but I don't like having to call and schedule. It can be difficult to both agree on a time.

I wondered abut the issue of connectivity. Now I know. Another question: Do you have to do everything in the order shown on the paper form if you are using the electronic version? It is often not convenient to do the photos in the order (and when) the questions/prompts appear. I often do all of the photos at the very end, or at least in groups based on site geography. I would like to avoid printing the paper reports, but if I have to do that anyway as a backup, why bother? I seem to do many visits recently in homes and very small offices where cell phone reception is good. I have done others for large companies with high security where I doubt they would allow me to connect to their Wifi.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

What do you guys think of the fee? Mine was $17, and I guess it was okay for the one I did but I can see how others would take longer depending on layout. I mean I'll work for $17 an hour all day but if I have to travel far or its a huge place I probably wouldn't do it.

I have been getting a lot of offers for farther away locations. I can't imagine they would pay me enough PAD to make it worth it to me.
I told one guy I would do a location for $40 PAD. But they dallied around looking for someone cheaper and then I was fully scheduled. That kind of thing annoys me. Say yes or no and get on with it. I certainly am going to. I'm not waiting around for them to decide, I'll take other shops.

I think that $17 is a little low, but not outrageously for a "local" location. I tell contacts to expect that I will be there for 30 minutes. I usually am there a little less. My record is 20 minutes at the low end and 45 minutes (once) at the high end for the "standard" verification. The repo lot verifications take about an hour and pay (if I recall correctly) $23. The repo lot ones would be a bear to do in rain or snow, and the heat and humidity in this area were not fun either. It takes me about 30 minutes to enter the report including selecting the correct photographs (I always take a few extra based upon experience). So, with driving, a "local" location amounts to 60 to 75 minutes. By that measure $17 is a little low in my opinion because occasionally they take longer, and occasionally I have to deal with follow-up questions.

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

What do you guys think of the fee? Mine was $17, and I guess it was okay for the one I did but I can see how others would take longer depending on layout. I mean I'll work for $17 an hour all day but if I have to travel far or its a huge place I probably wouldn't do it.

I have been getting a lot of offers for farther away locations. I can't imagine they would pay me enough PAD to make it worth it to me.
I told one guy I would do a location for $40 PAD. But they dallied around looking for someone cheaper and then I was fully scheduled. That kind of thing annoys me. Say yes or no and get on with it. I certainly am going to. I'm not waiting around for them to decide, I'll take other shops.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I have completed quite a few - about half were done online. If they could all be done online then the $17 is worth it. If you have to download the pictures, sort them out, label them, and then upload to the report, then I think the $17 is not enough. As far as PAD, I too get "name your distance pay" for some inspections that are 300 miles round trip - mountain two-lane driving. It is not worth it to me to spend a day on one shop as they continue to turn down my $200 PAD requests for these shops. LOL

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2019 10:55PM by lbtweety47.

I always, with no exception, ask for PAD. They offer $5 with no argument, and the site locations are close to home.

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

I have done many as well, but now have to retake the background check and pay for it, just haven't done it yet.
My locations are close, but pay is low for all the pic's required and although some are easy, many are not.

Live consciously....

Maybe you should start asking for PAD to cover your extra expenses, like Honny?

I've tried but because they are close, it's always no and 17.00 isn't it worth it. Problem is you don't know if it's an easy one or not until you get there. I've never gotten pad because I won't travel and many others take it for price offered.

Live consciously....

Yeah, that stinks.

Yes I have had those offers. Same driving conditions, two lane highway through mountains. Same distance. I have not attempted to submit my $200 offer because I was quite sure it wouldn't be accepted and didn't want to hold my schedule open.

I don't do all that with my photos even if I can't do them in the app. I take the photos with my phone. They automatically upload to the cloud. Then when I get home I drag and drop them all into their own folder. I don't bother renaming or any of that. I simply find the one I want and put it into the report.

I think a lot of the unknowns could be sorted out by googling the business in question. Even the street view will be somewhat enlightening. You will know if it's a repo lot or not by doing that.

@lbtweety47 wrote:

I have completed quite a few - about half were done online. If they could all be done online then the $17 is worth it. If you have to download the pictures, sort them out, label them, and then upload to the report, then I think the $17 is not enough. As far as PAD, I too get "name your distance pay" for some inspections that are 300 miles round trip - mountain two-lane driving. It is not worth it to me to spend a day on one shop as they continue to turn down my $200 PAD requests for these shops. LOL

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2019 01:17PM by CoffeeQueen.

They are so random when it comes to PAD. They denied a location that was 60 miles away, but accepted PAD for an in house consultation.

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

I did one that was 300 miles one way. I asked for a $250 pad, figuring they would turn my offer down. I was surprised when they accepted it. It was only taking 7 pictures.

I love doing the business inspections but am careful about taking the repo projects. If the repo company is local they are fairly easy to do. I pass on the ones that I know are operated by an office located out of state. Those usually are more difficult to schedule because you have a third party in the mix and often, the guy you meet with locally may not have all the answers.

Picking myself up from the floor upon hearing sueac101 got a $250 pad from them....300 miles RT or one way?
I have asked for any pad for jobs 60 miles RT. and always no, no, no.

Live consciously....

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

Picking myself up from the floor upon hearing sueac101 got a $250 pad from them....300 miles RT or one way?
I have asked for any pad for jobs 60 miles RT. and always no, no, no.

300 miles one way, I also told them that I would not drive 300 miles, do the job then turn around and drive 300 miles back home in one day, that I would be staying overnight at a motel and figured that could be included in the pad. They had emailed/called me every other day for 3 weeks, before I finally said I would do it if they paid me the pad I wanted. It was in a very small town in the middle of no where.

I like doing those for TS also! One hint i learned, is to always take backup pictures on your phone, just in case! Sometimes a picture will be blurry on their end, or not attach to the call report, or just plain disappear! Happy MSing!

Trendsource used to pay $21 for those verifications. Now they pay less and require you to have a background check but the company (or person) you are visiting does not. I once did a verification at a home-based business and the office was in an upstairs bedroom. No problems, but I would never do it again.

Yes, these verification's are now and have been for ages 17.00. I have another beef with them. I went to do a printer audit, actually did three and the last one they sent me to doesn't carry that brand, so there was nothing to do. but fill out whatever I could. Instructions say to buy something for a dollar, which (of course) nothing is available for less that 1.79, even water. I intelligently decide to take a picture of the outside with the address for proof I was there. They would not accept the picture and insisted on me making a purchase or report would not be accepted.

I became stubborn, not wanting to drive the 6 miles back and forth...I do have a life. I got a letter saying report was not accepted due my not buying something for proof. I looked and report has not been put back on board,
so I "think", they used it anyway, finding out through me this store doesn't carry that brand, valued information for them and I get jipped out of 9.00.....what a #$@@# company. Disappointed in them to say the least. They can never get these done as the pay is too low and many pictures required. Ten foot pole.

Live consciously....

In those printer audit situations you can usually use "mobile check in" on the app and not have to buy anything. Just try that first when you arrive at the store (if it's allowed), and it will save you from having to make a purchase and submit a receipt photo. You are right, you can't normally buy anything for the reimbursement they offer, and/or the products are so over priced it doesn't make sense to come out of pocket for any of it.

They sent me an On site Inspection offer for $17.00 it was 1,359 miles from me. I know some of you are big fans of The Source I find them totally incompetent. I has Arturo beg me to do a Core F Inspection, just photos and a sketch of the building. He was insistent it had to be done this week. I had 2 questions I wanted answered before I accepted the job Over a 2 day period I called him on 3 different occasions, left a voicemail each time. Sent 4 text all went unanswered.
Then they send me another On. Site Inspection 156 miles from home. But I already had 4 shops in that exact location. If a scheduler cannot be contacted, what good are they. This is not the 1st time I have had problems with them. They have assigned me shops at a certain PAD, then found someone cheaper and told me I would now be the backup.
I find this unethical, which is why I now scoff at their offers I work with 2 dozen companies who are completely reliable. I have more shops than I can complete because they know when I tell them I accept an offer it will be finished correctly and on time. I have no need to delve into the bottom of the MSC barrel. Which is where the Source resides on my list of quality firms

David, how do they assign you? Don't you have the option of decline a location 1359 miles away? Especially if it paid $17!

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

@HonnyBrown wrote:

David, how do they assign you? Don't you have the option of decline a location 1359 miles away? Especially if it paid $17!

I think the key word was “offer” in David’s post. .

Thanks kenasch! I skipped that word.

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

I get a kick out of getting offered a $4 PAD for TX and I live in GA! I keep getting schedule request for things that are way out of state like they are blast emailing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2019 02:00AM by foodluvr.

I agree that $17 is low end of payment. As far as PAD, if the location is a long way from my home location, I tell them what I want and then I show them the cost if they paid current federal mileage charge which is $0.53 per mile. If they agree to my fee then I go, if not then no go. I too think that sometimes they take too long to decide if they are going to pay requested amount.

Rather than to attempt to understand why or how any MSC comes to a conclusion, I realize they have their own manner of thought. This week, Trendsource granted me a PAD on two assignments; I think this is a first in the 13+ years of our association. I NEVER apply for work on their board; I wait for an E-notice for a job that is due AND where they mention a PAD. Then I determine the amount of money I want, which is non-negotiable, and select the shop; it is either assigned or they pass. Usually, they pass, but occasionally I receive the work.

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