I am a fairly new shopper (only have been shopping since May of this year) but have completed quite a few shops for many different companies. I have come to the understanding of relationships with the schedulers is key and of utmost importance. I have been pretty successful with this for all other companies and have, so it seems, be "forgiven" for some of the mishaps (missing shops, late reports, etc) I had in the beginning but have now learned from. The one company I cant seem to figure out is Maritz CX. Their app and website look easy to use and more importantly, they have a ton of shops (routes lined up perfectly) in my area. I don't live in a big city so the shops available are limited. Finding a company that regularly has local shops available is rare. I have repeatedly made offers on bundles with not a word saying either way. Then I tried making an offer on just one at a time....no answer. Then I emailed their company. No answer. What am I doing wrong?? Please help!!! Anyone with advice, ideas, contact info, ANYTHING! would be greatly appreciated.

Try calling them - Maritz doesn't really do email...which I hate as I hate talking on the phone, but that's just their schtick...

You can make offers online, but if they're not up against a deadline, chances are they're not even going to call you back. I would try calling them, pressing zero, and asking which team covers the shops you are looking for. Then call back and try to reach somebody at that team. Introduce yourself and let them know what you're trying to do.

This is very good advice. They are a great company but you have to get used to their ways.
Once you have done a couple of shops you should be able to self assign. Good luck!

@thunderdeacon wrote:

You can make offers online, but if they're not up against a deadline, chances are they're not even going to call you back. I would try calling them, pressing zero, and asking which team covers the shops you are looking for. Then call back and try to reach somebody at that team. Introduce yourself and let them know what you're trying to do.

I seldom, if ever make offers on bundles. I just self-assign the shops I want to perform. There are shoppers like me who are happy to do those same shops you might be making offers upon.
So, if you are at the point of self assigning, do that! If you aren't at that point (self assign), call and keep calling!

I will also warn you that if you have "flaked" - done shops for Maritz late or missed doing shops for them, they shall put your name on the list of unreliable shoppers. Apparently, it is hard to get yourself removed from that list.
Sure, they may talk to you, but they may not help you as much as they do their reliable shoppers.

So, don't flake, don't take shops you're not sure you can do, and, do the shops on time.

And I'll reiterate -- call them.

Call Who and do you have a number?

@7welcomehome77 wrote:

Call Who and do you have a number?

Go to the Maritz "Help" screen and scroll to the bottom (don't bother with sending an E-mail for your problem - that Email is really only for shops you have done).
At the bottom of that screen you shall find their telephone number: 1-800-782-4299

If you know the "Team number" for the type of shop you want to perform, just press that number when it asks for the "Team Number". I cannot remember which team number represents which shop. Often, I just press 3 and talk to the person answering. They can transfer you to the correct team.

But, most importantly, phone calls are necessary, not Emails. If you have to, leave a voice message, but if you do not get a call back within a few hours, call again!

I'm gonna disagree about Maritz not doing emails (not disagreeing with the OP that they did not respond to your email). The majority of my work comes from Maritz and I have performed jobs for them for several years now. For the past few months I have contacted them via email for 99% of any issues that I have had including rescheduling shops, canceling shops, and other issues. They have been 100% responsive. I know that they have not been very tech savvy in the past, but I do think that may be coming to an end.

I have emailed them in the past and typically get a response by phone. But they do always respond, although not in a very timely way. So, I second everyone else's suggestion to just call them upfront and skip the email. Most of the folks I've talked to there are very pleasant and helpful.

I like to be able to speak with someone on the phone. That way my questions get answered in minutes. If I need a question answered, I usually don't have the time and/or patience to wait for an email that may come two hours or two days later. And I've always found the Maritz staff very nice and helpful.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2019 11:48AM by Ms.V.

I have been with Maritz for years and I do at least 75-100 shops a month with them, usually more and I agree with most of the above, They have been responding to most my emails quickly, but if I have an issue I call and send email, but if it is just something general, not time sensitive, then I will just send an email.

They just updated this over the last month or so, but if you put in a request for a route of shops, for a larger amount then base pay, you can now view the request, the shops in it and the amount under "Find Shops" and then click on "My Bundles". It will say pending-Staff at first but lately they have been entering in some kind of response within a few hours of opening, since I usually send my request late at night. Then depending on the offer you will see, Declined-Staff, Accepted Offer, or CounterOffer Pending. At this time you cannot accept it or decline it online, but you will be able to in the future. Now I usually call them after I see any response, except declined, which then I wait a week and then send in a request for the same route for more money. But I love being able to see now what is going on, and not just sitting there wondering if they saw the offer or not.

Now I am a reliable shopper, that will pick up hard to schedule shops to help out and have been with them for a long time. Don't get me wrong, I have had late shops before but if I am late I call and work on a solution right away. I don't think I have ever flaked on a shop with them. I have had emergencies come up and they are wonderful with me. They have always been pretty understanding and flexible, as long as communication is there. I have even been "suspended" more then a couple times, but I just take that as constructive criticism and make sure to do better the next time, and definitely never let whatever got me in trouble ever happen again. I love Maritz and they have really been the only company I can completely rely on for the steady income I have had doing Mystery Shopping full-time for at least the last 7-8 years. I do work with other companies and have a few that are a regular monthly income, but I pretty much know what I can expect with Maritz and I get along well with everyone on Team 3.

I know in the beginning it was a little slow to get started, but once they know you, and you are someone they can count on, you will get plenty of calls for work.

I agree! I love working with Maritz and Team 3 is who I work with more often than not.

I've worked with Maritz for years and what's funny is I must have a mental block concerning what team serves which clients. I just guess whenever I need to call. I'll either guess the right team or they will tell me the correct team extension. I suppose I should make my life easier and write it down somewhere...nah...that's no fun. I'll keep guessing..

How do you do 75-100 shops a month for them? Are you in a big city? They must have other types of shops where you are located than where I am. Where I am located they have only banking shops and once you have done all of those (8 to 10 scenarios) you are out of the rotation for at least 6 months and some for a year; and then all that is left is gas stations and there certainly are not enough of those to keep me busy. Just curious what you get in other locations with them?

I do all gas stations. I travel up to 90 miles from my house so that's maybe why i get so many. I just have always gotten that many for years.

mizzessummer, do you negotiate bonuses for the more distant shops and are you successful?

You actually travel up to 90 miles for gas shops? Is that one way? What state? Gas must be cheap.

@89lulalula89 wrote:

I'm gonna disagree about Maritz not doing emails (not disagreeing with the OP that they did not respond to your email). The majority of my work comes from Maritz and I have performed jobs for them for several years now. For the past few months I have contacted them via email for 99% of any issues that I have had including rescheduling shops, canceling shops, and other issues. They have been 100% responsive. I know that they have not been very tech savvy in the past, but I do think that may be coming to an end.

Same here. I almost always get an email response. But I have been working for them for years and I have built up a strong, reliable reputation with them. And if I am negotiating, I ALWAYS need things in writing as proof.

@LIJake wrote:

mizzessummer, do you negotiate bonuses for the more distant shops and are you successful?

Like mizzessummer, I will travel 90 minutes one-way and a lot more but as my name says, I luv traveling. I always make routes and get paid more money. They usually contact me before I even contact them.

I have better luck using Kern Scheduling to get the Maritz shops that I want. I got a return call from them yesterday about a bundle I submitted. They couldn't see it on their end.

I have done gas station shops 90 minutes one way. I got paid $120 for just one station. It just depends how bad they need it done.

Yes I usually won't travel that far without a good bonus. Many times, it covers my gas and sometimes my hotel. I work in a highly populated area. So there many shops in a small area. I will combine shops with different companies and make good money doing it.

I don't do it unless the bonuses cover my gas and more.

Did one on 12/30 for $150. 65 miles round trip.

Buffalo that's awesome! I only do the local ones for base pay. You have to know your area and have an idea of what the shops in your suburbs go for in order to put in bundles that will be accepted.
Let's use Atlanta as an example. In Atlanta, I'm sure they have several shoppers ( I do not service the Atlanta metroplex because it's not worth my time). So if you make an offer to do an Atlanta shop for say 20 instead of 15 it will probably be declined. They do not consider the fact that you have to drive from Decatur to Atlanta which takes 30 minutes each way. They look at the history of the location. If they have a shopper there that normally does the shop for 15, guess what? They will wait for that shopper to get around to it. (Unless it gets very late in the month).But let's say you live in Alpharetta, and there is a shop in say Suwanee (again maybe a half an hour or so away from you) and you put in an offer for $30. They may jump on that thirty because they always have to pay a route driver $35-45 to get that shop done. How fast shops leave the board will let you know what they go for in your area. It's kind of trial and error. If the job was posted for 20, it might be going for 30. If it's posted for 15 and goes for 15 it will probably disappear the first week it's on the board. If it disappears the second week it might be going for 20-25 while still be posted for 15.

Well I agree it is somewhat trial and error. However, I usually know what I would need for the job if it were say at my street corner. I then add on based on circumstances. Ex ABC Gas station I need $40 to do. However this location is x miles and time from me. I have or can book x number of shops in that area. Lets say 0 for this case. Lets also say its 20 miles and 30 minutes away one way. Now the other factor is how close it is to the deadline and is it near end of week, month, quarter, or year. Lets say quarter for this example. Other factors are weather, how many other shops I have scheduled or can schedule. How bad do I want this shop so to say. After factoring everything in I will come up at a bonus needed on top of the $40 so in nice weather at the end of a quarter being 20 miles and 39 minutes away with no close by shops I will add an additional $30 to $40 for a total of $70 to $80. If they accept great if not so be it. Of course if they come back later and it still needs to be done well the price went up more now may be $100 or more.

I like that if they dither the price goes up. I have had to turn down shops because I was just in the area doing other things and they took to long. So yeah a C note sounds about right for that shop.

Yes, they prefer to speak with you. Their survey application is confusing to me. You need to actually fill in the report then go to another site to fill in the payment info. I found that very confusing.