National Shopping Service
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Thanks, I found the info exactly where you said it would be. Definitely too much work for a custard reimbursement.....
I could be wrong, but I think most of their shops, at least in my area, start out with no fee and just reimbursement only.
NSS pays a $15.00 fee for retail and fees for everything else out here, except the (Japenese bbq) restaurant.
Live consciously....
NSS tries to get away with just reimbursement for their pizza shops. They can forget it, as I am not doing that stuff just to get a free pizza. Especially without gas money if I have to drive and pick it up if I am out of the delivery zone.
They will typically offer "bonuses" if the shops sit long enough. The bonuses, however, seem to have been scaled back from what they used to offer.
They will typically offer "bonuses" if the shops sit long enough. The bonuses, however, seem to have been scaled back from what they used to offer.
I do lots for them but Ritas they only reimburse: and they aren't around the corner; so what if I get a free ice cream: they should at least pay something. Gas is almost $4/gallon in the northeast.
I never take just reimbursement. There has to be some pay to make it worthwhile.
I agree, the only thing I do for reimbursement only are some restaurants I want to eat at anyway. Right now (this year) NSS is my #1 company, They work with me, give a little bonus without asking, gas in L.A. close to $4.00 was making me not drive the 50 mile rd. trip required. Thing is you can only do two shops in a day (retail). When you call or they call you, no one out there is nicer and tries harder to work with you.
Live consciously....
grandma519 Wrote:
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> I do lots for them but XXXX they only reimburse:
> and they aren't around the corner; so what if I
> get a free ice cream: they should at least pay
> something. Gas is almost $4/gallon in the
> northeast.
Oops, grandma519 ~ Your ICA and this forum state that you not name clients of MSPs. You can edit your post to remove the client's name.
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> I do lots for them but XXXX they only reimburse:
> and they aren't around the corner; so what if I
> get a free ice cream: they should at least pay
> something. Gas is almost $4/gallon in the
> northeast.
Oops, grandma519 ~ Your ICA and this forum state that you not name clients of MSPs. You can edit your post to remove the client's name.
Yeah, the custard shops for reimbursement only are a joke. So you are basically getting paid less than $3 (since most medium sized items cost $3 or less) to do a full report (and the reports are not short and easy either).
I NEVER do the custard shops without a bonus. I refuse. They also have other shops like the mattress store which I think pays - what? $7? No thanks. Has to be a pretty large bonus for me to take them too.
And the pizza shops without any pay? Forget it. The pizza isn't that good to begin with so I need to be paid something.
On the plus side, the people at NSS are VERY VERY NICE and it's very easy to get someone on the phone when you call.
I NEVER do the custard shops without a bonus. I refuse. They also have other shops like the mattress store which I think pays - what? $7? No thanks. Has to be a pretty large bonus for me to take them too.
And the pizza shops without any pay? Forget it. The pizza isn't that good to begin with so I need to be paid something.
On the plus side, the people at NSS are VERY VERY NICE and it's very easy to get someone on the phone when you call.
I will sometimes do the mattress shops if I am in the area. The pay isn't that great but the form is super easy so it doesn't take that much time to fill out.
I'm doing two upscale retail shops this weekend, one takes 10 minutes, the other 20 minutes to total $30.00 and fun for me. I know I will get paid. They have tons of pizza shops here (I don't do them) and retail stores, one of the few left with no age requirement.
Live consciously....
They just got new account and have tons of shops for March, got 4 for myself ( 2 in a day acceptable).
Live consciously....
I wish they had some of that here. In my area, it is just pizza and once I got a gas station audit requiring only one photo.
I know and they one of the few remaining that doesn't have an age requirement. The upscale shops are in most high end department stores or competitor boutique type shops, if you have a good mall, I'm surprised they don't have them, but they are big in L.A., and really my most productive MSC, plus being easy to communite with. They call to schedule you and tell you anything new they expect, can't go too wrong.
Live consciously....
They used to pay great bonuses for the pizza shop, but now that they have been scaled back, I am not likely to be using them anymore. I will not do a shop for reimbursement only. I don't even like the pizza of the client all that much. Their competitor pizza shops offer pizza I do like, but it still isn't worth it if I have to drive and get it.
They were probably only offering high bonuses for the pizza shop since they got word the client was shopping around for a new MSC at one point, to which they decided to split their shops. The other company pays pretty poorly, as well, but at least it's a couple bucks from the get-go. But that company will just let the shops sit and won't increase their rates. Makes me wonder how the client reacts to the MSC's compliance rate for all those shops that just sit.
They were probably only offering high bonuses for the pizza shop since they got word the client was shopping around for a new MSC at one point, to which they decided to split their shops. The other company pays pretty poorly, as well, but at least it's a couple bucks from the get-go. But that company will just let the shops sit and won't increase their rates. Makes me wonder how the client reacts to the MSC's compliance rate for all those shops that just sit.
Well, I got a call yesterday from NSS to do the custard shop with a $7 bonus (up to $5 reimbursement)....I'm a sucker who has a hard time saying no (or even negotiating) so I took it.
I read the instructions and it said I could order more than the required custard and said I would be reimbursed up to $5...so I took my two preschoolers with me and got them some custard too...paid $6.78 out of pocket....hoping to get $5 of that back plus my $7 bonus. The report wasn't that bad. Mostly yes/no with a few short (400char max) narratives. I would do it again, but need to remind myself to talk it up to a $10 bonus.
ETA: The location in my town is a walk-up only location, so no dining area and no restrooms to evaluate. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, probably because it was not a walk-in location.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2011 04:23AM by skylit19.
I read the instructions and it said I could order more than the required custard and said I would be reimbursed up to $5...so I took my two preschoolers with me and got them some custard too...paid $6.78 out of pocket....hoping to get $5 of that back plus my $7 bonus. The report wasn't that bad. Mostly yes/no with a few short (400char max) narratives. I would do it again, but need to remind myself to talk it up to a $10 bonus.
ETA: The location in my town is a walk-up only location, so no dining area and no restrooms to evaluate. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, probably because it was not a walk-in location.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2011 04:23AM by skylit19.
I have done the custard shops a few times. After the first and just getting reimbursed for the custard, I swore I wouldn't do that again. They then offered my a decent bonus, so I did, but they seemed puzzled as to why I didn't think free custard was enough of an incentive to do a shop. When I mentioned this, they said I could get more than one custard. They are nice people, but need to realize that we are still doing a job and would like to be paid as well.
Just a caveat ~ I haven't signed up with National Shopping Service yet... but what is the age requirement you are talking about? The only shops with age requirement I've seen are ones where you see if they card you for booze or cigs, and you have to be 28 or younger. Oh, and one for a novelty store where you couldn't be over 40. (I'm 38!)
So... does getting older really cut into your mystery shopping opportunities a lot? I'm curious, approaching 40 and all!
So... does getting older really cut into your mystery shopping opportunities a lot? I'm curious, approaching 40 and all!
Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.
I do the high end retail shops for then in Southeast Florida. The schedulers that I work with are great. They were hung up with a shop that had to be done within 24 hours and I was paid 30.00 for a 15.00 shop. I helped them out the one time and now they call me about available high end shops in my area. They pay in a timely manner as well. They are one of the better companies I do retail shops for. I do not do the pizza shops because I do not like pizza period.
NSS has no age requirement, Calibur has a 45yr. old requirement for a younger type chain that I used to do and enjoyed. When you sign up, just read the age requirements. I agree Wjones777 that NSS are the best to work with, you call to schedule and they are always available, helpful and just the best. I guess we do the same shops, and I as well do not do the pizza shops but enjoy their Japenese BBQ which is at our upscale mall. Hoping they got past that check fraud last month, I was told all is well now, but they are out of money as well as shoppers checks not being cashed, I know they will make up for that.
Live consciously....
I really hope that they do issue new checks. The February payment that I was told not to cash is a small amount. However, they do owe me quite a bit for March.
IRENE: I too agree, the schedulers are real nice to work with and always answer the phone. However, I would not even attempt to try that pizza shop, as I have heard people have had real problems with it. I did the Japanese BBQ, which I did not care for that much.
IRENE: I too agree, the schedulers are real nice to work with and always answer the phone. However, I would not even attempt to try that pizza shop, as I have heard people have had real problems with it. I did the Japanese BBQ, which I did not care for that much.
When a MSC tells me not to cash a check. That would be the last time that I shop for them
They have almost no shoppers in my area, so I'm able to pick up the pizza shop with a $13+ bonus, every month.
However I'm not doing it again until the matter with the checks is sorted.
However I'm not doing it again until the matter with the checks is sorted.
boingo82 Wrote:
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> They have almost no shoppers in my area, so I'm
> able to pick up the pizza shop with a $13+ bonus,
> every month.
>
> However I'm not doing it again until the matter
> with the checks is sorted.
They used to bonus up to $30 in my area.
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> They have almost no shoppers in my area, so I'm
> able to pick up the pizza shop with a $13+ bonus,
> every month.
>
> However I'm not doing it again until the matter
> with the checks is sorted.
They used to bonus up to $30 in my area.
I don't think anyone is likely to see $30 anymore. They were doing so at one point, when I believe their contract with the pizza client was up for renewal (at least I speculate that was the issue). Since then, I don't think I've seen the bonuses go above $15.
They're offering $15+reimbursement right now. I'll watch it and update.
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