I don't attempt to schedule a lot of shops via KSS, primarily because I can easily schedule them directly with the MSC. However, recently I have tried to use KSS. This is my experience. I never get the shops I apply for. The shops sit in My Apps in pending status until one day all the shops I had pending disappear. I think someone else got the shops. However, I check the Job Board and the shops are still there. I re-apply. The scenario repeats itself until the shops no longer appear in My Apps indicating "pending" or on the Job Board. I don't understand. Presently, I have at least 1 pending with KSS, and the window to complete the shops starts Dec 1. That's another thing. Often that window to complete the shops shifts. Meanwhile, I keep applying and re-applying for the same shops, to no avail.

Ain't no one got time to wait for them when you can self-assign!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2020 11:28AM by 007.

Same happened to me.

@007 LOL... True dat... But I only applied for jobs that did not appear with the MSC.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2020 06:41PM by 1forum1.

Hi 1forum1! If they are showing up on KSS for you, but not on the MSC site, that would likely be due to rotation. The KSS site is only used for recruiting purposes (the shops are assigned on the client site), so it does not track rotation like the client site does. When you are not in rotation, you won't see the shops on the client site. It is set to not allow self assign when not in rotation.

Just to translate the corporate line that KSSPete said, KSS isn't going to answer your emails or phone calls no matter how hard you try. Its the way that Lorri Kern does business.

@KSSPete wrote:

Hi 1forum1! If they are showing up on KSS for you, but not on the MSC site, that would likely be due to rotation. The KSS site is only used for recruiting purposes (the shops are assigned on the client site), so it does not track rotation like the client site does. When you are not in rotation, you won't see the shops on the client site. It is set to not allow self assign when not in rotation.

Rotation? It's been nearly 1 year since I have applied or completed one of the shops I am talking about, and the other shops have not been shopped since Covid, which is almost another year.

Rotation is generally the issue if you are seeing them on our site but not the client site. There could also be a restriction on the client site for the project.

Eric stated his point; Bob will reply with a counterpoint. As I have never logged completions by whom did the scheduling, I must guesstimate, I accepted the first job through KSS in 2008. I do not have any recollection of the slightest problem with either avoidance of assistance or a lack of communication. Therefore, I would not hesitate to accept work through Lorri's company.

@shopperbob wrote:

Eric stated his point; Bob will reply with a counterpoint. As I have never logged completions by whom did the scheduling, I must guesstimate, I accepted the first job through KSS in 2008. I do not have any recollection of the slightest problem with either avoidance of assistance or a lack of communication. Therefore, I would not hesitate to accept work through Lorri's company.

I would accept work too if assigned. Apparently, the experiences with KSS vary. I didn't have this inquiry a year ago, and would have been more inclined to a sentiment like the one you've expressed.

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

Just to translate the corporate line that KSSPete said, KSS isn't going to answer your emails or phone calls no matter how hard you try. Its the way that Lorri Kern does business.

I disagree. She has always answered my emails. That may be your experience but I don"t think its fair to criticize her on this forum in such a generalized way.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2020 03:40AM by kenasch.

Thanks for the input regarding rotations, each shopper's activity, and how these affect what is shown to each shopper when they check the job boards.

One can count on Eric in Tampa to say negative things about KSS and Lorri. Many of his accusations are patently untrue.

For example, for his post quoted below to be true, it would mean KSS never answers emails or phone calls. That certainly has not been my experience with KSS, and I have been doing shops they schedule for almost 20 years. From various posts on this forum, it is clear that KSS does communicate with shoppers. Eric in Tampa himself has posted about KSS communicating with him.

I have had mostly good and sometimes neutral or bad experiences with KSS schedulers, but no bad experiences with Lorri.

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

Just to translate the corporate line that KSSPete said, KSS isn't going to answer your emails or phone calls no matter how hard you try. Its the way that Lorri Kern does business.

I have had the same experience as OP. It seems to me that having the shops on different platforms, the other being self-assign, must be a nightmare for KSS schedulers.

For instance, I self-assigned a shop on legacy platform but a week later it is still showing as available on KSS even though it has been done, submitted and approved.

Maybe the ones 1forum1 is looking at have been done as well? How can the schedulers possibly keep up with all of this?

@kenasch wrote:

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

Just to translate the corporate line that KSSPete said, KSS isn't going to answer your emails or phone calls no matter how hard you try. Its the way that Lorri Kern does business.

I disagree. She has always answered my emails. That may be your experience but I don"t think its fair to criticize her on this forum in such a generalized way.

We're used to it. It's laughable. Sucks to be so bitter.

@sestrahelena wrote:

I have had the same experience as OP. It seems to me that having the shops on different platforms, the other being self-assign, must be a nightmare for KSS schedulers.

For instance, I self-assigned a shop on legacy platform but a week later it is still showing as available on KSS even though it has been done, submitted and approved.

Maybe the ones 1forum1 is looking at have been done as well? How can the schedulers possibly keep up with all of this?

That's funny! Yep, I have seen that too, and it is another possibility. But I have not heard any definitive explanation, yet......

I use KSS for scheduling all the time with no issues. Pete, Tony and Virgina are AMAZING! I do traveling routes and they all work hard to make routes more profitable. I have no communication issues with KSS. I usually get a email or text within the hour, quicker if I encounter a problem.

Hmm. What if your report triggered a need for additional shops? What if the location is shopped multiple times and needs a different shopper for each gig? ?

@sestrahelena wrote:

I have had the same experience as OP. It seems to me that having the shops on different platforms, the other being self-assign, must be a nightmare for KSS schedulers.

For instance, I self-assigned a shop on legacy platform but a week later it is still showing as available on KSS even though it has been done, submitted and approved.

Maybe the ones 1forum1 is looking at have been done as well? How can the schedulers possibly keep up with all of this?

Untrue? Really? Its been well documented of my issues with Lorri Kern, of which she has acknowledged in open forum settings. What's even funnier of your statement is that even after my profound disagreements with her over several issues in past years, I even PM'd Lorri Kern my personal cell number to handle our differences via a respectable conversation. As of this date, Lorri has never made the attempt.

Just because you don't see a post that you like doesn't mean that it didn't happen, guy.

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

Untrue? Really? Its been well documented of my issues with Lorri Kern, of which she has acknowledged in open forum settings. What's even funnier of your statement is that even after my profound disagreements with her over several issues in past years, I even PM'd Lorri Kern my personal cell number to handle our differences via a respectable conversation. As of this date, Lorri has never made the attempt.

Just because you don't see a post that you like doesn't mean that it didn't happen, guy.

Eric, Why why why????? You needed assistance with a program more than 2 years ago that WE DID NOT EVEN SCHEDULE and I assisted you. You even thanked me for responding. I am sorry I was sick and did not respond within 20 minutes of your email, but I did respond and I did assist you and it was not even my responsibility to do so!

The last message I have from you was in 2018. Here is the content. I hate posting private emails but I am just so tired of you trying to ruin my reputation. I know most shoppers can see through it, but here is our last correspondence.

I have no reason to call you and discuss this further. I did what I could do to assist you. I have deactivated you in our system. We will never have to work together again. Let's just move forward, shall we?

Please stop talking about me. I certainly do not talk about you.



Re: Emails regarding MCP payment

From: Eric in Tampa
To: Lorri Kern KSS
09/25/2018 05:00PM


I received your email. Thank you for responding. Please keep in mind that I am human as well, and when I see you responding to others promptly & not to me, how exactly does that look?

I hope that you feel better. I am getting over double pink eye & the flu this week. Not a good time, yet we'll both fight through it.



@Eric in Tampa wrote:

Lorri, are you even receiving my emails at all regarding MCP payment??? If you don't want to assist me, fine. Just please be professional, and refer me to someone that can assist me?

Thanks.

@Lorri Kern KSS wrote:

You emailed me on Friday at 6:28 pm. I had already left the office for the day. I was out sick yesterday (and home sick today also, but logging in to check email) with a fever and sore throat. I am not being "unprofessional" I am being sick.

I have forwarded BOTH of your emails to Kimberly and Robin at Measure and asked them to remit payment asap. These shops were not scheduled by KSS, as you know, so that is the most I can do. Hopefully one of us will hear back from her soon.

Please realize that I am a human also. If you don't get an immediate response, you can assume that there is a reason for it. I don't just ignore emails.

@1forum1 wrote:

I don't attempt to schedule a lot of shops via KSS, primarily because I can easily schedule them directly with the MSC. However, recently I have tried to use KSS. This is my experience. I never get the shops I apply for. The shops sit in My Apps in pending status until one day all the shops I had pending disappear. I think someone else got the shops. However, I check the Job Board and the shops are still there. I re-apply. The scenario repeats itself until the shops no longer appear in My Apps indicating "pending" or on the Job Board. I don't understand. Presently, I have at least 1 pending with KSS, and the window to complete the shops starts Dec 1. That's another thing. Often that window to complete the shops shifts. Meanwhile, I keep applying and re-applying for the same shops, to no avail.

Hi! Please DM me with what shops you are applying for and your email address. I will look into this further to see what the issue may be and get back to you right away!

Same thing happens to me i literally just deleted my account it's worthless

To whom it may concern: I received a private message from Lori at KSS that clearly and succinctly helped me "understand."

@Lorri Kern KSS Pffft! That's just the problem with you. You don't even bother to answer anyone at all when they try to reach you. And I'm not referring to an isolated incident either. You've had a consistent pattern where you make yourself "unavailable" for comment be it via DM, open forum reply, email, or direct phone call. I've had considerable issues with you that pale in comparison to the original issue I had with you years ago that frankly, I completely forgot about until you mentioned it.

But since you are using selective reasoning in choosing to remember only what you find suits you best rather than anyone else's interests, may I suggest that you go through your emails, voicemails, and DMs a little more thoroughly? Its interesting that you are trying to project me as being an issues with you when its very clear that you are having significant issues with your communication means.

To clarify for the absolute last time in open forum, I don't have issues with payment facilitation with you mainly because that is not necessarily a KSS operating function. You do so as a favor to shoppers, and I for one appreciate the gesture.

However, when I reach out to you in multiple ways regarding a major business inadequacy with KSS operations outside of your Massachusetts base, I get no response. There are others that are minor in both scope and magnitude, yet this one that I am referring to is something that I cannot discuss in open forum due to potential monetary consequences that can affect your operation, if it hasn't already. I've DM'd you my personal # to discuss this, yet nothing from you. I've called your office and left voicemails, and nothing from you. Its as if you are either oblivious, or just don't care.

For someone that claims to be all about the shopper's best interests, you've been disappointing. Utterly disappointing. This was indicative on the other forum site (that is now defunct) when you had others project concepts without merit for you in your behalf purely for gossip and entertainment.

You know how to reach me, as I do you.

All I have to say is this: I accepted an audit from a scheduler at KSS.

She assured me it was assigned. I did finally, several hours later, receive an e-mail.

But the link to the shop didn't allow me to log in to the site.

Tried for two hours. Sent her a couple urgent messages. She responded immediately and helpfully.

And again. And again. She was patient and helpful.

She kept saying the shop was on IPSOS. I kept trying to log in. Finally, I mentioned when I did the shop before, it was for Maritz. She said it still was! Knowing that, I was finally able to log in and prep for the shop.

I apologized for being so difficult, and she continued to be gracious and helpful.



Kudos, Maranda at KSS!!!!

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

Just to translate the corporate line that KSSPete said, KSS isn't going to answer your emails or phone calls no matter how hard you try. Its the way that Lorri Kern does business.

I emailed Lorri Kern this week about a scheduler issue, and received a very prompt response.

No doubt that every scheduler I have ever dealt with including Pete, Tony and Virginia have been outstanding and very helpful whenever I needed thier assistance with a particular assignment. I could not ask for better support than with that team.

i heard they’re permanently taking over assigning everything on ipsos that was once maritz/legacy. i don’t see that as being good for us shoppers. since they’re a scheduling company, my guess is they’re going to look to assign all shops for as little money as possible. hopefully i’m wrong.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2020 01:54PM by jay225.

The bigger picture here is that KSS has some great schedulers, many who go above and beyond what is asked of them (Virginia). Many MSPs use scheduling companies. I think it is important as shoppers to see the whole picture: schedulers, editors, clients etc and build relationships by working together with a little give and take. I take assignments at posted rate all the time but do ask for a bonus when I am going out of my way or have additional expenses to get the shop done. Everyone wants their piece of the pie. The MSP has to make money, schedulers have to make money, editors have to make money and of course shopppers do as well. Be nice to your account managers, schedulers and editors. We are all part of the same team.