Hello, I have been mystery shopping for 20 years now for a large number of different companies. I’ve never had any real major problems. Little things have come up from time to time but I always manage to work with a company and get things solved.

I’ve done mystery shops for SeeLevelHX for 19 years. I have a perfect reputation with that company as a shopper… at least I used to until yesterday. I got contacted by a scheduler via email asking me if I’d be interested in some high-end car shops. She asked me for a list of dealerships that were in my area that sold certain brands she was looking for. I put together a list. Turns out there were five dealerships in total in my area that were sold the brands of cars they were hoping to have shopped.

I sent the scheduler the list of dealerships via email that I put together expecting her to reply back with whether or not she had shops available at any of those dealerships and when I would have to do them.

The next morning I woke up to an email saying I had been assigned a shop at a dealership in my area that had to be started today and that was due tomorrow. The shop required two visits to the dealership, one today and one tomorrow and everything had to be done by tomorrow.

I contacted the scheduler immediately and said hey, I never signed up for any shops yet. You were going to give me a list of shops in my area. I also had to inform her I couldn’t do the shop today that she had arbitrarily signed me up for as I had other work commitments.

The email I got back from her was particularly nasty. She told me she was going to cancel the shop and issue me flake citations. I never even agreed to do any specific shop, especially not one that was due the same day! She simply signed me up for one without even asking me first.

I wrote her back immediately and told her doing that would be a petty, vindictive move on her part considering I had never agreed to do the shop in the first place. She never responded. Now my account is deactivated and she has issued multiple flake citations all for this one shop. She basically destroyed my entire account over this.

WTF! I have never had anything like this happen. I don’t even know what to do. The account is now deactivated. I guess I won’t be shopping for them anymore.

Wow that sounds ridiculous! I would call corporate, and ask to speak to a MSC/corporate manager. Kindly request resolution and reinstatement, and the removal of any and all citations regarding this incident.

Definitely contact a SeeLevel executive. I wouldn’t call, I’d email to leave a paper trail.

Keep all emails from the scheduler, forward them, and ask the executive, “Do you want your company represented by someone like this?”

There are definitely some “bad apple” schedulers out there. Most of them jump from company to company. (I am SO tempted to ask for initials, because I have one in mind.)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2021 07:40PM by ColoKate63.

Yeah, so do I. T. Z.

I think I know which scheduler it is. I work for that company a lot, and they have some really awesome schedulers. They also have one really bad one. It would shock me if it was anyone but the one that I'm thinking. I certainly hope that you are able to get a resolution. They have some really good projects and some other employees that are really awesome. I hope they fix it for you.

Might be the same scheduler I had that baited me into a shop. She promised I could view the guidelines before accepting the shop, but when I asked for them she replied that the guidelines were in the comments, everything I needed to know/do was in there. I wanted the shop so I took her word for it and turns out she was lying. There was at least 3 times more work than indicated in the comments. It wasn't so much more to discredit the amount of pay but it was enough for me to promise not to ever work with her again. This was my first shop with the MSC so I wanted to see if this was indicative of the culture there before making any complaints. I'm glad to know they have a good reputation.

Thank you all for your feedback. Apparently this scheduler has a bit of a reputation as some of you knew who it was without me saying the name. I took the advice to write the company directly. I had to send it to a generic email box though as I don't have a contact for someone high up there at SeeLevel. Hopefully they respond.

Wow! Wow! WOW! This hurts my heart that you went through that!

I'm not condoning how you were treated, but I have sympathy for whoever has to schedule these particular shops.

I know they have a really hard time filling those high end car shops. I believe it is because the guy (client) that has to approve/accept the shops is a jerk. At least that's been my experience with him. I won't do these unless they have a very lucrative bonus.

It could be because the scheduler was very frustrated in trying to get their shops scheduled that you ran into this problem.

Brisco states--I’ve done mystery shops for SeeLevelHX for 19 years.

Bob comments--From 2009 until 2015, I completed 20 shops for an MSC using the initials RSG. I think, but am not positive, it was Research Services Group and owned by a female named Lisa. During 2012, I completed two assignments for an MSC named Beyond Hello. In 2016, a high paying MSC, Monterey, sent me an E-letter stating they were associating with Beyond Hello, which had been absorbed into RSG and would be known as SeeLevelHX. In addition, I would be required to enter into a contract with See Level; I refused and was quickly deactivated, According to the BBB, SeeLevel has only been in business for 5 years. If both my recollections and the BBB are correct, Brisco is in error.

If we interpret what Brisco wrote literally, then Bob is correct.

However, if Brisco used "SeeLevelHx" as a shorthand for its component companies, which includes Beyond Hello, then Brisco could indeed have shopped for "SeeLevelHX" for 19 years.

Anyway, to me at least, that is just a minor point. A more important point of this thread is how some schedulers are known to engage in questionable conduct.

Shoppers have reputations. So do schedulers.

@shopperbob wrote:

Brisco states--I’ve done mystery shops for SeeLevelHX for 19 years.

Bob comments--From 2009 until 2015, I completed 20 shops for an MSC using the initials RSG. I think, but am not positive, it was Research Services Group and owned by a female named Lisa. During 2012, I completed two assignments for an MSC named Beyond Hello. In 2016, a high paying MSC, Monterey, sent me an E-letter stating they were associating with Beyond Hello, which had been absorbed into RSG and would be known as SeeLevelHX. In addition, I would be required to enter into a contract with See Level; I refused and was quickly deactivated, According to the BBB, SeeLevel has only been in business for 5 years. If both my recollections and the BBB are correct, Brisco is in error.

The Auto Sales (2 visits) shops that SeeLevelHX schedules are, at first glance, acceptable in terms of compensation, But, when finished, no one can say that a completed shop paid much more than minimum wage. the photos, detail, and editorial snarkiness provided by (the guy) who directs the program, make this shop challenging and time consuming.

I wonder if this project is at a point where I should offer to do one for a significant bonus?

It makes you want to do a little research and then take an SW cheap flight to actually visit the guys in question and ask why they are such jerks. Lucky for them I am in my 60's and have a heart condition and I don't fly anymore.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2021 07:32PM by 2stepps.

Keep us updated.

I would not have done unpaid legwork finding dealerships. They have paid staff to do that.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2021 11:08PM by Swilli.

Once upon a time I did a restaurant shop for one of SeeLevel's component companies, before they grouped themselves together. It was the first year I was shopping, I read the guidelines, and I followed them to the letter, including my evaluations of the food and service. I was told by the editor that I shouldn't be so critical because it was a coffee shop type restaurant, not a fine dining restaurant, but the guidelines said to evaluate it like a high end restaurant, so that's what I did.

I don't know why or how it happened, but the waiter was MEAN and argumentative with us throughout our meal, and both him and the store manager chased us out of the restaurant and followed us outside after to watch us drive away. I've never been been treated that way in any restaurant before or since, and I argued with the editor over it. After a week of emails and fighting, I was deactivated by the MSC after the first and only shop I ever did for them.

I shop for SeeLevel now and then, because I was also shopping with one of the other component companies, but only for convenience, to fill in a route or to get some lunch while I'm out shopping.

@Morledzep That's awful! It sounds like there was a communication breakdown because they were dazed and confused.

Bob, don't be a nitwit.....My trash company is now Waste Management...I cannot count the number of times the actual company who does the service has been sold in the last 2 years.....c'mon man!

These car negotiation shops are one of few on my 10 foot pole list. A enormous bonus of $500 and I might consider one. I said consider not take. That is how bad this shop is I tried it twice.

salisburync comments--Bob, don't be a nitwit .............c'mon man!

Bob replies--I have been self-employed for 58 year. During that period, one of the adages I quickly learned was: Say what you mean and mean what you say. My sole intent in mentioning the error in the OP's statement of 19 years was that in the past many new participants would appear, bad mouth a company and then fade away.

As to the comment of "c'mon man," it reminds me of people who utter "cut me some slack" and "give me a break." I do admit to, at times, being a nitwit,

so the issuance of a citation is up to the discretion of the scheduler, with no guidelines in place or criteria by which a citation can be issued. this is complete BS.
we are IC's not employees. this should be in our contract that we sign, since this can impact our status as shoppers, and our income.
this needs to change.

I wish I could show you a picture of my profile on seelevel. It says my sign up date was April 9, 2002. I do believe I remember that they once went by a different name. I don’t remember which company became which and who bought who, etc. but the account is that old. That to me is the bottom line. If you wanna call me a liar, and exaggerator, and embellisher or anything else on that basis, feel free. I’ve been called worse.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2021 05:00PM by Brisco.

For those of you asking for an update, I have none. I submitted a complaint via email as suggested to a generic mailbox. That was on Friday afternoon. Thus far I have received no response.

You need to start making calls if you haven’t heard anything. The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2021 08:59PM by audrialyn30.

seelevelhx took over and is using the old beyond hello sassie shoppers page.

Yes. Please keep trying. Don't give up. Talk to someone in charge because that is wrong.

I know exactly who you are talking about. She is consistent, if nothing else. Worst part is she lives in my area, and I always hope people don't assume we are all like her! We are nice here!

You can email their CEO through LinkedIn if you aren't getting a response from any of their employees. You click on "Message" on her profile:
[www.linkedin.com]

My account with them shows Signup Date: 2012. Don't sweat somebody trying to pick your post apart. I"m sorry you had to go through this and hope you're account is restored quickly.