Chicago shops

December 22, 2022 07:14PM

I live in a major metropolitan area. I am always looking to add new companies for opportunities. My question is how do I know that company offers shops in my area? I have no idea if Second to None or Pinnacle have shops around me. I don’t want to throw my personal data around to everybody. Maybe it is like dating. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

December 22, 2022 10:56PM

Servimer has a ton of parking shops in Chicago every month. They pay like clockwork and have very helpful schedulers who also do shops in the city so can help you with first-hand knowledge. . Also, you can park as long as you like, but not over night, so you can use those parking assignments to then walk to other city shops. With so many workers working from home, You will be reimbursed for whatever your parking stay cost! MSCs are paying bonuses for city bank shops and many other shops that folks used to do on their lunch hours, for instance.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2022 09:14PM by walesmaven.

December 22, 2022 11:23PM

Thanks. I already did a shop for them. Nothing right now. I was looking to get a read on how to know what companies are in my area before throwing my info to everyone.

December 23, 2022 02:33AM

You really can't... clients can switch companies at any time and a MSC that hasn't had work in your area for YEARS could suddenly have some great shops. It's really better to just sign up with lots of companies.

@Livsmarbs wrote:

Thanks. I already did a shop for them. Nothing right now. I was looking to get a read on how to know what companies are in my area before throwing my info to everyone.

December 23, 2022 03:38AM

Take a few minutes to actually look at what Second To None offers. There are companies needing shoppers at the Rosemont Fashion Mall and it's too many toll roads away for me to go there. Am I allowed to list companies?

December 23, 2022 04:19PM

@Rho* wrote:

Take a few minutes to actually look at what Second To None offers. There are companies needing shoppers at the Rosemont Fashion Mall and it's too many toll roads away for me to go there. Am I allowed to list companies?

I'd eat all my profits at Fogo if I did those shops, lol... my husband would be thrilled if I took them & dropped him off at Rivers to play black Jack while I worked. Casinos in Indiana aren't smoke free so going to Rivers is so much better.

December 23, 2022 04:54PM

Second to none is offering nothing that even comes close to those shops. It was just an example I don’t want to harp of them. It was more about how to know before signing up discussion.

December 23, 2022 06:29PM

The reason that there are no Servimer shops now is probably because their shoppers know not to wait for end of the month/quarter bonuses. They get the best fees as soon as a shop goes active on the job board. And, that gives the shopper time to find other MSC's shops near their Servimer parking opportunities. Servimer shops for the next month begin posting mid-morning the 25th of each month. About 95% of their shops for the following month will hit the job board within 2 hours that morning.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

December 23, 2022 07:43PM

@Livsmarbs wrote:

Second to none is offering nothing that even comes close to those shops. It was just an example I don’t want to harp of them. It was more about how to know before signing up discussion.

Just keep thinking that they have nothing, and limit yourself to just a few companies, lol. You're my direct competition so I'll happily scan emails/ job boards for MANY companies and take great shops instead of letting them go to others.

December 24, 2022 02:53AM

That’s the spirit.

December 24, 2022 08:02PM

@Livsmarbs wrote:

That’s the spirit.

Spirit?
I'm a business owner trying to make a profit. Spoon feeding my competitors valuable information doesn't sound like a great way for ME to turn a profit. So unless your paying my son's travel baseball fees or the hotels for the next seasons softball tournaments for my daughter I'm going to make sure my business is profitable.

December 25, 2022 05:19AM

Enjoy it. Because I am not going to argue with you about who gets a mystery shop or not in our area. If you read my original post, I questioned if there was a way to know what shops a company offered Before signing up. Never did I ask you or anybody else for their companies that offered shops in our area. Happy Holidays.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/25/2022 05:55AM by Livsmarbs.

December 28, 2022 02:21PM

You can try going on jobslinger and search by zip code. That'll pull up shops nearby and then you can see what companies are offering them. Otherwise, I got started by signing up for a few companies a day and checking their boards.

December 28, 2022 03:25PM

Good idea. Thank you for keeping on topic. Also I know people diss on GigSpot, but it does tell you how far a companies job is located. That is helpful as well. I am figuring out little tricks, but it seems there is no really way to know.

December 28, 2022 06:39PM

I lived just outside Chicago for 13 years, now I'm in a rural area, and gigspot gives a rough idea of how far it is, but for me to truly see the mileage, I have to use a map tool to map the exact route. There's one gas station by me that shows up as 9 miles, but that is if I hopped in a plane and flew. If I actually do the roads, its 13 miles.

In Chicago the issue is more with traffic than actual distance. Something that's 5 miles could be an hour in traffic. I worked in the loop for years and used to do a lot of banks and coffee shops which was all on foot so I didn't have to deal with traffic.

@Livsmarbs wrote:

Good idea. Thank you for keeping on topic. Also I know people diss on GigSpot, but it does tell you how far a companies job is located. That is helpful as well. I am figuring out little tricks, but it seems there is no really way to know.

December 28, 2022 11:11PM

Presto might give you some Ideas. Even if you don't like what's available, you can see which MSCs use it and those companies often have other jobs that they don't put on Presto.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2022 11:12PM by sestrahelena.

December 28, 2022 11:16PM

Whoa! Walesmaven is right! I had checked Servimer when the shops were posted and there was a whole full page in my radius. Today there are only 2 left!

December 28, 2022 11:59PM

@joanna81

you make a good point. i’m in the suburbs and won’t take a job in downtown chicago unless it’s $100+, as to fight the traffic can turn a “quick and easy job” into a half-day excursion.

December 29, 2022 01:18AM

@charleybuddy wrote:

@joanna81

you make a good point. i’m in the suburbs and won’t take a job in downtown chicago unless it’s $100+, as to fight the traffic can turn a “quick and easy job” into a half-day excursion.

Instead of looking for a $100 shop, I just plan on a full day (drop kids at school 8:30, get into city by 9:30 leave city by 2:15 to get kids from school)
I'll throw together several shops, my target is $250ish...

December 29, 2022 02:21AM

That is awesome!! I guess I am not with enough companies to string that day together.

December 29, 2022 05:51AM

@sestrahelena I was curious like the OP about finding out who else might have jobs in my area beyond the companies I find on Presto. Presto has provided enough opportunities, but I wonder if I am missing out on interesting shops and perhaps some that are more profitable. On the other hand, I am leery about having more emails to sift through and will the extra time provide better tasks.

December 29, 2022 02:58PM

There is no way to know who shops where without signing up. It’s not like you are just throwing your personal data around…you are signing up with legitimate companies for contract work. Looking at who shops where on a random day doesn’t tell you a thing,,,ask the shops may be gone for the month or they all may be dropping the next day.

One of my best shops was for a company I had been signed up for over ten years without a peep. And then one day they needed someone for a very easy $150.00 shop. It required a partner and I took my college age daughter, The shop required a purchase, two pictures and returning it in as found sitting on a bench, It paid in two days. Well worth being signed up for them all those years,

December 30, 2022 04:51PM

Signing up with a lot of companies is generally the most tedious part. If I do routes, it is generally shops or projects that I have done before so I know what to expect.
I also wouldn't sign up to do 10 shops even if they are all next door to each other unless I know what to expect on the reports, if they are long and detailed reports, it can take a few hours to go home and do them all. Of course, that all depends on the shops and companies. As you do more shops, you get more familiar with each companies expectations so it gets easier.

@Livsmarbs wrote:

That is awesome!! I guess I am not with enough companies to string that day together.

January 02, 2023 04:07AM

I understand not wanting to sling your personal data all over the place. I think you can defer entering the most sensitive info until you at least sign up for a job or maybe even later.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Chicago shops

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine