1. Reducing pay across the board...you are now working for peanut shells instead of peanuts.
2. Paying in two or three weeks, instead of one week.

It has been a ride Ipsos, but this dude just got off the pony!

How you said that last part just made my day. I had a company ask if I would like to do an audit at a 24 pump station and they would be willing to pay me $7. It wasn't the one you mention in your post, but I laughed at them on the phone and they asked me what was so funny. So, I get what you are saying.

There are plenty of MSC's that do not even give the peanut shell, just the illusion of one.

IPSOS - scoring. I don't have any problems getting 10's on any other MSC's. I don't know how their editors grade but I rarely if ever get a 10. I get mostly 9's with an occasional 7. I just wrote up a [fast-food] shop in excruciating detail, hit all the points being asked in the briefing, explained every no, and I still got a 9.

Anyone else notice this or is it just me?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2023 05:30PM by gsfreeman2.

@gsfreeman2 wrote:

IPSOS - scoring. I don't have any problems getting 10's on any other MSC's. I don't know how their editors grade but I rarely if ever get a 10. I get mostly 9's with an occasional 7. I just wrote up a [fast-food] shop in excruciating detail, hit all the points being asked in the briefing, explained every no, and I still got a 9.

Anyone else notice this or is it just me?

Why are so many people chained to their scores? If they approved your shop and you got paid that's what counts.

I believe some editors just won't give out perfect scores. It's all subjective to the whims of the editor.

If you got a 1 or a 5 I could see your concern as it might impact your ability to self assign shops in the future, but a 9?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2023 06:21PM by wrosie.

I haven't done any IPSOS shops since they cancelled a highly bonused gas station shop the day of the shop. I had built a route around it.

I've been called and e-mailed by other schedulers asking me to do remote, bonused shops and I decline. Burn me once, shame on me. I won't give them the chance to burn me again.

There are certain editors that do that for some food shops. I asked about it and one wrote back an extensive explanation stating they just wanted the basics, not the complete details. That was the first time I ever was told an answer of such from that MSC. I still want to show what they wrote to a project manager to see if that was the correct information or that editor's perception.

I think a week is the longest I've waited for an IPSOS payment (thanksgiving time).

I always get paid quickly. I did a shop for them on January 6, got paid on January 10.

In 20 years of shopping I have only had 1 editor ever tell me something I did was unprofessional. It was on a fast food shop where I put in quotes exactly what the employee said. I was told it was unprofessional to quote them.

Like @wrosie said...who cares as long as they pay you. I still thought it was funny that it was "unprofessional" to quote exactly what the person said.

I will continue to quote if I feel it's necessary. eff that editor.

@purpleicee wrote:

There are certain editors that do that for some food shops. I asked about it and one wrote back an extensive explanation stating they just wanted the basics, not the complete details. That was the first time I ever was told an answer of such from that MSC. I still want to show what they wrote to a project manager to see if that was the correct information or that editor's perception.

@hbbigdaddy

I just got that same thing last week when I quoted an employee. I thought it odd. Here's the exact quote from the editor/grader:


The best practice for a professional report (unless asked for) is not to use quotes or dialogue in the narrative. It's best to paraphrase what was said. Example of incorrect usage: The associate said, "'Would you like anything else?"
Correct usage: The associate asked if I would like anything else. The exception is if an associate swore or was extremely verbally rude.

And while I appreciate the feedback and won't quote them anymore for that shop, the odd thing is that I got a 10 on that one. Meanwhile, I just got a 9 on a shop for the same client and the only feedback I got on that one was the, 'thanks for partnering with IPSOS' comment.

@gsfreeman2 I wouldn't be too concerned with the grade the editor provides. I know it is frustrating when you receive a 7 or an 8 for a report. I think it has more to do with the luck of the draw in who you get to grade you. If I receive a 10, I know it is not from one editor that is hard to grade. This one person is very nit picky. I forgot what their standard is for typing height, but that will be a point deduction if you deviate from their way. I forgot if they want the answer to what is the color of the shirt in all lowercase or if it is okay to have the first letter uppercase and the rest lowercase.

The next time a scheduler reaches out to do a hard to fill job that is heavily bonused, I might reply and say I will do it as long as _______ doesn't grade me. I am not sure that I want to stir up any trouble.

Last year someone said they received an 8 on a report that was basically all pictures. I have a good idea who gave that grade.

I like providing comments to show I am capable of generating thorough reports and think it benefits the client. It has gotten to a point where now I am more inclined to type NA or whatever the minimum character answer is. This means less of an opportunity for that editor to lower the score more.

You aren't paid more nor are you offered more jobs if you provide additional content in the reports.

From their emails, I gather this person is not a wordsmith. This person's emails doesn't have punctuation. When I read one of the emails, I was thinking -- "this is who is grading ME?!"

We probably had the same editor. I don't give a big poopie. I look forward to quoting the person on the next IPSOS shop just out of spite. I quote when I want to. Many MSC ask for exact verbiage (quote) of what employees say. So this clown editor wants to tell me that it is unprofessional? Just makes me want to do it more :-)

@DRJ wrote:

@hbbigdaddy

I just got that same thing last week when I quoted an employee. I thought it odd. Here's the exact quote from the editor/grader:


The best practice for a professional report (unless asked for) is not to use quotes or dialogue in the narrative. It's best to paraphrase what was said. Example of incorrect usage: The associate said, "'Would you like anything else?"
Correct usage: The associate asked if I would like anything else. The exception is if an associate swore or was extremely verbally rude.

There is probably a lot of turnover with editors. Editors who are poorly trained make the shopper look bad, and we have no way of knowing what "corrections" they are making to our reports, but I haven't had problems with them recently. The current Ipsos editors that I have interacted with seem to be pretty good.

Years ago, the previous company that had many of the current Ipsos clients was using editors who were so poorly trained that they were messing up about half my shops, and it wasted so much of my time having to respond to their incorrect "holds." For example, many of the gas stations I shopped were old-fashioned service stations that did not have pay at the pump, so the gas receipt was a cash register receipt, or even a hand-written receipt. The editors would delete every gas receipt that was not from a gas pump, and tell me to upload the gas receipt. Even though I explained in the comments that the station did not have pay at the pump, they never bothered to read the comments and they never opened up a comment box when they put the shops on hold, so that I could respond to them.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2023 03:38PM by mjt9598.

I just got rated a 1 and the shop was rejected. It was a phone call shop. The guidelines said to call back after 10 minutes if you don't reach a live person. I e-mailed the scheduler and got no response.

I called and the recording said the office was closed so I did not call two more times.

Here is what the editor stated:

"Remember that if you do not reach a live attendant on your first call attempt, you must make up to two more attempts (at least 10 minutes apart) to reach a live attendant."

To me it would be stupid to call two more times as the office would still be closed. There is actually a question that asks if the office was closed yes or no.

The next closed office I did, I called two more times so they couldn't reject the shop.

The editor may have meant you should have made your first call attempt earlier so that, if necessary, you could call two more times during business hours. If she did mean that, then she should have said that.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

The editor may have meant you should have made your first call attempt earlier so that, if necessary, you could call two more times during business hours. If she did mean that, then she should have said that.

Business hours on the top of the shop report were until 5 PM. I made my first call at 4:01 PM which should have been within the stated business hours an. It also gave me time to call two more times during business hours if I has so chosen. But, if the office is closed, they aren't going to reopen just in case I had to call two more times.

Oh boy. Guess we should just turn off our brains and follow those directions, then!

Good old Maritz.....I loved their schedulers and bonuses!

Yep, the bulk of editors want the full details and that one editor sends this:

"Please do not use quotation marks around any of the text. Using direct quotes of associates is not encouraged in a professional report (unless an associate cursed or was extremely rude, etc.)."

I disagree. I think the client needs to know the details and how their associates speak. But, I realize it is not about what "I think." However, I will write details anyway and just hope I do not get "that" editor.

I always do a mix of quotes and paraphrasing for Ipsos, and have never had an issue.

Some MSCs specifically ask for quotes (Ann Michaels, IIRC).

I think the word "Unprofessional" is being misused by this editor. It is not at all unprofessional to supply a direct quote. And there is nothing on the MCS's website that says not to use direct quotes. Some MSCs and clients want them specifically. I do believe though, in some areas it is best not to use them, unless instructed to do so, because it may infer that the Shopper has been recording a conversation and, in some places that may not be legal. So unless an MSC makes it clear what they want, professionalism has nothing to do with this.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2023 01:51PM by sestrahelena.

I get 10's from IPSOS when I do not write in excruciating detail.