Is nobody outraged with SI this week?

August 11, 2011 01:07AM

I have been surprised to see no comment about SI and their postings (or lack thereof) this week. They were supposed to go up Monday at 2PM for a particular client and it is now 9PM on Wednesday and they still are not up. Shoppers were instructed to take all their questions about shop scheduling etc. to Kern, who is now their scheduler for the particular group of shops and yet they evidently were not being straight with Kern about what was going on. Kern was swamped with phone calls and emails from irate shoppers. While they attempted to keep shoppers informed of what SI was passing on to them, SI was obviously giving Kern misinformation or misleading information. Finally SI posted that it wasn't Kern that was being a problem and chose rather to scapegoat the client. Hmmmmmm. If SI gets much more incompetent they will forget how to breathe.

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August 11, 2011 01:11AM

I haven't checked them out all month, seems like their problems are mounting while they are sinking. Goodbye tex mex, I'll miss you.

Live consciously....

August 11, 2011 01:16AM

The client in question is one in the SE part of the country.

August 11, 2011 02:10AM

I have noticed all of this - mostly because we are going to our condo next week and thought I would try for some of those shops - we don't have that particular store here. So I made sure my certifications were up to date, got myself all organized and have mostly been checking for the shops while reading the regular updates from KSS and then SI. Interesting since typically when KSS takes something over they don't want the shopper to "bother" the client msp. And now its gone back in their court. I just figured there must be A LOT of people calling and emailing about this!

I know many are not shopping for SI anymore but I did over 300.00 in convenience stores a couple of months ago for them and LOVED it. It's a shop they only do once a year and I look for it.

Liz

August 11, 2011 03:46AM

I am surprised that evidently either there are few folks shopping them any more or else we don't have many shoppers in the SE who have found forums. These shops have been at the core of my business for years and since April 2010 they have been a nightmare--not because of the client or the shop, but because of SI. I couldn't imagine that they would have hired KSS except as an answering service, since the shops fly off the boards and SI does not monitor their VOX box any more. The few shops they have left over they plead and threaten to hire new shoppers to do rather than pay a reasonable bonus for travel to do the darn things. They have certainly made themselve UGLY.

August 11, 2011 12:25PM

SI?

What's the company?

Evaluating and mailing packages since 1994. I am an undercover connoisseur of customer service, a master of disguise in the aisles, and a sworn enemy of subpar experiences. I blend in, observe, and report—because excellence should never be a mystery.

August 11, 2011 12:51PM

Service Intelligence. It took me 3 weeks to get signed up with them for my favorite grocery store and I was sooooo excited that after looking and looking for the MS company that y'all helped me find. What a dissapointment they have shown to be.

August 11, 2011 01:20PM

I didn't realize they had fallen so far off the respectability chart. I did notice though that they didn't answer their VOX mail in the convenience shops round I did and I was sort of chastised for using it (then take it off the website!). It used to be the only way they would communicate.

I quit doing the roast beef shops awhile ago ..not even sure if they still do them.

Liz

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am surprised that evidently either there are few
> folks shopping them any more or else we don't have
> many shoppers in the SE who have found forums.
> These shops have been at the core of my business
> for years and since April 2010 they have been a
> nightmare--not because of the client or the shop,
> but because of SI. I couldn't imagine that they
> would have hired KSS except as an answering
> service, since the shops fly off the boards and SI
> does not monitor their VOX box any more. The few
> shops they have left over they plead and threaten
> to hire new shoppers to do rather than pay a
> reasonable bonus for travel to do the darn things.
> They have certainly made themselve UGLY.

August 11, 2011 01:52PM

You know I am just wondering (know nothing, just wondering) if the grocery shops are moving companies? I only wonder this because I have found in my many years of shopping that often when shops are delayed and delayed and excuses keep coming forward that the shop is moving and the msp is trying to salvage the situation. This is just pure speculation. But if everyone else is having problems with the msp it follows the client may be too.

Liz

August 11, 2011 03:01PM

I rather doubt it at this time of year. The client has been with the company long enough that they probably would see it out through the end of the year. This is not even the end of a fiscal quarter. Since the move to NC was mid April last year, a reasonable time for departure would have been before now since by December 31 they should have 'gotten their act together'. Of course in this business you hate to see a client move because almost inevitably it means more requirements and less pay.

August 11, 2011 04:50PM

They only have school postings here for entire state.

August 11, 2011 05:50PM

I am surprised we have heard nothing from either KSS or SI today considering the flurry of emails yesterday.

Liz

August 11, 2011 07:08PM

Yes, I'm finding that verrrry special.

August 11, 2011 07:53PM

That is what makes me wonder if something is "up."

Liz

August 11, 2011 07:57PM

I know. I was interested to peek at their forum the other day and was unable to find any of the threads relating to this client there any more. Perhaps I just missed them. And I was especially amused at the company statement that the Facebook suggestion that SI would not be paying after Aug 1 was incorrect. But when I looked at available certifications, even including both sites, there are a whole heck of a lot of clients MIA.

August 11, 2011 08:08PM

Well, they posted. The refresher certification seems to be the same as done how many times previously???? They were going to let us know IMMEDIATELY and yet there is no email in MY box.

Edited to add: The shops posted about 30 minutes ago and the approximately 26 of the 30 locations in my extended shopping area are gone without there ever being the promised email. Their statement that "When the jobs are released we will communicate that to you in a timely manner." is a bunch of hooey. (And eventually I didn't take just a whole lot of shops due to rotation issues.)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2011 08:27PM by Flash.

August 11, 2011 09:24PM

I logged in to their site about 20 minutes after Flash did, and all of the locations within 20 miles of my shopping area are gone too!

Congratulations to SI. You have taken another giant step........... backwards!

August 11, 2011 09:29PM

Yes, it is more than vaguely obscene. The shops posted around 3:55 PM and I'm sure everybody went home at 5PM without having sent out any shopper notification.

August 12, 2011 03:19AM

KSS email dated 8-9-11 from Mike Young stated "I PROMISE I will email you the MINUTE I hear any news regarding these shops." Maybe he's still in the dark, or he talks the talk, but . . . you know what walks.

August 12, 2011 03:24AM

They have PLENTY listed for my neck of the woods but I have that message that says I've reached my 10 shop max for the month. I HAVEN'T DONE MY FIRST SHOP WITH THEM!!!!!! Can anyone tell me what's up with that?????????????

August 14, 2011 06:15PM

The scheuler fixed my problem but by the time he got it resolved, the shops had been taken. Does SI list all grocery stores within your areas? I have about 11 withing my shopping range but only 3 were listed and I know I saw them when they were first posted, so they hadn't been selected by other shoppers.

August 14, 2011 06:32PM

Every store in the chain is shopped every round. If you did not see them, the chances are that another shopper beat you to them. The shops were posted at least a little before 4PM. Luckily the refresher quiz was quick, but within about 30 minutes of posting the vast majority of locations in my area were gone and that wasn't just me grabbing them.

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