I did a shop for a certain phone company. The instructions stated I was to leave after 15 minutes if I wasn't helped and provide an explanation. The associate was on the phone and appeared to be the only one, so I waited. They got off the phone and started helping me. Then they answered the phone again. After they got off the phone, they started assisting another customer that entered after me. I then left as the 15 minutes were up. I provided the narrative and selected that I was unable to finish. Ipsos shows this one as "received," but there are no notes. I was paid for a similar shop today, but this one was not included even though it was performed within the same timeframe/pay period. Will this one pay out since I technically was not able to finish? I'd hate to not get paid because I went there, attempted to do the shop, and was waiting for a considerable amount of time.

I've never had this happen, but I believe the guidelines say partial compensation. If this happened to me, I'd probably wait until the next pay period to further inquire.

I suspect you either had it excluded or they are going back and forth with the client. Make sure you don't have any follow up questions in your email that may have been overlooked.

$2.00 coming your way...bahahaha. Sometimes it's better to wait out the wait if the fee/bonus is good, otherwise you risk getting their "closed shop fee." Hopefully they will realize the attempt you made and compensate you for your time.

I hope so! I stayed there for about 30 minutes including the time waiting between phone calls and the time spent interacting with the employee. I would have completed the shop, but when she started helping another customer that entered after me, I left.

I don't blame you for leaving. That would have irked me too. I hope you explained that in the report. It sounds like a completed shop to me. Good luck

I had a phone store salesperson interaction where the rep just plain didn't attempt to do their job, I had several back and forth Q&A emails with an editor before they finally graded the shop and approved it. I had to explain that she didn't speak unless answering a question and she answered in as few words as possible. There was an apparent contradiction of her recommending a second best choice for me but then telling me not to get that because it's easier to stick with what you know. When I asked about features, she pointed at the signage on the shelf and started reading it like I was a child at storytime. It was the worst interaction possible and I would have fired her on the spot if I were her boss. I got paid in full, though, and was glad that one was bonused because it took a lot longer than it should.

Yeah, sometimes it's like pulling teeth.

Usually members here report seeing behavior in stores on their own time that they wish could be entered into a report. If I had a sales person stop helping me to talk on the phone and then ignore me for a different customer--I'd want it to be on my own time so I could let them know what poor customer service they were giving me.

You should be paid because YOU finished the shop---the employee refused to help you or give information.

If there's any doubt as to whether or not you followed the rules, you will not be paid. That's how it is with this MSC. Then you have to fight it. Maybe you'll win but probably not.

This OP has several threads open for not getting paid because they obviously didn't follow the guidelines for the shop or provide all of the required photos.

I'm beginning to think maybe they should find another "side gig" to make extra money, or get a regular paycheck job if this is their only source of income. If you can't read and follow the guidelines then you shouldn't get paid, this isn't an hourly job it's gig work, you only get paid for what you complete correctly. I will say that there seems to be a learning curve to understanding guidelines, some folks see the requirements as options, when they really are not.

They will 100% look for any doubt or any excuse not to pay, and they’ll gladly choose not to pay you if given the chance. It could be for any reason.

This is a response to the rude comment left...I DID follow the rules of this shop. I have one other post about not getting paid for a different shop for a different company, but this one is a different scenario, different shop, and with a different company. The guidelines do not cover every single type of occurrence. As I stated in my original post, I asked for help and was initially assisted, then waited for the employee to finish up so I could continue with the shop. I was unable to continue because the employee assisted another customer and I was over the time limit disclosed in the guidelines.

Reading comprehension really isn't that hard....

I did one of those at a big box store, I was never actually helped. Several employees offered to get someone to help me, so I waited. I sat on my rolator (walker with a cool seat) near the check out stations in the cell phone area. A couple of the employees just walked past like I was invisible (not unusual for me), the third time one of them walked past me I asked for help, he said he would get someone for me. Several minutes later, another employee walked past me and asked if I had been helped yet, and I said not yet. He said he would find someone and kept on. 30 minutes and no fewer than 6 employees walked past me without even looking at me (again, not unusual), an employee from their service department came over to make excuses, not to help. I told her that they don't seem to need any new customers, and they don't seem to want my money. I told her every person that walked past me, and the few that spoke to me but kept on moving. And I got up and left.

I explained everyting that happened in the shop, I got a 10. I really expected it to be rejected.

This was in October, so how did it come out?

I had a different shop for the same msc where the client refused service saying they didn't have anyone available to do the work. I was paid 50% of the shop fee and 100% of the bonus. I feel like I should have been paid 100% of the fee as well because they were not closed and there was ample time left in the work day. I even played the sad, helpless female with a deadline card for a hail Mary. They listened to my story but recommended a competitor to solve it! It's frustrating when you do everything right and still don't get what you deserve but it happens to all of us and then you have to decide how much time do you want to invest in fighting for those few bucks?

Dee, no, it was Monday, this week. I was surprised that it was approved so fast, and that they didn't reject it completely because I never actually got to talk to anyone about phones.

@Morledzep wrote:

Dee, no, it was Monday, this week. I was surprised that it was approved so fast, and that they didn't reject it completely because I never actually got to talk to anyone about phones.

I actually meant that question for the original poster who came back to express annoyance with a response but didn't give an update on the resolution. People who may have a similar issue and search the forum later for answers might be interested to know what happened.

Hey! So if hasn't been resolved. I guess I'm going to let it go, but I'm not going to do another one of these shops again unless it's an insane bonus. I keep getting told it is in "QC," but it's been like 2.5 months now. I'd avoid "electronic" shops with this company.

deleted

Deep Purple! Battle of the bands?

REMOVED

Bob comments--I guesstimate I have, through the yrs., read from 50 to 1000 posts of Morled and am devoid of an recollection of any being derogatorily nasty.

Blunt, to the point, no nonsense... Yes!

Nasty... nope, not at all

I've left before as well. If your instructions say you can leave after 15 minutes, they will pay you. My job showed received for a while after they received it. I was told it was because the job wasn't "finalized" yet. I believe they give the client a chance to dispute it before they actually completely accept it and pay you.

I think it is reasonable to imagine they are going back and forth with the client over this one. I wouldn't blame the MSC just yet.

Bob and Viv, thank you for defending me.

I am often blunt. But I almost never intend to be rude. There are times when I have had to be rude though, and I'm fully capable of stating my opinion without consideration for others' feelings. But I do honestly try not to piss off other people unless they've pissed me off first.

And I stand by what I said. If you can't follow the guidelines and do the job correctly, you should probably find a different type of work. There is a learning curve to mystery shopping, you have to sometimes read between the lines to figure out what they are trying to get you to do, and report.

I have a great example that happened to me. I was doing a grocery shop, the guidelines said to visit each department, and interact with an employee in the department if they are available. I went to the store, I saw that the bakery was dark, closed, no employees there, so I just moved on to the next department. And in the report I said that I didn't go to the bakery dept. I did actually walk through it, but it there were no employees and the service counter was clean and all of the prep area behind the counter was dark. I didn't get paid that job because I put in the report that I didn't go to the bakery dept. because they were closed. What the MSC wanted, or even possibly what the client wanted, was for me to go to the bakery and say that there was no employee available.

I have, in the past, stated the following: This IS still business. As such, it is more suited to people who are able and willing to separate their work from the personal side of life. I definitely, from both a business and personal standpoint, far too frequently either miss ambiguous points or am ignorant as to their meaning.

Final Update- Ipsos finally got a manager to look over it and agreed that I completed the shop and will get paid out!

Not stating yay or nay if this was the problem with this shop, because IDK..and they are getting paid! But, for the record, the "learning curve" seems to be everywhere these days. And I have lost my patience with those afflicted with the condition.