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Paula Rodrigues
Valued Contributor
Stamford, CT
USA
133 Posts |
 Posted - 08/18/2011 : 5:00:25 PM
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Another peeve of mine is that none of the mystery shopper conferences are never held anywhere in the NYC tri state area and before you tell me, "NYC is too expensive," how about using nearby Bergen County, NJ, Westchester, or lower Fairfield County, CT ???
And there are many budget hotels in NYC such as the Hoilday Inn on W.57th St which holds movie and comic conventions, same with a few hotels near Madison Square Garden. |
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Sandi G
Star Contributor
Tallahassee, FL
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 5:35:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by JHong
A friend of mine who was a waiter at a dining establishment in Miami tells me the bar-to-dining room move is a tell-tale sign of a mystery shopper. You might as well have a neon sign pointing in your direction.
That's interesting. I have several friends that do this on a regular basis, and they are not shoppers. (yes, I'm sure, at least two of them tried it and quickly gave it up) Now I know how to ensure a great service experience if I'm not on a shop and don't want to take chances.  |
--Sandi
traditional & video shopping FL and GA |
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Rita Collins
Star Contributor
Michiana, MI
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - 09/22/2011 : 10:15:20 AM
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Schedulers: do NOT schedule me for a shop with different criteria, different dates, etc. just because I applied for a shop at the location. I know which one I applied for. Do NOT schedule me for the shop nobody wants just because I applied for a shop at the location.
This has happened to me three times this month already. One was a different date, the other two were different criteria. |
Rita Collins
Shopping Michiana |
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CEBills
Contributor
Houston, TX
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 09/22/2011 : 11:02:54 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Sandi G
quote:
Originally posted by JHong
A friend of mine who was a waiter at a dining establishment in Miami tells me the bar-to-dining room move is a tell-tale sign of a mystery shopper. You might as well have a neon sign pointing in your direction.
That's interesting. I have several friends that do this on a regular basis, and they are not shoppers. (yes, I'm sure, at least two of them tried it and quickly gave it up) Now I know how to ensure a great service experience if I'm not on a shop and don't want to take chances.
I find it interesting as well. We always, well 99% of the time, have a drink at the bar before dinner, and I haven't done any bar-dinner shops in three years. |
Certified shopping all over inner loop Houston! |
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CEBills
Contributor
Houston, TX
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 09/22/2011 : 11:09:59 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Joyce1947
Ok, end of the month, I am contacted by a scheduler that I really like and do lots for her. She is desperate for three shops to be completed by month end. It is the 28th. The most distant is 65 miles away and two others along the way, but not directly on the way. I am told to name my price. Now this is 65 miles each way, gas and wear and tear on my car and about 3 hours of driving, plus the shop and report time. I ask for $150 to do all three and am told that is too much.....
Joyce
Wow, bummer. I honestly would have asked for quite a bit more than $150! |
Certified shopping all over inner loop Houston! |
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John MrBeth
Valued Contributor
Mount Laurel, NJ
USA
150 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2011 : 5:23:26 PM
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Pet peeve:
email that advertizes: $50 shops "In your area".
You read the email, take the time to go to their web site to find the nearest one is more than 1000 miles away.
Makes you want to take your name off their list. |
John
Southern NJ
Professional Couple
Both Gold Certified |
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JenniferML
Valued Contributor
USA
104 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2011 : 7:44:34 PM
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I got that one too. I've only done one shop for the company but it was a pretty good fee for the amount of work. (Zero feedback from the company but that isn't that uncommon with companies using Prophet, I've noticed...) And I am doing an actual $50 shop in my area this week for them.
But I'm not getting excited when I see their email again! |
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Paula Rodrigues
Valued Contributor
Stamford, CT
USA
133 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2011 : 07:13:27 AM
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| ICU Associates continues to send out blind emails without listing the shop type or city and state, so you have to waste time logging in just to see what it is.... completely stupid on their part!!! |
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SandiA
Star Contributor
USA
475 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2011 : 12:45:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Paula Rodrigues
ICU Associates continues to send out blind emails without listing the shop type or city and state, so you have to waste time logging in just to see what it is.... completely stupid on their part!!!
Ditto for all Prophet companies. |
SandiA
Celebrating 13 Years in the Biz!
MSPA Gold Certified since 2003 |
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Paula Rodrigues
Valued Contributor
Stamford, CT
USA
133 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2011 : 5:27:08 PM
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And the msc sites that hide the shopper login field in the most unobvious places such as "Become a Mystery Shopper"
( Caliberinteractions.com) |
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Sandie_CA
Valued Contributor
CA
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - 10/24/2011 : 08:26:56 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Rita Collins
Schedulers: do NOT schedule me for a shop with different criteria, different dates, etc. just because I applied for a shop at the location. I know which one I applied for. Do NOT schedule me for the shop nobody wants just because I applied for a shop at the location.
This has happened to me three times this month already. One was a different date, the other two were different criteria.
Can you tell up which company (or companies) have done this. I definitely do not want to work for any that do this. |
Sandie * MSPA Gold
I have video equipment and love route shopping. |
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JenGA
Valued Contributor
Kingsburg, CA
USA
145 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2011 : 3:55:35 PM
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| phone calls at 6:30 in the morning for urgent shops. On my house phone-never mind they were asked to call the main number I have listed (my cell) in 10 minutes. Thank goodness my husband and four kids from 11 months to 7 years old were up and getting ready already for work/school. The kicker....they didn't call back. |
Jen
Mystery Shopping in the Central Valley of CA since 2005
Silver Certified since December 2008 |
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Heather C.
Valued Contributor
Montreal
Canada
196 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2011 : 4:12:36 PM
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One MSC recently called me up at 8:30 in the morning (which is way too early for me) to tell me to download my paperwork for an assignment that wasn't due for another few days. So after I hung up with them, I went to the website and the paperwork wasn't even ready  That incident got me so mad that now I don't bother picking up the phone anymore whenever they call. |
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TinaMarie
Star Contributor
USA
1803 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2011 : 7:49:10 PM
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| Coast to Coast texts up to 7:30 PM their time, but that's 10:30 PM east coast. Everytime one comes through, I jump because it's so late. I'm taking them off my text notification. |
~*~TinaMarie~*~ |
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DarleneH
Star Contributor
Cleveland, OH
USA
1259 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2011 : 09:27:14 AM
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| My peeve is when they want the shops entered within 6 hours. Sometimes that's impossible to do. |
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TinaMarie
Star Contributor
USA
1803 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2011 : 5:10:18 PM
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| I just saw a phone shop where you have to enter the report within an hour of the phone call. |
~*~TinaMarie~*~ |
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Eric in Tampa
Valued Contributor
Shopperville, FL
USA
189 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2011 : 5:23:44 PM
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Why have a "shopper hotline" on your MSC web page when 1. All calls go directly to voice mail. 2. You have no intention on calling the shopper back despite the seriousness of the call. 3. This hotline, considered a last resort if you cannot reach the scheduler/accounts payable clerk via email, really should be considered "no last resort."
Truly bothers me that MSCs set up this protocol for the benefit of shoppers yet appear to not show a commitment to use it for swift resolutions to ensuing problems. |
Eric
MSPA Gold Certified, 2007; IMSC Certified, 2012
Undercover Essentials Video Certified, 2012 and owns PV-500 ECO |
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Joyce A H1
Valued Contributor
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2011 : 6:28:08 PM
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| I saw one where I was going to take several of their shops. But then when you went to answer their qualifying questions it said that you had to enter the report before doing any other shops. Which I read as any shops from any company. Yep, I'm going out of my way to do your one $6 shop, go home enter it, then go back and do the other shops for the day, nope. |
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DarleneH
Star Contributor
Cleveland, OH
USA
1259 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2011 : 6:57:08 PM
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| An e-mail came today at 6:21 for a shop with a $5 bonus that had to be done by 7:00. |
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Sandi G
Star Contributor
Tallahassee, FL
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2011 : 7:44:22 PM
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Darlene,
I wonder if that is the same company that sent out a notice yesterday at 4:40 PM for a shop that absolutely must be done that day. No problem... except the store closes at 5 PM and it was not even a self-assign post. |
--Sandi
traditional & video shopping FL and GA |
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Topic |
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Pet Peeves of Mystery Shoppers - Part 2