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Sandra G.
Valued Contributor
TX
USA
239 Posts |
 Posted - 04/12/2012 : 7:46:32 PM
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I didn't see a topic specifically on this subject. This is not about those companies that pay good bonuses and mileage for merchandisers who do multiple assignments at a time for them. I have those, but I also work for companies that give me occasional assignments, such as a one-hour assignment or a reset. It is about the basic fee for merchandising.
I know someone who, on his first full-time job is working not in merchandising but as a dishwasher for a fancy restaurant. He makes $10 an hour. Even though he is the preferred employee at his job, he can't get a raise either. Today I overheard a teenager tell an adult friend that she got a job with a local store and is making $9 an hour working part-time. Why is it that many merchandising assignments are still advertised at $10? Sometimes the job doesn't take a full hour and I get even less than whatever is advertised. I am noticing other people's pay more and more, and it seems that there is a worker's ceiling that has nothing to do with skills, experience or type of job in most cases. It makes me more and more grateful for the jobs that pay more, but I still wonder at this. |
Sandra G. |
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MariaMia
Valued Contributor
Los Angeles, CA
USA
225 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 8:38:05 PM
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| I dont think the topic is that straightforward. It goes by season, job, and location in the country. Someone in the California area may make more than someone in another region. Entry level jobs or shortterm assignments are not that lucrative unless you get them lined up to make it worth the time,drive,and effort necessary but again, you cant generalize. M |
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MindyZ
Star Contributor
Hesperia, CA
USA
415 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 9:36:24 PM
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SandraG. MM is right, it's not as straight forward as it might seem, there's a lot of ppl out of work, and have been for a long time, they'll take whatever they can, employers know this, we live in CA. and our cost of living is a little high, ppl working the $10 an hour job need at least 2 jobs at $10 an hour and 50 hrs a week to make by, our cost of living is way out of whack, costs for us to move around are measured and calculated to make a living, not get rich.
When I look at projects I look at what they offer..
Example: W-2 (employee)
$11.00 an hr., do they have work for both of us? at least 20 hrs a week each? 40X $11.00= $440.00
IC:
Flatrate $1575.00-11 stores, 4 days to complete over 2 weeks, $165.00 gas comp. Total work time 26 hrs. Mileage is over 685, gas is $4.17 a gal. today, 34 gals. required,=$143.50, ( drive time not included).
It may seem like a lot of money... it might be if we could tie it in with one of those 20 hr a week jobs. being slow is not the norm, at least it wasn't a few years ago.
Appreciate the "good jobs/employers" heck yeah, when they call we go, these days just having a job is something.......sometmes not enough, sometimes it's best to not leave home......especially if it costs too much just to go to work!
HubbyZ |
Mindy |
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MindyZ
Star Contributor
Hesperia, CA
USA
415 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 9:46:08 PM
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On this subject, something came to mind, I've done it , have you?
Compared to what you make (if you keep track) just what does it cost for you to make by merchandising/mystery shops/demo? (providing you do it for a living)?
We love what we do and will keep doing it as long as we can, but we know we'll have to get out of it, too many companies are going the wrong way.
HubbyZ
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Big Sue
Star Contributor
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 10:49:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by MindyZ
On this subject, something came to mind, I've done it , have you?
Compared to what you make (if you keep track) just what does it cost for you to make by merchandising/mystery shops/demo? (providing you do it for a living)?
We love what we do and will keep doing it as long as we can, but we know we'll have to get out of it, too many companies are going the wrong way.
HubbyZ
I already know it is costing me a lot of money to do this kind of work. If I added it all up in detail, I would be even more depressed than I already am, so why bother. |
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Mary R.
Valued Contributor
IL
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 05:16:11 AM
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| SOOOO TRUE! But I love Merchandising......... |
Mary |
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MarlaB
Star Contributor
Attica, IN
USA
2754 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 05:55:40 AM
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I've loved merchandising for the past 4+ years, but now, I'm considering getting out of it. Besides not making money, I'm also burning out. You'd expect a break in the summer months, but my 1 and only company is now picking up more clients in more locations. I finally had to email my supervisor stating NO new clients AND NO new locations, and she still adds.
I'm going to college full-time and run a seasonal business, in addition to merchandising. It's just getting too much. I don't want to quit totally, but if I can't control the amount of work, I may have to. After all, if I can't control it now, what's it going to be come the holidays?! |
Marla |
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MonikaJeanne
Contributor
Bethlehem, PA
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 07:07:11 AM
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Maybe slightly off topic, but what Ive done is secured a weekend job for 8 hours that delivers regular pay (though it is not high, it is dependable, and I can get small raises at times). Having a source of regular income allows me to continue working in merchandising.
Then I took two jobs from smaller companies. But they pay better. Even in February when things were slow, I could count on a certain amount of work. Then I used the 4th party merchandising companies for fill-in work a day here or there, so I was not making a commitment, just getting an extra $100 here and there....
This works for me, but I get child support too (though what I get for 4 kids isnt enough).
Luckily I live in an area of PA that is metropolitan, and close to other metro areas. So I can often make it work where if I drive 20 miles, I do two projects for one store, and one project for another store 5 minutes away.
That being said, companies that give 1 hour jobs and do not want you to claim the whole hour...when you took 15 min to drive there and another 15 back is crazy. In these cases, the pay should default to a flat rate. Esp since there are times when I go over in time what is budgeted for....and lose money.... |
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Barbara
Valued Contributor
New Jersey
USA
111 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 07:14:36 AM
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| As far as I can see, the amount of work required for the same amount of pay has gone up. Also, if the work load has not increased then the pay has gone down. |
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MarlaB
Star Contributor
Attica, IN
USA
2754 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 09:00:51 AM
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| Barbara, so TRUE. |
Marla |
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MariaMia
Valued Contributor
Los Angeles, CA
USA
225 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 09:36:26 AM
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Very true~ I do demos on the side and dont like to accept outside a 10 mile radius unless there is compensation for special circumstances. Its something that you have to put into the equation or else ...M
Mileage is so seldom paid.. |
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Sue A
Star Contributor
USA
324 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 4:49:07 PM
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My sister in law lives in Cal. I live in Or. We both work for the same company and she gets $3.00 more an hour then I do, due to living in Ca.And I've been with them a lot longer then she has.
I've been mechandising for 20 years now, and have seen work go up and down and wages keep going down. But at my age itis kind of hard to go out and get some other kind of work, as they look at your age when hiring. No age discrimination, yea right. |
Sue A
Silver Certified |
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Jeff68005
Star Contributor
Bellevue, NE
USA
1097 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 8:57:55 PM
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Don't feel lonesome. When I started for a certain merchandising company. I bailed them out of a tight spot. Their hourly rate never has been all that great, but they are talented in selling their programs to well known companies and chains. As a result, they generate work most weeks in my market area.
In my first "rescue the DM", the job was a well known brand client in a very well know store chain. I drove all over the metro area thinking I was getting a minimum amount per store. The job was 10 to 15 minutes per store. With drive time, I was at it all day. The paycheck came back averaging about $2.00 - $2.50 per store because they prorated the hourly pay to actual time in and out of the store. There was no gas allowance nor any drive time/milage.
I assure you it was a lesson learned. |
Jeff Hix
Serving metro Omaha, Nebraska including Bellevue, Offutt AFB, Papillion, La Vista, Ralston, Plattsmouth and Council Bluffs, Iowa.
MSPA Silver Certified - MSPA Gold Certified - NARMS Proficiency Test PASSED |
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MarlaB
Star Contributor
Attica, IN
USA
2754 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2012 : 02:14:20 AM
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| Jeff, all of us, after being in the business for awhile, learn about things like that. |
Marla |
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Dar-L
Star Contributor
USA
968 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2012 : 06:54:44 AM
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AMEN to that Marla! Myself, I continue to re-learn this lesson occasionally.
Hard to believe these merchandising companies continue to pull this on merch's, but I guess as long as there are newbies and optimists (no offense intended to either!) these companies will laugh all the way to the bank!
I've come to the point of asking for written email confirmation of pay for most of my assignments anymore, and I am overcoming my bashfulness in refusing to travel when that email does not arrive before field date. Those schedulers I work with regularly have become accustomed to it, and have no prob with it. But when a scheduler objects to giving an email conf, I get nervous. Got burned for $60 recently when a program was closed out while I was in the store, so lesson learned AGAIN! |
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Robert A. Miller
Valued Contributor
PA
USA
204 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2012 : 2:46:06 PM
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I have discontinued my affiliations with the companies I was with. I have accepted a position as a sales rep with a food service company. I see a poor future with many of these merchandising companies, unitl they wise up and start hiring managers who know what they are doing, not people who can work a social network. When you have a jackass sitting at a desk telling you how to do a reset, when they have never seen one done, pretty much sums it up.
Maybe when I am forced to retire, I may go back to merchandising, but only for a few select companies. |
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ActorMichael
Valued Contributor
USA
105 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2012 : 10:33:39 PM
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Are there any companies left that pay at the piece rate or project pay?
Robert is this calling on restaurants? |
Michael |
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Sandra Wright
Star Contributor
Arlington, VA
USA
2079 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2012 : 01:49:49 AM
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| When I entered this feild the average was $10 per hour. If it took you ten minutes or a half hour. There were many steady routes that had dependable pay. This industry has become penny pinching and more and more less rewarding. Its a good stop gap for persons just out of school or a retired person or student. It is no longer a place to plan a future by any means. I use to compare it to other types of work because I often times made more then hourly folks such as regular retail, with companies offering as little as $2 or $5 per per task and persons willing to take this shamefull wage then nothing will improve I'm afraid. |
Sandy C |
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JudyK
Star Contributor
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2012 : 04:48:33 AM
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| Sandra, you are soooo right!! I started back in 1980 after working several years in retail. The pay at that time was almost double per hour of what Id been receiving. We had large territories to cover, plus great mileage pay for that time. Most of us had car stock to replace OD/damaged in our stores, plus,we were allowed to use some of the product for personal use. $250-300 a week in hourly was great, with as much, if not more, in mileage expenses couldnt be beat. Id purchase a new car every 3-4 years using my expense money to pay the car payments and insurance. Those days are l-o-n-g gone! Today, this work isnt something Id recommend to anyone unless they were only needing a supplemental income. |
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Robert A. Miller
Valued Contributor
PA
USA
204 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2012 : 06:21:35 AM
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Michael, I suspect that you are talking about mystery shops. I was never really into demos or mystery shops. I was always a merchandiser or reset man. I had also moved into display assembly and merchandise assembly. Building bicycles is not bad, provided that all the bikes are not damaged right out of the box, or the RTA furniture is not broken. Most of these come that way from the factory, not shipping damage. Check out Courtland Associates www.courtlandmi.com They do a bit of merchandising and assembly. Independent contractor status. They pay well. I was with them for many years. They too are also seeing the result of many merchandising companies to compete with, and lack of available work to secure.
Bob |
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ActorMichael
Valued Contributor
USA
105 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2012 : 08:37:39 AM
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Robert I meant buy piece work is assignments that pays for example $10 per a location. I was wondering if there are companies out there that pay this way, not the crappy hourly wage.
And I did ask you about the food service company; is that making sales calls on restaurants? |
Michael |
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Hourly Pay