The Mystery Shopping thread - part 6

Cherry_pie_5

Timmne wrote: »

I would go a step further than this and do it only if you really want to do it, and would very much enjoy it. The reports ask far too much for the amount you're paid (well, reimbursed). You're likely to come out of the restaurant a few quid down so after most of the famous mammoth questionnaire when you get to the "describe everything you saw, despite us having already asked this" question, you'll really wish you hadn't done it.

I agree. I only take the ones I really want to do and with a decent reimbursement. I really can't be bothered filling in a giant questionnaire for a burger and a coke in a random pub. We often eat out in a pub over the weekend so if there is anything tempting at a nice local place and I have time to do the questionnaire afterwards, I will, and it nice to get the cash back 3 weeks later, other than that I don't bother.

Cherry_pie_5

darlo_fan wrote: »

but for drinks only you dont need receipts? and who goes out with someone and just has 1 drink each? Guess I'll leave them to someone else

The drinks visits are the exception to the rule. With no receipt required, you can claim the full amount and I always do. You just have to note down the pricing in the bar so you can tell them exactly what you spent and on what if they ask. I've never been queried over this.

Timmne

Cherry_pie wrote: »

The drinks visits are the exception to the rule. With no receipt required, you can claim the full amount and I always do. You just have to note down the pricing in the bar so you can tell them exactly what you spent and on what if they ask. I've never been queried over this.

I absolutely agree - I have no concerns about admitting that I used to get every penny out of RE with reimbursements. I don't shop for them now as they're just so tight - companies like RE are killing the market by being the cheapest agency to operate the MSing contract and therefore paying us less. It's making MSing a less lucrative 'profession' and so less of us are able/willing to take it seriously.

Scaredy_Cat_3

I won't be doing these either as I don't like the meal options. Also, they don't make it clear if the reimbursement will actually cover the required spend. I really think they should make this more transparent. I lost out on what probably would have been a good job before Christmas because I had to find the restaurant's website to try to find out the average cost of their meals - and by the time I got back to RE someone else had taken the job!

Regardless of me missing out though, I think it should be standard practice to state if your meal will be fully reimbursed or if you will end up out of pocket.

Timmne

I think I told everyone about my experience a long while back - but the last job I did for RE was a hotel/restaurant where we were supposed to buy a main meal and a drink each (a cappuccino too IIRC). I had heard of this place so thought we'd give it a go. I put a polo shirt and some smart jeans on, my wife wore a vest top and jeans type deal.

We got there and we had obviously judged it incorrectly - the place was exceptionally expensive, to the point that to even afford one meal and drink, we'd have used the whole reimbursement about 1.5 times over! We were thoroughly underdressed (imagine a country house type place with chinos aplenty!) and being served our meals under kloshes (sp?) was excrutiating. We ended up spending about £70 quid and left feeling awful.

Good old RE though, after hours of email & phone negotiating, gave me an extra £10 :rolleyes:

I told them that not only should they have warned about the reimbursement not even touching the sides, but that the place was being pitched on their job board alongside (and with the same briefs etc) other pub type restaurants in the county.

Still makes me angry to this day!

Scaredy_Cat_3

I don't blame you! Very salutary lesson there, Timmne!

It's bad enough with Gap when the things they specify you have to order cost more than the reimbursement but that's usually only a few quid. Did this leave you much out of pocket at the end of the day? I'm thinking if the reimbursement was around £20 (for example) and you ended up spending £70... I think I'd have made my excuses and left, even though it would mean losing points!

Timmne

Scaredy_Cat wrote: »

I don't blame you! Very salutary lesson there, Timmne!

It's bad enough with Gap when the things they specify you have to order cost more than the reimbursement but that's usually only a few quid. Did this leave you much out of pocket at the end of the day? I'm thinking if the reimbursement was around £20 (for example) and you ended up spending £70... I think I'd have made my excuses and left, even though it would mean losing points!

Well the problem is back then, RE weren't so bad to work for and the points system wasn't live (well, not shown to shoppers anyway) so it was a case of the harder you work, the better you're rewarded. Sadly, that never was the case! :rotfl:

Scaredy_Cat_3

Timmne wrote: »

... the harder you work, the better you're rewarded. Sadly, that never was the case! :rotfl:

Too true - just look at the top bankers! :rotfl:

debt_free_me

Would someone like to PM me with their recommend a friend details for TNS. I will put down however pm's me first to be fair.

johnny_c-l

Timmne wrote: »

I absolutely agree - I have no concerns about admitting that I used to get every penny out of RE with reimbursements. I don't shop for them now as they're just so tight - companies like RE are killing the market by being the cheapest agency to operate the MSing contract and therefore paying us less. It's making MSing a less lucrative 'profession' and so less of us are able/willing to take it seriously.

I used to do quite a bit for RE a few months ago but now just the odd phonecall every month. It irritates me how they expect an unreasonable amount of work/expense for little, if any, fee.

I saw my local shopping centre on there this morning whom I had shopped on behalf of another company a few months ago. The questionnaire was virtually identical, perhaps 10% less questions but about 30% more comments required. When I did it for the previous company, parking and other expenses were paid, and the fee was in excess of 3 x the fee RE are offering.

I'm expecting a phonecall from them in a couple of days as I will pass through a couple of airports next week. No doubt it will be the usual performance of me saying I will do x, y & z if the fees are increased to £x to be told they'll speak with their boss and call me back in 10 mins. I'll get a call the night before I fly, say the same thing again and they'll agree to increase the fee at last.