The Mystery Shopping thread - VII

Timmne

I thought it looked good value APART from the fact you have to call an 0845 number. If I were doing these jobs and I could call a geographical number, the calls would come within my monthly mobile allowance so wouldn't cost me any extra. If you sat and did a load of these then it'd be a good earner - one every 10 minutes, 6 if you go by OC's estimate!

josie

ukmonkey wrote: »

Right, I'm thinking about making a spreadsheet that we can all use to log our jobs, if you want to! To helpw ith tax etc.

What information should be in it?

So far my list is:

Date Job Completed
MS Company
Client
Job Ref #
Required Purchase Amount
Actual Purchase Amount
Reimbursement
Fee
Milage
Costs incurred on visit (e.g car parking)
Number of sheets printed
Date Payment Due
Payment Received?
Profit/Loss (+/-)

Anything I'm missing? I'll edit this list with people's suggestions.

I've got one already, that I've sent out to quite a few people. It started off being quite basic, then someone on here tweaked into a better format, so I've been using that since the new tax year. It's got all of the above on, except job ref no. as I don't bother with that, but would be quite easy to add in if you wanted to.

It's got formulae in it to add up the columns for your profit and loss etc. I'm happy to email it to anyone who PM's me - just don't forget to tell me your email address (I'm sure you all know who you are, who forgot!)

I'm sure there are websites where you can post things like Excel spreadsheets, so I guess someone could post it there and then we could add it as a link to the first page?

Loolabell_2

josie wrote: »

Have you been emailed a remittance advice? I was sent one this morning and just checked online and I was paid yesterday. I think the cut off date for this month was 6th or 7th April.

Thanks Josie, i had a really nice call back from Jo today but she had said they hadn't sent out the remittance advice yet as they were behind, but due to the Easter weekend everyone was paid on the 15th...except me, they are looking into it anyway?? i am going to call back monday also!!

P.S if anyone is expecting money from Mystery Outsource they are also behind, i was promised money would go in today.....and guess what.... nothing!!

Looks like i will be calling them on Monday also!!

Loolabell_2

mysterious_girl wrote: »

Has anyone else who has received the OC email regarding survey phone calls actually read the brief yet? Am I reading it wrong or is it true that you have to phone someone (number supplied) and ask them to do a "short" survey over the phone with you and ask them over 40 questions?

This sounds extremely time consuming! And is it true (this is the hardest part to believe) that they are only paying £2.25 per call and you have to take your call charges out of that?!?!?

I must be reading something wrong here - OC usually pay really well...something can't be right. Could someone enlighten me please.

Hi, yeah i had called them about this same sort of job (called Bulk surveys) the pay is rotten for OC!!

josie

Timmne wrote: »

I thought it looked good value APART from the fact you have to call an 0845 number. If I were doing these jobs and I could call a geographical number, the calls would come within my monthly mobile allowance so wouldn't cost me any extra. If you sat and did a load of these then it'd be a good earner - one every 10 minutes, 6 if you go by OC's estimate!

I've not been invited to do these ones, so don't know if you can do them in the evening. But anyone on BT now gets 0845 numbers included in their homephone package, if that helps.

Scaredy_Cat_3

josie wrote: »

I've not been invited to do these ones, so don't know if you can do them in the evening. But anyone on BT now gets 0845 numbers included in their homephone package, if that helps.

I wouldn't want to do it if the numbers are 0845 anyway (I'm not with BT), but I am a little concerned that they haven't asked me to! Even when I log in I can't see any surveys (and I registered for them a few months ago). I Have looked at surveys before, so I know I'm set up correctly. So why haven't they asked me???

Also It's now been 2 months since they offered me any work. I know they rotate assessors, and in the past I've missed a month and then been back in the rota, but never missed 2 months. Can anyone tell me if this is normal, or have I upset them?

superhez

mysterious_girl wrote: »

Has anyone else who has received the OC email regarding survey phone calls actually read the brief yet? Am I reading it wrong or is it true that you have to phone someone (number supplied) and ask them to do a "short" survey over the phone with you and ask them over 40 questions?

This sounds extremely time consuming! And is it true (this is the hardest part to believe) that they are only paying £2.25 per call and you have to take your call charges out of that?!?!?

I must be reading something wrong here - OC usually pay really well...something can't be right. Could someone enlighten me please.

I would get the calls free on my Bt package so thought it was ok, but cant work out if you get paid for the calls you make where they don't want to take the survey or haven't used the service yet so cant complete the survey, if so it would be ok as i'm sure you would get quite a few of these, making quick calls.

Loolabell_2

superhez wrote: »

I would get the calls free on my Bt package so thought it was ok, but cant work out if you get paid for the calls you make where they don't want to take the survey or haven't used the service yet so cant complete the survey, if so it would be ok as i'm sure you would get quite a few of these, making quick calls.

Hi just wanted to clarify i had called them about this before and was told that if the customer does not want to take part in the survey, they wont pay you!!!

superhez

Loolabell wrote: »

Hi just wanted to clarify i had called them about this before and was told that if the customer does not want to take part in the survey, they wont pay you!!!

H'mm not such a good deal then

Timmne

That is really poor. I can understand that a 'no' call is of no use to OC (or the client) but they've got to accept that they can't get people to do them for free - there should be at least a token payment of £1 or something for the trouble surely?!