The Mystery Shopping thread - VII

jessicamb

has anyone been limited to the number of pharmacies they can accept? I have 3 active and cant see any more - and there were loads in a similar area that I could mop up in one session.

truly1

jessicamb wrote: »

has anyone been limited to the number of pharmacies they can accept? I have 3 active and cant see any more - and there were loads in a similar area that I could mop up in one session.

I accepted 4, others were still visible

johnny_c-l

I'm quite worried that I found the pizza questionnaire to be not too awful (the pizza itself is another question)!
I think I've just gotten used to the crap RE questions and resided myself to typing repetitive nonsense that is of no extra value to the client.

For the 'describe entire experience in detail' (i.e. repeat what we have just asked you) I managed to write about 100 characters over the minimum. I'm that sad that I thought "hey, I'm not paid to give them this much info", so edited it down to the minimum!

The pharmacies are a joke, I have done them before and will not do them again. The only other company which requires three questions in one scenario is GAP for the stamp ones, and even then there's no purchase required or repetitive questionnaire.

I've found it very interesting seeing how RE has developed over the past year and I do admire how they have managed to flourish in such a short period of time. However I think it will be even more interesting to watch the wheels fall off when the economic situation improves and clients see the grass is greener elsewhere.

I hope RE's clients realise that you get what you pay for - low (or no) fees leads to high shopper turnover and in turn, of course, poor quality feedback for the client. Some of the places we mystery shop pay their staff minimum wage and we all know what service is like in some of the not-so-nice shops........so what quality of work does the client expect from shoppers working for no fee at all?

Hollypear

nads wrote: »

To all those applying to RS - This is my own opinion and you can tell me to shove it if you want, but just want to say:
Please don't mess RS about -they are the nicest folks you will come across and do always complete your assignments on time and accurately for them so they can keep their clients.

Just wanted to say that!

Good point Nads. The cinema ones last weekend specified you had to go to a fil starting after 7.30. They phoned me to thank me for doing it correctly as they had loads of people who went before 7.30 so the client wont pay and it makes RS look bad as they all have to be reshopped. Your right about me being busy. I went to bed early and now I am up in the wee small hours answering PM's. If I have missed anyone who asked for the pack PM me again and I will send it again.

It is good to help all you people who have helped me in the past. The reason this is such a great forum. React were dead chuffed when I told them how well liked they are by posters. Nice to give credit where it is due. Lets hope RE dont nab the cinema contract!!!!!

Hollypear

Scaredy_Cat wrote: »

Just a quick message to HP if she's around. I did PM you to ask for the React application, but I don't know if you received my PM so I'm asking again... pretty please! Your inbox must be flooded at the moment!

What's the definitive answer on those TNS phonecalls then? I would like to do another but it does say you must have an 'active' current account. I booked one for the bank where my main account is. I have another account with one of the banks on the list, but the account is pretty much dead - has a few pence in it and hasn't been used for ages. Would people agree that's not good enough to justify accepting a second job?

As for the other TNS jobs, phonecall and a visit - personally I don't think the fee is good enough when you consider a visit (to your home) is involved. I hate people coming round anyway (I'm a miserable cow in real life!).

SC did you get the React pack. I sent out 19 so maybe I have missed you. PM me again if you didn't get it. Also anyone else who didn't get one.

Hollypear

AndyInYorks wrote: »

I have accepted 3 of them. One's at the bottom of my road, one is next to where I work and the other one is around the corner from my mum's. I know it's a small fee but my sister uses the product you have to buy so it will save her a few quid, and with the little bit extra I'm sure I can get something useful. But I wouldn't go out of my way to do one.

I have noticed these jobs, and one of the others on RE tonight, want you to take a photo of the store. Why do they need this, don't they know what the shops look like? I don't believe it's really for verification as they can verify from the receipt.

Andy I can explain the pic. I did one last year ( where you got to buy what you liked with the reimbursement as I refuse to do the ones where you need to buy hay fever tabs, or diarrhoea tabsetc)
When I cane out of the shop there was a load of lorries parked,,,a bin lorry and a delivery lorry so the only way I could have done a pic was stand in the middle of a busy road and risk getting knocked down.
So I rang and explained and they said they would use their stock pic. They have one of all the pharmacies. They just paste your pic or the stock one on the front of the file to make it look professional for the client. In other words it is a bloody waste of time. Someone else in RE told me the same as sometimes they cannot use your pic ( say if it is bucketing cats and dogs you wouldn't get a good pic,)

Hollypear

johnny_c-l wrote: »

I'm quite worried that I found the pizza questionnaire to be not too awful (the pizza itself is another question)!
I think I've just gotten used to the crap RE questions and resided myself to typing repetitive nonsense that is of no extra value to the client.

For the 'describe entire experience in detail' (i.e. repeat what we have just asked you) I managed to write about 100 characters over the minimum. I'm that sad that I thought "hey, I'm not paid to give them this much info", so edited it down to the minimum!

The pharmacies are a joke, I have done them before and will not do them again. The only other company which requires three questions in one scenario is GAP for the stamp ones, and even then there's no purchase required or repetitive questionnaire.

I've found it very interesting seeing how RE has developed over the past year and I do admire how they have managed to flourish in such a short period of time. However I think it will be even more interesting to watch the wheels fall off when the economic situation improves and clients see the grass is greener elsewhere.

I hope RE's clients realise that you get what you pay for - low (or no) fees leads to high shopper turnover and in turn, of course, poor quality feedback for the client. Some of the places we mystery shop pay their staff minimum wage and we all know what service is like in some of the not-so-nice shops.....

Point is though the client is probably paying a good fee and dont know we are getting peanuts.

I did a job recently for a company where the MS'er let them down and it was the last day. They upped my fee to £50 from the original fee of £15 so obviously they were still making a profit. So go figure what RE is making off us.

Sorry for doing 4 posts running. See this insomnia.

princess_leia_3

ukmonkey wrote: »

Haha! I have three accounts that I can use for these jobs.

I let me book more than one just not on the same days, so seeing as each "day" on the job cn be one of two days (i.e Monday one week, or Monday the week after) this is how I managed to bag 8.

They've been accepted by the AMs (strangeley more than one AM has approved them...).
--

Someone mentioned some Mobility calls or something, all my 8 calls are banks, to be clear. 3 different banks.

It does say in the notes that you can only call each bank once so I would check you are ok to call these more than once otherwise they may not pay after you have done the job.

msmas

Hollypear wrote: »

johnny_c-l wrote: »

I'm quite worried that I found the pizza questionnaire to be not too awful (the pizza itself is another question)!
I think I've just gotten used to the crap RE questions and resided myself to typing repetitive nonsense that is of no extra value to the client.

For the 'describe entire experience in detail' (i.e. repeat what we have just asked you) I managed to write about 100 characters over the minimum. I'm that sad that I thought "hey, I'm not paid to give them this much info", so edited it down to the minimum!

The pharmacies are a joke, I have done them before and will not do them again. The only other company which requires three questions in one scenario is GAP for the stamp ones, and even then there's no purchase required or repetitive questionnaire.

I've found it very interesting seeing how RE has developed over the past year and I do admire how they have managed to flourish in such a short period of time. However I think it will be even more interesting to watch the wheels fall off when the economic situation improves and clients see the grass is greener elsewhere.

I hope RE's clients realise that you get what you pay for - low (or no) fees leads to high shopper turnover and in turn, of course, poor quality feedback for the client. Some of the places we mystery shop pay their staff minimum wage and we all know what service is like in some of the not-so-nice shops.....

Point is though the client is probably paying a good fee and dont know we are getting peanuts.

I did a job recently for a company where the MS'er let them down and it was the last day. They upped my fee to £50 from the original fee of £15 so obviously they were still making a profit. So go figure what RE is making off us.

Sorry for doing 4 posts running. See this insomnia.

I'm not sure how many of us are aware of the actual amount charged to the client for each visit conducted. While I'm not sure of the actual amount myself, I do have a rough idea, as I recently came across a site which quoted a competitive figure of AS LOW AS as 60 + VAT + reimbursement per visit. So, the MS companies are definitely getting away with the fairer share of the bounty for correcting errors, docking points etc.!

gallygirl

To be fair though, RE et al do have to pay their staff to read all the mindless drivel we are forced to write - we only have to read it back once .

Did a bank job yesterday for another co, the figures I was quoted were for an under 35 yr old - I am 47. Either the staff member was dozy or the face cream is working

I've just started working for RE and tbh am not sure what all the fuss is about. E.g. the pharmacies - it's not as if they will take a lot of effort , and I use anti-histamines anyway so will be stocked up for the summer (I too was chucked out after accepting 4).

I've picked up my first jobs for ABA as well - but what a bizarre way of going about things - how would you know who the clients were if it wasn't for this site :beer:.

5 shops today, with 3 in the same place & I also need to pop into stamp shop there to post something - the same one I used to do before being booted off by GAP - I wonder if I can go in there without timing it & asking a random question