The Mystery Shopping Thread - X

brryssn

Hollypear wrote: »

I don't do burger jobs either as I hate those cheap burgers. But from what I hear aren't you missing out on the best bit....the floor show which sounds hilarious.

I have to ask for a receipt but you don't get the usual performance because they don't realise they are being Mystery Shopped as the order isn't what they are used to mystery shoppers asking for!

[/QUOTE]

Ah - but I then have nine other outlets to visit so I don't have the time for the floor show anyway! :eek:

In the early days with Gap I did a couple of burgers & quite enjoyed the show but now I know the jobs I like doing for them so just stick to those.

mysterious_girl

Becles wrote: »

It's probably ok if the notes don't specifically say no children.

However, travel agent shops can take some time. From experience, an enquiry will be on average 20-30 minutes, and longer if they are struggling to find a holiday or like talking about your chosen destination. Can your children manage to sit still for that length of time without getting bored and whinging? Mine can't which is why they don't go on travel shop jobs

The last one I did was a family holiday for two adults and two children, so I just pretended Charlotte didn't exist. The boys came with me into town and went off on their own as they wanted to go and buy a football and stuff. They turned up during the shop and the youngest started babbling on about his baby sister. The lady looked puzzled, so I had to pretend my brother lived nearby and my niece came round so often, he called her his sister, then had to mouth "shut up" to him when the lady looked back at her screen

Hmmm, well you've seen the pic, how do you think she'd be at sitting still for half an hour? Think I might just cancel. I didn't realise they would take so long to do. The 7 year old would be no bother but the 2 year old would be a nightmare! Thanks for your thoughts.

ISWMLE

Am I the only person on here that is disenchanted with Retail Eyes? I joined them recently because they seemed the most reputable. Yet I've had nothing but problems with them.

I've done five shops with them so far - all in the last three weeks. The first went through fine (probationary status), but since then RE have been nothing but hassle. On two occasions I've found their on-line reporting software to be lacking. The reports take a long time to fill in, as it is, but the software keeps refusing the entries. Instead, I get prompts indicating that I should write more in my answers. The answer was already a hefty paragraph long. RE also have a habit of phoning you up, a few days after the job, to ask more questions about the assignment than were asked for in the first place. Not to mention repeating the same questions on the assignment questionnaires. It's bad enough that some questionnaires have about 100 points to note in the first place, per visit.

Today, I got a call through from someone from support services, who claimed that one of my visits last week had been aborted because I put two comments on the report that were 'too negative' and 'irrelevant' to the visit. I should have been more 'positive' apparently. The fact that I was unimpressed with the client customer service didn't seem to matter, so it seems. I told her to amend the report, if they weren't happy with these comments, and then send it to the client. The rest of the report was fine - accurate, frank and full - according to them. Yet the proofreading team still rejected the report and won't pay me for the assignment. Instead, Tthey've decided to readvertise the assignment again. This is absurd. When I complained, they just invalidated my account and cancelled my next job - claiming they had discussed me with the team and that was their collective decision. I voice recorded the call, and it seems it was very much an off the cuff remark. I don't believe for one minute that they'd discussed me with anyone. Nevertheless, they've booted me off their books.

So now I intend to ring the client to get my fee from them. If RE want to play hardball with me, I can with them. Simple. It seems to me that RE are looking for any excuse to reject payment by making the reporting procedures unnecessarily arduous and time-consuming. Their reporting software doesn't work; they ask for receipt uploads when the assignment briefs state that no receipt is required. All of which delay closing the assignment properly.

It seems coincidental to me that this incident happened after they agreed to pay my travel expenses for this same job, but only after I pointed out to RE that their expenses policy was unclear to start with. I also noticed that they didn't give me my points for my second job too - despite all the hassle I had completing and submitting the report in the first place (for the same reason). They claim I hadn't e-mailed them about this problem. I had e-mailed them, and have the written proof.

I've also noticed that RE fees are now ridiculously low now. When I first started MS a few weeks ago, the fees were about £5 per visit, plus costs for purchases etc. Now they've gone down to around £3 per visit.

If you want my opinion, I would give RE a miss. They may be good for some, but I haven't found that to be the case with me. I write very well and took care to answer the questions properly. I gave my 'all' to the work I did for them. I was honest in my reporting, I didn't cheat, I didn't invent answers and I didn't let them down, but I was still treated like dirt.

Lil_Me_2

It just seems to me that if you had lots of reports queried that you just weren't writing in the way that they need you to??

I'm very new to mystery shopping, only been shopping for less than 2 months but out of the 44 jobs that I've done for all the different companies I've only had 1 query but after one e-mail back to them that was it.

AndyInYorks

Hollypear wrote: »

Rather a smug dig at Andy IMHO.

If you were joking we have smileys on here.

no offence was taken here!

Monkey knows full well there are no jobs in my area - because he probably took them all :eek:

As for the dee-dar comment however.... :rotfl:

Drea2904

I have been shopping for a few months now, I have had RE call twice but only to clarify items, they have never not paid. I understand your frustration, it is tedious questions for minimal amounts but then I enjoy the free/discounted meals.

There are many more companies you can work for but as everyone well knows, lots of people are looking for get rich quick ideas and think MS'ing will do that, lots of competition for the jobs but the way I see it if you build a relationship with the company its a case of i'll scratch your back if you scratch mine ie being reliable, good reports, taking last min jobs etc. There is a lot of negativity about RE at the moment, I being one who can be negative, hopefully it wont last and some of the 450,00 shoppers will not be interested when they realise how hard it can be. Good luck with the rest of your MS'ing if you decide to continue.

Matt567

Don't get me wrong....there are things I like with RE.......the fact they pay twice a month, the volume of assignments they have and the fact you get a free lunch

I just think we are starting to get exploited with the ridiculously low fees for the volume of the work you have to put in.

pinkprincess39

Gyp just rang (suprise suprise!!) asking me to do a burger job. He asked what time I could do it and I said 12-2, however though the time is ok on the job brief it says Breakfast Evaluation. He said it would not matter but in anyones experience will this go thru ok cos obviously I cant buy a breakfast meal at 12pm!!?

Matt567

No RE upload tonight then?

Did anyone get anything?

pinkprincess39

Matt567 wrote: »

No RE upload tonight then?

Did anyone get anything?

nope no upload for me either! Tho Im being very picky now with RE jobs as their fees are so shockingly naf! :cool: