The Mystery Shopping Thread - X

msmas

ISWMLE wrote: »

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.

You certainly write very well, and in quantity too, so should have been ideal for RE in particular. Yes, they can be a bit unreasonable at times, unlike their website, which is unreasonable most of the time. The fee offered by RE considering the effort involved in so low, that I feel it is an insult! One's better off working for even the basic wage than RE!!!

ukmonkey

TractorGirl327 wrote: »

7 red shops, 15 from Gap this afternoon, you're a busy man Monkeyboy!

Tell me about it. I dropped on really well to get the 7 ABAi shops, but I've built up a really really good relationship with them, particularly over the last month or two.

I've had a count of my GAP jobs, now that I've rescheduled all but two of them to suit me (he'd just added them to my account at random dates) - total is 14. FOURTEEN JOBS as a bride for two burgers! Mind you, they are "dine-in" burgers, and I've never done dine-in's before, only drive-thru.

Also, I love it how you all assume I'm a bloke...what next? I'm my sixties, smoking a pipe, balding and into model trains?! :rotfl:

ukmonkey

///and on that note, I'm off to bed, after having my cocoa...! :LOL:

Hollypear

jonno1001 wrote: »

I disagree with the fee so do not do the jobs anymore, unfortunatley plenty of money grabing people on here lap them up (yet whinge) and as such the fees will only go in one direction

I do plenty of whingeing but I do it at RE. I have found they will discuss things reasonably. BUT you need to speak directly to the person who is named on the briefing notes not whoever answers the phone and certainly not to the proofreaders.

I spoke to them last week and found the lady very reasonable and though she couldn't obviously comment I got the feeling they are aware of the fee issue. Unlike other companies when the deadline nears they just extend it rather than pay a higher fee to get it done. I wonder how they explain this to the client. Last year's hay fever scenario was still on in winter!!! Then within a week whoosh they had all gone. Strange one that.

Hollypear

ukmonkey wrote: »

Tell me about it. I dropped on really well to get the 7 ABAi shops, but I've built up a really really good relationship with them, particularly over the last month or two.



Also, I love it how you all assume I'm a bloke...what next? I'm my sixties, smoking a pipe, balding and into model trains?! :rotfl:

:rotfl:Oh little innocent me. I thought you once referred to your g/f so I just assumed UKM is a fella.

I had more of an image of you smoking a Hamlet with Beethoven in the background. And a moustache. Funny how you imagine what some posters look like and your completely wrong.

squidgeum

I have just done an 'Italian Brothers' job, and one of the items that I had to order was a coffee. However, because the service was so poor the waitress gave me the coffee and said "There's no charge for that because of how much you've been messed about!!" :eek:

So now what do I do? Will RE refuse to pay do you think?
I hope not as it was for 2 people and 1 child so came to a lot of money.

Trying_to_be_good

squidgeum wrote: »

I have just done an 'Italian Brothers' job, and one of the items that I had to order was a coffee. However, because the service was so poor the waitress gave me the coffee and said "There's no charge for that because of how much you've been messed about!!" :eek:

So now what do I do? Will RE refuse to pay do you think?
I hope not as it was for 2 people and 1 child so came to a lot of money.

I did a Spanish restaurant for RE and the service was so bad we weren't charged for a required item - I just made it clear (in I think 5 answers) that the service was SO bad we weren't charged for it - they still paid up the reimbursement (it was a no fee job).

And the report wasn't queried!

ukmonkey

Hollypear wrote: »

:rotfl:Oh little innocent me. I thought you once referred to your g/f so I just assumed UKM is a fella.

I had more of an image of you smoking a Hamlet with Beethoven in the background. And a moustache. Funny how you imagine what some posters look like and your completely wrong.

You're not completely wrong there...!

Anyway, I really am off now (I can smell me from here!...sorry, poor joke!)

annasbee

Hollypear wrote: »

:rotfl:Oh little innocent me. I thought you once referred to your g/f so I just assumed UKM is a fella.

I had more of an image of you smoking a Hamlet with Beethoven in the background. And a moustache. Funny how you imagine what some posters look like and your completely wrong.

Well my picture of you UKM was of a young trendy student type guy who is a bit of an IT genius - how wrong can you be LOL !

annasbee

Cant see a problem myself - you did order a coffee, the fact it was complimentary is neither here nor there - if they wont pay you then there is a big problem indeed - keep us posted !