Mystery shopping thread xiii ** please don't mention client names on here **

Hollypear

felixthemoggy wrote: »

Hi everybody,

Just thought I'd show my face and say i am still alive ( not that anyone would have noticed me missing !!! ) and eager to pick up mystery shopping again after a very long spell of illness !!!!

Just a quickie cos it's taking me ages to catch up with all the gossip - has the alerts thread been abandoned, only i cannot seem to find it anymore and my link is now invalid:huh:

thanks in advance guys n gals

Welcome back Felix. Let's hope that's you back in good health for good.

TractorGirl327

lovetowinacar wrote: »

May I ask for guidance please?

First job for TNS today - supermarket with very lengthy questionnaire, I completed every section only to find on entering results the system only wanted some of the details. The shopper list noted the produce to be checked and departments to visit with questions for various staff members etc and so I followed to the letter and again not all sections wanted when doing feedback! My question: is this usual?

Many thanks.:)

The first time you do a TNS supermarket it can be a bit daunting. I remember doing exactly the same as you, taking loads of notes, names and descriptions, and then only needing a quarter of it when I did the actual questionnaire online.

As you will have learned, DONT print off the questionnaire and go by that.

What I usually do is:

Take an A4 pad!!

Open the job , and once you've entered your password, a list will come up headed "Visit details" and there you will find a list of "Counters at this store". These are the counters you will be assessing. Write them on your sheet of paper, leaving 4 or 5 lines between each for your notes.

Click on "Next" and then click on "Briefing notes". This is your main instructions. Under "Scenario" you will find another list of departments - add these to your list (some will be duplicates so obviously don't write them again.

Further down this page it tells you what specific questions to ask, and what to look for in each department. So write this under the relevant headings.

NB - The only sections where you need a name and description are the ones where you have to ask a question, not the ones where you just have to see if something is stocked. Also need name & description of the cashier and customer service person (and "catalogue" desk if they have one).

If your store has a Cafe and petrol station, you have to make a small purchase in each, just to get a receipt.

That's about it ... they DO get easier with practice so don't be frightened to accept them. When I'm lucky enough to get one of these jobs, I just do it with my weekly shop.

TG xxx

proshopper

Glamazon wrote: »

Just noticed some posts with people doing 100 mile round trips. :eek: Do you claim the mileage from the MS company or is it included in the fee?

There is very little work close to home for me. I am in a rural area and the nearest town has few shops. I rarely travel less than 50 miles per day. Some days it is considerably more. Some of my work pays "full mileage", and some other jobs pay something towards travel. Of course, I also do a fair bit of work on a fee-only basis. It just needs careful scheduling of work: mostly I plan around the jobs that contribute towards travel costs. So, for example, if I am going to a town 40 miles away with some travel expense reimbursement, I will aim to do a bundle of other work in the same place (or on the way). This works fairly well, except that it needs planning. And plans go haywire when campaigns get postponed, or roads get closed, or my car breaks down!

misssarahleigh

hello all,

been out for the day but running with the TNS thing, just got an email from them say my job has been de-allocated due to not following a link on an email they sent me (which i did do)

What the hell happened there?

how do i contact them to say i'm not a happy puppy?

squeaky1055

Glamazon wrote: »

Still reading the thread - think I'm on Page 40 something.

Just wanted to say that I found the first few posts on the first page really helpful so thank you to everyone that contributed

Just noticed some posts with people doing 100 mile round trips. :eek: Do you claim the mileage from the MS company or is it included in the fee?

I did 100 mile round trip last Saturday. The job was from Gap so I was bribed with a few petrol and corner shop jobs....that is what made it worthwhile. I started off with a coffee and cake job, I also had several egg jobs for another company en route and if I remember there was a pub lunch which fueled me up for the last stage home. I then did a couple more egg jobs a few miles from where I live. I was highly organised(for once) so it was quite an easy day!!
Some of the companies allow so much towards petrol but usually it takes good planning and hope that all jobs fit into the area you are heading for. I actually phoned one of the companies and said where I was going and asked if they needed any jobs done in the area whilst I was there.

proshopper

misssarahleigh wrote: »

hello all,

been out for the day but running with the TNS thing, just got an email from them say my job has been de-allocated due to not following a link on an email they sent me (which i did do)

What the hell happened there?

how do i contact them to say i'm not a happy puppy?

I assume that it is a job on the Mercury site (not Sassie). With these you have to confirm "work pack received". You do this by going into "My visits", clicking on the job and then clicking through from the link on that page (using the user name and password it gives you there). Once you have opened the link, you have to scroll down to a box where you confirm agreement to T&C, then you can click through to the next page (where you have access to the brief and questionnaire). TNS say that if you don't open the link, the job gets deallocated. They do send reminder emails if you haven't opened a link, though.

I am not sure what happens with Sassie jobs. The only jobs I have done on Sassie were allocated via Mercury, so I still had to click the links on there to access the brief (and enter visit details, pay claims, etc).

If you go to the FAQs page on TNS, there are some contact email addresses, but I'm not sure if these are any use to you.

misssarahleigh

proshopper wrote: »

I assume that it is a job on the Mercury site (not Sassie). With these you have to confirm "work pack received". You do this by going into "My visits", clicking on the job and then clicking through from the link on that page (using the user name and password it gives you there). Once you have opened the link, you have to scroll down to a box where you confirm agreement to T&C, then you can click through to the next page (where you have access to the brief and questionnaire). TNS say that if you don't open the link, the job gets deallocated. They do send reminder emails if you haven't opened a link, though.

I am not sure what happens with Sassie jobs. The only jobs I have done on Sassie were allocated via Mercury, so I still had to click the links on there to access the brief (and enter visit details, pay claims, etc).

If you go to the FAQs page on TNS, there are some contact email addresses, but I'm not sure if these are any use to you.

Well thats no good. It took me to the 'my visits page' and thats it. I have not recieved a 'work pack'. (yes it's the non sassie site)

I assumed it was just a lik to make sure your still active and it would track. I think it's a bit excessive since the job is planned for Sat 13th. Just writing them an email

Hollypear

Hi everyone.I am being a show off. Posting here with my spanking new netbook. It is a Samsung N130. Got it in Argos for £229.

Hoping it will make finding jobs when I am out easier. Tomorrow doing a cat shop. So while waiting for the 45mins till I can return it I can find a wifi spot and do the 1st bit of the report.

MollyEliza

deedee71 wrote: »

Just in from doing my 16 jobs...the most I've ever done in one day.

Just the reports/crisp photos to do now

Wow! 16 in one day:eek: I am just a rookie and it takes me all my time to do 3 in one day! Were they all quite close to one another?

MollyEliza

Hollypear wrote: »

Hi everyone.I am being a show off. Posting here with my spanking new netbook. It is a Samsung N130. Got it in Argos for £229.

Hoping it will make finding jobs when I am out easier. Tomorrow doing a cat shop. So while waiting for the 45mins till I can return it I can find a wifi spot and do the 1st bit of the report.

I hope you have fun with your netbook. I have one too and though I don't really like laptops it is very handy to carry around.

What's this about taking a cat back! Poor thing