MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD 18 - please don't mention client names or fees on here!!

nehpets81

lalli_pickle wrote: »

Ah! I knew they had the one client but didn't realise they did Gaps client as well. Think I'll stick with the Gap version, higher reimbursement and no need to record the phone call

I don't think they do (yet). This is the first time I have seen these ones on there and they do seem to be for the client themselves as there is the spiel about how the company was founded etc on the guidelines... I don't like Gap but at least these jobs sit around for long enough on their website to be able to negotiate extras, can't see that happening with RE...

If the supermarket ones are the same as the ones I saw earlier in the week, they weren't for the supermarket themselves but a different client who I can't remember at the moment.

nickik1970

lalli_pickle wrote: »

Ah! I knew they had the one client but didn't realise they did Gaps client as well. Think I'll stick with the Gap version, higher reimbursement and no need to record the phone call

In all fairness, at least there is a fee for the re ones, and none with gyp. So you could actually add the fee to the reimbursement and it would be around the same as the gyp one then.

nehpets81

misssarahleigh wrote: »

I need a little geographic Help please.

Off to London and notice there is a lot of pizza on gap but have no idea what area covent garden/leciester square would be classified as on gyp as it says central west etc etc

If somebody who know's the area could be so kind as to tell me which catagory to look at:D

Ah, welcome to the annoyance that is searching for Gap jobs in London. Covent Garden/Leicester Square is, as someone correctly pointed out "West Central". It is also very easy (5 mins) walking distance to "East Central" and "South West". If you are willing to walk for another 10 mins or so, you can also look at "West", "South East" and probaly even "North West". Phew. Hardly ever any pizza lasts for long in central London tho...

serendipity2706

berbastrike wrote: »

Hi, I am new here and I have just signed up to gapbuster. Can anyone help me? I was kind of lazy with the tests for some of the companies, and I failed a few. Do I get a chance to resit these after some time, or is that it over?

If you are lazy with the tests, you'll need to pay real close attention to the jobs with Gap or you wont last 5 minutes!

nehpets81

mimi1234 wrote: »

They went on about GFK and TNS merging at one point. What happened there?

Of all the companies I have worked for, I would have thought GR or RM would have folded first. I'm really surprised GR are still going. All they ever did a few years ago was banks, a gym and a clothes shop. Nothing else.

I think GR have a strong exposure outside the industry - people who I talk to have mostly heard of Gap, GR and RE. I think they probably have a huge number of shoppers on their books, if they changed over to some sort of sassie arrangement I think they would be my fave company. They are clearly professionally run and this is something their clients must take seriously.

Never been able to get a job for RM so not sure about them...

nehpets81

On the vague subject of RE poaching clients from GR, TNS and Gap; I did hear somewhere that RE don't undercut the clients by much (if at all) so there must be something else they like. They are obviously aggressively targetting new clients (it seems far more than anyone else) and I suspect their boasts of hundreds of thousands of shoppers helps, plus their reports probably look quite glossy with those photos they get us to do for free. The meat of the questionnaire is not as in depth or reliable as some other companies, though...

While GR I think offer something different, it does seem to me that TNS are giving up and can't really be described as good for work for. Gap have the advantage of being truly global but the way they treat shoppers means they would probably have trouble keeping hold of the most professional ones so... not really a conclusion, but I can see how RE are poaching some clients away...

dazza.mk

mimi1234 wrote: »

They went on about GFK and TNS merging at one point. What happened there?

TNS & GFK's arrangement was rather scuppered by WPP making a hostile takeover for TNS!

StacFace

nehpets81 wrote: »

I think GR have a strong exposure outside the industry - people who I talk to have mostly heard of Gap, GR and RE. I think they probably have a huge number of shoppers on their books, if they changed over to some sort of sassie arrangement I think they would be my fave company. They are clearly professionally run and this is something their clients must take seriously.

Never been able to get a job for RM so not sure about them...

I'd probably much prefer them if they did this too, when I first signed up I got offered a couple of jobs but declined them as they were 30 miles away and I didn't drive then, haven't been offered any since. It would be nice to at least be able to apply for jobs with them even if I do get turned down practically everytime until I've done a few.

dazza.mk

StacFace wrote: »

I'd probably much prefer them if they did this too, when I first signed up I got offered a couple of jobs but declined them as they were 30 miles away and I didn't drive then, haven't been offered any since. It would be nice to at least be able to apply for jobs with them even if I do get turned down practically everytime until I've done a few.

Stacface, you'll probably find out the problem is your post code, as its reported they release jobs to the closest shoppers first. So as far as they're concerned I live in my local supermarket & shopping centre!

Lil_Me_2

I hate the Sassie system! My city (which is also a county) is not on there, so it's hard to search for jobs as different companies sit themselves under different counties. I usually end up searching through every job and it's easy to miss them.