MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD 19 - please don't mention client names or fees on here!!

jen_br

DebtHater wrote: »

It is something I pondered, and it wouldnt be hard to get clients as we know what (generally) the fees are, although we dont know how much of a markup the agencies make on top.

You would just have to contact the retailers HQ's and see if you can strike up deals.

Many have tried many have failed... I can think of one company particular, however- I know of some great wee companies that started this very way Qdos, mSL etc. It's about making proposals and contacting companies and trying to undercut really.

but its a lot of stress-- You can't pick and choose locations if you win a contract for Bubba Gumps Restaurant and there is one located on Jersey you need to get it shopped. Or if there is one up in the highlands you agan need to get it shopped. You need to ensure you can get the shoppers- you need to be able to proofread and deal with a lot of BS.

Personally I can see the benefit of starting your own but I can also see the downside, remember if the report isn't good the client just doesn't pay!

Mystery_Shopping_Ninja wrote: »

I got a free netbook with my last mobile phone. It was from a comparison site.
But i you don't want/need a new phone it's probably a false economy.
Am I allowed to post a link to the website or is that against the rules? (I'm not connected to it in any way, other than being a previous customer)

post the name for sure!

misssarahleigh

From the Alerts thread.

Can we please remember the following when posting alerts? I've noticed more and more from Gfk and Grassroots where the people who can see the jobs are getting emails anyway from the MS provider so don't need a second email from this forum, and those who can't see them are getting an alert for a job they can't accept.

I believe this has been spoken about before and a lot of people mentioned they do not have access to their personal emails at work (or similar) and the alerts help in this way as otherwise they would be unaware.

Also, quite often I find the alerts email reaches me before the automatic one being sent from the company does.

Not sure if we would like a vote on this or not?

StacFace

misssarahleigh wrote: »

From the Alerts thread.



I believe this has been spoken about before and a lot of people mentioned they do not have access to their personal emails at work (or similar) and the alerts help in this way as otherwise they would be unaware.

Also, quite often I find the alerts email reaches me before the automatic one being sent from the company does.

Not sure if we would like a vote on this or not?

Surely people could just use the same email address? I'm sure that if the company is fine with somone receiving forum alerts to their work email they'll let anything be sent there. And although the alert sometimes reaches before the company it's not much difference and you could say using this logic that it's OK to post a job you've just released from your account on the alerts thread as it will alert people who may have wanted the job but missed out last time, again some may find it useful, but most won't.

Things like Gfk alerts can always be posted on this thread, as I've sometimes see happen with individual jobs that people release.

Lil_Me_2

I'll be honest, just before I got Stac's alert I'd just got a GR email and my first thoughts were "if that's a bl**dy GR alert I won't be impressed" lol. Personally, GR and GfK are pretty quick on emails, and their jobs are uploaded in such a way that most alerts aren't useful to me so I'd be quite happy if people didn't post the alerts.

boyoboy1986

StacFace wrote: »

Surely people could just use the same email address? I'm sure that if the company is fine with somone receiving forum alerts to their work email they'll let anything be sent there. And although the alert sometimes reaches before the company it's not much difference and you could say using this logic that it's OK to post a job you've just released from your account on the alerts thread as it will alert people who may have wanted the job but missed out last time, again some may find it useful, but most won't.

Things like Gfk alerts can always be posted on this thread, as I've sometimes see happen with individual jobs that people release.

I think the point being made is people can't access their email but can access online forums etc.

Personally I would prefer to see the alerts as they are definitely quicker than some of the emails, particularly GR but that's just my own opinion. You can also opt out of the alerts emails and just check whenever it's convenient for you.

I also think that the alerts thread and everyone who contributes to it is a great service. It's also helpful to see what's about elsewhere in the country so that you can change areas etc with MS companies and plan routes. I vote for no change sorry!

Misty_Blue

misssarahleigh wrote: »

a lot of people mentioned they do not have access to their personal emails at work (or similar) and the alerts help in this way as otherwise they would be unaware.

Also, quite often I find the alerts email reaches me before the automatic one being sent from the company does.

This is my thinking too. Quite often I've picked up jobs from alerts on here, only to have the email from the company arrive some time afterwards. With GR in particular you have to be very quick to snag a job in my local area, so I personally am grateful for the alerts.

misssarahleigh

Rather than everyone spending the day arguing the good and bad point I thought we'd make it simpler and just vote:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3281986

Ready, set. goooooooooo

cheekychipmunk

I'm very happy and grateful to see any alert! I think if we start getting ranty about specific types of alerts, it will put people off posting any at all.

And with GR and GFK, they seem to post blocks of jobs by area. So if I get an alert for say, posh supermarkets for GR, but don't see any on my page, I can keep a look out for them over the next few days and grab one while I have the chance

bylromarha

I think we can all think what we want, but people will do what they do anyway.

For example (don't mean this harshly StacFace) the alert thread is SOLELY for alerts, yet StacFace raised this issue on the alert thread, not on this thread where I believe it belonged.

Surely we'd all rather get too many emails about jobs? If an alert from MSE pops up after a GfK/GR email then just ignore the alert. I guess you'd probably still feel the need to check the alert anyway though...because you don't want to miss out on jobs! Too many emails for me is better than missing out on jobs.

Mystery_Shopping_Ninja

I'm not talking about going after clients with branches throughout the UK- I agree that's far too much hassle. Although having said that, when I was approached by a client that was too big for me I negotiated a very nice commission from the national agency I referred them to.
I approach local businesses that have anything between 1 and 6 branches in my county and perhaps the neighbouring one.
Undercutting doesn't come in to at all because I am not trying to take business away from their current mystery shopping supplier, I am approaching businesses who currently don't have a mystery shopping programme because they are considered too small to bother with by the national agencies.
I manage their expectations from the outset by making it clear exactly what mystery shopping can and can't achieve, and there is no issue with quality as we always deliver top quality. Don't mean that last bit to sound like I'm bragging, but that's just the way it is - I wouldn't get away with submitting poor quality assignments to a national agency and I wouldn't dream of giving a local client an inferior service (especially as the fee I'm getting from them is substantially higher than the fee I get from the national agencies)

My local clients are considerably less hassle than most of the national chains who seem to think that because of their size and mystery shopping budget they can hold their agencies to ransom. That in turn filters down the chain to the mystery shoppers which is why fees are so low and reports are such a pain.

Just my experience anyway....

jen_br wrote: »

Many have tried many have failed... I can think of one company particular, however- I know of some great wee companies that started this very way Qdos, mSL etc. It's about making proposals and contacting companies and trying to undercut really.

but its a lot of stress-- You can't pick and choose locations if you win a contract for Bubba Gumps Restaurant and there is one located on Jersey you need to get it shopped. Or if there is one up in the highlands you agan need to get it shopped. You need to ensure you can get the shoppers- you need to be able to proofread and deal with a lot of BS.

Personally I can see the benefit of starting your own but I can also see the downside, remember if the report isn't good the client just doesn't pay!



post the name for sure!

The website is www.comparebestmobilephonedeals.co.uk
there's options to search based on free gift, specific phone, cashback deal etc. Last time I looked you could get a phone for free because the cashback they paid was as much as the line rental - I was impressed, but I'm sure you money savers out there know about those sort of deals already.