Mystery Shopping Thread 20 **PLEASE DO NOT MENTION CLIENT NAMES OR FEES ON HERE**

ms_night_ryder

do grass roots ever have jobs in london, i have not had 1 job available since my aPP WAS ACCEPTED

Hooloovoo

ms_night_ryder wrote: »

do grass roots ever have jobs in london, i have not had 1 job available since my aPP WAS ACCEPTED

My application to GR has been completed. I've filled out all the profile details. No jobs showing in the Midlands.

Boredupnorth

lalli_pickle wrote: »

Nope, and although the page says I was paid for last month on 27/7 I still have no sign of the money in any of my accounts.

Does anyone have a contact number for their accounts department? I've tried emailing 3 different people but no reply. I've been chasing since 28/7 and getting a little annoyed now. It was a few jewellery visits as well so not small pennies :mad:

Mine sys the same, I thought I was loosing the plot as I can't trace it although I don't actually think it was due till this month as it was right in the cut off. They owe me 4 figures and I am getting a bit twitchy about it to be honest

olias

Hi, not sure if I should have put these a new thread or on here...

I have just signed up for a mystery shopping agency/company and have my first assignment. I have only just been given it and it's an urgent one which has to be completed tomorrow for some reason.

The fee is £** or £** if they can't see me there and then and have to make an appointment (It's a service providers). Is this about the going rate?

My second question, is that I have had a look on google street view, and the address they have given me is a private house in a residential street? In fact, I have checked, and the company they want me to visit does not even appear to have a branch in my town?

Now it may be that this private house has been converted to a business since the google street view photo was taken, but it might just be an error on the part of the mystery shopping company.

If I go tomorrow and the premises does not exist, am I likely to still receive my fee?

I don't want to trail up there now to check as the petrol will eat into the already small fee I am due to get, and I don't really want to get back to them saying I think they've got the address wrong, in case it has now changed, and is correct.

Equally, with this being my first check, I want to get it right!

Any advice welcomed. Thanks.

Olias

dazza.mk

olias wrote: »

Hi, not sure if I should have put these a new thread or on here...

I have just signed up for a mystery shopping agency/company and have my first assignment. I have only just been given it and it's an urgent one which has to be completed tomorrow for some reason.

The fee is £xxx if they can't see me there and then and have to make an appointment (It's a service providers). Is this about the going rate?

My second question, is that I have had a look on google street view, and the address they have given me is a private house in a residential street? In fact, I have checked, and the company they want me to visit does not even appear to have a branch in my town?

Now it may be that this private house has been converted to a business since the google street view photo was taken, but it might just be an error on the part of the mystery shopping company.

If I go tomorrow and the premises does not exist, am I likely to still receive my fee?

I don't want to trail up there now to check as the petrol will eat into the already small fee I am due to get, and I don't really want to get back to them saying I think they've got the address wrong, in case it has now changed, and is correct.

Equally, with this being my first check, I want to get it right!

Any advice welcomed. Thanks.

Olias

Firstly can you remove the fee from your post, a lot of companies will give you a 'closed shop' fee if the shop has closed / doesn't exist, which could be a token payment / half payment or similar, but its difficult without knowing the agency.

Have you tried querying it with the agency?

yonk

Hooloovoo wrote: »

My application to GR has been completed. I've filled out all the profile details. No jobs showing in the Midlands.

GR work differently to other companies so you only see jobs very close to the address(es) that you have in your profile. You never see all the jobs that are available and usually, only a couple or one at a time.

olias

dazza.mk wrote: »

Firstly can you remove the fee from your post, a lot of companies will give you a 'closed shop' fee if the shop has closed / doesn't exist, which could be a token payment / half payment or similar, but its difficult without knowing the agency.

Have you tried querying it with the agency?

Thanks.

Just out of interest, why is there an issue reagarding mentioning the fees?
Surely if the agency is not named, then there cannot be any issues around this?

- I'm not trying to be awkward, I'm genuinly curious as to what the problem is?

Olias

Dormouse

olias wrote: »

Hi, not sure if I should have put these a new thread or on here...

I have just signed up for a mystery shopping agency/company and have my first assignment. I have only just been given it and it's an urgent one which has to be completed tomorrow for some reason.

The fee is £** or £** if they can't see me there and then and have to make an appointment (It's a service providers). Is this about the going rate?

My second question, is that I have had a look on google street view, and the address they have given me is a private house in a residential street? In fact, I have checked, and the company they want me to visit does not even appear to have a branch in my town?

Now it may be that this private house has been converted to a business since the google street view photo was taken, but it might just be an error on the part of the mystery shopping company.

If I go tomorrow and the premises does not exist, am I likely to still receive my fee?

I don't want to trail up there now to check as the petrol will eat into the already small fee I am due to get, and I don't really want to get back to them saying I think they've got the address wrong, in case it has now changed, and is correct.

Equally, with this being my first check, I want to get it right!

Any advice welcomed. Thanks.

Olias

What I would do is check the company's website's branch locator. If there definitely is no branch at this location, I would, as Dazza said, email the MS company. (If this is the company I'm thinking of, they usually work evenings/reply to emails in the evening too. )

The fees are not mentioned on this website, or others, for confidentiality reasons - when signing up to MS companies, most will ask not to discuss fees and other information on the internet etc. Also, we don't want to encourage other MS companies to undercut the original company, as we all lose out in the end with the ever-decreasing fees.

As for the fee, it's up to you whether it's reasonable or not - once you've factored in petrol/parking/your time etc. I have done the job you're talking about, but only in my home town (hence minimal mileage).

Good luck, and hope it goes well.

misssarahleigh

olias wrote: »

Thanks.

Just out of interest, why is there an issue reagarding mentioning the fees?
Surely if the agency is not named, then there cannot be any issues around this?

- I'm not trying to be awkward, I'm genuinly curious as to what the problem is?

Olias

Because it won't take a Mensa student to work it out. For those in the industry, if somebody says 'Bank' we can tell you which agency's have which banks. So, wel can tell you that one of the 4 agenct's offers XX for that bank job. Which we can then compare to the rest of them.

If a mystery shopping company were to see that information they could turn round and say ohhhh, our fee is £2 more than what they pay, and reduce the amount accordingly.

They could also use the information if they were to try and 'steal' the client. Knowing what amount the shopper is paid will obviously tell them a little something about how much the commission is in general e.g. They (example only) see that another company pays £25 to the mystery shopper. Within there company they offer £25 for a job but get paid £200 by the company (obviously the other £175 goes to the agency). So, on that principle they may try to 'undercut' the agency to get the business. Which would more likley result in the shoppers being paid less.

Bit long winded lol sorry, got carried away. Hope it makes sense.

Oh, and when you join the company they tell you not to speak about them.

weeg

Hooloovoo wrote: »

Some MS jobs come with a certificate to hand out when you feel you have received "exceptional" customer service from a staff member.

I'm not really sure what to do with these. I don't know what I would really class as "exceptional service" when having a meal in a pub, for example. What sorts of things would make you give out one of these certificates?

How does giving the certificate meet with the "stay anonymous at all times" directive?

It wasn't a certificate, but a report mention I did. At the end of a travel agent visit, just after 5pm, I was putting the print out I'd been given into my handbag and exclaimed in annoyance with myself that I'd forgotten to get an envelope for something I needed to post that day. The TA gave me an envelope. It was really nice of her, really helped me out and I figured that was 'exceptional' service.