Mystery Shopping Thread 25 *PLEASE READ THE OP FIRST**PLEASE NO CLIENT NAMES OR FEES

enevel

Macadamia wrote: »

What everyone needs to remember is that almost all MF jobs are like this.

Except, not quite. Getting regular solo dines from MF at the moment with a perfectly ample £20+ reimbursement, and a simple questionnaire. The fee won't make me rich, but I'm game for a starter, main and a drink in between other other jobs. Just don't understand who they think will take these loss-making ones.

I notice they've finally killed the winter coat ones. Fairly certain they weren't snapped up, but that they took them back to the client with a firm 'no'.

In other news: are Bare carving a niche as the agency that deals with clients no other agency will touch with a barge pole? Those pizzas and bank jobs are going nowhere. And in both cases, the clients have utterly ridiculous expectations.

MysteryMe

Hope everyone has a good break over Christmas and New Year and ready for the Mystery Shopping trials and tribulations during 2015.

Macadamia

enevel wrote: »

Except, not quite. Getting regular solo dines from MF at the moment with a perfectly ample £20+ reimbursement, and a simple questionnaire. The fee won't make me rich, but I'm game for a starter, main and a drink in between other other jobs. Just don't understand who they think will take these loss-making ones.

I notice they've finally killed the winter coat ones. Fairly certain they weren't snapped up, but that they took them back to the client with a firm 'no'.

In other news: are Bare carving a niche as the agency that deals with clients no other agency will touch with a barge pole? Those pizzas and bank jobs are going nowhere. And in both cases, the clients have utterly ridiculous expectations.

Yep.

If people have an analytical bent his MS malarkey provides quite an insight into the machinations: ethical, opportunistic or otherwise of all of these MS companies...and their clients.

Red_Don

Hope you all had a good Christmas, anyone got any snow today?:xmastree::xmastree::snow_grin:snow_laug

Wizzbang

enevel wrote: »

Just don't understand who they think will take these loss-making ones.

I notice they've finally killed the winter coat ones. Fairly certain they weren't snapped up, but that they took them back to the client with a firm 'no'.

In other news: are Bare carving a niche as the agency that deals with clients no other agency will touch with a barge pole? Those pizzas and bank jobs are going nowhere. And in both cases, the clients have utterly ridiculous expectations.

I don't quite understand how they negotiate with their clients. It seems like the clients can say whatever the heck they like and the MSC will bow to any whim, because they appear desperate for clients (and therefore, money).

In my industry, I (as the professional and trained person) am the expert. If a client came to me with crazy expectations, I would set them straight for the sake of my professional reputation and my business. I guess the difference is, most of these MSCs are not signed up to professional bodies and so, no-one is monitoring their practice.

I just don't see who it serves well, the client then expects these crazy jobs will get done for little or no reimbursement. The MSC must look stupid crawling back to them saying no-one would take the work (which surely means that client would dump them for their poor performance and lack of professionalism). In turn, we as shoppers then start to look very unfavourably against these companies offering stupid jobs with peanuts by way of reimbursement. All I can say is these MSCs must be paranoid they are going to go out of business, if they feel they have to agree to the clients wishes and put this work on their books.

Furthermore, no sensible and competent shopper would take these types of jobs. Surely the MSCs must see that the quality and calibre of their workforce is dropping. As illustrated by some of the briefs (and in turn, also that the same applies to the MSC companies workforce....spelling and grammar errors in briefs etc). All of this meaning that the overall quality of the work returned to the companies paying our wages must be ranging between dire - average. No disrespect to all the hard-working, competent shoppers out there (I include myself in that group!)

But, I mean- I returned a report to a company recently which matched the standard of reporting I would give to any client in my day job. I received not only a personal thank you from the line manger, but also the manager of the whole company thanking me for submitting a quality report. Frankly, I did no more than meet their brief- but it does make me wonder what they are getting submitted the rest of the time!

OK, rant over! Merry Christmas everyone :beer:

enevel

Wizzbang wrote: »

I don't quite understand how they negotiate with their clients. It seems like the clients can say whatever the heck they like and the MSC will bow to any whim, because they appear desperate for clients (and therefore, money).

In my industry, I (as the professional and trained person) am the expert. If a client came to me with crazy expectations, I would set them straight for the sake of my professional reputation and my business. I guess the difference is, most of these MSCs are not signed up to professional bodies and so, no-one is monitoring their practice.

I just don't see who it serves well, the client then expects these crazy jobs will get done for little or no reimbursement. The MSC must look stupid crawling back to them saying no-one would take the work (which surely means that client would dump them for their poor performance and lack of professionalism). In turn, we as shoppers then start to look very unfavourably against these companies offering stupid jobs with peanuts by way of reimbursement. All I can say is these MSCs must be paranoid they are going to go out of business, if they feel they have to agree to the clients wishes and put this work on their books.

Furthermore, no sensible and competent shopper would take these types of jobs. Surely the MSCs must see that the quality and calibre of their workforce is dropping. As illustrated by some of the briefs (and in turn, also that the same applies to the MSC companies workforce....spelling and grammar errors in briefs etc). All of this meaning that the overall quality of the work returned to the companies paying our wages must be ranging between dire - average. No disrespect to all the hard-working, competent shoppers out there (I include myself in that group!)

But, I mean- I returned a report to a company recently which matched the standard of reporting I would give to any client in my day job. I received not only a personal thank you from the line manger, but also the manager of the whole company thanking me for submitting a quality report. Frankly, I did no more than meet their brief- but it does make me wonder what they are getting submitted the rest of the time!

OK, rant over! Merry Christmas everyone :beer:

Essentially, you have just summed-up UK retail (and indeed the entire UK economy), in one post.

More. Crapper. Cheaper.

Miss_Terry_Shopper

Wizzbang wrote: »

Furthermore, no sensible and competent shopper would take these types of jobs. Surely the MSCs must see that the quality and calibre of their workforce is dropping. As illustrated by some of the briefs (and in turn, also that the same applies to the MSC companies workforce....spelling and grammar errors in briefs etc). All of this meaning that the overall quality of the work returned to the companies paying our wages must be ranging between dire - average. No disrespect to all the hard-working, competent shoppers out there (I include myself in that group!)

I was just browsing RA's list of locations where jobs are available.

If you live in North Yorkshire or Merseyside.......

don't forget to search for jobs in Noth Yorkshire or Mersyside!:rotfl:

Mr._Bigglesworth

Wow page 296! New Year New Thread?

ms_night_ryder

Gr money processed today, happy New year everyone.

StabiloBrillo

Do you get reimbursement for M Outsource scenario jobs? (recently emailed regarding next month's jobs.)