Mystery shopping thread 26 *please read the op first**please no client names or fees

MysteryMe

You have to detach your personal feelings from those kinds of assignments. It's just a job and the charity is paying the MSC a lot of money to have their outlets mystery shopped.

We would be doing the charity a disservice if we didn't perform the assignment as per the brief and give an accurate report noting good and bad.

Not saying anyone isn't, just highlighting why it's important to remain impartial.

skivenov

That's about it really, without wanting to sound like an !!!!, if you don't like the brief, don't take the job. There's plenty of work I don't take because I find briefs to be immoral/implausible/obvious mystery shopper/ridiculous. The great thing is, we can pick and choose what we agree to do.

End of the day, the client has reasons for wanting to know what a target business does in a certain situation, we don't know the reasoning, so who are we to say it's wrong?

Alaska_Keen-Vivo

The amount of mistakes GFK make in their briefs is really getting on my nerves now. I feel like before every job I am contacting them, because they forgot to include vital information, and then replies I receive are not that helpful or polite either, as if I am bothering them.
Now for example there is a job advertised with a £0 fee.
Very helpful.

Larac

Alaska_Keen-Vivo wrote: »

The amount of mistakes GFK make in their briefs is really getting on my nerves now. I feel like before every job I am contacting them, because they forgot to include vital information, and then replies I receive are not that helpful or polite either, as if I am bothering them.
Now for example there is a job advertised with a £0 fee.
Very helpful.

I have to say that GFK are generally fine - have worked for them for a couple of years and IMHO are one of the better MS companies. They have pay cycles which are twice a month and if they do have a query - which is quite rare they do come back very quick. They also ring up and advise you of jobs before they hit the boards. Their briefs are now down to around 2 pages which is better than the 6 which used to be norm. IMHO they are one of the better MS companies.

Big_Graeme

Alaska_Keen-Vivo wrote: »

The amount of mistakes GFK make in their briefs is really getting on my nerves now. I feel like before every job I am contacting them, because they forgot to include vital information, and then replies I receive are not that helpful or polite either, as if I am bothering them.
Now for example there is a job advertised with a £0 fee.
Very helpful.

Mmm...

I find that once you get the details of the brief in the right order then its usually fine.

skivenov

I sacked GfK a few weeks ago.

Booboo44_2

Re gfk I have only been doing MS for s month or so, have found that in many respects they are fair, for instance they pay part fee where the unit you are visiting is closed. I did a roadside recovery service booth which was unmanned for the duration of my visit so I could only photo the empty booth. I still receive over half fee. What I did make the mistake of doing was a what I thought would be a quick social media assignment for a low fee thinking it would be really straight forward. It turned out to be s right hassle

Miss_Terry_Shopper

skivenov wrote: »

I sacked GfK a few weeks ago.

I did about three dozen assignments for GFK and they were fine until the last one I did for them.

I travelled to a neighbouring town to visit one of their clients who demonstrates a product from stands in various town centres.

When I got there the stand was unmanned, but I could see the guy chatting to a Market stall-holder about 50m away. The guy stayed there for 30 minutes so I rang through a "hot alert".

I was told the guy may be on a scheduled break and was to watch the stand discretely for another 30 minutes.

The guy did not return so I rang again left the area. I was asked to take photos of the stand and the skiving employee, and to pick up leaflets from the unmanned stand then submit my report.

Time spent: 55 min travelling, 60 minutes at the stand, and 25 minutes doing paperwork

GFK gave me half the standard fee which left me out of pocket once I factored petrol and car parks into the equasion.

I argued my case but they would only ay half the fee.

Bye Bye

missymouse

That is unfair. They should pay the full fee imo. It's not your fault

Big_Graeme

Miss_Terry_Shopper wrote: »

I argued my case but they would only ay half the fee.

Bye Bye

Oh, I've always got full fee for hot alerts.