Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys? (Part Three)

FatMan_3

I have worked as a mystery shopper before the internet was even invented. In all those years I have NEVER had any problems with work I have done.

But Easter Sunday was different - one company sacked me.

The company had sent me numerous e-mails to me (and other shoppers) about jobs which had to be done over Easter weekend. In all I got 13 e-mails for just two jobs. 4 e-mails had four attachments and another 4 e-mails had a single attachment. This was just for my TWO jobs!

Five of the e-mails (giving modified instrucations) arrived on Good Friday (just before I was going to do the jobs). I tried to make sense of the e-mails but could not. I tried ringing the company but no-one answered. I sent an e-mail saying I could not understand what they wanted me to do and I could not do the jobs without further instruction.

On Saturday I spent the whole morning trying to work out how to do the jobs but could not. I rang them again but no-one answered any calls, so I sent an e-mail saying I could not do the jobs as I could not understand the instructions.

On Easter Sunday I got an e-mail saying that I should not have withdrawn from the jobs simply because I did not know what to do. They said I am no longer on their list of mystery shoppers.

What was I supposed to do? Is it my fault the instructions did not make sense? Is it my fault that the instructions were sent out after they closed for Easter so I could not contact them with any queries? With all the various e-mails and attachments the total number of documents came to 33! and I had just two jobs (each paying £10).

The seventh e-mail from the company (on Thursday) apologised for the number of e-mails received claiming that was the last e-mail! Six minutes later I got another e-mail because of errors in an earlier e-mail. The following day I received a further 5 e-mails (again with modified instructions).

I did everything I could to do this work but I could not to it to my satisfaction as I really did not understand what I was supposed to do!

I don't want to name the company or indicate what the jobs are. But I have worked very well for this company for about two years. I just think it is highly-insensitive of them to dispose of my services over one incident that was really beyond my control.

The fact that I am awake at 3.55am shows how upset I am.

Timmne

Did you try bringing this up with them? It may well be that you've been the victim of a self-important, hotheaded member of staff who's been a little annoyed at you (but moreso at themselves for the c0ck-ups).

Bring it up with a manager there, in the form of a letter, perhaps this might help? Obviously write it in a mild manner otherwise they'll do nothing to help you.

I'm sure MSing companies value their shoppers more than this and good shoppers like you sound are becoming less common as the hype of 'free meals' etc picks up, by the people who don't really care about the meaning of MSing.

Let us know how you get on! I know how hard it must be to be dropped by a company; I get a similar feeling when I get a proofreading query email, like I've let them down!

FatMan_3

I agree that it was probably a hot-headed member of staff who sacked me. The person that sent out many of the e-mails is a director of the company and it was to that director I wrote saying I could not do the job because my e-mails and telephone queries were not being answered because they are closed over Easter. It was that director who wrote yesterday saying I was 'fired'.

It was clear from the general and apologetic tone of many earler e-mails that they were struggling with this particular project themselves. Apologies and instructions appeared in the same paragraph of some e-mails. This just made it so difficult.

Despite their own lack of understanding of their client's requirements, their inability to put all instructions for one job in one e-mail, the sending out of modified instructions (in 5 e-mails) after they had closed for Easter and one e-mail saying that shoppers could not contact them over Easter, they did not have the forethought to suspect some people may not be able to do the work.

They left no room for anyone to 'fail' to do the shop and all of them (many hundreds) had to be done to meet the client's requirements.

In the e-mail that sacked me they said they had made this clear to all shoppers. I agree that is one thing that was clear in one of the 13 e-mails that me and other shoppers got. But the same e-mail also said they were closed over Easter and the office would not be manned and, again, apologising for the multiple modified instructions received.

Anyway, an hour after I was sacked, the jobs I could not do were re-advertised in an e-mail which was also sent to me by the director who sacked me!!!!!! Maybe I am not sacked after all.

This particular project is brand new to this company. I don't think the client will be too pleased when the results come in.

wensie

FatMan wrote: »

... one e-mail saying that shoppers could not contact them over Easter ...

In my instructions there were times given when someone would be available - with a different phone number (compared to the usual ones).

I also had an email enquiry on Good Friday and got a response within a couple of hours.

Timmne

Ahhh.... I think I know which company we're talking about!

If it is the one I'm thinking, I too got loads of emails.... Is the director we're talking about a she?

wensie

Timmne wrote: »

Ahhh.... I think I know which company we're talking about!

If it is the one I'm thinking, I too got loads of emails.... Is the director we're talking about a she?

Yes, she is.

Dazzieboo

I often find, if the instructions are confusing, look at the questionnaire or data entry form, that will sometimes clarify matters.

leila1

FatMan wrote: »

The fact that I am awake at 3.55am shows how upset I am.

They are certainly not worth you upsetting yourself or loosing sleep over. Most of these companies have too many people on their books that they think it is Ok to be so inflexible. Instead of sending you a sacking reply, they could have sent you a further explanations reply. If I was you I would not chase them but just accept their decision until things have cooled down. I had a slightly similar situation and received two sets of contradicting e mails I went by the first one and ended up with a number of jobs which I added onto a very busy day. After I did the work and was totally exhausted, I received a phone call saying that I did not do everything I was supposed to do, and that I would not be paid. This had brought me up in tears but I said Ok and I sent a copy of the email I received along with an explanation and left it at that. When it came to pay day they did pay, and if they did not I would have just crossed them of my list and not worried about it further. The good thing is that we have more than one company to work for. Of course no one seem to offer any incentives for working on public holidays anyway.
It just seems that this is the way it is in this line of work, so many people had their contract terminated by Gap or put on probation by RE for unjustifiable reasons. Some have been unpaid for unclear or missing instructions, and it is just up to the individual to deal with it. However, none of them are worth being upset over. Have a rest and enjoy your day!

FatMan_3

Dazzieboo wrote: »

I often find, if the instructions are confusing, look at the questionnaire or data entry form, that will sometimes clarify matters.

I was not even sure what two outlets I had to visit.

fazzy84

I've taken 3 jobs with Gap for Tomorrow. These will be my first MS jobs. When I was accepting the jobs I checked their timeframe and they seemed to be for store opening times but now that I am looking through these assignment details the timeframe seem to be more specific. I can still do 2 but one is after 9pm and quite far which I cant do.

Firstly will I be penalised for cancelling this at such late stage?

Secondly another job requires me to pay by debit card but my HSBC one isnt in the list of verified ones. I would need to use a family members card for this assignment, will that cause any problems when it comes to reimbursement?

Any advice would be appreciated.