The Shop Logs

How much do the Mystery Shopping companies have to gain keeping us separated from the inner workings of the Mystery Shopping companies or do we already know everything about the working (financial & otherwise) of the Mystery Shopping companies?

Probably the truth lies somewhere in the middle as with most things in life.

So, what would Mystery Shopping companies keep from us? The actual amount businesses pay per shop is the first thing that comes to mind. The largest potential for profit comes in the last mile, getting the shop completed. Companies benefit from the essential underbidding that shoppers provide by snatching up the first offer that MS companies put out there for shops.
Can you imagine buying jewelry or a car and just accepting the first offer that the seller gives you? Shoppers that can wait live the gamble of waiting for the eventual bonus versus the shop potentially being snatched up by an underbidder; this almost always works out in the favor of the patient mystery shopper, waiting for the bonus. The underbidders eventually lose enough money that they quit the business. If it isn’t worth taking to you , but it is to the under bidder, let them deal with it and do not even miss the shop!
We understand the driving principles of our economic system; so it must be true that Mystery Shopping Companies try to get mystery shoppers to complete shops for the least amount of money possible. Shoppers try to get shops for the highest ratio of dollar to work ratio possible. What is unforgivable on either side?

Does one side have more information than the other? That might seem unfair. Shoppers need to set the price they will be happy with for shop completion, since the may never know the actual amount set aside for shop completion.

Do all participants know the rules? If not, some may be taken advantage of. Accept that newbies do not yet view shops through the formula for profit/loss. If a newbie takes the shop accept it as the cost of another shopper’s education.

Are both sides held to the same set of standards? If not, it is unfair. Until Mystery Shopping companies are held to standards by an independent association/union for the MS Industry realize one side will always have the advantage, the companies, not the Indy Contractors.

I use 1 & 1 for my hosting. I would recommend them. One of the coolest things about their hosting is their statistics pages. I could get lost in the data analysis.
One thing I can share with you that pleases me is that I am getting many reads on this and the newletter page.
Keep reading, but think about posting - I’d love to know what you think.

“From January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005

Date Month Unique Visits
5/1/2005 May 1,490
4/1/2005 April 2,297
3/1/2005 March 1,629
2/1/2005 February 1,619
1/1/2005 January 1,652
8,687 Unique Visits “

I was nervous after the phone portion of my motorcycle shop. With some supportive words from the scheduler I did complete it today. I have never felt like such an idiot. Oh, I did wear pink sandals there……do peple who ride bikes wear pink sandals?

YUM - I had a great dinner tonight. I brought my sister-in-law & her boyfriend to the bbq place that emails you the locations to request, a month in advance. I had some chicken with cucumber salsa (craisins and cilantro) delcious! He tried to pay, but I stuffed his cash back into her purse. C’mon, it’s a shop!
BUM - I think I

finally found a shop that I am not any good at

……the motorcycle shop. My husband says I was not believable on any level.

Yeah, I shopped on Friday the 13th. Just a jewelry and a shippping shop, but I had to take a new route & was sweating it all the way after hearing all day: “What is it today? The 13th? FRIDAY the 13th?”

Well, I started my fast food shop exactly at 7AM and still made it to work by 7:22AM - here’s the bonus - where I was able to deliver the second meal to a student - YES!

I wonder who the schedulers call in my area when they need it done yesterday.
I know someone who probably is the go to in the SW part of my state, but I wonder which of my fellow shoppers is first on the list for the call?
I average two calls a month from schedulers. Not always things I can do or want to do, sometimes I wish they didn’t call, then I wouldn’t have to say no. I once gave some easy movie counts to another mystery shopper (after meeting her at the Gold Workshop), just so I could stop getting the requests. I have a hard time turning down money. I haven’t heard from that scheduler since.

Ray reposted the thread after cut out somethings to which another shopper took offense. I did have a couple smart-ass remarks in there that I guess I am glad I do not have to re-read. (Don’t you hate it when sometimes you blush reading your own words? By yourself?)
Still, I cannot believe the circular reasoning (by that I half mean talking in a circle until your head is up your butt and I half mean illogical reasoning) demonstrated by many adults that drive on the same roadways as I do….. I am a little frightened.

(weren’t all Game Show hosts named Bob?)
I feel like that old game show Name That Tune:

I signed up for one of the breakfast fast food shops because it is in the small town where I work. Sometimes, I admit, I stop at the fast food place in my town before heading to work. Well, this is a weekday shop. I am supposed to be at work by 7:25 AM. My shopping parameters are 7:00AM to ….?…..it doesn’t matter because I have to be working.

I have to do the walk in and drive thru - I am wondering just how late I will be that morning - we’ll have to see.

Oh Brother.
I have no idea why, but the thread about the MS Co. that did not pay the promised bonus has been removed…..Why Ray Why?
Six pages that could have warned other shoppers and made the company feel some pressure to do the right thing - gone.