1. Forums
  2. Mystery Shopping Discussion

List of what MS companies shop which stores/restaurants

March 13, 2019 05:26PM
Does such a thing exist. I've been mysteryshopping for a while now through about 11 different companies (haven't gotten around to going thru the full mspa list) and was wondering is there a list showing which company currently has which contract.

I.E
Texas Roadhouse - xxxxx
McDonalds - xxxxx
etc?

Would be useful as I'm not in the biggest of area's and would like to not bother with some companies (in fact several of the 11 or so I'm signed up for are thus far useless to me as they only have shops that are 100+ miles away, and these are ones I've been signed up for for over a year now :-/ )

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2019 05:27PM by jclookey.
Reply
Log In
x

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

Already a member? Log In.

More About Restaurants
March 13, 2019 05:28PM
FYI I know it can't be on this board per guidelines, but i'm hoping it exists somewhere... dark web maybe MWAHAHAHA .... :-D
Reply
March 13, 2019 05:29PM
No, it's a violation of the MSC's terms of service and cannot be publicized.
Reply
March 13, 2019 05:34PM
@awestover89 wrote:

No, it's a violation of the MSC's terms of service and cannot be publicized.


UGH... I want to do more around my area... but I don't want to waste more time signing up for the other like 100 sites on the mspa list and have 89 of them be useless :-( wish they would at least all show what they offered in the area before you took the time to sign up :-/
Reply
March 13, 2019 05:40PM
@jclookey wrote:



UGH... I want to do more around my area... but I don't want to waste more time signing up for the other like 100 sites on the mspa list and have 89 of them be useless :-( wish they would at least all show what they offered in the area before you took the time to sign up :-/

You are looking at it all wrong. That company you wouldn't sign up for that has nothing? Next January they might get the account of your favorite restaurant in your area. You know who wouldn't be shopping there? You.....

Sign up to every legit MSC you can find, you don't have to check every board every week, most of them are kind enough to email you.

Orlando - lightly shopping NC


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2019 05:40PM by oteixeira.
Reply
March 13, 2019 05:56PM
If you really get going with mystery shopping, you'll want to be signed up with well over 100 companies. If you have a day that you want to shop, but don't have anything you can pick up nearby, sign up with five more companies. You'll find that you'll be with 100 in no time. Instead of using the MSPA list, I suggest that you use the list linked at the bottom of this page. Start with the "15 Most Discussed" as they are all larger companies and very likely to have work near you.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
Reply
March 13, 2019 08:40PM
Yes, MSPA membership is not held by many very good MSCs with interesting and well compensated shops. Do not limit yourself to their list. They are NOT the arbiter of what is a good MSC. They let bad behaving MSCs maintain membership, as many forum members have documented over the years. Reading well substantiated forum member posts is a better way to sort out which companies treat shoppers fairly. Ignore the rants, follow well substantiated ratings found here.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Reply
March 13, 2019 10:28PM
@ wrote:


Sign up to every legit MSC you can find, you don't have to check every board every week, most of them are kind enough to email you.

Most of them will be kind enough to DELUGE YOU with emails. Like 3-5 every day for the same jobs, or worse, the same list of states but different cities only AFTER you've clicked on the link. My other favorite is three schedulers from the same company emailing about three different assignments. And today's peeve: emailing yesterday for a job that must be done by the 14. I applied immediately to do the shop today (the 13th) and today I am in the parking lot across the street from the shop having lunch, a long lunch, only to find the application is still pending. GRRR. You want it done quickly and then sit on the application? And then email me AGAIN that you have this great job!!
Reply
March 14, 2019 12:14AM
I feel your pain. I've lost shops because they weren't yet assigned when I was right there and since they weren't worth going back for I cancelled the app.

@kryswyn916 wrote:

@ wrote:


and today I am in the parking lot across the street from the shop having lunch, a long lunch, only to find the application is still pending. GRRR.
Reply
March 14, 2019 01:11AM
We all had to do due diligence. Good advice above. Just take the time to sign up with 3-4 companies a day when you have a couple of hours or so to kill. It will serve you well.
Reply
March 14, 2019 01:21AM
Also, they may not have physical location shops in your area, but they may have phone shops that can be done from anywhere.

You'll have to decide if the phone shops are worth your time for $3-5 each. But stack 4-5 of them in an hour and I will apply for them.
Reply
March 14, 2019 01:48AM
There definitely have been times where a mystery shopping company had nothing in my area for 5-10 years...and then suddenly they did and I got notifications out of the blue, YAY! Or, I was shopping for one MSC that had a client I LOVED, and they lost the client. Another MSC that hardly ever had anything in my area before landed that contract and I was back in the saddle again because I was signed up with them.

Another thing is that someone out West might work for a particular MSC that has a client in their region, and either that client isn't in my area or a different MSC handles the same client for my region. It happens.
Reply
March 14, 2019 02:41AM
You can also look at the job board on this site. The jobs that are advertised usually say I am looking for xxx in xxx ( a list of states). They may not mention the exact name of the client but many times you can tell by the description. If your state is listed just click on the ad and it will take you to more info.
Reply
March 14, 2019 04:12AM
Job boards, job boards, job boards!

I keep prestoinstamaps open on my PC 24/7. When I'm working on a route, I type in my destination, and follow the map to see what companies are offering shops on the way there or in my destination area. Any companies I'm not signed up with that offer interesting shops, I apply immediately.

If you go to the "new shopper" forum, you'll find lots of "sticky" topics, one of which is "How to find shops". Read that, and follow the suggestions there (one of which is the PrestoInstaMaps site).

And like a previous shopper mentioned, don't overlook the job board here. Find it by clicking on "Show all forums".
Reply
March 14, 2019 04:14AM
So true! I think I know one of those companies. I have actually taken screen shots of the job board that shows shops that I can schedule, but the end date to the the shops was two days ago. And, like you stated I applied for shops that are due the next day and usually by 10 AM I am booked as much as I want to do and the the job is still sitting there, unassigned. If it is the same company - that scheduler works a full time job in a hospital. So scheduling shops is a "whenever I get around to it" job. Surprised the scheduling company and the MSC allows this. Hundreds or more shops go unshopped, and this scheduler never, ever puts a bonus on the shop. Same company I get 10 or so emails everyday and some only have one shop listed for a $11.00 postal shop that is a 3.5 hour round trip. SMH. And then another email might have 30 or more shops listed. Go figure. I have sent screen shot emails to the MSC and nothing has changed. Kind of frustrating because some of those shops this scheduler sits on...I counted 15 within a 3 mile radius of me.



@kryswyn916 wrote:

@ wrote:


Sign up to every legit MSC you can find, you don't have to check every board every week, most of them are kind enough to email you.

Most of them will be kind enough to DELUGE YOU with emails. Like 3-5 every day for the same jobs, or worse, the same list of states but different cities only AFTER you've clicked on the link. My other favorite is three schedulers from the same company emailing about three different assignments. And today's peeve: emailing yesterday for a job that must be done by the 14. I applied immediately to do the shop today (the 13th) and today I am in the parking lot across the street from the shop having lunch, a long lunch, only to find the application is still pending. GRRR. You want it done quickly and then sit on the application? And then email me AGAIN that you have this great job!!
Reply
March 24, 2019 08:18AM
The last page of my spreadsheet has that list. It's very fluid as clients change MSCs frequently.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Reply
March 27, 2019 08:01PM
That's what we've all done, I can't tell you how many companies I've signed up for just to find out they have no shops in my area. Just how it goes. Maybe they will in the future and I'll stay signed up with them. But as others have said, it's a revolving door when it comes to companies and the MSC the use.
Reply
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login