Olive Garden Shops

April 07, 2022 04:14PM

Was anyone able to snag one of these? I saw the first email about 15 minutes after it was sent. There were a lot of openings left, but when I tried to schedule it said it was already taken and when I refreshed suddenly all of them were gone. I got another email today and tried to sign up the second it was sent but same thing happened again. I have a feeling that the quota was reached so all shops became "scheduled". I emailed the scheduler and he told me that they were all scheduled and they go quick. But to me that doesn't make sense because the first email had been sitting there a while before I saw it so I find it hard to believe that in that minute I tried to sign up over 30 shops were taken (after it had been sitting active for a while).

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April 07, 2022 05:07PM

The pay for the OG shops will not cover two entrees and an appetizer, much less tax and tip. Sorry, I’m not doing all the work when my meal is not even covered.

April 07, 2022 07:00PM

These flew off the board. I think there are some that are happy to do something NEW even if it costs them a few dollars out of pocket. I went online and did a fake order to see how much and for Southern California it would be $61.52 total after tax/tip. So if you look at it as a decent experience and coming out of pocket $14, then I can see why people jumped on it.

The report was easy. I would pay the $14 out of pocket and do a report that takes less than 20 minutes, than to get FULL reimbursement with NO pay and do one of those reports by a company with the letter C in it and takes at least 1 hour or more to complete the report. Yes, the restaurants are nicer with both they companies that have the C, but the reports are heinous and not worth it.

April 07, 2022 07:58PM

Is this the same MSC as before?

April 07, 2022 09:32PM

@kenasch wrote:

Is this the same MSC as before?

Not sure but they advertise them on the login page. They even have a statement that they are in all states with a red exclamation mark after the statement.

However, I didn't see any within 90 miles of me when I checked the job board.

April 07, 2022 09:54PM

I saw them but you had to order 2 diff entrees from a short list of 4 entrees. Maybe some month in the future they will let me choose from the whole entree menu and then it might be worth going out of pocket...if there is a fee too.

April 07, 2022 11:58PM

All gone quickly when I checked here in NJ.

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

April 08, 2022 03:24AM

I'll report in tomorrow night. I have one scheduled. I am lucky to have a good friend who loves being my companion on shops, She likes to "help" me. She repeats names and loves to chat with the managers. But the biggest help is she pays me anything over the reimbursement.

April 08, 2022 04:00AM

Selecting from a limited menu doesnt bother me--I can always cancel the assignment if there are not 2 entrees guest & I can eat. But sending a e mail with every location already scheduled is like teasing.

April 09, 2022 01:37AM

OK my report. Don't be sad if you missed out on these shops this time. Three of the 4 choices were the highest items on the menu. Mine was 20.92 and my guest's was 19.94. S there was the 40.00 with just the entrees. Then you had to do an appetizer. Luckily I just drink water with every meal and my guest did the same. So 2 entree's 1 appetizer and 1 table game( which I accidentally hit while trying to use the payment kiosk) came to $49.86 without tip. The food was not worth that.

April 09, 2022 02:33AM

I agree the food is not fantastic. That's why I said I don't like the place. But my wife and kids love it. They usually go when I go to Las Vegas for my March Madness guys trip and leave them behind. Anyways, they were ecstatic to go and to spend $15 out of pocket to feed them and make them happy was worth it. The report is a breeze. So much better than doing a "C" report whether it's the 3 letter acronym or the company that begins with C.

April 09, 2022 09:45AM

I got an email for Olive Garden shops today, 20 minutes later, All of the shops were gone.

April 09, 2022 02:06PM

I am either not signed up with the right MSC or I might have over looked it but I did not see it in my mail box.

When you say they mention it on their log in page do you mean the MSC company page or the OG plage?

April 09, 2022 02:50PM

They just went back on the board here so perhaps the quota wasn’t filled. Go get one if you want one!

April 09, 2022 03:27PM

@Isaiah4031a wrote:

I am either not signed up with the right MSC or I might have over looked it but I did not see it in my mail box.

When you say they mention it on their log in page do you mean the MSC company page or the OG plage?

I see it on their Sassie login page in a small font. However, I haven’t seen any listed in my area of Southern California. Edited to add - Actually these are probably on their Shopmetrics platform as they have shops on both systems. However I don't see the mention of OG on the Shopmetrics login page but it is mentioned on their "News" link.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2022 04:14PM by kenasch.

April 09, 2022 11:05PM

I did see them in So Cal but it was about a week ago so they may be gone by now. I could see the list of entrees allowed before applying. I was not interested in choosing 2 from those 4 and now that I hear they cost over $60 I am so glad I did not bother applying and finding someone to go with me.

April 10, 2022 12:44AM

I found it.. Guess they don't have any in my area

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2022 01:01AM by Isaiah4031a.

April 10, 2022 05:19PM

They keep sending out the notices and all are taken wh n I go to reserve one. I’ve quit looking at them.

April 11, 2022 01:38AM

Don't like the limited entree idea or that the reimbursement does not cover. Pass....

April 11, 2022 08:00PM

I got another email forget what day it was, Within the last couple of days. Shops were still available so I read the instructions, I can't do the shops anyway. The required purchase is all pasta, I don't eat pasta. If the reimbursement doesn't cover the required purchase there's no point in me doing it. I woule end up bringing it all home and feeding it to the chickens.

April 11, 2022 09:46PM

I did one of the Olive garden shops last night and it was pretty easy. I'd go for just their salad and breadsticks. It's a lot of food for two people and we brought a lot home. I didn't mind coming out of pocket about $15. I had already made my money earlier in the day and we were going to eat out anyway. They do go fast and the scheduler will email you at least four notices on the day of the shop to remind you of it.

April 11, 2022 11:11PM

@Morledzep wrote:

I got another email forget what day it was, Within the last couple of days. Shops were still available so I read the instructions, I can't do the shops anyway. The required purchase is all pasta, I don't eat pasta. If the reimbursement doesn't cover the required purchase there's no point in me doing it. I woule end up bringing it all home and feeding it to the chickens.

It's not 100% pasta. You can get the chicken/shrimp carbonara and just eat the chicken and shrimp. Also with the tour of Italy, the dish has chicken parm. So if you eat all the meat, then let your guest eat all the pasta :-)

Everyone is going to have a different opinion on this shop. Some think it should be full reimbursement and I can understand that. Some will do it just because it's simple and NEW. Many are tired of the same choices and so something new where you spend $15 of your own money for a decent meal (not fast food) is not a bad thing.

Obviously the MSC is smart enough to see now that these shops FLY off the board and they won't be increasing anything since they are in such high demand (so far).

April 12, 2022 01:51AM

@teriraia wrote:

Don't like the limited entree idea or that the reimbursement does not cover. Pass....

Agreed. All expensive entrées and nothing that I would personally eat.

April 12, 2022 03:51PM

I don't mind the low reimbursement or limited menu choices because I can't do the shops anyway. (I don't have anyone to take with me.)

I am not happy that I got an email days after some of you did.

April 12, 2022 05:38PM

I now don't feel bad. The shops are always "scheduled" by the time I receive the email. But if there is certain foods one must order, I don't like that. Then the reimbursement not meeting the required items. Oy. No longer envious.

April 12, 2022 09:45PM

When this MSC rolled out another national chain shop, they didn’t let you repeat for a period of time, etc… those shops also flew off the board at the time. Now, after a few months in, I’m glad they are waiving the rotation as well as offering bonuses!!! The power of patience… oh how shoppers can just control their emotions.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2022 09:45PM by LindaM.

April 13, 2022 04:22AM

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

It's not 100% pasta. You can get the chicken/shrimp carbonara and just eat the chicken and shrimp. Also with the tour of Italy, the dish has chicken parm.

Obviously the MSC is smart enough to see now that these shops FLY off the board and they won't be increasing anything since they are in such high demand (so far).

I do Mystery Shopping for a living, I am not ever ever interested in paying for part of my meal and not getting paid for the work that I do.

I quit eating wheat and most grains about 15 years ago. Recently I have started adding small amounts of wheat back into my diet. A tortilla here, a naan bread there, not every day. I still refuse to touch pasta or even have it in the house. At Sonic I get a chili cheese coney and give the bun to my chickens. At 5Guys I get a little bacon burger, I look at the bun and smell it, then bring it home for the chickens. I'm currently enjoying the boneless wings at Arby's, i don't mind the breading as long as it's not more breading than chicken..

My chickens eat a LOT of fast food... lol

April 13, 2022 06:41AM

My dogs get alot of the meat from the JITB burgers. It's cheaper than buying canned wet dog food. :-)

Yes, if you are shopping to make money, then of course the OG shops aren't not going to get you there, but if you want to "treat' yourself to something decent and be waited on (instead of doing just fast food shops), then it's a relatively easy shop and you can feed 4 for $15 out of pocket. I've fed the wife and kids on this assignment. The portions are big enough to split especially with the salad and breadsticks.

April 13, 2022 06:42PM

I did one of these Friday and have yet to see the shop move from completed to received. Is the editor for this shop slow? They didn't charge me for my soda and I noted that in the report, but now I'm wondering if there was something in the instructions that said to get the bill corrected if they didn't charge you. I can't get to the guidelines now that the shop is submitted.

April 19, 2022 03:47AM

I email them asking them if they had any open in my area and they have not replied..

I thought this company was good about answering and replying to emails?

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