*sigh* I feel bad for schedulers for the Dinosaur shops. Over the years, I have done these shops for two other companies. The first ones required no photos, and got good bonuses for the rural, out of the way shops. The second company (with the $2 starts) initially required no pictures, but subsequent rounds required two. The bonuses were great for the rural shops when their time came.

Now Maritz has the contract and needs a bunch of photos plus a reveal. While the initial fee is higher than the prior MSPs the rural bonuses just don't get there. This morning I got a call from a scheduler who asked me to drive a 40 mile round trip for a $10 bonus. She was frustrated when I said I could not commit, since Saturdays are the only day the kids' dad is home to watch them while I shop. A total of $20 plus five bucks in gas might seem like a lot to her, but it would take up my whole morning for one shop.

I am surprised by the number of folks who do the gas shops for Maritz but not the bank shops. I have been doing the bank shops for 2 years now and I have them down to a science. I do probably 30-40 every month, and they take me very little time. Those gas shops though? They are never ever bonused in my area, a huge PITA, and at $10 a pop, I have three words: Ten. Foot. Pole.

The bank shops in my area of the Pacific Northwest pay $9.50. Although the visits and reports are quick and easy, each assignment requires a minimum of six individual scans/pictures. That adds up time-wise.

Maritz just assigned me about a dozen of these, which I am declining. The required scenario is one that I have completed on almost a monthly basis for the last half year at all of these locations. The staff at these institutions knows me by now. I can't keep repeating the same scenario again and again without getting "made" as a shopper, if I haven't been already.

Shopgal - I had some bank shops assigned to me a year or so ago and I declined them. They barred me from doing the bank shops in the future. They said they had to put them back on the board, and when that happens they drop the shopper with no appeal possible.

MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Shopgal - I had some bank shops assigned to me a
> year or so ago and I declined them. They barred
> me from doing the bank shops in the future. They
> said they had to put them back on the board, and
> when that happens they drop the shopper with no
> appeal possible.

Thanks for the heads-up on that. But it can't be helped. It is ridiculous to sit down with a banker - usually the same one - again and again regarding the same scenario.

shopgal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MDavisnowell Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Shopgal - I had some bank shops assigned to me
> a
> > year or so ago and I declined them. They
> barred
> > me from doing the bank shops in the future.
> They
> > said they had to put them back on the board,
> and
> > when that happens they drop the shopper with no
> > appeal possible.
>
> Thanks for the heads-up on that. But it can't be
> helped. It is ridiculous to sit down with a banker
> - usually the same one - again and again regarding
> the same scenario.


I thought so too, but I do it because Maritz said the client doesn't care if the banker recognizes you. Notice on the evals they never ask how the banker treats you. I have some bankers sit me down, listen to what I need, then go get the folder and sheets. They hand me the folder and tell me to have a good day. Out the door I go. Why? Because they aren't allowed to nail me, they have sat me down (required) and give the proper papers (required). Nothing says they have to be nice, have a long chat with you. So I go. Next round, don't put at the end of the eval that you would like to do those locations again. No harm no foul and you can do them again when you see them on the board in a couple of months.

I have done over 150 of them and even the bankers who recognized me, gave me the whole spiel because the report had specific questions as to what they did and went over with you for the ODP shops.

Thanks for the info on that, CubbieCat and SecretAgentMom. I had sent off an email to Maritz to decline these assignments before you posted but, being the techno whiz-kids that they are at this company, the still haven't gotten back to me yet. And by the time they do, no doubt the deadline will be pending. So it's good to know that if I have to, I can go in and do these assignments without fear of being made.

I love doing these shops. They make great fillers, since I pass a lot of the locations on my way to another destination.

Since my last post, I decided to see what Maritz has to offer in my area. I cannot get the website up. The message is that there must be problems with it. This has happened over a period of several days. Has anyone else had this happen?

Like a sucker, took another round of urgent gas stations...their editors are up to it again.

Maritz has been calling at least once a day for the last week and a half. I answered one of them and felt so sorry for the caller that I took on two of the bank shops. Ugh. Talk about being a sucker!

I got called about the same shop either by one person three times or by three different people. I finally did the shop yesterday with a bonus.