Hi everyone,

Has anyone heard or worked for Measure Consumer Perspectives? I just completed a shop for them, which already paid pretty well. After I had finished, they emailed me asking me to call back the location back to ask one more question they had not put in the guidelines or form, and added a bonus for that one question. When I finished the shop, I got my grade and *another* bonus for doing a good job. Wow, they seem too good to be true!!

Does anyone have experience with them, particularly with payout? The folks there were super nice and helpful, and if they pay as quickly as they give out bonuses, I'm their number 1 fan!

Thanks for the advice,

JDFG

I have only heard wonderful things about them. Unfortunately, the jobs they have here require military base access, so I can never do them.

That is my reaction as well, that they are good to work with. They just never seem to have anything in my area. I find several things very nice in your comments: they needed another question answered, they recognized it was in addition to what you had contracted for and completed, they offered compensation for the further piece of work/information.

In 2009 I had several companies change the requirements on jobs between the time I had accepted them and the time I performed them (never reducing the observation requirements). I had two add requirements after I had completed the job--one even several days after I had reported it. I hope this is not a new trend.

Oh no, that's not good! With Measure CP they did send the additional question after I had completed the shop and turned it in, but when I pointed it out to them, they sent out a bulk email to all of the shoppers offering the bonus for the extra question. If the shopper had not already done the shop, they just added it to their list of "to do's". If the shop was completed, we had the choice to go back or call. They very very flexible.

This is the first time I have had the experience of requirements changing mid-stream. Like you said, I hope it's not a new trend. Though, the extra cash was definitely appreciated. I had to use an alias for this shop, and now my husband is claiming that my alias makes more on shops than I do! I keep reminding him of who he actually married!

Nice company. I have done several shops for them, all of them at a classy adult shop. They have physical therapy and tanning and other similar shops that, although I like them, don't interest me. But I do a shop every now and again and they are really great.

Yes!!! I did a shop for them through KSS, but now they contact me directly when they have something they don't put through the scheduler. They were very personal and let me know that they were happy with my performance on the first shop. So far they've been incredibly helpful and professional to work with -- I was impressed.

MCP has always been great to work with - flexible if you need to change a due date and payments are on time. The shops themselves are usually enjoyable and don't feel like a ton of "work" and the fees are certainly reasonable for the work involved.

I think what's impressed me about them so far is that they seem to be very professional. And hey, it's nice to have companies be as professional toward us as they expect us to behave. Thanks for your input about this, and also about About Face.

But what has been up with that phone shop they kept changing the wording of and then sending out multiple times, then sent out again through KSS where I then received it hourly?

THAT whole episode was odd.

Hmmm. I haven't done it, but didn't notice the wording had changed. From what I recall though, there are actually TWO shops. Maybe they did change it, but at first glance, the shops look similar, so perhaps that's it?

I got the same thing from KSS, but after I got it from Measure, and not hourly(!!). (KSS is actually how I was turned onto the company.)

What I am referring to is that they kept changing the language of how they asked you about your primary language when you applied. The whole episode was odd.

Oh, I see...I never got that far. Considered doing one of the U.S. ones but I decided against it. Are you going to do it, or have you?

No, I applied, but I guess English was the incorrect language for the US, given how many times they changed it? or maybe another English speaker got it.

Kimberly has contacted me directly by phone to ask about my availability to do some of their new video shops. They seem to be understanding about travel costs and the value of the shopper's time. The fees are nicely commensurate with the type and complexity of shop. She is trying to work with individual shoppers to put together routes that will benefit both the shopper and her company. In addition, she has put together an opportunity for video shoppers to make a bulk purchase of high end equipment at a deeply discounted price. We are getting the rigs at her company's cost for direct shipment from the manufacturer. A pleasure to work with!

If anyone wnats to get in on this deal, email me through this board or get in touch with Kimberly at MCP.

The language shops were for call centers around the world. I did one for them in the UK; I had to fake the accent and pretend I knew my way around London. It was uncomfortable, but kind of fun at the same time. I pretended I was a Bond girl.

I like them a lot. In addition to being nice, friendly, helpful, responsive and professional, they pay on time. Their editing is reasonable and they give feedback. They are apparently moving toward video shopping. I don't like the idea of video shopping. I haven't done any video shops and I'm not sure I am ever willing to.

I got the email about the video equipment and looked at it out of curiosity. It's still too rich for me at the moment, and to be honest, I'm nervous about doing a video shop!

Yeah, I am not to keen on Video Shopping.

Video shopping is a blast. The role playing in longer scenarios (60-120 minutes "in character") is addictive. Plus, there is little or no written report, so once you have "unrobed and unwired" you can relax. (We refer to getting into the rig as "robing and wiring.") A few clients still want an abbreviated written report, but you can use your video to handle "remembering" details, so it's no sweat. The best video MSCs have editiors who compile a written scorecard for the target's performance, based on an agreed scale, so the shopper is out of the loop once the video and a few notes are uploaded. And, there's no flack from targets or their supervisors denying that an event occurred.

Give it a try. It just may be the future of MSing.

Oh, I admit, it's kind of tempting to me. I had to role play (sans video) for the shop I did for them, anyway, and I'd do that one again in a minute! But alas, even with the discount, still very expensive -- too much for me at this moment. I did really like working with this company though, and hope to do more shops for them.

I have no interest in video shopping, either Danabnnc and AM.

For starters, having to pay for and carry around 6 rigs (like one person posted on V) just to ensure you have one or more that work so you can do your job for the day. Worrying about target employees. Wearing unnatural (to me) clothing to hide the rig. Worrying about not getting paid if the video fails. Worrying about getting caught.

Then, I have personal issues with the idea of employees signing away their rights on the first day of employment...that is duress, for sure. "Here, sign this little form notifying you you will be video MS'd and that you are okay with that..." In some states you cannot sign away your rights even if the employer tells you you are, if it was done under duress, and that is considered duress in those states.

I have no desire to do this. None. At one point in time I thought I might, but after I researched it, and thought about it, I decided against it.

If this and VoicePrizm are "the future of MS'sing," I am happy that I have other career options.

nicelytwicely Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got the email about the video equipment and
> looked at it out of curiosity. It's still too
> rich for me at the moment, and to be honest, I'm
> nervous about doing a video shop!


I got the same e-mail. I think it's nice that they are working out a discount for those who want to do those shops, but I don't want to.

For those who are interested, there is a serious shortage of trained video shoppers. I make 2 times (or more) as much doing videos each month as my rig cost me. I have used the same two rigs for about 3 years. The rigs now on offer do not have the problems with "corrupt files" or with files that become mysteriously "copy protected." For the past year or so, most video shoppers have learned how to use a freeware program that will restore corrupt files in about 3 minutes. The other problem, though relatively rare, is still there with the Archos rigs. That's why many of us are delighted to have a good deal on a complete PV-500 rig. The "bulk buy" price is less than half of what the PV-500s cost about 3 years ago, and this generation is vastly superior to the old PV-500s. All of my 3 existing button cams will fit the PV-500 (which also comes with a button cam.) The cams and their tiny wires are finicky, but there is great pro who rebuilds button cams/wires for about $20 for video shoppers and undercover cops.

As for the "bulky" equipment, the other virtue of the PV-500 is that the entire rig (sans the tiny camera and its little cable) is about the size of a pack of cigarettes and not much heavier. It fits in the pocket of my slacks or jeans, without showing anything suspicious. That is including the integrated battery. Ain't progress grand? Even the current Archos rigs are only about half the size of the rigs that I learned on back in the Dark Ages (aka 2006). So, I can now wear shirts for video shopping that are just a tad larger and/or longer than those that I would wear for everyday.

As for getting "tagged," it has happened to everyone at least once. But, I have done several thousand video and/or on site audio shops and have been tagged exactly twice! (Stupidity happens.) The reason that many people who try video shopping get tagged is that they do not develop scenarios that hold together, not because their equipment is seen.

As for frustrations with "targeted" shops, I don't know of any major video MSC that does not provide a "trip fee" when the target is unavailable for a long format assignment (i.e., new homes, senior living, office suites, etc.). And, the travel allowance for that frustrated attempt is paid in full. (There are two video MSCs that I do not work for, so they may differ on this.) Just last week, my target was in an appoinment with a real customer. I got a trip fee, my travel allowance, and the opportunity to call ahead to make an appointment on a day when we know that the target will be working, to get an additional full fee report. Unlike to apartment shops, with targets that will drive you nuts, the long format shops usually have schedulers who are in constant contact with both the client and the shopper, so that the shopper can be certain that, 99% of the time, the target is on site when the shop goes down. (Yup, I missed the target who had been there until she fell and broke her ankle an hour before I got there.

Yup, walesmaven, that would be my luck to have the target break her ankle an hour before I got there:-)

Well, I got paid, so what's the problem?

First payment, exactly on time. (Actually, a few days ahead of time!) Another first for me in that I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had made an error in anticipated payment! It was more than I had expected...couldn't have asked for a better "green" gift on St. Patrick's Day!

I've done 4 shops for them and they are great.

I did a new car shop for MCP last week and was able to pick up a digital recorder from them to use. I may email them and find out about training to do the video reorded shops if I can use their equipment.

I just started with them. I did four shops for them this past week. All is well so far and communication has been good except for trying to get my hands on the digital recorder. I had to go to their office to pick it up and trying to catch someone there or get someone to return my calls was difficult. But it finally all worked out and I'm pleased at this point.

Wound up doing three car shops with digital recorder for them. They actually have an office here so i can go pick up a recorder and take it back to them. They even do the upload so I listen on the way back to them. I've done the Phone PT shop. It was easy $5. I've done a bank too and that "classy adult shop" (blush) that was very nicely bonussed. I picked up a bachlorette gift for a party. lol

I'm picking my roomie up from the airport on Friday and she's going to help me do one of the "take a taxi from the airport to a nearby hotel" shop. The have lots of restaurant shops too and one's that I like to go to or want to go to. One bunch of restaurants would be in a classy hotel downtown where all the dining places overlook the Ohio River and steamboat traffic, etc. Sounds great to me! Something besides the ff's I usually take for quick money.

As for the video shopping, this is the company that has offered to train me to do it. I'm going to tell them yes. It would be nice to make more money in less time and I enjoy travelling a little and staying in hotels and eating on someone else's nickle. lol Oh, that's right. I do that anyway!

Happy Shopping~!!

Just did another shop for Measure Consumer Perspectives. Really nice company with a nice staff, and they pay just when they promise (that's a HUGE deal for me). I blush, too iblessyah, but I really have come to like the "classy adult shop." Adult shops with a feminine influence and focus are so much nicer, huh?