ACL promo shops?
What is odd about the promo shops is that most of the time, the staff don't do their research before hand. They email the same template out for each promo shop request I've received. Most of them are fine, but someone should really check the type of establishment they are asking to evaluate before sending a generic form/request out!
@bunnychild wrote:
I have done 3 shops for ACL that have required long narratives in my city without any issues or further questions. Yesterday, I did one in a city I visited and was contacted with 17 questions by the editor, 15 of the questions about things I had already mentioned in the report. Super annoying since I had spent over 2 hours writing up very thorough narratives with times for every interaction, and then got follow up questions asking if I was checked on within two minutes when I explicitely stated the server checked on me exactly 3 minutes after the appitizer was delivered. Now Im worried that the editor will rate me low and mess up my 'secret rating'. Any experience with this?
Yes-- this just happened to me. An ACL editor emailed me, then texted me to let me know she emailed me, wanting me to answer questions that I am positive I included in the narrative. I wondered if my narrative was too long, and the things she wanted to really know where lost in the narrative. I was tempted to reply, "Yes, as I wrote in the report, the positive items were not discussed..." and instead just answered her questions. But's it feels sometimes like you are getting accused of not doing something correctly, when you know for a fact you did do it correctly. Be humble in heart in wise in response... especially with mystery shopping!
Well, I did my ACL Promo shop today. The shop itself was a lot like doing the shop with the current MSC. But the REPORTING....HOO-BOY!!! I had to take a minimum of 8 photos (I was able to get 14!), plus receipts. But the REPORT was a pistol. Whereas with the MSC that currently has this Client, the report takes 10 min MAX, I spent A GOOD HOUR on this report tonight!! And the fee/reimbursement was not much more than the current MSC...definitely NOT WORTH the extra time on the report. I'm hoping that either this report was so intense because it WAS a Promo shop, and/or, IF ACL gets this Client, that they intend to TRIPLE the current fee, because if they don't, I certainly won't be doing them unless they get highly bonused!! Does anyone know if the reports for the Promo shops from ACL are MORE detailed than the regular reports if they end up getting the Client??? Phew....I'm all worn out from the report!!!
The reports end up being almost as bearish as the promo reports, unfortunately, and usually the pay is less. Unless it's a carryout food shop.
Well if that's true, JAS, then I hope ACL doesn't get the Client!! They'd have to pay me $35 MINIMUM to do this if the reports would be like the one I did tonight!!! And I didn't get paid $35 to do this one, either!!!
I was thinking the same thing on your behalf.
You know the old adage: "Great minds think alike!"@JASFLALMT wrote:
I was thinking the same thing on your behalf.
@guysmom I loved ACL at first- now the honeymoon is over and I'm ranting. After doing a handful of ACL shops I found, except one chain restuarant that I can score good deals via HH at bar and only needs one narrative, not to be worth the time/effort. I've done several which at first seemed appealing because I get 100+ to spend on entertainment and food. But I soon realized the reimbursement only covers the cheapest things on the menu (so I often spend more than the reimbursement) and I never really end up enjoying the shops because I have a million things to do as part of the shop. Then I spend 2-3 hours on the report immediately following the visit because they are due within 12 hours and I dont want to wake up at 6 am to do it instead. With no extra pay on top of that like most other MSCs (hey even 5-10 extra adds up). Then follow-up questions by an editor with things I already included in the report, only to get some comment on my report afterwards (thus now detracting from my secret score and probably preventing me from getting promo shops now) saying I need to explain a no answer for x, y, or x- even though I did that to begin with or some obscure comment they don't provide an example of. Ugh. Just so over them.
@bunnychild, I know their reports are daunting, which is why I rarely shop for them. My Promo shop was not a dining shop, however, it was a retail shop. And the pay they offered and which I accepted, is NOT going to be worth it for a regular shopper to do this if the report stays as intense....the pay will HAVE to go up, or shoppers will be really, really frustrated over this! I hope this shop stays with the current MSC!!!!!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2018 02:45PM by guysmom.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2018 02:45PM by guysmom.
But be patient, decline what you don't want to do and do a few of this and that in a year or so...then, voila, you never know. I did that for a few years after establishing myself as a dependable shopper. I did a lot of promo shops and not much else, and then suddenly a great pizza takeout client became available in my area. Generous reimbursement, no specific requirements on pizza topping (and additional items allowed). This client is regional but has fandangtastic pizza. Then another regional takeout restaurant client became available more recently. I love takeout food, especially if I can work for it.
Yes, I'll be patient. I got my feedback on the Promo shop....great report and all, so glad about that. I don't, as a rule, ever do food/restaurant shops (Unless I can get MF to bonus the hedgehogs up to $20 or so! Then I only eat a bite...have only done 1 of those in the past 12 months) because I don't like eating a lot of FF, casual or otherwise. But ACL has a LOT of dining shops, and I'm just not into writing a huge report for food and no fee. But the one retail shop I did for them LAST year (not a Promo) was well paid and worth it, and the shop report was not overbearing. So....I'll keep my eyes open, but my choices with ACL are limited because of what's available in my area.
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