A free meal maybe

Hi. I am so new to this and I would like to know what the veterans and experts think. I was just scheduled for my second shop ever reviewing a restaurant chains' customer service, atmosphere and food. The shop pays a flat rate which will probably just cover the meal expenses (if i eat light) and after there is a 50 question report to complete. So no expense reimbursement. Is this common? Am I to feel honored that I get a meal at a place I wouldn't normally eat at while my time is unpaid for? I like to know -- am I looking at this the wrong way?

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Fast food usually reimburses your food costs and pays a small fee. Casual and fine dining frequently have no fee, only reimbursement. Usually, when I take a fine or casual dining assignment, the reimbursed amount covers the amount of my food and tip, although I usually google the restaurant and took at their online menu before accepting because some reimbursements are simply not enough. And sometimes it depends on what you order.

You are not necessarily looking at it the wrong way. Mystery shoppers shop for different reasons. Some shop because they want to make money. Others shop for the reimbursements. Some shop for either/both. Dining shops typically do not pay much, if anything. I love the dining shops and frequently take dining shops (only at places I really want to eat) that pay my expenses with little or no fee. Up to you to take the shops you want and pass up those that you do not feel are rewarding.

Novice,
Many shoppers take reimbursement only assignments at restaurants that they like just as "life style enhancement" for meals that they would not otherwise comfortably afford. Different strokes.

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.

Novice, if the meal is not important this is not the kind of shop for you. Many shoppers happily take the restaurant shops with no fee paid because they enjoy the meal and feel it represents a good value for their work. If you resent that there is no fee, then you don't consider the meal sufficient value. I don't do anything that doesn't pay a respectable fee for the report, but that's a personal point of view not shared by most shoppers. It is not only common but expected that fine dining and some casual dining jobs pay no fee above partial or full reimbursement for the meal.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

Well said all of you and as long as there are people who don't mind working for a free meal, which costs the client a fraction of what a decent fee.would, this will be the standard. You are correct, this is not for me. It's not just about a free meal. Shoppers provide a very important and necessary benefit to these companies. Seeing the kind of information that needs to e gathered, synthesized and reported on, I feel shoppers are being taken advantage of. And, for me personally, my time is just worth a whole heck of a lot more. Everyone does have their opinion, and this is my viewpoint.

It's not possible to take advantage of a shopper, because the shopper can say no. Many shoppers seek out casual and fine dining shops because they believe they represent a great value. I don't do them, but it has nothing to do with thinking the meal is not adequate payment for the report.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

I see where you are coming from, Novice, but having done the sweat-inducing dining shops that require several pages of narratives, then I guess I would hold out for a higher fee. That aside, I don't do those shops anymore and I will gladly take a low or no-fee sit-down dining shop if basically all I have to do is mouse clicks and a quickie upload to do my report.

If I don't feel like I am getting anything out of it, I could just go back to paying for all my meals like anyone else out there.

Going for lunch with DH shortly. Wish I could find a place to eat and get reimbursed. No such luck to day.

There's lots of times I feel like eating out, and *always* check the job boards first to see if I can get a shop meal. Heh.

Only seems to work out about 15% of the time. Which, considering the last-minute timing, isn't too bad! Other times, with one company, I can sometimes reschedule a later FF shop to now, and head out.

Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.

At least my gas to get to town will be reimbursed.

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A free meal maybe

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