Should we boycott low paying shops so they will be forced to pay more? What do you guys/gals think?

That would depend on a number of factors-how new you are to shopping, whether the shop reimbursement makes it worthwhile, etc.

This has been suggested from time to time. The point here is that each and every one of us is our own business. This forum and other forums represent only a very tiny portion of shoppers who are actually out there taking jobs, so group action here has very insignificant effect on the overall environment.

Your decision whether to accept or not accept any job you see is a business decision of your own business and should be based on the relative worth to your business of any shop. There may be the occasional shops you perform that actually costs your business money but have merit beyond that. There may be shops that are profitable to your business that you make a business decision to perform, even if personally you don't really want to do them.

The most reasonable reasons for accepting jobs that you know are a bad business decision is getting yourself established with a company or getting shopping experience. Once these are accomplished, it is time to look to other jobs to build your business. You may find, from time to time, that adding a cheap shop to a shop route is a viable business decision. But then again you may decide that it is just not worthwhile even if you are driving by. Untaken shops do get bonused as they approach their deadline unclaimed, though when bonused they may not fit a current route you are planning so STILL may not be worthwhile.

There will always be a shopper willing to work for one dollar.

But I also hold you get what you pay for....

I agree with Canadamommy. Unless you hold out for better fees, they will always dangle a $1 for someone to latch onto. I have found that by waiting til late in the month you may not get more jobs, but you will get more pay for less travel.

Agreed. Some have had the good sense to hold out and it is slowly working...

While in theory that is correct, in many markets there are ample shoppers to accept them at $4 and if you were holding out in anticipation of better fees, you have an empty dance card. As long as they have takers at low fees, they will be offered at those lower fees. It either works as a business proposition for you or it doesn't. You can hope that the shoppers in your area either join forums and discover they are being ripped off or you can hope they get discouraged and stop shopping, but neither of these are assured, especially in this economy.

Overall, though, there are so many companies and so many shops that are a reasonable and viable business proposition that it makes no sense to take on stuff that isn't or work with companies who are more interested in lowballing shoppers than in anything that approaches fair pay for decent work. Yet somehow forums tend to get hung up in endlessly showing the $4 shop as a disgusting abuse (yes, I am guilty, too). Our goal should be to encourage folks to rise above the schlock and take some pride in their work and in working with companies that treat them as colleagues.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2009 10:13PM by Flash.

It's a business decision made solely by the contractor. You get what you pay for? Whether I accept a $1.75 shop or a $175. shop, my reporting does not differ.

Yes, that is personal pride in your work speaking. And I like to feel that way about every job I do. When it is pearls before swine, it wasn't worth my time. My mailbox fills with jobs every day that are not worth my time. If I rushed out to do all of them I would make more money but not feel very good about myself.

You get what you pay for in the quantity of information requested......

I would hope for the $4/$1 ones they sure do not ask for a complete book report length!
Pay $25 and request $25 worth and get $25 worth...
Pay $4 and hopefully there will be a limited quantity of questions.

Heard and understood. What rubs me the wrong way, may suit you - and vice versa. I pass on many, many shops every month, but the fee, low or high, is not the sole determinant. If it doesn't fit, or feel right, I don't go for it.

But this is another matter. To criticize or ridicule those who take low-paying shops, is troublesome to me.

CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You get what you pay for in the quantity of
> information requested......
>
> I would hope for the $4/$1 ones they sure do not
> ask for a complete book report length!
> Pay $25 and request $25 worth and get $25
> worth...
> Pay $4 and hopefully there will be a limited
> quantity of questions.

I've done some $4 shops for a couple companies (yeah I know it's way low, but I was going there anyways) and one of them did expect an extreme amount of information and writing for such low pay.

And it is important to try any job you see in your area at least once. If the report and requirements justify only paying $4, then you may have a quick and easy drop in for the future. It also gives you a view of a company about how reasonable they are to deal with.

I don't know that I agree with that, personally. Unless it is a phone shop, I don't even try ones that are under $5 in addition to a meaningful (to me) reimbursement.

I try to shop, at least once, with every MSP who has jobs here. Get my foot in the door, regardless of the fee or reimburse.

Differences of opinions make good betting on horse races I am not saying load the boat with cheap shops but rather try one and see for yourself. A $4 shop SHOULD NOT take more than 30 min from reading the instructions through doing the shop through reporting it. When the instructions are convoluted enough they take 30 min and the onsite takes 15 min and the report takes 30 minutes you know you got a rotten deal. Subsequent shops you may be able to eliminate studying the instructions and spend no more than a minute or two glancing over them, the report time may get faster and onsite may get faster. But when the dust settles even aside from travel time (and they do expect you are doing these along the path you normally travel) you won't get these down to under 30 minutes I suspect. But individual shoppers can figure out if it works for them or is likely to work for them. Certainly the shops tell me the MSP has a lot of chutzpa.

Flash Wrote:
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> Certainly the shops tell me the
> MSP has a lot of chutzpa.


And seem to be getting more in their family daily. It is a shame the smaller, nicer to shoppers, more quality-oriented MSC's continue to lose clients to the monolithic cheap MSC's.

Similar to WalMart's business plan. Market share then profits, as the competition is gone or just can't compete.

I feel sure that clients are feeling that they must 1) cut back on shops, 2) find a bottom line less costly provider or 3) stop shopping entirely. I have see all 3 happening and it is not pretty. While it is in no way axiomatic that new shoppers will not be as competent as experienced shoppers, in order to fill the jobs, the cheap companies have to take on folks who are willing to work for $4 for an hour and a half and aside from folks 'getting their feet wet' I suspect most folks have more self respect than that or are finding ways to shortcut the shops such that even the data collected is likely to be suspect.