Jersey Mike’s…worth it or PITA?

December 10, 2024 01:56PM

I did two. One for each company, One required more photos than the other. Both were very easy. There were no other customers in the store of the one I did yesterday and the cashier went into the back after getting my sandwich, It made it easy to get the pictures. The first one had more customers. The hard part was the slicer. Its it is next to the veggies and can only really get the top part. If they are looking to see if meat is left onit, it would be impossible to get.
Niether has been approved yet but I think they both will.

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December 10, 2024 06:40PM

Interesting.

I haven't seen any of these posted by either of the MSCs I determined have been mentioned in this thread. However, after I signed in and searched the knee company, I suddenly got two e-mails from them.

Low and behold, the location near me (which should have shown up when I signed in and searched yesterday) is suddenly available. I just clicked the link in the e-mail that showed all the locations in my state.

I'd really like a sub, but I think I'll wait to see if they add a shop fee to it.

December 11, 2024 03:54AM

I've now done them for two MSCs this month. The one with the fee had more questions on the survey and far more photo requirements and you had to get chips and a fountain soda. The no fee had just two photos plus the sandwich and the survey took me barely five minutes to complete. I would have gotten one regular and one mini but I am shopping an airport tomorrow which will yield more food than I can eat for the next few days so I went with a regular sub and a bottled drink. Of course I wouldn't go out of my way for a sandwich but I was driving right by this location anyway. I am doing another one Sunday as it is a block from where I have to be and I'll need dinner.

As for why I would do this for no fee but only do heavily bonused Five Guys the answer for me is simple: I personally love JM's food and do not like Five Guys at all. Five Guys food takes longer to be served and then I have to sit around for the required time. A shopper who prefers Five Guys would certainly be better off sticking with those jobs.

December 11, 2024 05:47PM

Did it have to be Mike's Way? I thought it just had to be a cold sub. Reimbursement only enough for a medium of your choice, Some of the photos are hard to get.I will wait to see if it is approved before taking another.

December 11, 2024 06:17PM

Does not have to be Mikes Way.

@melg wrote:

Did it have to be Mike's Way? I thought it just had to be a cold sub. Reimbursement only enough for a medium of your choice, Some of the photos are hard to get.I will wait to see if it is approved before taking another.

December 11, 2024 07:58PM

@gigishopper wrote:

Does not have to be Mikes Way.

@melg wrote:

Did it have to be Mike's Way? I thought it just had to be a cold sub. Reimbursement only enough for a medium of your choice, Some of the photos are hard to get.I will wait to see if it is approved before taking another.

The other MSC required Mike's Way..

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December 12, 2024 03:36AM

I did one this evening. I didn't have any problem getting the photos. The report is easy. Alas, my favorite sub is tuna, so I knew that I would have to order a sliced meat sub. I enjoyed my turkey sub. I have another location tomorrow.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

December 12, 2024 05:30AM

Thanks to everyone on the follow up about their shops getting approved. I know most of us belly ache about lower fees. If you rationalize that this company doesn't typically offer a fee, so you accept the shop, then things will just stay at that point. If people take the stance that they need money to perform work, then they will pay if shoppers stop doing it for a sandwich only.

In almost every case, you are driving to JM. You're time has to be worth something. You are just rewarding the Mystery Shopping Company by taking it with no fee. I get it, everyone has their reason for doing a shop.

I think many that do this on a consistent basis have noticed the downturn in fees. We also have to do more work since they want more data than before, but the fees are the same or lower. The old MSC for Sonic upped the reimbursement presumably due to inflation, but lowered the fee. Didn't they lower the total by a $1 than before and then they lowered the bonuses assigned?

I pass on most of the pizza shops and they come with a small fee because sometimes you have to order it with toppings that I don't care for. That is me being picky.

Just saw that 5G is trending on twitter due to another they are too expensive post.

December 14, 2024 12:13AM

Mine was approved. If there's a convenient one I'll take another. My time is worth $15 for 15 minutes. This was my first Jersey Mike sub and in the category of "a chain I wouldn't try unless getting reimbursed."

I probably prefer Subway because they have better veggie addons. The roast beast was good tho.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2024 12:40AM by melg.

December 21, 2024 05:06AM

@myst4au The "cold fresh sliced sub" guideline is confusing but it seems as if they just mean any cold sub. I've now ordered both the veggie and the tuna with the no-fee MSC and both were approved without issue. (With the tuna I did add cheese and specifically noted it was "fresh sliced" in my report in case I got any pushback, but I don't think I had to do that.)

@myst4au wrote:

I did one this evening. I didn't have any problem getting the photos. The report is easy. Alas, my favorite sub is tuna, so I knew that I would have to order a sliced meat sub. I enjoyed my turkey sub. I have another location tomorrow.

December 21, 2024 08:03AM

Checked the menu online for the location near me. All they showed were wraps. You could get wheat or white flour as choices.

There was only one sub on bread and it was the latest sandwich available and not a sliced on.

Is it a flat $15 payment or reimbursement for the sub up to $15. The difference being I could get a wrap and a soda and be right at $15.

It says you can buy other things in the instructions.

December 21, 2024 09:03AM

All of the subs can be made as a wrap (and also as a bowl) which might have been the source of the confusion with that menu.

Yes, you get reimbursed up to $15 and you can buy other items besides the required purchase. You could get a hot sub as well although that would put you over $15. There are also mini subs, cookies, drinks, and chips that should all pretty much fit under the reimbursement. I got a surprisingly good gluten free cookie. If you spend less than $15 you do not get the difference.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2024 09:09AM by NinS.

December 21, 2024 05:14PM

For the reimbursement only company ($15) the way I read the requirements is that the required purchase is a cold sub. I don't think the hot ones qualify. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. And yes, you will only be reimbursed for what you spend up to $15 including extra items (but not tips apparently).

I did take a second one that was nearby (both about 2 miles driving distance one way). I had outings the following day so the half sandwich that I took home worked for that and. For some reason the second location was charged as takeout without tax. They were so easy and now that I know the routine I probably would have taken a third but the more convenient ones are gone already. Apparently plenty of people don't care if there is no fee. If you actually pay taxes the low fees are hardly a deciding factor for me, I do it out of curiosity or because the product is something I would be buying or using, even if it isn't the best bargain out there in that product category (I'm a consumer, not a reseller).

I went shortly after dark and one thing I did was take some of the photos through the the glass door, as well as several from angles near the register, one of which sort of caught the slicer end of the slicer. Both were approved.

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2024 05:31PM by melg.

December 24, 2024 02:12PM

I see one not far from me, offering a bonus.
If I were to accept, then walk in and decide the photos were impossible due to the store set up and other details, I might not put any money out, but then let the scheduler know....of course that means I was already planning to be in that local area.

December 25, 2024 06:36AM

I just did it for the first time but it hasn't been approved yet. Wouldn't do it again. I found the sub fairly tasteless - they don't have the more tasty add ons like at other sub places.

Shopping domestic and international locations since 2003.

December 26, 2024 06:42PM

That red pepper relish is nice and I asked for lots of hot peppers. I do like the abundance of veggies and sauces at the other popular place. I wouldn't say it was a total "fail" though.

It took a few days for approval. My photos weren't the greatest (I think the sandwich one is the most important).

December 26, 2024 07:10PM

I did one recently and signed for two more (take out) in the begining of January

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2024 07:10PM by gene.

December 27, 2024 10:30PM

I did one today. Their sandwiches are head and shoulders above Subway, not as good as my Italian deli however lol.
I was surprised at how easy it was to take all the photos. Reimbursement barely covered a medium sub and drink....so that might keep me from doing another. They're good...but.....not that.
The employees were wonderful, so warm and friendly.

December 28, 2024 01:46AM

There's a $5 shop fee/bonus on the one near me. I might try it this weekend. I can pick up a grocery store 2 miles the road with $12 fee and $25 reimbursement. Makes for a relaxing shop day.

December 28, 2024 02:27AM

I actually enjoyed the shop....lol - can't say that about too many shops, but I think got somewhat lucky....food was fresh and employees were great.

December 28, 2024 02:27AM

And BTW, it used to be if you aigned up dor their rewards club you got a free small su, and another on your birthday. I didn't get the email this year.

December 29, 2024 11:07PM

I got my bday reward this year but it was way back in March so perhaps they stopped since then. They add the number of points to your account for a free sub and you can use the points for anything.
I got a text asking me to do one for a $5 bonus but I pointed out to them the location was at the airport and I did not have a ticket for the next day. They did not offer me a ticket! Also airport prices are usually higher so perhaps it would be out of pocket. I prefer their hot mushroom and cheese sub so if they ever switch to hot i may do one. [. quote=wrosie]
And BTW, it used to be if you aigned up dor their rewards club you got a free small su, and another on your birthday. I didn't get the email this year.[/quote]

December 30, 2024 04:31AM

They were offering bonuses in my area for these. $28 plus free food for less than an hour seems good to me.

December 30, 2024 04:27PM

I signed up for a January one that's 2 miles away and next to a Trader Joes. I can go after my afternoon walk. Did you know that Google Maps often has photos from other users so you can scope out how easy it might be to get photos and from what angle?

January 26, 2025 09:34PM

Just read a survey with a panel of judges who rated Jersey Mike's among the best 4 Subway/hoagie/etc sandwich chains. They wrote a glowing review of them. "
Honorable Mention Cold Sub Chains
Two other sub-sandwich chains are worthy of an honorable mention, according to our chef panelists:

Jersey Mike's
The bread here is baked fresh daily and vegetables are sliced in-shop every morning. In terms of the fillings, “they shave the proteins and cheese in front of you, so you know the meat and cheeses haven’t dried out and are at the peak of freshness,” says Chef Mary Payne Moran of Los Angeles, deeming this chain her favorite. Moran loves that Jersey Mike’s recipes aren’t shy on the ingredients, so each sub is actually a meal. Ask for it “Mike’s Way,” with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, olive oil blend, red wine vinegar, and spices, for a taste of what helps this brand stand out from the competition."

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