I did a cardinal sin. I ordered coffee instead of a soft drink at a fast food shop. The company regulations are a bit confusing, and I missed that coffee is only for breakfast. Also, after accepting the shop, (for $7.50) I find I must drive through first and order food, wait a bit and then walk in and order more food and eat it there. Got it done and then had the form to fill out when I got home. Today I find out they won't accept the shop and I don't get paid because I ordered coffee.
Another time, a fast food employee made a mistake on the order and I did not catch that the shake I ordered was called a Blast on the receipt. Blasts are not allowed. So I did not get paid.
I wonder if the companies that hire MarketForce know that this is the way the shoppers are treated. Anybody think we should inform them?
Is anyone else having trouble?

Marketforce is notorious for figuring out ways to not pay the shopper. They've shafted me several times and I say to hell with them.

Happens once, shame on them, happens twice, shame on you....

Usually, there will be lots of details in the instructions, and they will all be important requirements. You will have to follow instructions exactly to get the report accepted and paid. Don't let yourself get discouraged. You're in the learning curve on these shops and if you keep working on it, you'll perform shops that will be accepted and paid. Pay close attention to what you're supposed to order. Write it down on the back of your job folder and review before ordering. You can do this.

Elder One...

I'm also in the midst of doing these FF shops for MF. I've actually got them scheduled for the next couple of weeks, and of course every single one is DIFFERENT!

Breakfast one day, lunch several days later. Throw in dinner a few times...

Oh! And don't forget - it's a special order thrown in the mix! HA!

So - I have sticky notes on each shop survey (I print out a survey for each job, write on the survey form in the upper right corner the TIME limit, Date & Address). I FIRST pull into a parking spot and grab the sticky note (already written out with my order or "special order"), and plop that right in the middle of my steering wheel!

I then put a pen in my hand and drive on up. I've got my order right there in the sticky, my watch on, and a pen in my hand, I can write down my times on the sticky note on the steering wheel.

Here's another hint. I have a "Word Search" puzzle magazine in the car, I put a couple of sticky notes on a puzzle and take it into the FF joint with me while I dawdle with my sides or drink.. LOL (because I canNOT each that much). I can look like I am playing with my word search, and instead jot down a couple of quick notes on the sticky hidden in the pages!

Good luck! You'll get the hang of them, they are a pain in the patooty sometimes with the timing. I actually like the little jobs with MF, they've (the company & schedulers so far anyway) have been very understanding with me.

KH

Follow the guidelines, get paid. I'm not sure what the problem is.

I've also missed a directive or two on their guidelines a couple of times for them over the last month (AKA my full mystery shopping career). When I did I immediately explained what happened in a calm, reasoned email to the help desk. Somehow I always get paid. Luck?

I have to say I messed a shop recently for them. It was a location in which the requirement was to get the name of everyone you interact with even if you have to specifically ask. No one was name tag and I forgot completely about the name as an absolute requirement.

Went home and attempted to reschedule, but couldn't. I contacted support saying I had made the error and explained that I written the wrong day down and had to rush to do it when I realized my mistake. I offered to reshop. I got one e-mail back which said that they would try to use it. It was two weeks ago, so too soon to be paid, but I have not received and notice of it being refused.

""I wonder if the companies that hire MarketForce know that this is the way the shoppers are treated. ""

No, I think this is the way ALL thier customers are treated, not just shoppers!

And the coffee mistake you realize no doubt they used the report since you have times and people etc. You were not paid but they were.

Why do these FF shops at all? They are a rat's nest of requirements that make them worthy of fees that would be twice or three times what is offered. I really blame the client for the crazy requirements. The other shops that I do for MF, grocery and casual/fast casual dining, all have simple, short, straightforward requirements and surveys that take from 5 to 10 minutes, max.

Am I the only one who finds these obscenely simple? I usually do 2-3 of these per month, when they start putting heavy bonuses on rural or isolated locations (usually between $40 and $55 per location). I think the key is perform the shop the **exact** same way each time, unless it's a requested special order.

1. Arrive in drive thru. Start timer on Blackberry.
2. Reach drive thru. Order chicken sandwich or breakfast 1.
3. Reach payment window. Lap time #1.
4. Get food. Stop timer on Blackberry. Email timings to myself.
5. Park, evaluate DT food. Wait 5 minutes. Toss food I didn't eat.
6. Enter counter line. Start timer on Blackberry.
7. Order hamburger or breakfast 2.
8. Get total. Lap time #1.
9. Get food. Stop timer on Blackberry. Email timings to myself.
10. Evaluate food. Wait 15 minutes. Observe restaurant.
11. Evaluate restroom. Leave.

To me, the requirements and input are easy. Timings are all quantitative, and the questions regarding qualitative items are all yes-no or multiple options. No collecting names, no narratives, no endless engagement of salesmen.

Now, I'm not touching them with a 10 foot pole at $7.50, but for some of the bonuses they give, I consider it easy money.

I complete their shops when I have nothing else to do and they are nicely bonused. I don't waste time doing a whole lot because yes they do often find fault unless they are desperate to get them done.

I do a few of these shops a month. I usually wait until they're bonused, but in October I did them at the beginning of the month because Monopoly started. I know I'm a sucker.

I think they're very easy also. I also use my blackberry for the timings & I've never had one rejected. (knocking on wood).

It's just too EASY for you to miss just one little thing out of 4 pages of instructions and that's all they need to not pay you. I want to make SURE I understand the rules, otherwise I have wasted my gas and my precious time.

The "blast" thing, yeah, I have done that shop about 8 times and I make SURE I just order a small sundae or single scoop. A Blast is too da** close to shake for comfort...

I don't understand why people are so upset. You have total freedom to choose whatever shops you want. The guidelines are very specific and spelled out in English. If you don't like them or find them too complicated, don't sign up for them. I have done many different types of shops for MF and have never had a problem.

zlinedavid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Am I the only one who finds these obscenely
> simple?

Nope. Insanely simple. I think of these as weeder shops. If you can't figure these out then maybe the career isn't for you.

Market Force is one of my favorites. I recently did a shop incorrectly and they sent me a "variance" letter, explaining that it should have been a special order......like a light rap on the knuckles, but I am being paid for it. I also think I'm one of the few shoppers they have in my area. I always get calls with bonuses, in fact, when a scheduler called me last week to do a last minute shop, she asked me "how much?" lol. I push the jobs that are inconvenient to the limit pricewise, and if they agree to pay, I do it. And they always agree to pay.

Checks are always on time, too.

I'm a Market Force fan, too. They pay quickly, and the bonuses can be quite nice. The reports are simple. The FF shops are super easy once you've done a couple, and they take no more than 20-25 minutes. The food is absolute garbage, though. I know there's one shopper on here who saves it for her grandkids, but I wouldn't do that to my flesh and blood. And I never do the drive thru first, because that is not required, and doing so would increase the likelihood of exposing me as a shopper.

Sorry, Elder One, but you didn't follow the instructions. Like raisitup said, if you can't do these shops correctly, then you probably shouldn't be mystery shopping. It's all about attention to detail.

When I was a new shopper (over 7 years ago) I would get so nervous doing these that I invariably would screw up and order something wrong, get to the car, realize it, go back, spend more $ on order #2 to redo, etc.....It ended up costing me $$, but I learned how to do them without a hassle and love, love, love it when they call with the bonuses. I don't find them difficult and I don't mind the breakfast food. The coffee is actually pretty good these days. Won't look at them for $7.50 though.

I just got my "1000 shops completed" certificate yesterday. I hope it's not the beginning of the end with them, from what I've read. I make a nice amount of my MS income each month from MF.

Last pay from MF,50 cents short for McD. Wifey said at least you got dinner. you know who's the boss.

I agree about the food. I like an egg mcmuffin, but the lunch and dinner shops go in the trash.

You know, our daughter used to work fast food when she was in high school and she said the customers who went through the drive thru and ate inside also were a dead giveaway to be mystery shoppers. They even had some so frequent they knew them and would re-arrange the staff so the fastest, most efficient staff was able to serve them.

You sometimes wonder about the people who write the instructions for these shops.....How about a side order of common sense, huh?

I agree 100%, but I'll do what they pay me to do. Consumers (that would be us) should write the shop instructions. I always know when I'm giving myself away by doing something out of the ordinary. But I complete my shops, submit my reports and lol all the way to the bank. Not that I'm laughing at my extra $, but seriously, who is writing these instructions?