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Don't they get gas prices require they raise fees ?

April 06, 2012 05:16AM
I live in an area that is not big cities, but towns spread out from one another -
the major towns are 24 miles North and 34 South meaning a minimum round trip of 48 miles. So I'm looking at offers of $8.25 to do a shop - but they are at least in this part of the state. So I'm trying to figure out if I do 3 shops on a route will that cover the gas and a profit ?

Figured out the trip would be about 163 miles, car no longer getting 21 mpg but about 17 - about 8 gallons of gas - $32.00 - the 3 shops pay $34.00. DUH

Don't they realize they need to raise the fees or give us a gas bonus/allowance ?

I thought of calling up the scheduler and telling her I'd love to do the shops but can they raise fee to cover gas - and then said to myself f'geddaboutit. If they're not smart enough to figure out why their shops aren't being taken, then they're not worth the bother to shop or educate them either.
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More About Gas Station Mystery Shopping
April 06, 2012 05:33AM
It doesn't hurt to ask. I narrowed my field of travel. Every 25 miles costs at least 1 gallon or more so that's about $4 extra I need before I take those further shops.
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April 06, 2012 07:15AM
ISpyForYou Wrote:
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> It doesn't hurt to ask. I narrowed my field of
> travel. Every 25 miles costs at least 1 gallon or
> more so that's about $4 extra I need before I take
> those further shops.


I SPY,

Did you ask?

and if you did, what did they say ? smiling smiley
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April 06, 2012 03:11PM
Without knowing which company it's hard to say what the response will be. If the jobs sit on the boards well into the month then they might negotiate. It never hurts to ask. You've run the numbers so it's not like you are asking for the hell of it, you have a legitimate argument and most companies have to know we aren't in this business as volunteerswinking smiley

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
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April 06, 2012 03:18PM
It would be so nice if they (the MSC's) realized and upped the price accordingly!

There is one small city that is about 60-90 minutes drive time (only 40 some odd miles if you google it though) which ALWAYS has available jobs. Jobs that stay on the boards for months on end. I get emails about doing them all of them time. Unfortunately, they don't raise the price - nor can I get the different MSC's to work with me all at the same time and get a route going.

If I could get 7-10 jobs in this city for the day and have them bonused, I would definitely go and do those "hard to fill" locations.

It's too bad that the clients don't give more of an incentive pool to distribute. (if that is who sets the bonuses)

~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~

Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom
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April 06, 2012 03:23PM
I don't think the clients set the bonuses. The MSC charges the client a specific amount and then creates that pool. If they underbid or underestimated the ability to fill some of those locations that bonus may have to come out of their profit. I'm not saying I feel sorry for them or you should do the jobs without the bonus, their underbid is certainly not your problem and no reason for you to go into the hole over itsmiling smiley

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
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April 06, 2012 03:25PM
Ah, okay - thanks Lisa.

Wouldn't it be fascinating to learn the ins & outs of how these different clients are handled? How much goes here in that kitty, how much in this kitty! I wonder if it would give us shoppers more negotiating power!! (wishful thinking, I'm sure!)

~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~

Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom
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April 06, 2012 03:47PM
MSC's are not going to raise prices automatically. Most companies will respond to email or phone call requests for more money due to gas prices.

Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.
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April 06, 2012 03:58PM
If they raised them then lowered them again when gas prices dropped it would just be one more thing to complain aboutwinking smiley

That said, I do know of one MSC who adds a small gas/mileage reimbursement for locations 30 plus miles away. When gas prices dropped so did the reimbursement. It has not been raised again to accommodate the recent increases.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
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April 06, 2012 11:20PM
Maritz asked me to do some bank shops out of my immediate area. I told them that the fee was too small for the distance, and they offered to kick in an extra $10 per shop to cover the cost of travel. I was able to do three shops on the same route, so that more than covered my gas, plus the extra time. I've found Maritz a great company to shop for. Others that I've asked for gas money have refused.
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April 07, 2012 02:17AM
I did two gas station audits for Maritz and received a voicemail a few days later offering me a route of audits in towns 40+ miles around my town. The scheduler said the pay was negotiable, so I'll be giving them a call on Monday to see if we can work out a suitable fee.
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April 07, 2012 02:26AM
I saw some simple picture audits for a grocery store but it only paid $2.00 for each. By the time you drive from one location to the other, get out of the car, go inside, take the pictures and drive to the next location, youre actually in the hole. Gas costs way more than 2 dollars a gallon and then your time.....really $2.00
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April 07, 2012 04:42AM
gwind1920 Wrote:
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> I saw some simple picture audits for a grocery
> store but it only paid $2.00 for each. By the
> time you drive from one location to the other, get
> out of the car, go inside, take the pictures and
> drive to the next location, youre actually in the
> hole. Gas costs way more than 2 dollars a gallon
> and then your time.....really $2.00

That is ridiculous, wow. I wouldn't do that for $2 even if the gas was free! By the time you read instructions, do the assignment and submit the report there is no way $2 is worth it.
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