Freeman Group

December 15, 2009 01:37AM

Tried the search function and couldn't find anything.

I've never shopped for them but they have a shop in my town right next door to the hotel my friends from out of town are going to stay at. I went ahead and took the shop for New Years Eve (at an inflated room rate of course), I'm just wondering how reputable they are.

Lynlee

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More Discussions About Freeman Group (All Companies)

December 15, 2009 01:43AM

There is much written on Freeman here:

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

The good thing is that they seems to be paying at 90-ish days now, rather than 6 months plus. Lynlee, I would not want to spend NY's doing a report for them. Can you change the date?

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“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

December 15, 2009 01:43AM

lyn, I searched all dates for Freeman and found discussion.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2010 02:07PM by Mert.

December 15, 2009 01:57AM

Thank you, my search showed no results.

Dee- I scheduled my shop for NY's Eve since thats the day my friends will be in town for a party. I will attend the party but I'm not big into drinking and I don't mind doing a report on New Years. It just works out better that way since we can all ride together to and from the party and I can be the DD.

Lynlee

December 15, 2009 02:06AM

But will you have to spend much of the night doing the jobs associated with the report?

December 15, 2009 02:16AM

I've printed out the report form and it seems pretty straightforward. Not a whole lot of 'covert examining' involved and I can just record my notes on my DVR and take video of the room when I arrive. Shouldn't hinder my night much at all.

Lynlee

December 15, 2009 02:23AM

As long as you don't mind waiting and potentially fighting for your inflated room rate to be reimbursed, it seems like that may work out for you.

Double check that the instructions do not forbid a holiday stay as well.

Many hotel managers get mad about being shopped on NYE, and ask the MSCs not to schedule those days, since they can almost always sell out at inflated rates. It cuts into the hotel's year-end profit, and so they may be inclined to fight back on anything negative in your report.

December 15, 2009 03:00PM

Excellent point Steve. Same thing with new home shops not being scheduled for "prime time" which is any weekend. When the client asks for a weekend shops I can predict that any negative will be blasted by the target. Fortunately, they can hardly dispute a video. (I think that may induce some hotel clients to move to audio and/or video shops.)

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.

December 16, 2009 02:47AM

Most of the states I work in do not allow single party consent on recordings, so I don't see the move to A/V recordings on hotel shops happening, being that so many hotel clients are national.

December 16, 2009 01:17PM

Steve,
That's easy. Many national companies simply make written consent to recording a standard of employment, just like a pre-employment physical. National home builders have done this for years.

That said, California may be a special case because some people think that the state law there might be interpreted to require the new consent of all parties to each and every instance of recording. That makes the use of recorded shops almost impossible in CA.

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.

December 16, 2009 05:12PM

Agreed, and if a hotel client with significant properties in CA cannot have a recording of the shop, they will probably not opt for that on a national level since it impacts fair reporting of their group as a whole.

For the hotels in CA that I shop, the recorded reservation calls are even becoming a thing of the past, not to mention that many hotel shops evaluate the spa, pool, and gym. I could probably hide the camera in my chest hair at the pool, but I might draw some undue attention if stashed the power pack in my speedo :^)

Since we are on this thread; Has anyone actually been paid in less than 90 days for a Freeman hotel shop recently?

December 16, 2009 05:23PM

I did double check to make sure it would be okay to shop on the holiday, they said that isn't a problem so I've got the green light on New Years Eve.
Lynlee

December 16, 2009 05:47PM

Good. Usually if there are blackout dates you are informed of that up front.

December 17, 2009 02:39PM

Steve,
In my experience, tons of hotels contract with MSCs on a regional, and even a property-by-property, basis. Many "name brand" hotels are not owned by the "brand," as evidenced by the recent sale of the Westin in Manhattan by the cash-strapped Emirate-based company that owned it. That Westin presents under the same "brand" group as Sheraton Hotels, but anyone who wants to market to it, needs to market to the owner-of-record or the on-site management.

This all makes the job of the MSCs trying to market anything to hotels absolutely nutty. Of course, that fragments the market, so we shoppers have to search for the MSC that happens to have a particular property or group of commonly managed hotel properties. (sigh)

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.

December 19, 2009 03:01AM

I completed one shop for them and received payment 4 months later after I kept emailing them about it. The report itself is very easy. I just did not like waiting so long to get paid. However, if I had to travel I would complete another shop for them because otherwise I would not get reimbursed for my hotel stay.

December 19, 2009 03:33PM

Freeman expects less and pays less than most hotel shopping companies. And, since the hotel clients are mostly no frills places, the shopper lays out relatively little money. So, lots of people do these Freeman assignments because they have to travel to/through the area and are willing to wait for reimbursement of funds that they had to spend anyway.

But, I'm not waiting that long for reimbursement of a $500 + assignment, no way!

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.

December 19, 2009 05:30PM

There are several different levels of Freeman. Certainly the low fee shops are what appear on their Prophet website. They are definitely simpler than their higher paying shops. I'm certainly not doing their upscale work these days because I don't care to be out of pocket much for long periods. My current philosophy is one at a time. When I get paid for the last one I will look at the next one.

December 20, 2009 12:44AM

I did a hotel in August and haven't been paid yet. I emailed the scheduler in November and they said the paperwork was in the accounting department and are being paid in the order they arrive. I enjoyed that shop and they have others in places I would like to spend the night, (some with bonuses).but I can't justify doing them. I was aware of the payment history and I can handle it and expect it will be paid eventually but this is nuts. Should I be squeeking the wheel with anyone else? The only contact I have is the scheduler, and it seems she is out of the loop.

December 20, 2009 01:06AM

There have been personnel changes/cuts due to the financial situation I understand. Go back to your scheduler because supposedly they are on an 8 week pay cycle now (assuming it has been more than a week or two since you last were in contact). Ask what the holdup is and who you should be talking with.

December 25, 2009 03:15AM

LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!!! THEY DO NOT PAY FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS, IF EVER.

January 16, 2010 02:39PM

Yea! I finally got paid for that August shop. "Only" took 21 weeks! That extra 5 bucks works out to 1.8% interest. Guess that is as good as a CD. I wonder if they take this long to pay the rent and utilities...

Oh well, here's hoping this company works things out. I would love to do more of the type of shops I did, especially if they put $80 bonuses on them like they recently did on one. That would have been perfect as it is near a casino we would like to actully spend a day or two at, but I wasn't going to put myself out on the limb until I at least got paid for my first one. Would they nitpick to find something wrong on apparently what was such an extreme case where offering an $80 bonus on a $20 shop was necessary? What would cause such a need for that?

January 16, 2010 03:06PM

I have never had them nitpick in order to disallow a report. I suspect that an $80 bonus was due to having no shoppers willing to work with them. It, of course, becomes a vicious cycle--shoppers won't lay out money because you aren't paying and reimbursing in a timely fashion, so you need to raise the fee higher and higher with bonuses, which makes it longer and longer before you can get everyone paid. But like you, I am doing one job at a time with them. I am comfortable I will get paid eventually and when I am I will move on to the next job for them. It is a business decision based on the amount of capital my 'business' is willing to have loaned out at any given time.

January 27, 2010 07:47PM

I have an October shop done with freeman that I haven't been paid for as of 1/27. This IS RIDICULOUS! It is a $250 reimbursement and payment for Shula's Steakhouse. This is a lot of money to be out and I have two more hotel shops from Nov and Dec to wait on... Is this company on the brink of Bankruptcy? Has anyone every sued a MSC? would this be a small claims court issue?

February 02, 2010 02:01AM

That is really strange that they don't pay the following month like most msc's do. I was planning on taking some of those shops one of these days, had even thought about going out on the road and driving from one to another, lining up dining shops along the way and all, but I am glad that I didn't! ;-0

February 02, 2010 03:31AM

So, I finally received my $253 reimbursement for a steakhouse shop. They have good shops, but just pay real late. I got paid 2/1 for a shop I did on 10/26. If you are willing to wait, you can shop for them... but buyers beware.

February 02, 2010 03:52AM

$253 steak house reimbursement? You must have burnt up that keyboard inputting that shop! How was the visit? Would you go again on your own money? ;-0

February 02, 2010 04:28AM

I know the place and it is the same client I am waiting for payment from. We have been now 4 times. The first was poetically excellent, the second was wholly mediocre, the third was above average and the most recent quite worthwhile. After the first visit I would have been willing to go on my own dime. The ones since tell me the quality is too erratic to chance it on my dime. They do need shoppers to keep them on their toes.

February 02, 2010 03:11PM

I don't know if it is the same shop or not, but I have done one with about a $200 reimbursement a few years ago and I really did burn of the keyboard. The service was great and I really enjoyed the dinner! I haven't seen any more of those shops being offered though. ;-0

February 02, 2010 05:38PM

Most fine dining requires a long narrative, toolguy, so it might be any company anywhere, or might be the same. But since the one that Flash is referring to is still being shopped and you aren't seeing it, it either changed providers or is not the same restaurant. :-)

February 03, 2010 12:20AM

I did two hotel shops for them back in 2008 and got paid about 2 1/2 months later. At the time, I wasn't too worried. I just did another one for them about two weeks ago. I think their hotel shops are fun and easy.

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