Ath and their 2-for-1 bank shops.

I'm just curious. I know shoppers are taking the shops because they show up on their job board as scheduled, but; I'd like to know who is taking the shops from them where you shop the banker first, then walk over and shop the teller. Do you realize you are doing 2 shops for the (low) price of one for them? When they have their teller only shops they pay $10 for a quick deposit.

I just don't get it. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More About Banks

I've not seen those shops on aTH.

The shops they have in my area are either teller ($10) or banker ($12), but not both combined.

I've done two in-bank shops for ATH so far, both banker only. Ironically, when I got an email today about the teller/banker combo, I thought about exactly what you're saying, Susan. However, so far I don't think I've ever seen a teller only shop! Personally, I don't need to double the stress for the same pay.

nicelytwicely Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> However, so far I don't think I've ever seen a teller only shop!

I've only seen them a few times on ath. I did one in April, but have not seen one since.

I've seen several teller only shops with ath, but they only allow one per round. This I don't understand, especially since the shops sometimes sit for weeks without being taken.

I have not seen any two for one bank shops from Ath in my area. It is annoying that they often will only allow you to take one shop per round even it the shops are at different branches. Make setting up a route to get the shops done impossible.

"Evolve thyself and lose all hate...." Orphaned Land

I guess they try to double them up before they offer them singly. Now that I think about it, the teller only shops for $10 are drive-up tellers. Now this is just me of course, but woudn't it make more sense to have a shopper do a 2-for-1 type of shop with a banker and a drive-up teller so it's not obvious? It seemed so obvious to me when I did one (one and one time only) where I spoke to a banker and then walked over to the teller. My thought was "Duh!" LOL

Ath has not been known to be the most sensible company, so I guess this is just par for the course for them. It just really bugs me that they offer these shops, which are really TWO shops, but you only get paid ONCE and even then it's not as high as most of the bank platform shops I do.

Do they still do their 2-for-1 shops as 2 separate questionnaires to be completed? One at zero pay and the other at full pay? That to me was the height of lack of computer savvy.

I have spoken to them about the two forms. They are trying to get the client to relent on that issue so that they can streamline the forms. I have done the 2-in-1 shops and they are a snap. The pay is double what a teller-only shop used to be. I just make sure that I avoid high traffic locations and "rush hour," and am in and out in about 4-5 minutes; the worst was 9 minutes total. You don't ask the teller any questions on the 2-for-1 shops, so it is not obvious at all.

When you do a customer platform visit for this bank, the banker is supposed to get your name or account # and flag that you visited in the computer. That flag remains for the rest of the business day, when it is automatically erased. That's why you cannot do any other of that client's shops after you have done a platform, until the next business day. BUT, you can do several teller only shops and then do a late day 2-in-one shop. Email your scheduler; mine was very helpful.

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.

Platform bank shops for ANY bank- a teller receipt proves your visit if their is an issue. So even if it is not required consider it just in case.

For platform only shops, business cards have been sufficient collateral for all the ones I've done.

nicelytwicely Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For platform only shops, business cards have been
> sufficient collateral for all the ones I've done.

I too have never needed anything besides a business card for a platform shop.

I have needed brochures from the location and to submit all materials provided to me by the platform person. But that was not from Ath. Ath has only required business cards from platforms that I have done.

Just have to say, if anyone can do a 2-for-1 platform/banker shop in 4-5 minutes; you either aren't getting all the required info, the banker wasn't giving the info, or this is a different bank. The form is long and it asks what the small talk was, what questions they asked, how did they relate your answers to their products, what were they wearing, what products they offered, etc. There is no way that plus the teller, even if the teller took 30 seconds, could you be out in 4-5 minutes and be thorough.

And Flash, yes, they do still have one shop with a fee, and the other as 0. Genius, huh? It is 2 shops, 2 forms, one fee. Rip off to the shopper. Informa has platform only shops for $15 right now, and another had teller shops down the street at another bank for $7, that is $22 (on Prophet, which is an easier form in general) for the same work that ath is paying $17.

"I dunno". I don't get it!

And I am doing a 'triple play' this afternoon of facilities, teller, platform for $35 with a $5 bonus if I get it done by Friday, so where is the appeal of a 'double play' with Ath? I noted today they had added $10 bonuses to their platforms that are due Thursday. That brings them up to $22. A super bargain for an Ath.

Now they have a teller shop that's only one per shopper. I told the scheduler that when they get desparate, let me know and I will do more shops. She wrote back and told me only one per shopper. I already got that. I have worked with this scheduler in the past and she has been wonderful to work with, so I guess her hands are tied. So today I get home from doing shops and check my email and they are now adding a bonus of $5, bringing the shop to $20 if the shop is performed today. But it is no longer self assign, so at 2 in the afternoon, you would to wait to get it approved and they are now allowing two per shopper. If she had been able to take me up on my offer, they would have probably 10 shops less to worry about and they would be done at $15 each.

Yup, now KSS has a 2-in-1, not a 2 FOR 1, with the fee being $27.00 plus a bonus. Even without with bonus, $27 beats $17.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Ath and their 2-for-1 bank shops.

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine