Mod note: Post removed as it breached the Forum guideline which states, "Do not reveal the clients of mystery shopping companies". Additionally, it is usually an ICA violation to name both the MSC and client.

One of these pizza shops has a $20 bonus in my area + the $18 reimbursement. I tend to steer away from these due to the time reporting they require. A while back, I fell for the emergency, dire need request and took one of these.... I was grilled 2 1/2 weeks later because I did not find the runny salad appetizing and described it as such.

@gringa7ape wrote:

Lets just see how this force us to take the lower end shops ends up for them..

No company can force you to take shops. You can chose to take them in order to get better shops, but that's your choice.

I occasionally do those pizza shops. What are the new changes?

@sandyf wrote:

I would also like to have the cost covered for 2 pizzas at the very least and if they could get rid of the rule that you cannot step back in line yourself for the 2nd pizza if you shop alone that would be great.

I've also been disappointed that since the pizza prices went up, the reimbursement stayed the same. I could no longer buy a pizza and entree salad to have the next day. That was my only justification for doing a reimbursement-only shop, having meals for two days! I will only do a pizza shop for them now if it has a fee ($5 for the ones with app).

One of the schedulers trying to sell me on a no-fee pizza shop told me I could buy 2 pizzas (condescendingly, like "if you knew your guidelines...". This is after I told him repeatedly that I shop alone.

I've read the guidelines every which way and I can't see any way besides asking some random stranger to order the second pie. And I think it has to be for-here anyway so there's just no way.

I think the next time ACL texts me and asks me to do a last-minute job, I'll counter and tell them that I will if they give me the toy shop too. Is that wrong?

@DareWright wrote:

I think the next time ACL texts me and asks me to do a last-minute job, I'll counter and tell them that I will if they give me the toy shop too. Is that wrong?

NO, I don't think it's wrong. I think it's negotiation. Of course, I might be unusual. A lot of posters have a problem with ACL offering a "good" shop if a shopper takes one of their "dog" shops. I don't have a problem with it at all. They can negotiate with me any way they want. I'll either agree or not agree. I think more shoppers should negotiate. I say, GO for it, Dare. And let us know if you get the toy shop. I'm crossing my fingers for you.

This is a good idea roflwofl. I really like the dreaded pizza shop so thanks for that idea..I need to wait til they get another client I like though to ask for. They seem to have lost my other favorite.

ACL just posted on my Facebook jobs they have in Iowa, a very long post looking for shoppers. I have contacted them, and they have nothing within 60 miles of me. I cannot get their post off my Facebook, and
I am livid. Desperate would be my word for them, what is happening? The Scheduler took it upon herself to
use my Facebook for her advertising, making her look like an idiot. Tomorrow I'm calling, what a nerve!!

ACL's scheduler telsl me we have jobs in L.A....sure, 60 miles from me and this is L.A. 3.00 a gallon for gas and time on freeways, what should take 40 minutes takes 1 1/2 hours...do your homework. I blocked ACL from posting on my Facebook...let them do their own pizza jobs or pay us....simple solution to a simple problem.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2017 07:14PM by Irene_L.A..

Irene - they are making a bunch of lousy moves these days. They don't have any ryhme or reason to their job advertising. I've gotten emails from 3 different people there about the same jobs, there is no need for that ! They advertise for jobs i'm out of rotation on that still show up on the job search. At least some other companies block that out.

What is a "dog shop?" Hot dogs or an actually puppy dog shop?

Shop South Texas...none of the dog shops were near me but I had seen them on the list for a long time and just assumed it was a place where you could take your dog and sit on the patio to eat and they may even have some food dogs love on the menu. So one day I was going to a town with that shop and applied to it only to find out my dog was not welcome at all on the shop and I was going to actually have to eat dogs (hot dogs that is)

This seems to be unethical behavior. ACL clearly does not have the best interested of the first client's shops at hand. If any of those clients found out ACL is doing that to their shops, I'd suspect they would begin to lose a lot of clients.

@PA Shopper wrote:

This seems to be unethical behavior. ACL clearly does not have the best interested of the first client's shops at hand. If any of those clients found out ACL is doing that to their shops, I'd suspect they would begin to lose a lot of clients.

They are getting the first clients shop done within guidelines & time frame..... who cares how it's scheduled?
If they want to negotiate like this then fine, I'll play their game. I like to negotiate too. I ask for $$$, shops I like or sometimes both. I know to wait till the end of the month & then offer to do a location I know is SUPER hard to fill. I then get the shop(s) I want for the next month & a bonus too.

@sandyf wrote:

A fee for these shops would be very nice indeed. But I would also like to have the cost covered for 2 pizzas at the very least and if they could get rid of the rule that you cannot step back in line yourself for the 2nd pizza if you shop alone that would be great. This shop is a lot of work for only one pizza.

Sandy, recently I got an email saying it's okay to order two pizzas-you just need to have two receipts. So you can treat a friend, just order separately. Not sure if that policy is temporary in an effort to get the end of month shops finished or if it's a permanent change.

Who cares? The company that is having its shops held hostage. Plus, it's unethical and slimy. I doubt they would tell company X, we will not schedule your shop until a shopper takes a shop from company Y. They should be acting in the best interest of each company that is their client. By holding company X's shops as hostage, they are not serving company X's best interest. It's also a good way for ACL to lose clients if those clients find out ACL shenanigans.

Am I the only person who enjoys the pizza shops? The timing component is simple and easy, the report reasonable, no one notices/cares if you flip two slices over for a quick pic and the food is good. I'm a pretty good eater but can always get two meals out of a pizza and side salad, and the "build your own" means there's always some variety even if you do a few in the same week. Even in the very rare cases when these aren't bonused the fee if you do the app scan is in line with other shops at places with much worse food.

For the folks who are taking a friend and getting two pizzas, are you still required to get drinks and a salad or dessert? Seems like you'd be going fairly over the reimbursement in that scenario.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2017 02:03AM by NinS.

In the town I live in there all four locations for this pizza shop. I generally tend to do one shop a month at each location. Lifting one slice of pizza to take a photo of the underneath is not a Herculean task. No the cheese does not slide off along with a host of toppings . Also the allowance is such that it cost me $1.29 out-of-pocket for the second pizza pie. The pizza is great if you were on weight watchers, since there are so many veggie toppings to choose from. I enjoy the shop and thank ACL for the opportunities offered when I do these shops

I only take the Online Order shops from this place. I actually love their pizza. I got hooked on it when I did my first shop for them. I do the online order shops because I find that the regular shops there have timing/detail requirements that are unrealisitc for myself.

I once explained this to the scheduler and she disagreed with me. Two months later she called me again and we talked about it. She conceded that it was difficult! She did a shop for them the previous month and yet still tried to convince me to take the shop!!

Y'all are making me glad that I deactivated myself last week. I just don't have time to do reimbursement only shops. Make sure you uncheck the profile box that says they can text you. If it's checked, they can text you even if your account isn't active.

This is purely intimidation, not negotiation...I don't take shops from MSC's that use this tactic.

Requirements are set by the customer, not the MSC; they just have to get people who are willing to do what the customer requires. If you can't find it in your heart or pocketbook to do it, don't! I'm allergic to cheese so I don't do pizza shops for anybody. Schedulers have been very nice to me about it.

I just take one slice, flip it over in its spot in the pie, and grab a quick pic. No big deal.

The local scheduler contacted me, dangling fine dining shops and asking for help on the less desirable shops. The pizza shop so many have written about is almost 20 miles from me, but I did one. The scheduler apologized that she had no more May shops but said she'd save me one for June: "Thank you!! I have the (fine dining) assigned now (3 shops) but I will save you one for next month and I are fairly certain I remember you from the BB's shops I assigned in previous months! I am excited to work with you more!" I wrote to ask her about the June shop, and got, "got your request and I appreciate you! Looking into this for you as a lot of them were promised for June last month. Wait listed " Grrr.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2017 02:33AM by McMadre.

Wow...so now they don't even have enough fine dining shops to cover their promise. Yikes.

I just said ,"No." Not gonna do it.

I hope they come through for you. They definitely owe you. They better not string you along. I think it's just plain wrong, unethnical what they are doing.

@McMadre wrote:

The local scheduler contacted me, dangling fine dining shops and asking for help on the less desirable shops. The pizza shop so many have written about is almost 20 miles from me, but I did one. The scheduler apologized that she had no more May shops but said she'd save me one for June: "Thank you!! I have the (fine dining) assigned now (3 shops) but I will save you one for next month and I are fairly certain I remember you from the BB's shops I assigned in previous months! I am excited to work with you more!" I wrote to ask her about the June shop, and got, "got your request and I appreciate you! Looking into this for you as a lot of them were promised for June last month. Wait listed " Grrr.

Hey ACL schedulers etc. Here is an unintended consequence to your new pick one and we force you to take a crap one too- you know your new system - and I hope the powers that be at ACL are reading this. Normally - I am a team player. It's the end of the month- you are in a bind and you really need help completing a shop. Can I do it- well firstly I look to see if am I eligible to compete it. Each client has frequency limits on their shops. Most are at least 6 months with one seriously crap one being more than 12 months. So if I could do it- Sure- I helped you out.
Why? Two reasons - Because earlier the month I did the shops that I really wanted to do (the ones that used to be reserved for the best) and I also helped out because I feel like throwing you a bone every once in awhile builds rapport with the scheduler. So yeah- many times in the past if I can - I step in and I help out. This is what I learned just today though - Here is your consequence of your forced scheduling-- all the begging in the World is not gonna help you fill these at the end of the month - know why? Because I need to leave that lower end shop available for me to do- so that you can then hold it over my head to get the higher end shop in the future. So yeah- I can do one of these this weekend. But, nope - sorry your own policy is coming right back at ya and I can not do it. Oh and I could definitely pick one of these up for June -but, once again if there is not a great shop to offset the poor one -I can not lose that shop in the rotation when I actually have a good shop I want. So this system that everyone is so upset about - well - here is your consequence. The scheduler can call/beg/text/email all they want- but, these shops have frequency limits and I can not afford to help you out until I see something awesome that I can pair this poorer shop with.

I would bet the higher end clients are going to find out-quite soon - there are lots of very irritated people on this board and ACL themselves put out emails explaining they are holding these shops hostage. So its not gonna take much.

I bet if you were that more popular client that you would not be happy to know that ACL is holding your shop ransom to get a completely unrelated clients shops scheduled. Especially when your more popular shop used to go to a certain tier shopper and now it is whomever is willing to do a lower client. Did those top clients get a fee reduction to be used as a pawn?