ACL- rant
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Amplify that by the othe MSCs emails. I get about 100 emails a day. Delete is your friend.
I don't mind the emails, either. Instead of my having to go to every MSC's job board, the job boards come to me. I get duplicate emails often, but just delete them without opening.
I just send almost all of them to the spam folder and browse it several times a day. I only open the ones i want to read. Otherwise they'll drop off automatically in the spam folder without me having to delete each one. It's ridiculous to receive 5 emails a day that say 'Urgent - steakhouse bonus $2 please help'.
OP here: so I decided to go and do the shop. Now the editor is emailing, calling, etc... for follow up to questions I already answered in the report and in every communication, gets the name of the client completely wrong. She's the editor and she cannot communicate the proper name of the restaurant. SMH. What is going on with the ACL staff?
Just FYI - if you go to your events page, you can see any shops that have been unassigned. By either yourself or via a scheduler.
Here is the downside of their bribery plan trying to force you to take lesser shop for a good one.
I won't help out. Why? Because it is always the crap ones leftover that they are begging me to help with.
I have to save those crap shops for when they bribe me with a good shop. It is sad because I used to help out.
Now I know if I help at the end of the month- then they are gonna expect me to pick up another crap at the beginning of the month. Their new policy is biting them badly because my willingness went down the toilet with their new forced bribery.
I won't help out. Why? Because it is always the crap ones leftover that they are begging me to help with.
I have to save those crap shops for when they bribe me with a good shop. It is sad because I used to help out.
Now I know if I help at the end of the month- then they are gonna expect me to pick up another crap at the beginning of the month. Their new policy is biting them badly because my willingness went down the toilet with their new forced bribery.
I wonder how these high end clients would feel knowing their shop is bait and the person doing them is not necessarily the best- just the one who took the bait.
Ive decided Im no longer shopping for ACL. I dont like their questionnaires and most shops in my area are reimbursement only. Some of the requirements for shops are crazy too.
I'm sorry you guys have experienced these insulting (to shoppers) tactics. I have not experienced anything like that with the ACL schedulers for my state or for the region I used to live and shop in with a wider radius. Personally, I don't mind the pizza shops and don't find them that far out of the ordinary as far as observations and requirements. Plus I really like their pizza, which helps haha. The timings are not my favorite, but again I have seen similar timing requirements with other shops from other companies. And as mentioned earlier, they have a fee now and often still get bonused. Again totally not negating your bad experiences, just sharing mine.
Happily shopping the Pacific Northwest. Shopping since 2013 
I am seeing similar things here in North Houston where they tie the good shops to the crap ones but are not honest to specify that upfront.
I have been told that I would have to take a pizza shop or another shop to do the shop I wanted. Both of the shops require taking a child with me. No children here!! I was told to "borrow" one. For reimbursement only shops??
I'll join your rant. I applied for a reimbursement-only shop, a rare thing for me. The scheduler responded something like:
'I am offering 1st priority to a shopper who can do my last...... <PITA shop no one wants>. Can you help out with that shop, too?'
'I am offering 1st priority to a shopper who can do my last...... <PITA shop no one wants>. Can you help out with that shop, too?'
Evaluating and mailing packages since 1994. I am an undercover connoisseur of customer service, a master of disguise in the aisles, and a sworn enemy of subpar experiences. I blend in, observe, and report—because excellence should never be a mystery.
I had a scheduler tell me that she would only assign the shop that I requested, if I did a pizza shop also. The nearest pizza shop was over 3 hours away. Noone must have agreed as I was assigned the shop without the pizza shop a few days later.
They do reward their "better shoppers" with promo shops, or so I've heard. I have a scheduler from another MSC who does the ciersion shop thing. If you do a Goodwill shop she will allow you to have a Retail Me Not. Ugh! No thanks!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2017 02:38AM by cakerladi.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2017 02:38AM by cakerladi.
I've gotten a few promo emails recently and I'm new with them. I have only been shopping with them for maybe 6 months now.
I have never done that pizza shop and refuse to do it. I still get assigned some of their nice restaurants.
I have never done that pizza shop and refuse to do it. I still get assigned some of their nice restaurants.
I've done their promo shops in the past. I used to be able to self assign fine dining and hotels. They locked it down and when I put a request for a FD, the scheduler responded that she needs me to take not one but two PITA shops. I deleted her email and I'm done with ACL.
Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@
~Polish Proverb~
~Polish Proverb~
The pizza shops actually have a payment with them since July, and still reimburse for the meal, love the smore pie 
There is more than one pizza client. Many of them are carryout with a significantly higher reimbursement and an easier report.
@JGunt006 wrote:
The pizza shops actually have a payment with them since July, and still reimburse for the meal, love the smore pie
True, but they lowered the reimbursement in order to pay a fee. The overall payment for the shop has therefore not increased. Many shoppers do not consider it enough for the time and effort the shop requires.
If the assignment is still on your My Events page on the date of the shop, I would definitely do the shop. I would also keep the original assignment email, the clarification email (hopefully it was an email and not a phone call), and a screen shot of the My Events page dated the date of the shop, just in case.
For those that don't like the follow up, here are some tips: Be sure to get the name of the staff member. If you can't, please get a detailed description (no race or terms such as heavy/slim/etc). In your narrative, make sure all 'no' answers are addressed. Provide accurate timing. Some clients want timing to the second. Hour: Minute: Second format is best. Lots of great apps out there that provide stopwatch timing. Please provide enough detail as well. That will decrease your 'annoying' calls and emails.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2017 10:35PM by geauxcj.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2017 10:35PM by geauxcj.
I have a love / hate relationship with ACL. They have some great locations. I actually like the Pizza place, and now they're paying a fee, I don't mind doing it. They're notoriously stingy on payments on most clients. Often I'm out of pocket which depending on the situation is not always bad.
But their reports are much longer than other MSC's. And, the most annoying is that they're so repetitive. Why do I have to write an overall narrative and then a willing to recommend narrative. They are the same write up.
I feel like a work harder on my reports for ACL than I do for any other MSC. I do it because I like the high end restaurant chain they have, and I'd like to perform that shop once or twice a year. Unfortunately, they do bait those and its becoming hard to get those assignments.
I've found their staff to be extremely responsive and understanding. Although I've had my share of drops and reschedules (probably 10% of my total jobs). And I believe I've been penalized for this, but as stated their scoring system is not visible to shoppers.
But their reports are much longer than other MSC's. And, the most annoying is that they're so repetitive. Why do I have to write an overall narrative and then a willing to recommend narrative. They are the same write up.
I feel like a work harder on my reports for ACL than I do for any other MSC. I do it because I like the high end restaurant chain they have, and I'd like to perform that shop once or twice a year. Unfortunately, they do bait those and its becoming hard to get those assignments.
I've found their staff to be extremely responsive and understanding. Although I've had my share of drops and reschedules (probably 10% of my total jobs). And I believe I've been penalized for this, but as stated their scoring system is not visible to shoppers.
@7star wrote:
Did u take the pita shop?
No
Evaluating and mailing packages since 1994. I am an undercover connoisseur of customer service, a master of disguise in the aisles, and a sworn enemy of subpar experiences. I blend in, observe, and report—because excellence should never be a mystery.
If you didn't want to do the PITA shop, good for you to not play their game !
If only their clients knew what they were doing, I'd like to hear how they feel about their good shops being bundled with less desirable ones.
If only their clients knew what they were doing, I'd like to hear how they feel about their good shops being bundled with less desirable ones.
@RobinMarie wrote:
@7star wrote:
Did u take the pita shop?
No
There were several shops last month that stayed on the board and never got assigned again. I wonder how their clients feel about having so many locations that aren't getting shopped?
It could be some shoppers took the shops.
ACL is trtying to save their bacon, at shoppers' expense.
Thanks!
We are all in this for various reasons, but let's face it, it's all monetary related. My time is worth money. Every email I open, every phone call I answer, hopefully is worth the investment of time. I have decided, unfortunately, this company is not worth my time investment.
I can certainly understand creative thinking and ways to get shops done, but responding to an email telling me I cannot be assigned a shop unless I take an additional shop is not a good strategic plan in my opinion. What a complete turn off. It feels deceptive and a power play that does not work well for me.
Maybe it works for others but I can't imagine this is good for the long game.
We are all in this for various reasons, but let's face it, it's all monetary related. My time is worth money. Every email I open, every phone call I answer, hopefully is worth the investment of time. I have decided, unfortunately, this company is not worth my time investment.
I can certainly understand creative thinking and ways to get shops done, but responding to an email telling me I cannot be assigned a shop unless I take an additional shop is not a good strategic plan in my opinion. What a complete turn off. It feels deceptive and a power play that does not work well for me.
Maybe it works for others but I can't imagine this is good for the long game.
@7star wrote:
If you didn't want to do the PITA shop, good for you to not play their game !
If only their clients knew what they were doing, I'd like to hear how they feel about their good shops being bundled with less desirable ones.
@RobinMarie wrote:
@7star wrote:
Did u take the pita shop?
No
Evaluating and mailing packages since 1994. I am an undercover connoisseur of customer service, a master of disguise in the aisles, and a sworn enemy of subpar experiences. I blend in, observe, and report—because excellence should never be a mystery.
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