CRI

I signed up not too long ago. I am puzzled by the unbelievable low fees this company pays. I realize they increase the fees, in some obscure way, as time goes by. I did a test run shop at a gas station:2fee and 2 reimbursment? Come on.
How do you know when to sign for a shop? How long do you wait? It is like playing chicken...one more day, one more day...
Do you ever sign up as a back up?

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I believe that signing up as a backup means you are willing to perform the shop at that fee if the guy ahead cancels/flakes. At the level folks are willing to take them I am not willing to be a backup at that fee. My check of their job board from time to time constitutes looking to see if they have gotten any interesting new clients. In my market shoppers are willing to work for peanut shells, so fees never get to interesting.

Watch the board for a month and see if shoppers in your area take the assignments at the starting fee. If they hold out, it becomes a matter of who blinks first. You'll get a general idea of your market.

Signing as a backup pretty much eliminates the possibility of a shop getting bonused. If you really want the shop at the published starting fee, sign as a backup.

I just signed up with CRI and can't believe the paperwork to first become an auditor then to apply for shops only to be put into backup status. I wish, before I went thru their pre-shop training I would know the dates and fees.

Well at least you don't have to go through the silly training again, and are able to grab those shops if they become decent fees. Just last week, I picked up a couple of extremely easy shops for 11.50 each that had started at 3.00. So about four times the original price and I got all three done because they were so quick and so close to each other in a little over a half hour. That doesn't happen often, though, but if you have had the training at least you are eligible for them. Good luck,

Carol

Unfortunately in my area we have people who grab $3 and $4 shops the minute they hit the board. Some of these shops are pretty complicated and to do them for that kind of compensation just ruins it for the rest of us. I wonder how many people who do the $3 shops actually do a second one. I did a shop that started at $4 and got bumped up to just over $7. It was a PITA and I probably made $3 an hour. I won't do that shop again unless it's at least $20.

I know the $4 they pay for a shop at a major discount retailer is very sad. What is even sadder is that I have seen people pick it up for that amount. They want you to get 6 names and descriptions, ask some questions from two different employees and some other random tasks.
What is odd with this company is that I have found they pay more for the rather very easy assignments, than the ones that require much more time and effort(at least in my area). CRI reminds me of an auction site or something, with regards to pay.

Forgive my grammar and spelling on the boards. I am off duty.

bobdav, I couldn't agree more. I decided to pick up the one you are talking about today. It is close to home, and it went up to over $10, plus $1 reimbursement. Some I have gotten have been $16 to $20, but I decided to take this one at this price because it so close. Now there is a little hardware store near me that starts at $10, five each for pay and reimubursement, and it is much less complicated than the larger store. I do like how they pay weekly, however. That is very much a strong point in their favor.

patnewman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I signed up not too long ago. I am puzzled by the
> unbelievable low fees this company pays. I realize
> they increase the fees, in some obscure way, as
> time goes by. I did a test run shop at a gas
> station:2fee and 2 reimbursment? Come on.
> How do you know when to sign for a shop? How long
> do you wait? It is like playing chicken...one more
> day, one more day...
> Do you ever sign up as a back up?

The longer the shop stays available the more the pay. I have done about 200 shops for CRI and never a job for less than $10.00.The trick is to wait until the last 10 days of the month.I've seen shops go from $3.00 to $24.00 in 2 weeks The only problem with this is some one else might take the job at $7.00 and you miss out .

Happy Shopping to all.

I shop for CRI and Ritter & Associates and between the 2 I can often do 5-6 shops in the same city and even on the same street. That is how I try to set things up 1 day 8 shops in the same city @ 10.00 each and it only takes 3 hours in the field then 2 hours submitting reports back at home .Sometimes if I have to go to Boston from my home in NH I can do 5 shops on the way down off of 95 south and 5 on the way back 95 north. Ritter does shops and they pay for 4.00 worth of gas at each shop so you can fill up your car or your friends or family's car 8-10 shops.
It's all good. Apartment shops are great too 25.00 a shop and you can do 2-4 a day.I have signed up for about 30 different MSC "s because of repeat shopper rules it's good to have an alternate shop site.

good luck all.

BXB21

Happy Shopping to all.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2010 01:49AM by bxb21.

Please honor your ICA not to reveal proprietary information and remove the client name from your post bxb21. Thanks!

Oops.Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking

Happy Shopping to all.

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