RED WHITE and BLUE, new RIPOFF !!!

@claabe when you mentioned your stay at a given station is 30 minutes Are you uploading the images onsite before you leave or do you do that later?

I do shops using apps as well as .com and it seems to take a lot longer for the pics to upload with red white and blue and yellow and red shops compared to other MSC's apps. The other ones are not gas stations, but the pics get latched on to the report very quickly.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2023 10:14PM by heywave.

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Insight --great post... it sums up that the valuable information we deliver is now forcing us into a lifestyle where we are making peanut butter from uber-overpriced peanuts!

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This is one of MANY posts which violate the Forum rule that states not to mention the Client when the MSC has been mentioned. Since IPSOS has been mentioned several times in this thread, any posts mentioning ANY gas clients have been deleted, since IPSOS has so many of them. Feel free to edit your post and then re-post.

I'd like to know where you find gas at 2.50 a gallon on a regular basis, lol. It is hard to find much of anything for one dollar except what has been mentioned already. Regardless of who made the decision it was a way to make an extra profit of $3.00 per shop. However the shop fee increased $3.00. Six of one and half a dozen of another. I'm sure it was advantageous to either the client or IPSOS. Every time IPSOS has swallowed another MSC it increased the shopper field. Bonuses are fewer. It's not personal, strictly business. Regardless it's not good for shoppers. Every shopper who has survived the last five years in this profession can be proud.deleted

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2023 06:06PM by cjbstar.

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Some of us live where gas is not as expensive as other places. Where I am at, I can find gasoline anywhere from about $2.80 - $3.20 per gallon, even at the more expensive stations. The station nearest the town I am closest to is currently selling regular gasoline for $2.899. I saw $2.92 in Huntsville just a few days ago. My son said something about a "local (ish)" station at $2.829, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention because we weren't going that way.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2023 07:08PM by Morledzep.

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Ijust checked the IPSOS board....these stations are now reverted back to their old fee/reimbursement rate of $12/!10....hmmmm, so maybe the driving force WAS IPSOS, you think?

Not to be snarky - well, yes, it is snarky.
Usually there is a certain scheduler who comes on to comment about IPSOS.

Crickets so far.

I can't agree more. Where I live most fuel costs $3.60-$4 or more per gallon and a lot of the locations in my area I would have to drive 50 miles one way to get to a location in the middle of no where and the base pay wouldn't even cover the fuel to get there. I quit doing them last year.

Most, but not all, were bonused $5 last week in my area.

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

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@claabe I am not thrilled with the new $15/$3 pay rate either. I don't understand how our work made them the # 1 rewards program in the U.S. I am not sure that is even accurate. I presume you are talking fuel rewards program and not rewards program in general. I thought we weren't supposed to use fuel rewards when making a purchase.

The profit you stated was not all from selling gas to their gas station partners. The new fuel reimbursement is horrible. I wish I was getting 25 mpg. I have to be more astute in the jobs I do take since my mileage isn't that great.

It would be fantastic if the sales people could convince their retail oil customers to do more mystery shops and audits. I don't think once a quarter is enough and I feel that more shifts need to be tested instead of one random time or either day or afternoon/night like the other blue, white, and red station. I haven't done a couple of these gas stations in a year since they get picked up at base. One has a weathered faded sign that looks bad and reflects poorly on the brand and one would notice it more at night than in the day, but you can tell it is off during the day. Another station needs to change the bulbs for the sign that illuminate the station and oil company's brand name at night. Those have been out for over half a year. If the shopper is going there only during the day, then they would miss this on the report so no one hears about it these issues that need to be addressed

A gas station employee told me she had moved from another state and the station she worked at used to have all three shifts shopped/audited. I know not all of us here would want to shop all shifts, but it goes to having more opportunities than not. I believe she said this was done monthly which kept the station on their toes. After the red, white, and blue station gets the report back, they know from past experience that they won't have to worry about anyone swinging by tomorrow or the next week to check on them to see if improvements were made. The station might make some improvements, but after two months pass by you know they become complacent and slip back into the same bad habits.

Another shopper was advocating a while back that the company's market cap should be tied to the fee we get. Not sure how that would work out. If the stock currently trades at a P/E of 10 and collapses to 2, are we supposed to take an 80% hit to our fee?

Moderator Note:

Quoted portion deleted. This is one of MANY posts which violate the Forum rule that states not to mention the Client when the MSC has been mentioned. Since IPSOS has been mentioned several times in this thread, any posts mentioning ANY gas clients have been deleted, since IPSOS has so many of them. Feel free to edit your post and then re-post.

In today's day and age, $2 dollars worth of gas is absolutely ridiculous any freaking way you look at it. There is no station ANYWHERE in our shopping area (multi-state) where gas is less than 2.89 a gallon. The MSP reordered the questions and consolidated the pump condition question and they think that is worth a $2 pay decrease. I think the yellow station and the black and red/or orange stations are the only ones with reasonable gas reimbursement. I think a $2 gas purchase unless it's in a gas can totally outs you as a ms and is just crazy. If you are only going to reimburse $2 for gas then eliminate that gas purchase requirement altogether so we can just buy gas at Walmart or Kroger where it's cheaper. Since the post-COVID inflation, NO shop should pay any less than $15 period! (Pre-COVID pay was 12+5+1=18 They upped our pay to make us think they were 'keeping up with inflation' to 14+5+1=20 Only to sucker punch us and restrict the pay to make it super stupid as heck to 15+2+1 BACK TO the original 18! It's not a survey they didn't even take any questions away! There are always people hurting who have no choice but to do them cheaply. They are hurting the shoppers who need the money the help worse than others. They are taking advantage of shoppers who are impoverished basically. Rob the poor to keep the rich rich.
I was reading yesterday about Chase (JP Morgan) and several other large lenders taking losses totaling about $5 billion dollars because people are having to default on loans.
[dailyhodl.com]
MSCs are money-hungry companies who part of the problem and not part of the solution. They are not willing to pay reasonably right off the rip they cheat mystery shoppers who are hurting the worst and have no choice but to take the underpaid shops. They don't care about shoppers they only care about "the bottom line", how much can I make? We used to consistently make a minimum of 600-900 a week shopping. Now we are ekking out 150-450. red/blue "every single pump" should pay 15 +5+2 to START not 2-3 weeks into the round. Either up the reimbursements to match inflation or eliminate them. Thank you to the yellow station for being the only one to be reasonable 2 gallons/$2
This is my 2 cents which isn't worth 2 cents because I'm not rich. People seem to only value the opinions of the rich. LM get off my soap box

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2023 02:02AM by F and L TeleComm.

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In my state only 2 or 3 stores even ask about rewards. At least 1 asks me because they know I'm the mystery shopper. No one else asks ever i keep certs but never hardly have to give them out.

@claabe I don't know that our infrequent mystery shops with reveal move the needle on reward program sign ups or clerks asking customers that question. I can tell you that I've never awarded the certificate to a cashier asking if I am a rewards member at any gas station. I've heard it twice and that was after I had revealed myself and the clerk asked the next two people about becoming a rewards member when I was at the counter making observations. I noticed that these two people walked onto the property. I was laughing on the inside thinking this guy better not think that qualifies for a certificate.

I couldn't find any independent data to back up who has the number one fuels reward program. I am not questioning the email you received. Red white and blue might have the most members, but then another company could claim they have the most active members or say they have the biggest payout to their members. I guess it depends on how you want to define number one.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2023 10:16PM by heywave.

I had a pair who parked their car in front of the pump at a busy station for 25 minutes when I decided to take the side picture. As i took the picture, I heard the woamn yell, "put your phone away." I said I had to do my job, take a picture of the pump. If she was gone before i finished, I could take another of the pump and delete these photos. Shortly she left.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

It was a Exxon Rewards member email.
90 % of the Exxon's I do, ask about rewards !

@F and L TeleComm wrote:

Water bottles are two dollars now, Chips are 2.50-4. Most stores do not have 2 for 1 chips anymore. Debbie cakes are 2 dollars.I guess they are trying to push us into paying 75 cents for a 25-cent piece of candy! Personally, I hate overpaying! I've seen Vienna sausages for 2 Dollars! Personally, I don't believe gas station prices are worth a hoot. I try to buy Arizonas, 2-for-a-dollar chips, or crackers with cheese or peanut butter.

I would bet that they have stats they show to the gas stations that show "the average mystery shopper spends $X.XX during a shop; over and above the reimbursed amount." Its dang near impossible to come in under the reimbursed figure. So if I'm the gas station and I'm looking at it...I'm making a few nickles in sales off of people who otherwise would not be coming to my store. Any information they get during the evaluation is great of course too.

I haven't done any of these shops. But I did do a fast food place religiously for several months. Seldom did they address any of the deficiencies I pointed out. I imagine the gas stations are the same way.

That's amazing to have 90% ask about rewards! I am not saying that it isn't true, it is just a huge deviation from my experience which is 0% and @F and L TeleComm 's which is probably at less than 5% with one asking because they recognize the shopper. There was a thread here a while back that other forum members' experiences were that it was low and that it was a waste of paper to print the certificate since hardly anyone asks about rewards.

That is a lot of certificates you must hand out. As far as the email you received, I am simply saying there are different ways to measure who is number one in rewards in the fueling station category. Perhaps another big oil name can say they give out more $ in rewards than any other fuel rewards program. That would make them #1, right?

One component of the work is to note if they mention the loyalty program, not to educate them that they need to ask customers about the rewards program. I think most of us would say that the CSRs rarely wear the nametag and authorized shirt to be in compliance with the uniform. Quarter after quarter I see the same places not have the nametag and/or shirt. Same thing goes for when I am just there buying gas as a regular customer and not as a mystery shopper. Even though the operator sees the report about being out of uniform, they apparently don't care enough to get them to wear a nametag. If there is a financial penalty involved with being out of uniform, then it must be less then buying a name badge.

I would like to thank either @Morledzep or @F and L TeleComm , I will just thank both since they provide good info, but I think one of them pointed out that peanuts are an option to staying under the $1 reimbursement. Not all stores offer that size bag to stay under a buck, but I've purchased them when available since it is a healthier item than buying a stick of gum.

Moderator Note:

Quoted portion removed. This is one of MANY posts which violate the Forum rule that states not to mention the Client when the MSC has been mentioned. Since IPSOS has been mentioned several times in this thread, any posts mentioning ANY gas clients have been deleted, since IPSOS has so many of them. Feel free to edit your post and then re-post.

@Cassiespark wrote:

No bonuses here, all still at $10/$5. And now i see a bunch of Marathons added for $10 and no reimbursement and 2 narrative questions AND new screen prompt photos (which how are you getting prompts on the screen if you aren't buying gas??). This is getting silly.

Wait... $10/$5? I'm stumped. I must not have than brand in my area?

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There are certain gas stations I completely avoid now because I can guarantee you someone will be parked at the pump and be inside playing the slot machines. Almost every gas station in my state has slots now, but the one thing that is most annoying and one of the reasons why I really cut back on doing them is because of employees parking at a pump in the shade under the canopy and when you ask them to move their car they get really rude. The pay is also not good, I can remember when most stations gave you a gallon or 2 in gas to do the shop and up to $3.00 in the store, now you get $2.00 in gas, when gas is $4.20 a gallon in town that's not even a 1/2 gallon and a $1.00 inside, heck a little Debbie is more than a $1.00 now.

@claabe I don't understand. Are you not giving the certificate to the clerk, even when 90% are asking about the loyalty program, because that is part of the job. If they are in uniform and ask if you are a red white and blue rewards member/like more information on the loyalty program, then awarding them the certificate is compulsory.

That is interesting that only the red white and blue stations are asking about rewards and not the other big oil name you mentioned. Good info. That is more in line with my experience

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Certificate...NOPE !! I don't care and will not waste my money !!

the new reimbursement on mobil really annoys me. now my minimum i'll do each station for went up $5.

In general I don't do a lot of handing out rewards and there are many stations I have said -- "I am supposed to give you a piece of paper that says good job but I don't have one in the car so let me personally tell you good job!" But there is one station I always print the reward because she gets so excited and pins them up in the kiosk. It really seems to make her day and so to me, that human interaction is worth the paper and ink. And yes, most of the time they don't qualify for the reward due to not asking about the fuel program. Most do wear name tags/uniforms.

Thank you jazzzyjd! I totally agree. That person who gets so excited it is totally worth it!
I have the cheapest HP printer there is. It is a piece of garbage. I buy Walmart brand ink (Onn) A pack of ink costs me 31 for black and color (double cartridge pack) I normally buy one pack a quarter. I buy paper every two months. By far the shop that takes the MOST ink and paper is Red/White/Blue 1 reg/1diesel by a long shot with the long butt leave behind. I actually retyped pages 2, 3, and 4 and removed the headers and the footers so that it's only 3 pages. I use 6 pages per shop with carbon paper. That means every Red/White/Blue 1 reg/1diesel is 7 pieces of paper. (6 for the leave-behind and 1 for the authorization letter.) I actually prefer the old Red/White/Blue 1 reg/1diesel leave behind because it was only 2 pages long (4+1). I print about 4 certificates a quarter for red/blue every single pump station...and use probably 3...I think I can handle 3 certs a quarter...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2023 01:56AM by F and L TeleComm.

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Can you please tell me where to sign up for Gas station mystery shop like for shell and Exon

If possible can you please mention link here to sign up for mystery shop

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