RQA pay options

I’m wondering if their pay per hour is the same figure as the pay per job, or if the hourly rate is higher?

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Depends on the project. Biggest Factor for me is drive time.

Most of the jobs I've done for them recently offer EITHER $20.00/hr OR $20.00/location. The difference is, with the location choice, it's a straight $20.00/hr.....no extra for paperwork, reporting time or drive time. BOTH options still pay their $0.30/mile for distance. If you make a route out of town for a job that takes 30 minutes or so in store, but the drive time/distance is going to add up, it might be better to take the $20.00/hr because of the drive time. But if the stores are all near you, and the in-store time is under 30 minutes, it's best to go with the $20.00 per location. For instance, when they had their cinnamon recall last year, I picked up 6 locations near me. I got them all done, including drive time and reporting, in under 4 hours, including drive time. I chose the $20.00 per location and made $120.00. If I had chosen the $20.00/hr option, even with reporting time, I wouldn't have hit $90.00. And I was still able to claim my mileage. So it depends on where the locations are and how long you expect to be in each store.

I had a similar experience with local stores which worked out great. In my haste to snag more that later became available, (which were not in my area) I selected the per hour rate without seeing exactly what it was. I thought it was $30/hr based on a different, previous recall I worked on. Turns out it was $20/hr. It made for a long day of driving @ $20/hr, putting wear and tear on my car in remote areas after dark… I support this company because they treat us well and make things very easy for us. You can’t forget taking a pic, no real narratives, no at home work etc. but I have to re-think taking shops outside of my area. Some of the locations were seasonal or shuttered, which I found a bit odd, and slightly scary.
There’s a self storage shop on the outskirts that I considered if there was a bonus, until I saw that they were adamant about you going alone. Why on earth would that matter? There’s the occasional sketchy shop in my area that gives me pause from time to time.
Thanks but I don’t think $20 is worth the risk of disappearing.

I can't be bothered to keep track of my minutes, so I always chose the per location option. They pay for mileage (partially) anyway.

@BayShopper22 wrote:

I can't be bothered to keep track of my minutes, so I always chose the per location option. They pay for mileage (partially) anyway.

If it's RQA, I start at the minute I leave my driveway and return home, so I don't track minutes per store.

The per location option is not always the best choice.

My most recent project (a 1-off picking up a tainted bottle of liquor from a consumer) would absolutely not be worth the simple $20 payment plus miles.

While the onsite time was less than 2 minutes, it involved almost 90 minutes of drive time up and back, plus time spent corresponding with the company about a bad phone number, purchasing the packaging materials (new box required), and communications with the end user to schedule the pickup.

I piggybacked this job with a route of Presto! gas stations and maximized the earning potential for the job. The mildly annoying task of keeping track of minutes is totally worth it in this instance.

Have synthesizers, will travel...

Per hour is often the way to go. I just finished a job that a lot of product to destroy. One location alone took almost an hour destruction time. It would have been a loser if I had taken it on a per location basis.

Some of their jobs don't offer a choice. I did a candy audit this year that was only offered on a per hour basis. I thought this was interesting because the last time it was a choice. There was also a bunch of stuff added to the instructions about picture quality and data entry. With some of the candy it is hard to get a clear photo of the codes they want. I think they must have had people who took the job for $20 and then tried to rush through it and not check and retake the photos if necessary. You also have to evaluate and photograph the candy at home. The next time they didn't offer the location option knowing that, in most cases, if you are doing the job in less than an hour, you aren't be very thorough.

But I love those jobs that are quick and there are a lot of locations, and you can make great money doing the job on a per location basis!

Love, love, love this company. It is probably the BEST one I have worked for in 20 years of merchandising/mystery shopping. Good pay, quick response time (and a real person answering the phone even in the evening), good instructions, quick payment and even a decent app.
Re: the payment - just do some quick math. If it takes you longer than 10 minutes between locations, choose the Per hour payment. $20 per hour for ALL of the time you spend on it, PLUS 30c a mile is lovely.
I only take the per assigment rate on the locations within a 10 mile radius and I know they will be quick jobs.

I totally agree. Their set up is a model that any MSC can easily follow if they wanted to. Instead the MS companies are too focused on what makes things easier for them. The late pay, making the ICs pay for their payroll expenses, creating complicated apps and surveys that force slip ups… it’s for the birds.
There’s got to be more companies that do recalls, especially for ones that involve serious health consequences. Not finding much though. I would opt for it every time.

@Boutique wrote:

Love, love, love this company. It is probably the BEST one I have worked for in 20 years of merchandising/mystery shopping. Good pay, quick response time (and a real person answering the phone even in the evening), good instructions, quick payment and even a decent app.
Re: the payment - just do some quick math. If it takes you longer than 10 minutes between locations, choose the Per hour payment. $20 per hour for ALL of the time you spend on it, PLUS 30c a mile is lovely.
I only take the per assigment rate on the locations within a 10 mile radius and I know they will be quick jobs.

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