As a mystery shopper, you may enjoy the ability to work independently and without the constant supervision of a boss or manager. You can select the assignments you want to work on around your schedule and based on your work preferences. You can even choose which providers you want to work with. This independence is desirable and preferred on most days. However, there are times when you will need to get in contact with your mystery shopping provider. Perhaps you have a question, an issue or a complaint about not receiving your payment. There are so many reasons why you may need to cal your provider, but what happens if your provider won’t return your calls?
Call the Main Number
If you are trying to reach a specific person for a specific issue, you may want to consider calling the main number and talking to the operator or receptionist. Some people do go on vacation or may be out of the office with an illness, but they may not have changed the message on their voice mail to reflect this. If you call the main number, you can ask if the specific person you are trying to reach is in the office. Mention that you’ve left a voice message or two, but that you have an urgent matter and you would like to talk to someone else if possible. In most cases, you will be able to reach someone who can help you out.
Send an Email
If the person who you really need to speak with is unavailable or is otherwise not responding to your phone calls, you can consider sending an email message to go along with the voice message you left. There are times when a voice mail system may be down or when a person is swamped with work. It’s easy to push aside a voice mail message when you have a million other things on your desk. However, you should consider that an email in addition to your voice mail message may indicate the urgency of your matter.
Be Patient
If the matter is not entirely urgent, consider just waiting a day or two for a response. The fact is that you really don’t know what else the other person has going on. They may be covering for a co-worker who is out sick, only working a half-day because they have personal issues to tend to or something else altogether. Being patient may not be ideal, but on the other hand, you may look highly unprofessional if you make a big deal about trying to reach someone for a very minor matter. You certainly don’t want to make a bad impression on your provider, so be patient if possible.
If all else fails, you can call the main number of the provider’s office and ask to speak with their supervisor. Of course, this step should only be done if the matter is highly urgent or if you have tried for days to reach your contact and have been unsuccessful. Ultimately, time, patience and persistence are the keys to getting in contact with someone who is difficult to reach.
Most companies have excellent schedulers! My experiences have all been positive. There are several companies that seem to be computerized – I receive auto-replies and generic emails with no name attched. It’s a RED FLAG when the “Reply-To’ addy is ‘marketing@ or scheduling@, etc. When I realize I have signed up for an autobot MSC, I will do ONE job and wait for payment before performing another. If I’m paid the correct amount on the expected date, s’all good.