PUMPING GAS IN AMERICA

I agree! Especally with the battery part. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of an audit and having to walk into the gas station, head down to buy batteries! Been there, done that. I wonder if there is such a thing as a car recharger for batteries

Mantis Wrote:
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> Keep a spare set of batteries in your digital
> camera bag.
>
> If you can capture numerous issues in one photo,
> submit that photo for every relevant question in
> your report. It was an obvious timesaver for me,
> but I'm sure many shoppers take and submit
> separate photos for each infraction. That just
> isn't necessary.
>
> Each shop should take no more than 20-30 minutes,
> once you've done a few and are familiar with the
> requirements. If you're taking longer than that,
> then you're probably being too thorough. Time is
> money, obviously.

Robin

Silver certified, I shop in Cities in NM and TX that no one has ever heard of.

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OMG I love doing gast stations. They are just my daily job LOL. I always carry with me extra authorization letters in case when on a route I find one available near me (I use the cell phone to check jobs sometimes). LOL I send the MCS always tons of pictures. On an avarage I take 40 pictures per gas station.
I met the state inspector once and talking he found out I audited a gas station in town X. He said they had complained bout me...they said I am too strict. LOL

Shopper and auditor since March 2012.
Cover all center/north Oklahoma and south Kansas.

Wow. I had 4 audits yesterday and only averaged 21 pics per station. The worst of the bunch was only 25. It takes time to size, label and upload that many photos. Mantis has it right, capture as much as possible in as few photos as possible.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

i save time by not sizing or labeling them after the fact : ) Never a complaint on my end...

I also take as few photos as possible. The less to deal with later.

If a pump is blocked, I no longer wait and that has decreased my time at the station. The main reason they want a photo of each pump is to see the pop. So I just make sure I get it in the photo and move on.

Less is more with these type of shops.

= + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = +
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==
When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

Why size???? If you use a camera +10 Mpixel you can use the smaller size of pictures. It gives out the perfect size for the reports and all the details are visible.

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> Wow. I had 4 audits yesterday and only averaged 21
> pics per station. The worst of the bunch was only
> 25. It takes time to size, label and upload that
> many photos. Mantis has it right, capture as much
> as possible in as few photos as possible.

Shopper and auditor since March 2012.
Cover all center/north Oklahoma and south Kansas.

Because I prefer taking photos at a larger size. Like labeling, it may not be necessary, but it is just for my benefit since I'm old and it is easier for me to see. I do everything in batches so the time is minimal and is not "hands on" time. In fact, while the program is running it gives me time to go get a cup of coffee or glass of wine

cvb - GREAT idea to set it beside the pump rather than hang it on the pump.
Love it. thanks / Mary

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

I just got an email from market Force...I got my first audit rejected. I shopped the wrong location. Both had the same C store and the address was 1006 (the job) and 1006 where I went. And I even looked at it and thought "I wish i could shop you too so I get more money"...I am so MAD at myself!!!!!!!!!

Shopper and auditor since March 2012.
Cover all center/north Oklahoma and south Kansas.

Same street and number? How is that possible?

Sometimes travel centers have a certain part of it shopped. Some only want the diesel section done, some want only the gas, and some only want the c-store audited.

Great graffiti in an Exxon Men's Room in Alvord, Texas:

First poster wrote: Jesus Saves

Immediately under that, in different handwriting: At Citibank.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

I went into a gas station bathroom for an audit last week and I swear I could hear the scary movie sound effects playing as I looked around horrified! They had probably 50 air fresheners hanging from the ceiling (looked like that movie Seven -sloth) which didn't help the smell, and then the walls and fixtures AAAAGGGGGHHHHH! I snapped a pic, not letting the door close me in for fear I would be stuck there forever. SCARY!!!

Do you ever wonder about the pics of the RR we send in...the horrible, nasty things the editors see. Ewwww.

I don't feel sorry for the editors. They may have to see the nasty restrooms, but we have to experience them in all their glory!

I like these shops but not at what is paid and demanded. Several stations I've done are in low-income areas and rough areas and to get the whole station shot requires leaving the property to get the shot. On several occasions, I felt very too uncomfortable to leave the property to get the shot. I use high quality camera gear that I really do not want to replace. Even with safety risks at hand they will not accept the report. I would do 7-8 of these a day in a loop then they expect the reports in 6 hours! Needless to say I cut back due to the length of time on the reports. For missed pumps or non-numbered pumps I can fix those issues with a little magic. I won’t do them for less than $20.00. I would like to see a scheduler do one of these for 6 bucks! It’s almost insulting offering a shop like this for the skill set needed to do this. Panhandlers make more! And if you miss something the shop is not accepted. But when all said and done they did not put a gun to my head, I was the fool who accepted there T & Cs of the job.

Wow, I;m late getting to this thread. In response to the last post today: if I cannot do it safely, I won't. But I will explain that in my report; the reasons why. In 7yrs, never has a reject.

I agree with Lisa - the highest setting possible. Learned that from the bride, a photographer. It lets me zoom in if I need to double check for infractions, etc - which they do on the other end.

There is a re-size program that allows you to re-size the entire folder. I do what I have to do, and then re-size. Minimum time.

Only once have I been asked to leave (that I recall). I at least got an overall shot (which I now do routinely before I start -esp the "debrands."

Finally- yes Lisa, I agree that one comment was racist. I do NJ and have since I started. Never any problems, I make sure they read the letter, and "no, you don't have to be in the picture!" Around here, many seem to move from station to station, no matter the brand. I think they all know me or the bride by now.

Question:

In BP shops, do they not allow pump approaches in the 2013 season? Just got a hold because of a pump approach being on a canopy column (they could see a "sign" on the canopy column from the overall pic), but they are allowed when the pump is too close to the column. I didn't take an extra pic of it, and I really don't want to run back out and get the pic when it should be allowed (well at least according to 2011, 2012 directions). The book doesn't say anything about pump approaches because we are not evaluating them in 2013.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/2013 04:25AM by SecretAgentMom.

FYI, a typo: It's Valero, not Valera.

Pardon my ignorance but what in the world is a "pump approach"?

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I pray it does not occur that the last thing I did before I died was vacuum the house or eat broccoli.

itsasecret Wrote:
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> Pardon my ignorance but what in the world is a
> "pump approach"?

Its a promotional sign on the side of a pump or column as you approach it.

Pick up a set of the baby refrigerator magnets at the Dollar Store. You know, the ones with ABC, 123, etc. The numbers are magnetic and attach to the front of each pump nicely. I carry them in a ziplock bag, and only use on the pumps without numbers. Not for the MSCs sake, but for my own sanity when I get ready to upload pump pics. Just a little trick tip...

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