Maybe because its late and I just can't sleep. Or maybe it's that I need some encouragement.
Either way I would like to hear some tales about your first video shop.
Technology scares me. I still have a stupid phone. But based on the requests I have been
receiving lately I wonder if it's time to take the plunge.

I haven't gone into the realm of video shopping yet, but I absolutely could not do mystery shopping without my smartphone. I use a voice recorder and having access to email, maps, directions, store/bank hours/websites, MSC websites, and any notes I want to take before or after a shop are invaluable. It makes shopping/interacting so much more natural when you don't have to look at a watch for timing purposes or to try to remember the exact words spoken, because you've got everything recorded. I may get a cheap video recording device just for my own purposes. (I know you have to buy industry standard video equipment to do video shops.) Once you get a smartphone you will wonder how you managed without one before. And, you can write off part of the expense on your taxes.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2014 03:11PM by nycrocks.

I was scared to death the first time I did a video shop but it all turned out just fine. Since then I've had only two problems. One the connector from the audio to my unit wasn't completely in and I ended up with no audio. Had to go back and re-do the location which was scary because I'm quite identifiable. I colored my hair a different color but there's no way to get around my accent. I try to sound American but my family say I end up sounding Russian. The second time I had my unit on and I stopped for subway and got the bacon and egg. I must have had grease on my hand and touched the camera because I did two home shops before checking and I had just a grey fuzzy video. Audio was fine. Amazingly the company accepted it and I was paid fully. I'm really careful about eating now when I have my video rig on.

I did my first video shop in 2005 after getting training from the MSC on their equipment. No problems. Since then the equipment has gotten earier and easier to use and much, much more reliable. Athough snafus do happen, it is seldom the technology that ruins a video shop. More often, it is that the shopper does not have a plausible back story/scenario for the longer interactions like new home, apartment, automobile sales or assisted living shops that results in a rejected shop. The tech is the easy part! The reason that you see stories about tech glitches on the forums is that we are all trying to help one another to solve any tech problems that do arise. In addition, with a few MSCs that do not have video-savvy schedulers getting into video, we have seen some tech glitches that resulted from shoppers getting NO, or totally inadequate training on the equipment and then being sent out to sink or swim. To avoid that problem start with one of the "big seven" video companies and borrow their equipment for a few shops before investing in your own. They are all listed as sponsors at
[www.videoshoppingnetwork.org].

OR, attend my session at the upcoming IMSC conference in NOLA on July 29. It is called, "Am I ready for video shopping?"

The technology of the camera itself is not that complex. You do need to be proficient enough on a computer to copy your files to your computer and, with most Video companies, upload the files to them via a third party server. You can send them the SD card with the shop, but that can get old with having your SD cards out and waiting for them to come back. I have a stash of at least 20 SD cards, purchased yearly.

If you are going to borrow equipment for your first shops (I did for 2 new car shops), be aware that your shop will only be as good as the equipment you were sent. I did both shops - one was good and the second one failed. I don't know if it was my fault or the equipment's fault, but I didn't get paid for one of the shops. I chalked the two hours up to learning and decided to invest in my own equipment. My failure rate has been relatively low since that first shop, and I can pretty much confirm that those failures have almost been entirely my own fault. I can think of only two that failed that I cant explain.

Equipment can be costly, and some of it needs to be replaced periodically. But pay is definitely much more lucrative. When I first started, I found a fair amount of shops within a close proximity of my home. As I completed those shops, I have found I need to travel further distances to make the money I want to make. I haven't progressed to multi week routes yet, but I suspect they might be in my future. I find you get spoiled with the higher pay, and I am more reluctant to take lower paying written shops.

My first video shop was for a MSC that sent the equipment and basically said, "Here you go." If it wasn't for someone on this forum who took the time to walk me through it, I likely would not have gotten into video. As it is, I bought my own rig and haven't looked back.

Then again, video isn't for everyone. I suspect because I have some experience in writing novels, as well as magazine articles, it might be easier for me to create the backstory to help make me believable.

I've just gone down Video Shopping Lane. I'm thinking about getting formal training but need to get up the funds first. I failed completely with one assignment. I video-taped at the wrong angle for the whole 30 minutes. Shop was rejected of course. It taught me a lot and now I take more care in getting my angles right. I think that it just takes practice. Try them out, they may or may not be for you.

Last week, I was able to do six video shops. It was a good week.

James Bond 007.5 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Then again, video isn't for everyone. I suspect
> because I have some experience in writing novels,
> as well as magazine articles, it might be easier
> for me to create the backstory to help make me
> believable.

Do you mean, in case your equipment gets spotted and you have to explain the camera? Has this ever happened to anyone? Excuse me if I sound ignorant, but I am not familiar with video shopping and don't even know where the lens is exposed. If a target knew they might be shopped is it likely that he/she could spot the equipment i looking for it? Yikes!

Once you put on that camera and start up the DVR it is a leap of faith. Regardless of the number of shops I still worry about those angles.

Back to the OP's question about first shops. Mine was a doozy. It was a new car shop and the client had a list of things we had to ask to see or bring up if the associate didn't do it first. So all of that is running through my mind along with keeping my angles and my back story. The sales associate I end up with could not have been more hyper. He was talking a mile a minute. We went to the back lot to look at cars and he was jogging 10 feet ahead of me. He kept moving back and forth between and around cars. He has me sitting in one to demo some of the features while in the back of my mind I know I need to get out of the car as quickly as possible to get him back on camera. Before I can do that he jumps on the door! Apparently that is SOP to demonstrate how well the car is made, but it was the first I'd seen or heard of it. On top of it all he was a major hard sell when we got back to his desk. While trying to be firm and get the hell out of there I managed to forget I was supposed to provide an email address and forgot to ask one of the required questions. Despite it all the video was accepted and the scheduler got quite a chuckle out of my distress.

JenW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> James Bond 007.5 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Then again, video isn't for everyone. I suspect
> > because I have some experience in writing
> novels,
> > as well as magazine articles, it might be
> easier
> > for me to create the backstory to help make me
> > believable.
>
> Do you mean, in case your equipment gets spotted
> and you have to explain the camera? Has this ever
> happened to anyone? Excuse me if I sound
> ignorant, but I am not familiar with video
> shopping and don't even know where the lens is
> exposed. If a target knew they might be shopped
> is it likely that he/she could spot the equipment
> i looking for it? Yikes!

Jen,

It is quite unlikely that a target would spot the equipment. The standard, which is the PV-500 series by Lawmate, is basically police department/private investigator quality equipment [look at spending between $600-800 depending on source and accessories]. I actually did a ride along with one of my local police officers wearing the equipment. I rode with him for his entire shift and we had a bet that, if he could spot the camera, I would buy his dinner, and if he couldn't spot the camera, he would buy me dinner. He didn't find the camera.

As Walesmaven said, the big thing that gets shoppers spotted is flaws in their backstory. For example, claiming to have a classic Porsche and not knowing that all Porsches have the ignition switch on the left side [has to do with their racing heritage]. That's a rather weak example, but I think it conveys the idea...you say something in your story and then you later say something that contradicts what you said earlier.

Perhaps a better example would be when I went to shop a new home. The salesman had seen the car I drove up with and immediately concluded that I couldn't possibly afford a $350,000 home. He didn't want a thing to do with me. I asked if the house was available with a three car garage. He said yes and asked why. I pulled out my phone and showed him two pictures--one of me behind the wheel of a Maserati convertible, and the other with me behind the wheel of a $750,000 1915 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. I told him the Toyota was my "daily driver". I didn't photoshop the pictures. My insurance agent owns both cars and he was kind enough to take the pictures of me in them. Once he saw the pictures, his entire demeanor changed and he became the perfect salesperson.

By scenario and back story, I mean making it believeable that you would/could buy that million dollar house o5 $90 K car, or really have the POA for your aunt to buy or rent an assisted living apartment for her. Most, but not all, video shops involve interactions of 30 minutes to two hours. You will need a consistent story, a follow-up phone number that has your voice on the outgoing message and is NOT your personal phone (seperate FU phone number for each site managed by the same cleint, of course) and a unique email address for follow-up for each site managed by the same client. So, if I am shopping seven new homes, all built by Ryan, I need seven back stories, seven working phone numbers with my voice on the message, and seven email addresses. Oh, yes, and 7 names. If I ever in my life shop an 8th, 9th, or 10th Ryan new home, I will need to be sure not to reuse any of those former names, numbers or addresses. ( For articles on systems for managing all of this information, please see my articles in back issues of the MS Magazine. )

You do not neeed to run multi-week routes to make very good money on video shops. Two or three nights on the road, with some travel bonus thrown in by the MSC and, if doing new homes and/or high end automobiles, you could be looking at $800 and more in fees. That pays for a video rig pretty fast.

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, if I am shopping seven new homes, all
> built by Ryan, I need seven back stories, seven
> working phone numbers with my voice on the
> message, and seven email addresses. Oh, yes, and
> 7 names.

Why do you need 7 back stories? I always use the exact same one for every single new home shop I do. I just change the personal information (name, etc). It helps that I'm always transferring there with my company, it's a company I'm very familiar with, and it's reasonable they would have employees buying $200k homes and $1 Million homes.

I change my backstory when shopping the same builder or different builders in the same community because I don't want agents discussing the person they almost sold a house to and finding that the backstory was the same but the name was different. Being busted after the shop on new homes would disqualify me from a lot of potential future shops. I will use the same back story and name/contact information for different builders in different areas or cities.

rovergirl is right on the money. Once a week, all of the new home agents from that builder have a mandatory meeting. They talk about trends in the sorts of potential buyers they are seeing, and similar matters. Relocatees are always of special interest, since they tend to come unencumbered by an unsold home. If you are a relocatee at every shop, you need to have different reasons, employers, etc. If not, you are heading for a big fall with that builder. YMMV

Great feedback thanks to all!
@ Nycrocks you are right there are so many new shoppers apps and you have reminded me it is time to upgrade to a smartphone for better organization on the road and on assignments
@ Jpgilham this makes me take note to test the equipment before entering the establishment-glad you were paid
@ walesmaven thanks for the link. I do like the idea of borrowing equipment first although that would make me feel worse if I fumbled the assignment. Your session sounds like exactly what I am looking for because I am literally asking myself " Am I ready for video shopping?" Where is Nola and is there a teleconference or video link for it?
@ Mcerex- 6 videos in one week. Hats off to you!
@James Bond 007.5 It sounds like it has paid off for you. It is good to know that I can check in here along the way
@ JenW- being spotted is my biggest worry. I read former posts about the camera falling out of a buttonhole. My luck I would be recording the goings on inside my blouse... Ee gads
@LisaStl- what an adventure that must have been! I suppose I could test it with the kids jumping all over the place with me trying to catch up.
@ bgriffin and rovergirl529 and walesmaven- the backstory will probably take a sideline to my getting use to handling the equipment. Did you find yourselves fumbling on the backstory due to worrying about the equipment?

So much to take in. There's money to be made. Like anything else worthwhile it sounds like you must study the angles, do your homework and practice.

I would suggest doing shops where you can be yourself while you are learning the equipment. Lisa is on the money, after hundreds of video shops, I still fret about my camera angles and if the camera is on during the entire shop. Stressing over your story and your equipment will trip you up, so try simple apartment shops and maybe auto shops to begin with. You can usually get loaner equipment for those types of shops. And find an opportunity to take a class. It will be the best investment you can make for video shopping. You can learn to do all of this on your own, but you will save money in the long run taking a class with an experienced shopper.

There are lots of tricks of the trade you can pick up in a class such as Wales'. You also can learn thru trial and error things that will trip you up and then work harder the next time to avoid it happening again. For example, I had a 2 hour memory care shop using an alias. I was fine throughout the entire shop with my fabricated story about my Mom who could not be trusted in her own home any longer. I was doing great until we ended our tour and returned to the meeting room. As I walked to my seat, the salespeople were behind me. One of them called my name a couple times and, of course, I did not turn around because it wasn't my name. The salesperson finally got in my sight line and used my alias, and I responded. I brushed it off as being so preoccupied with the effects of the tour I was in my own world. Even managed to produce some tears. We moved on without issues. So I learned to stay focused and aware of where people were around me at all times.

I had another potential backstory problem when I arrived at the sales office, totally prepared with my story, and the sales person wasn't there. At that point, I went into find the salesperson mode and ended up on the phone with the scheduler to find out what they wanted me to do. The salesperson pulled up and I hopped out of the car ready to shop. The problem was, I had forgotten who I was supposed to be while I was focused on finding the salesperson. So I ditched my alias, crossed my fingers and used my maiden name and old email address. The salesperson didn't seem to notice the slight hesitation I had in giving my name, and maybe it wasn't as pronounced as I thought it was, but the shop proceeded without further mishap.

I have had the camera cord slip out of the camera, the battery come un-engaged from the camera body, and the extended life battery die, even though it hadn't been used more than an hour. You have to let the camera concerns go, and just focus on the shop, because there is nothing you can do about the equipment once you are in the shop.

I had nine shops in three days for one builder. Since I had a few weeks notification, I let myself grow a full beard...and I now have some gray showing with the dark brown. After the first day of shops, I shaved off most of the beard, just leaving my moustache and goatee. After the second day of shops, I used Just for Men's "Touch of Gray and their beard and moustache coloring and left my glasses in the car, just to help change my appearance each day. I also had five different baseball-style caps. On the first and third days, I wore a different cap on the first and third shops, on the second day, I wore the cap on the second shop.

As far as occupations, I've done everything from self employed commercial photographer [not too far from the truth] to a retired Formula 1 team member who was buying the local Ferrari dealership [while driving to the neighborhood I had noticed five Ferrari's in driveways]. I've been a locomotive engineer [actually did that a few times with the local short line. Perhaps the strangest occupation I had was on a video car shop. The sales person wouldn't stop talking about me. He finally got around to asking about my occupation>

Me: I sell nuclear reactors to power companies for GE.

Salesperson: That's interesting. What's the job like?

Me: I can't tell you.

Salesperson: Why?

Me: Because you don't have the security clearance.

Salesperson: How do you know I don't?

Me: If you did, you wouldn't be here trying to sell me a new car.

I hated to chop him off at the knees like that, but I was on a route and I needed to get him back to talking about the car. Needless to say, after that he stayed focused on trying to sell me a car.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2014 04:36AM by James Bond 007.5.

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rovergirl is right on the money. Once a week, all
> of the new home agents from that builder have a
> mandatory meeting. They talk about trends in the
> sorts of potential buyers they are seeing, and
> similar matters. Relocatees are always of special
> interest, since they tend to come unencumbered by
> an unsold home. If you are a relocatee at every
> shop, you need to have different reasons,
> employers, etc. If not, you are heading for a big
> fall with that builder. YMMV

The company I've worked for I hit all the area in the same week. Meeting is on Monday, I shop the locations Tuesday-Friday, they have their meeting Monday and wonder why this company is bringing in all these new people. If they figure it out it's too late, I've moved on.

Now, if it's a thing where your not in between their meetings or you're not hitting all the builder locations in the area and might come back, sure, I can see where you would need a different backstory.


As for worrying. I must be odd. I worry WAY less on a video shop. To me it seem like less to worry about. I don't stress over if the camera is turned on or has a malfunction while I'm doing the shop. Doesn't make any difference. If the camera shuts down the shop is bad, worrying about it isn't going to change that. I also find it easier because I don't have to focus on remembering what the target says, I just have to remember the things I'm supposed to do. For me that's less stressful, but I understand why that's more stressful for others. I happen to be decent at remembering what my story is supposed to be, I'm horrible at remembering what the other person says. Most people are probably the opposite.

One other thing about the video shops...my PV-500 vibrates for about 2-3 seconds every 30 minutes when it starts to record a new file. If too much time goes by, I'll excuse myself for a restroom break and double check the camera is on and recording. I had the recorder shut down on me once during a car shop. I restarted in the restroom. I had only lost about 10 minutes of the recording and the shop was accepted.

I have done hundreds, maybe thousands of video shops. I lost the button that covered the camera on one, but the camera stayed in place and the shop was perfect for video. I have heard only once about a camera falling out of a pocket, but that was at the point where the shopper had already left the building. Shoppers who have not been trained properly may not secure the wire leading from the camera and mic to the recording unit, and have that come unplugged. Once you know to use electrical tape to secure that, you will be fine.

bgriffin, you obviously have not shopped for the several builders who expressly forbid the shopper from claiming to be a relocatee. In addition, those on site sales reps chat by phone during the week and compare notes. Be prepared to be IDed needlessly if you stick to the same story everywhere. Benn there; done that; have the tee shirt.

jenw,
I chat with dozens of video shoppers a year and at least 20-25 of the most active ones. No one has ever had the camera lens spotted. We have all been IDed at least once, and it was always due to a contradiction in our back story or a just plain dumb mistake on the part of the shopper. Equipment failure is so rare with the PV-500 units that it's "all hands on deck" on line when it happens, trying to find a reason and a solution. A very few shoppers have had rigs that were defective from the get-go and these have been replaced by the supplier. Best practice is to do a few practice shops with a new rig before a real shop, just to make sure it is (and you are) performing properly.

Once you turn the rig to "record" and stow it out of sight, the equipment issue is out of your hands (literally and figuratively). That's when you say, "Showtime!" and go out on stage. Video shopping keeps you humble, lol.

Like bgriffin, I worry much less during a video shop than doing the same shop without video. I can use my brain for thinking, rather than for storage. Keeping the target framed in the video became second nature by the time of the third shop, back in 2005. Avoiding video of ceilings and/or one's own nostrils, comes with a little practice and the right anchorage (shirt or shopper's body, at shopper option and preference) for the camera lens. Anyone can do that part by practicing alone at home, and making adjustments to get it right. You can do a test shop to practice keeping the target framed by walking around any large store or another place where you can interact with others.

Where is nola?

That would be New Orleans, LA, where the Independent Mystery Shoppers' Conference is being held July 29-30, followed by a seperate day of video training on the 31st. There will be another conference in Las Vegas in November. For more information, google IMSC or do a search on IMSC for "all dates," on this forum. For information on video training classes, see the VSN site that I listed above. There is a whole section there about training dates and sites.

Six videos in a week is easy peasy, next week I have 11 in my home area. My record may be one week with 33 apartments and two retail shops across two states.

While once you start the shop there is sometimes little you can do, I pay attention to the heat coming from the button cam and the DVR. I've also had my share of mishaps. A few were irretrievable while an equal number worked. At an apartment the battery died within the first ten minutes. I noticed and got it changed in the restroom in time to record the rest of the shop. The MSC accepted it with detailed written narrative on the parts missed, something that doesn't always happen. A short in the camera wiring caused a couple of blackouts during a retail shop. For some reason they were only during the time I was browsing so both required interactions were there and the shop was accepted. I also had a battery die on a new car test drive in Duluth, Minnesota. It was already an orphan shop making it more critical. It was also the only time out of a couple hundred car shops that the sales associate didn't go with me and the MSC would have just edited out the time I was driving around alone anyway

How hot do the cameras get? I perspire very easily with any kind of direct heat.

The camera lens, which is covered by a shirt button, becomes warm to the touch, but not really hot. Being able to touch the button and find that it is warm provides reassuring evidence that the whole rig is working, lol. Most shoppers wear a tank top or undershirt under their button-front shirt. The recording unit is about the size of a pack of cigarettes. I carry mine in a pouch on a neoprene belt around the upper chext, with the pouch hidden under one arm, so it is invisible. The pouch insulates me from the warm unit. So, no problem. Others use a belt pouch or even place the unit into a pants pocket.

Older units, made by Archos, were larger, heavier, and became too hot to keep comfortably in a pants pocket for a long shop. The PV-500 is much more user friendly, in every way!

Wales, does your PV-500 vibrate when it starts a new file after 30 minutes? My EVO2 does and I was wondering if that was a new feature or something that had always been standard? I find that to be reassuring also.

My model purchased in 2010 does not and I don't recall my back up Lite doing it either. In fact, I have had a couple instances of panic when checking video and only seeing a few minutes because I didn't realize the shop had lasted over 30..

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In fact, I
> have had a couple instances of panic when checking
> video and only seeing a few minutes because I
> didn't realize the shop had lasted over 30..


Did that on my very first video shop ever. When testing out the camera I didn't have any test videos over 30 minutes, so didn't know it started new files at 30 minutes. Almost cried when I walked out of the dealership and thought I only got 14 minutes of video.

Maybe the vibration is a new feature. I find it reassuring.

No vibrations on either of my pre-2010 PV-500s. Yes, scared the hell out of me the first time I used a PV-500 and saw that I had 5 minutes of video showing when I turned it off. Of course, that turned out to be 2 twenty minute segments and one 5 minute segment. The older units run about 20-22 minutes per segment.

Just Friday, I excused myself to the restroom during a shop to check to see that the rig was turned on, right after the greeting. I suddenly had a sinking feeling that I might have forgotten to hit "record." But, all was well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2014 08:30PM by walesmaven.