The last time I did a Sonic I let them upsell me to an item that wasn't on the official list of items to order. When I realized my mistake I went back to the store (only a half-mile from my house) and re-did it, then submitted the second set of information.

What I would have done was to leave, go back and do the shop again and make sure you received a receipt. When I'm given my meal, I always check for the receipt immediately, without fail. By returning, you would've been out the meal money, but you would not had the report rejected.

Never push that red button more than once.

Last year, I did a drive in instead of a drive thru. When I looked at my paperwork, I saw DRIVE THRU in red at the top. It was like it was the first time I saw it! DUH.... I immediately went back to the location and did the drive thru. I drove an extra 80 miles to fix this.

Live and learn, huh?

What would have invalidated the shop, no receipt or asking for one at the wrong time? Most shops allow for one or the other, meaning if no receipt was given and you aren't supposed to ask it's all good. If a server leaves before giving a shopper a chance to say two words and a receipt is required and you aren't allowed to ask for one, you're being set up for failure.

I probably would have taken a pic of the food, the bag (or some other thing like the tray liner) promoting Sonic, and then snapped off a pic of the outside of the location on my way out. It may not replace the receipt, but it would be proof of visit.

Fortunately they always stick the receipt to the bag when I do the shops. If that had happened to me, I probably would have made the same mistake. Thanks for sharing the story.

Like others have said, if I had realized my mistake in time, I would have redone the shop right away. I did this once at a McDonald's special order shop that was 30 miles away from home. I forgot to ask for no mayonnaise, so I went to do another shop nearby and then returned to the restaurant. I walked up to the the same employee and made a remark about how the first sandwich didn't fill me up. How clever of me, I thought to myself. Of course, I was so focused on my cover story I forgot to ask for no mayonnaise again, and ended up leaving with my tail between my legs.

I had to return the next weekend just for that one shop. This incident, along with a couple of other out-of-town shops that I had to redo, cured me of the notion that I should take low-paying shops just because they're on the way. (Of course I still do them, just not as much.)

I would have redone the shop maybe later in the day. I have gone thru drive thrus and forgotten the receipt - well it only happened one time - left the location and reshopped them later in the day. Hard lesson but hopefully it only happens one time.

Tough experience, BillBryan. I imagine it will never happen to you again, that is if you are willing to take the assignment a next time. With this MSC, there may be options. Even bonused shops sometimes can be rescheduled for the next day, or next. Self-assignment can save the day.

If you don't read the guidelines, or miss something, that's just us being human. I've had a few invalidations with the MSC. I've appealed and won all but one. It was totally my fault, so of course I did not appeal. Was a retail store and the guidelines were that if I was not assisted within twenty minutes, I was to leave the store. Totally flubbed that one, as I had not thoroughly read the guidelines, and frankly, it's an unusual requirement. Leave the store without being assisted, without making a purchase for proof, and get paid for it?! At that time, it seemed unheard of, at least to me.


mystery2me ~ Thanks for the laugh

I have already received receipts attached to my bag or cup it says reprint

Don't beat yourself up. I have been doing this longer than most MSPs. I asked for a receipt yesterday. The clerk said, "Sure. There's a survey here too if you want to do that." I took the paper and put it in my wallet. A couple minutes later, I get it out to inspect in my car. I have a flipping survey and no receipt. For a $1 coffee. It happens. Reschedule it or cancel it. Be thankful it wasn't for a ton of money. Cheap lesson learned.

I was told once when I let the receipt fly away that if I had remembered the amount I paid, it would have saved the situation. I was surprised.

Where I forget to ask for receipts is at Golden Chick. They don't give them automatically. It took me a while to remember it at a convenience store I shop, but at least there I can just go in and say I forgot to buy something else and then ask for the receipt. I now see the store name and think "receipt".

It's very windy where I live most of the time. I was doing a DQ drive thru and the window attendant handed me my receipt, but the wind blew it out of her hand! It went flying into the busy street. I told her I needed it and she printed me another one. Phew!

I would have redone it immediately, or rescheduled if another date was available.
Consider it a few bucks tuition payment for the school of hard knocks.
I've yet to graduate from that school, probably since I seem to keep registering for the same four courses, one per semester on a two year cycle...
Get-A-Receipt-Every-Friggin-Time 101
Did-You-Get-Every-Required-Photo 102
How-To-Notice-Special-Order-Requirements 201
What-To-Do-At-A-Closed-Location 301

I blew an arches shop by using a phone app as a timing device and the phone crashed (hit the floorboard) when I was doing the drive thru and rebooted. I already ate inside, so I was out the full shop cost.

knowing how critical they take the timing, I didn't fake it and went home and self scheduled the same shop for the next morning. The cost of the food was the price to pay for the learning experience. I now record my arches shops and get perfect timings after I am home writing the report.

For this MSC, it's better to just do the shop over and pretend the first attempt didn't happen if you can reassign yourself for a later time.

I know it's not the same situation, but I did a Sonic and while the car hop was handing me my receipt, it blew away. She apologized and asked if I REALLY needed it. I laughed it off and said no, but in my mind I was screaming NO!!!!! I explained what happened in my report and I was paid for the shop.

Thanks for sharing that info, BillBryan. I learn from my own mistakes all the time, so it's nice to be able to learn from someone else's mistake before I make it.

It's also refreshing to see a poster take full responsibility for their own flubs instead of bashing the MSC for their stupid guidelines. They may be stupid (to us) but we accept them anyway, don't we?

Because you have "busy carhops" or carhops who don't think of handing you a receipt, I do the following:

As soon as the carhop gets near my car, I scan her tray table for my receipt. (If I don't see it stapled to my bag) Nothing else matters at that moment BUT getting that receipt!

I watch her as she hands me my food, and then I pay, focusing on that moment where she could just walk away not handing me the receipt. I ask for that receipt and don't let her get away without giving me one.

One time the car hop threw my receipt away! I told her to ask the manager to make me a receipt and he DID.. I was paid for the assignment.

kathygry Wrote:
> I know it's not the same situation, but I did a Sonic and while the car hop was handing me my
> receipt, it blew away. She apologized and asked if I REALLY needed it. I laughed it off and said
> no, but in my mind I was screaming NO!!!!! I explained what happened in my report and I was
> paid for the shop.

How funny! I had the same thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago. In my case I said I really needed the receipt, and the manager brought it out to me. Fortunately I was on a route and didn't see myself going back there any time soon; otherwise, I may have done the same as you. In any case I never got a check back, so I must not have outed myself.

I have had a golden arches shop where I forgot to ask for a receipt at the drive-thru and they never seem to give one voluntarily there so I just pulled around again and redid that portion. I told them my husband just called and said he wanted food too. I was paid.

I had a Sonic drive through shop where I did ask for the receipt, but the cashier nearly dumped my drink on me and then dropped my change all over the road outside the car so was distracted and forgot to get it to me. Since we are to ask only once I did not have a receipt but explained the issue which would be CLEARLY visible on camera since it was something out of a Three Stooges movie and was paid.

The closest I got to invalidation was a Turkey Hill shop that I completed perfectly. I had something to do after that so returned home after 9:30pm to write my report. It was half done when I realized I shopped the wrong location! I actually wrote an email saying I screwed up and sent it before my hubby suggested I just go do the right location, so 10:30pm on a sunday night I was out buying coffee. I did the report and sent another email telling scheduling to disregard the first. I was out $2 and some time and gas money, but received a really nice thank you note on monday morning from the scheduler for fixing my boo-boo so I thanked my hubby for being the voice of reason.

Way to go, VickyS! That's the stuff that builds shopper cred with an MSC.

Sort of off-topic, but is it not customary to tip carhops at restaurants like this (and more than 12 cents?)? If so, doesn't <the MSC> cover it or if you want to tip it is on your own? There is no Sonic around here but a friend of mine's daughter works at one in another state and makes a lot in tips, but she also makes server wages which are less than minimum wage. <The MSC> really should be paying shoppers at least $1 to tip, especially if the carhops aren't even making minimum wage. It would be like stiffing a waitress.



Mod note: Hi Rainy! Since we're all discussing the client openly by name, please remember to NOT name the MSC. Thanks!

AFAIK, carhops qualify as a servers and should be tipped accordingly. Good catch.

There is another thread that also discusses this.

AFAIK, this MSC does not reimburse for tips on this shop, even if you come in under the reimbursement amount. Having worked as a server in a previous life, I always tip, and would do so even if the carhops made the pitifully low minimum wage here (which I'm pretty sure they don't.) This reminds me I should add the tips as unreimbursed expenses on my spreadsheet.

Sorry that happened to you but I definitely learned something from this (even though Sonic is not available where I am from)

Now the Sonic shops require a photo. However, I have, on occasion, lost my receipt or not gotten one. I do so many of these, that I know what the cost is. I simply explain the problem to them. I have always gotten paid.

I've never done a shop for Sonic so I don't know exactly what the instructions say, but I almost always use a credit card for all of my shops because that way I am sure of getting a receipt. I do realize, of course, that sometimes the instructions might say not to use a credit card.

I usually use a credit card. I have used cash as well. I've never had a receipt problem. Getting a receipt is very much on my mind. No receipt = big trouble!

Can I guess? <most of an MSC name> ????????????????



Mod note: You've gotta be kidding... right? You've been here long enough to know better. So stop that.