I just did my first two revealed gas station audits, and much to my surprise, they were so easy! Only the first part is "secret", when you check out the store, buy the gas and a $3 item, and make your payment. After that, when I went back in to "reveal" myself, it went very smoothly. Fortunately, the staff members at both stores did everything right, and got their $25 gift cards.
It was also very easy to do the photos. There are ten required, including the washroom, which was not as gross as I thought it might be. I've done the other assignments where I only had to assess the washroom, not take pictures, and I've never seen anything more than a few drops of water or a tissue on the floor. Thankfully, today was no exception. I am of the opinion that the managers have put their staff on the alert about us, and the facilities are cleaned much more regularly than they might be otherwise.
And once I put on my (provided) safety vest, taking the rest of the pictures was so easy, as I didn't have to try to take them secretly. The customers both inside and outside weren't at all curious or intrusive, and the staff members were more than happy to see me.
I've signed up for four more, so my gas expenses for my assignments for the next couple of weeks are paid for! My only problem now is making sure I can actually put $17 worth of gas in my van, since gas prices have dropped so dramatically in the last couple of months. I wouldn't have been able to accept six assignments if I had a small car. As it is, I'm probably going to have to borrow my daughter's vehicle for at least one of them! Now, that's a complaint I'm glad to have!!