I've done consumer research and secret shopper assignments for a while now. I have an idea how much there is to remember on much simpler surveys than the hotel/restaurant surveys i've found. How in the bloody blue blazes are you supposed to remember enough of what you experienced to fill all that out? Especially how are you supposed to do it when you haven't practiced many many many times before?

Someday the phone will fit inside your head, but for now...you just type and talk into it relentlessly and it does all the memorizin'

I audio record and fill out the forms at the hotel as I do each part.

It's surprising at how good your memory becomes with practice. I still record my shops [when not in a 2-party state], but I find I need the recording less and less.

Easiest way to practice is to remember names etc on none shops. And start asking for a receipts on every single penny you spend on non shops. Then it becomes routine. Also practice non shops store front pics. Routine becomes your friend. If you are chicken about a pic on a shop ypu will then have practiced.

@GMooneyhan MBSC wrote:

It's surprising at how good your memory becomes with practice. I still record my shops [when not in a 2-party state], but I find I need the recording less and less.

Same here. Especially as I start doing a shop regularly. I record for times, but a lot of the times I don't need it for anything else.

Once you've checked in/out of a particular hotel chain a few dozen times, you also get a good feel for the script and what to expect.

A new shorthand method I've been practicing in my notes is simply recording the things that are off-script, and I can then easily fill in the rest. I also need to add the time I arrived and the staff member name.

Went to write the narrative for my check out earlier this week and my notes simply said,"11:45 am Sarah". To many that would see like I didn't take very good notes, but I expected Sarah to wish me good morning as I approached her, thank me for staying at the hotel, smile, address me by name, ask about mini bar charges, etc.

I was able to turn that note into 3 full paragraphs.

I have a small note pad. I always put in times, name, and discription, most everything else I remember, unless I have to quote something. When I did a timeshare awhile ago I did the report on my lap top after each area or restaurant.

A couple of months ago I decided to videotape my shops. I used to use a timer and hit "lap" at the important points, then took notes, but I got a few assignments that wanted me to get so much information all at the same time, I couldn't keep up.

Now I could put a lot more verbatim quotes and check back for details I missed, like if I didn't note how full the dining room was. And I got great feedback from the MSC for my detailed reports.

It's really easy to videotape with a phone or tablet as long as you have enough storage. Both my phone and tablet are in cases that hide the screen so I just have to hold it up, kind of absentmindedly, and nobody knows. The first time using a new camera, though, it crashed and didn't record anything, unbeknownst to me, but that never happened again once I added more memory. Still, that failure is in the back of my mind so I try to keep file sizes as small as I can, and I do use notes and even mental notes as a backup. It's easy to stop being mentally aware if you know you're recording, so you have to remain alert.

I don't worry about the recording laws because I'm doing it at places that already have cameras, and even if they don't, I only use it to write my report. I'm not publishing it. I delete it once I'm paid. There is not the slightest chance of being in trouble legally, so anyone worried about such things, just stop. Half the people around you are taking video on their phones.

Actually, I'm surprised they don't just ask us for video of our shops instead of lengthy reports. The only thing you can't record is if something smelled or tasted bad.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2016 07:11PM by ShopWhisperer.

I would never suggest anyone just stop worrying about laws regarding recording. BTW, the laws are about audio recording so video without sound, like many businesses use, is not prohibited in public spaces but still would be in areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy like restrooms, dressing and locker rooms.

I use shorthand similar to SteveSoCal. I most often just make notes of what went wrong, such as "Csh no thk" and "Julie no app", which means that the cashier didn't say 'Thank you,' or that Julie didn't suggest appetizers. Sometimes I put the individual's name and "100" as in they did 100 per cent of what they were supposed to do.