Route tips?
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Many route shoppers recommend that you start with the locations that are farthest away and work your way home.
Take water and snacks in a cooler.
Avoid including a meal shop that has arrival/departure time restrictions. Traffic, roadwork or an unexpectedly long wait at a shop can case that meal shop to fail.
Take a clip or a clothes pin to secure your receipts. Every veteran shopper has has a receipt fly out the car window on a nice day!
Take good notes in the car after every shop!
Enjoy!
Take water and snacks in a cooler.
Avoid including a meal shop that has arrival/departure time restrictions. Traffic, roadwork or an unexpectedly long wait at a shop can case that meal shop to fail.
Take a clip or a clothes pin to secure your receipts. Every veteran shopper has has a receipt fly out the car window on a nice day!
Take good notes in the car after every shop!
Enjoy!
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
For me, taking good notes was the most important thing. Little things like an associate's hair color are easy to forget after the ninth or tenth shop.
Also, make a schedule of the estimated start time for each shop, and give yourself plenty of extra time. This helps you maintain your pace, and also makes it easier to reprioritize on the fly if for any reason you fall behind.
Also, make a schedule of the estimated start time for each shop, and give yourself plenty of extra time. This helps you maintain your pace, and also makes it easier to reprioritize on the fly if for any reason you fall behind.
And....be prepared for a long night completing the reports. LOL
Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.
I am assuming you are doing gas station shops. The reports are lengthy and you have to use Internet Explorer. I upload my photos and label them first along with scanning receipts and labeling them too. I write the location down on a piece of paper, then number the documents and photos.
Good luck and don't forget to check the time on the receipts.
Good luck and don't forget to check the time on the receipts.
If possible, contact each scheduler in writing and ask for an extension of report deadlines, explaining that this will be a part of a long route and you will write a much better report in the morning that you will late at night after a very long day on the road. Most schedulers will cut a route shopper some slack. Since it is EOM madness for schedulers and editors, be sure that you promise to absolutely promise all reports by, say, noon the next day.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
If all or most of the shops are the same type, create an easy cheat sheet. I use a clipboard and keep a mini stapler in the car so receipts are stapled to the cheat sheet after they are photographed with my phone. And what walesmaven said, ask the schedulers if you can submit reports the following morning. You will probably be more tired than you anticipate right now. Depending on time restrictions for the shops, get a really early start if possible. If you can get to the area and knock out a few shops before traffic builds it will give you a mental boost.
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 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.
Not everyone does this but it works for me. If I am doing a route I will usually stop at a Starbucks halfway thru to get a strong cup of java (you will probably need it). I will then knockout the reports I have done while sipping my coffee. My piks have always uploaded faster at a Starbucks or library than when I am at home and with no distractions the reports go very fast. I then finish my route and depending on the time will stop again or just go home to finish the reports. It is a great feeling when I arrive home and the reports have already been submitted. I keep a clipboard that opens up so when I have finished the shop I attach the receipt with my handy little stapler to the notes or CPI. Than the finished shop goes into the closed part of the clipboard and the shops I have to finish are on the top. I found the clipboard at a Staples and it works great, no more pieces of paper flying around the car - haha. I also bring a sturdy bag for the purchases that have to made and just dump those in the bag in the back of my car. If you have pictures send them to your computer so they are ready to download when you are doing the report. When I send the picture I just type the location for the subject. It can get confusing when there are a lot of pictures and I am confused enough.
I am doing two gas station audits but I never really see gas stations shops where I am located.
This is going to sound stupid, but I have never thought about putting the shop location in the subject line when I send myself the pictures. That just saved me a lot of misery trying to figure out which picture goes with which shop lol.
I recommend building a spreadsheet and utilizing Map Quest Route Planner to help figure out the best route for you. Label each location in a systematic order (Location A, B, C, D, etc.).
With any receipts, write down the label from that systematic order I stated before on the back of it to keep things in order, but to also just take 5 seconds to "scan" it to your smartphone, if your phone's capable of it.
For storing receipts, I just use index card holders and an enclosed binder for larger promo materials I need to keep for reporting.
If you haven't already, I'd invest in a portable battery such as any of these: [www.amazon.com]
Plus one of these: [www.amazon.com]
Good luck!
With any receipts, write down the label from that systematic order I stated before on the back of it to keep things in order, but to also just take 5 seconds to "scan" it to your smartphone, if your phone's capable of it.
For storing receipts, I just use index card holders and an enclosed binder for larger promo materials I need to keep for reporting.
If you haven't already, I'd invest in a portable battery such as any of these: [www.amazon.com]
Plus one of these: [www.amazon.com]
Good luck!
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
Do you have anything set up to upload photos directly from your phone instead of emailing them? I use OneDrive and it is so quick and easy. I create folders on my laptop before going out for the day. As soon as the assignment is done and pics are taken I upload them directly to the folder on my phone. I can then do the report from my phone, tablet or laptop. I can't tell you how many times I've wished all this was available to me when I was doing routes with 8 to 15 shops.
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 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.
@Brianneb1429 wrote:
This is going to sound stupid, but I have never thought about putting the shop location in the subject line when I send myself the pictures. That just saved me a lot of misery trying to figure out which picture goes with which shop lol.
Whatever works for you, do it. Unless you find a better method to help get your work done more efficiently, stick with what works, no matter what others think.
Similarly, I create a "note" on my iPhone, which automatically syncs to iCloud. So basically, it's similar to what you're doing as well.
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
I know shops vary in time, but how do you figure out how many shops is too much for one day? I think I have 9 scheduled right now but wanted to add one more. I have figured the shops will take about 30 mins each on average and my total travel time (not including delays) will be about 2.5 hours. Think I can add one more?
Only you can decide how many. Here are some questions to ask yourself.
Are you comfortable with your on site time estimates? Are you familiar with traffic in the area? Have you accounted for longer wait times because it is a holiday Saturday? Have you gotten the okay to do reports the following day? Is a seven to eight hour day your max or do you feel fine working ten plus hours? Do any of the shops have time restrictions?
Are you comfortable with your on site time estimates? Are you familiar with traffic in the area? Have you accounted for longer wait times because it is a holiday Saturday? Have you gotten the okay to do reports the following day? Is a seven to eight hour day your max or do you feel fine working ten plus hours? Do any of the shops have time restrictions?
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 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.
@Brianneb1429 wrote:
I know shops vary in time, but how do you figure out how many shops is too much for one day? I think I have 9 scheduled right now but wanted to add one more. I have figured the shops will take about 30 mins each on average and my total travel time (not including delays) will be about 2.5 hours. Think I can add one more?
Have you performed these shops before? That alone should give you an idea on the amount of time you'll be at the location.
Back when I did my looooooong routes of convenience stores (typically 30-35 locations in one day), I was at each location about 10-12 minutes. I added on 2 more minutes per location to get directions ready for the next location, taking picture of the receipt and finish typing up the narrative in my car. Then added on the estimated minimum driving time. For safe measures, I stuck on an additional 2 hours for breaks, gas fill up, food and downtime to relax and check out the area about midway through the route. Then the tough part was inputting all that data, even though I had the narratives typed up already, which I did half the locations before I went to bed, then grinded the rest out the next morning. That added on another 3-4 hours.
Sorry for the long story, but what I'm getting at is to make sure you add on some contingency into your estimated time it'll take.
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
Save the locations in your GPS or map app. That way, you just tap and go.
GeoVerify the beginning and end of each shop. Name it Shop A Start, Shop A End. That way, you can keep track of your time.
GeoVerify the beginning and end of each shop. Name it Shop A Start, Shop A End. That way, you can keep track of your time.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
The area is pretty rural and about 45 minutes from where I live. I am not super familiar with it, but have been there before. I am expecting some traffic for holidays, but not a ton. I have emailed the respective schedulers and they have approved extra time to input narratives. I just got an email about a lunch shop in the area offering a 40$ bonus, so was contemplating doing that. I have completed all but two of the shops in the past at different locations.
@Brianneb1429 wrote:
The area is pretty rural and about 45 minutes from where I live. I am not super familiar with it, but have been there before. I am expecting some traffic for holidays, but not a ton. I have emailed the respective schedulers and they have approved extra time to input narratives. I just got an email about a lunch shop in the area offering a 40$ bonus, so was contemplating doing that. I have completed all but two of the shops in the past at different locations.
$40 bonus makes the deal slick, especially if within your route and it'll cover food for part of the day.
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
onedrive is for android & cloud is mac right/
ive never used ie for my shops. who says must use ie for gas stations?@lucky7s wrote:
I am assuming you are doing gas station shops. The reports are lengthy and you have to use Internet Explorer. I upload my photos and label them first along with scanning receipts and labeling them too. I write the location down on a piece of paper, then number the documents and photos.
Good luck and don't forget to check the time on the receipts.
No. OneDrive is a Microsoft product. I use it with my Windows laptop, iPhone and iPad. It is a free add on to my Office 365. I'm sure there are other similar products. It's just the one I'm familiar with and know will work across the platforms I need.
@MSNinja wrote:
onedrive is for android & cloud is mac right/
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 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.
For me, I put all the addresses in Google maps and arrange the route that makes the most sense time-wise. I then take a picture of the list of addresses so I can easily put them into my phone's GPS along the way. I make a spreadsheet with each shop listed with space to write notes. After each shop I jot down the notes and put the receipt in a folder. Then at the end of the day I have a sheet with all my notes and a folder with all my receipts. I have done many long routes (30+ shops in a day) and this system works best for me.
Man how do you do thirty shops in a day? Im guessing they are shorter shops?
@Brianneb1429 wrote:
Man how do you do thirty shops in a day? Im guessing they are shorter shops?
Yes, usually they are shops that take about five minutes each.
@MSNinja wrote:
ive never used ie for my shops. who says must use ie for gas stations?@lucky7s wrote:
I am assuming you are doing gas station shops. The reports are lengthy and you have to use Internet Explorer. I upload my photos and label them first along with scanning receipts and labeling them too. I write the location down on a piece of paper, then number the documents and photos.
Good luck and don't forget to check the time on the receipts.
Stericycle.
Though I see no reason to believe that is the MSC or shop being talked about. It is the time of year for Stericycle routes, though,
What threw me was "lengthy" report. When they still had audits in my area the average for my reports was about 12 minutes. I also didn't label pics unless circumstances required me taking them out of order, and didn't scan or label receipts. The receipts actually helped me find the break point between audits. First pic was the gas receipt, last pic was the LOA.
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 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.
Google Drive is Android's cloud. A cloud is just online storage. Verizon Wireless users also have a cloud. I think it's 2 GB.
@LisaSTL wrote:
No. OneDrive is a Microsoft product. I use it with my Windows laptop, iPhone and iPad. It is a free add on to my Office 365. I'm sure there are other similar products. It's just the one I'm familiar with and know will work across the platforms I need.
@MSNinja wrote:
onedrive is for android & cloud is mac right/
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
When I go on longer trips (20-30 shops+, 34 day shop tomorrow on the holiday weekend, should be interesting) I have been using this website - [gebweb.net] - to plan the most efficient route. Mapquest never works for me and this website reorders the routes too which is cool.
Edit: If anyone was wondering, it took 13 hours to do 34 shops and then 2 hours to do the reports (easy reports, just details of the cashier no narrative), was a tough day but extremely worth it.
Don't forget to bring a cooler with water (and food if you're not doing a food shop or eating out along the way). Also don't forget to have a backup to your GPS , a second GPS, phone, or map. Sometimes my GPS loses it's signal and I have to make a switch.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2016 01:35AM by JohnieQ.
Edit: If anyone was wondering, it took 13 hours to do 34 shops and then 2 hours to do the reports (easy reports, just details of the cashier no narrative), was a tough day but extremely worth it.
Don't forget to bring a cooler with water (and food if you're not doing a food shop or eating out along the way). Also don't forget to have a backup to your GPS , a second GPS, phone, or map. Sometimes my GPS loses it's signal and I have to make a switch.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2016 01:35AM by JohnieQ.
@GraceR wrote:
@Brianneb1429 wrote:
Man how do you do thirty shops in a day? Im guessing they are shorter shops?
Yes, usually they are shops that take about five minutes each.
Are those the $5 shops offered through KSS?
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
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