Why Do You Print Guidelines?
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I always print whatever I am told to print.
Sometimes, I print guidelines for my purposes. For example, there is one audit that can result in a variety of outcomes. Having certain pages of the guidelines on hand makes it easy to refer to and show the official instructions so that everyone involved does the right thing in the given situation. Having these guidelines is like having a portable authority figure.
If some assignment is new and esoteric for me, I want to study it and take notes and rewrite the notes until I am comfortable with the job. I can use and hold and see the guidelines. I can color code my notes in addition to the given color codes. This interaction is very concrete (old teacher trick). It helps me connect to the new shop ideas and understand them well.
I do not print all guidelines. Sometimes, it is enough to download guidelines to my phone or to make a cheat sheet version of the pages.
Sometimes, I print guidelines for my purposes. For example, there is one audit that can result in a variety of outcomes. Having certain pages of the guidelines on hand makes it easy to refer to and show the official instructions so that everyone involved does the right thing in the given situation. Having these guidelines is like having a portable authority figure.
If some assignment is new and esoteric for me, I want to study it and take notes and rewrite the notes until I am comfortable with the job. I can use and hold and see the guidelines. I can color code my notes in addition to the given color codes. This interaction is very concrete (old teacher trick). It helps me connect to the new shop ideas and understand them well.
I do not print all guidelines. Sometimes, it is enough to download guidelines to my phone or to make a cheat sheet version of the pages.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
I bet a lot of people likely keep track of paper easier than digital files. They also find it easier to have the guidelines printed so they can highlight them and then throw them in some sort of accordion file system per job that they take with them. It makes sense for them to be able to retrieve it from this system instead of worrying about virtual folder structures or carrying expensive electronics that need to be charged.
I can keep track of digital files a whole lot easier than I do paper since I rarely have a good storage system for paper. Plus PDFs don't blow away, crumple, cost money to create, or get unsorted. I too prefer using the cloud, and can markup PDFs of the guidelines if I want to. But I do see how some people have a preference the other way.
I can keep track of digital files a whole lot easier than I do paper since I rarely have a good storage system for paper. Plus PDFs don't blow away, crumple, cost money to create, or get unsorted. I too prefer using the cloud, and can markup PDFs of the guidelines if I want to. But I do see how some people have a preference the other way.
It is not uncommon to get to a hotel shop and find that there is no Internet service at all due to weather or provider failure. I take a cc of the guidelines and/or the survey so that I can be sure to get all of the interactions done in a timely manner, and also can write narratives in Word so that the survey will go fast when Internet is available.
For most new home, senior living and apartment shops I print the front page that shows the target name, the address and other pertinent info. I then write my alias and follow-up info on that sheet, along with directions and the site phone number. I have the schedulers' phone numbers in my speed dial. This has saved the day over and over again!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2016 03:05AM by walesmaven.
For most new home, senior living and apartment shops I print the front page that shows the target name, the address and other pertinent info. I then write my alias and follow-up info on that sheet, along with directions and the site phone number. I have the schedulers' phone numbers in my speed dial. This has saved the day over and over again!
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.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2016 03:05AM by walesmaven.
BINGO. If it says print it, I print it. However, I keep those pages under heavy duty page protectors in a binder. I can use a dry erase marker on them over and over again.@Shop-et-al wrote:
I always print whatever I am told to print.
Now scheduling travel shops for the day after Christmas through mid-January.
Digital files are great, aren't they? As long as we have our devices, we have data with us. But the devices are relatively small. Even the largest phones have small screens. It is unpleasant for me to read those little screens. I am natural, relaxed, and comfortable when my devices are sized for my body frame, or are at least as large as a typical laptop. A phone is more or less sized for a hand. I am more than my hand. When I am using a phone screen, the rest of me must strain to access miniscule views of greatly important information. Sometimes, screen displays are undistinguished, drab, or otherwise hard on the eyes. This is an ergonomic issue, but it influences my work. I will always choose to work with whatever new or old tools are best for me. I hope that others will remember that it is okay for them to utilize whatever resources are most appropriate and helpful for them, even in the twenty-first century and the electronic age.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
All guidelines state you MUST print them. I print to pdf.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Wales, I did a new for me gas station shop in the one area of the universe that Verizon did not have a signal.
I had no access to the cloud or MSC. Luckily, I found a copy of the guidelines in one of the folders on my phone.
I had no access to the cloud or MSC. Luckily, I found a copy of the guidelines in one of the folders on my phone.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
I'd rather not count on luck for some of these!
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 I've done a simple shop many many times and I see that the guidelines haven't changed, I might not print them out. Otherwise I do.
I never, ever print them out unless it's Church's simulated gift cards or I need a signature etc. I read them, see what is not obvious from doing the same type of assignment 2,000 times, fold a piece of paper in half or 4ths and write what I need to remember; geoverify, pic of store front, my required "objection", interactions: deli, pharm, M/S etc. There are some things that always needs to be done: name/description, etc that are second nature already.
If I'm mixing different types of shops I find it helpful to have the guidelines on hand. I get annoyed trying to read the small print on my phone, although sometimes I do use the cloud copy anyway. I print out guidelines for shops I do regularly, one copy and will use it until the guidelines change. I have a stack of about 10 different guidelines, currently. When I'm out the door I grab the ones I need. If they are updated but not changed much I'll write the update on the front page so I see it first thing. I almost always print the guidelines for a shop that is new to me, plus I save a copy to OneDrive.
I print most survey forms and then fill them in by handwriting after the shop. Then I move on to the the next shop location. I submit them all when I get home. There are exceptions, such as USPS and a few others that are just as easy to fill out the surveys on my smartphone between shops. I stopped printing most guidelines at least 2 years ago. They are more convenient to store on my smartphone, and they are in color. Printer paper and ink (especially color) are too expensive to waste on printing guidelines.
I never print guidelines, even if I am told to. I find it works better to read the guidelines thoroughly at home, and then make notes in a word processing document of everything I will need to remember. I can usually get it down to a page or two, plus the process of making the notes is a good mnemonic for remembering what I will need to do during the shop. In rare cases, such as a closed location, I may download the guidelines on my phone and deal with the small print.
I do the exact same as Mystery2me said.. I like to read them, take notes and I have that pad of notebook paper in my car at all times.... I usually just look over my notes right before I go in and it works like a charm!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2016 04:01AM by Lissymaree.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2016 04:01AM by Lissymaree.
I'll print the details that are important with a copy and paste often times and then others I'll print off a stack of LOA's for certain shops. These have helped me on the road when someone bails out on a shop and I get that bonus! Printed guidelines can help me out if I'm doing a new type of shop, and they are handy on a clipboard as I'm making sure I've gotten all the small details.
MegglesKat
I don't always print out the guidelines. I'll read over the guidelines, take notes on a piece of paper. If it is a new shop that I don't understand the guidelines after reading it a few times or a very detailed shop like an investment shop, I'll print out the guidelines.
I print guidelines ONCE. For the ones that change quarterly or annually, I reprint them then.
Many of my shops are in areas without cell phone coverage (I actually did one last month in a small town 400 miles from home where the Chamber of Commerce proudly advertises: "We Have Verizon Coverage!" -- that's how unusual cell phone coverage is in the area!).
If I don't have cell phone service, I can't access what's on my phone. Or may be I just don't know how, I'm not sure!
I was on my cell the other day, and touched the wrong button, or touched the button wrong, and all my text messages disappeared. Gone. Can't find them. Don't know if they exist somewhere (7th Circle of Hell, maybe?), or have totally escaped this galaxy. Even the little icon for text messaging went bye-bye.
I live in absolute DREAD of performing this same operation on the entire phone.
I freely admit absolute, total incompetence with electronics.
So my back up is pen and paper, or at least printed paper.
LOL!!!!
Many of my shops are in areas without cell phone coverage (I actually did one last month in a small town 400 miles from home where the Chamber of Commerce proudly advertises: "We Have Verizon Coverage!" -- that's how unusual cell phone coverage is in the area!).
If I don't have cell phone service, I can't access what's on my phone. Or may be I just don't know how, I'm not sure!
I was on my cell the other day, and touched the wrong button, or touched the button wrong, and all my text messages disappeared. Gone. Can't find them. Don't know if they exist somewhere (7th Circle of Hell, maybe?), or have totally escaped this galaxy. Even the little icon for text messaging went bye-bye.
I live in absolute DREAD of performing this same operation on the entire phone.
I freely admit absolute, total incompetence with electronics.
So my back up is pen and paper, or at least printed paper.
LOL!!!!
I don't have a smart phone and only have internet access while at a computer. I print my shop information and often read it and make notes while on break at my full time job. I cannot use my work computer for mystery shopping activities. I print everything and re-use the paper by printing on both sides before recycling it.
Responsible re-forestation and allocation of available space for forestation would ensure a supply of paper for people who for ADA or other purposes are most comfortable in an ergonomic or functioning way with pencil and paper tasks. On the other hand, if we had more and designated forests, we would have fewer physical places in which to perform mystery shops and there would be less need for shop-related paperwork such as guidelines.
On the third hand, there is glare. If and when there is a 100% guaranteed, money-back glare-proof covering or coating for device screens, I might look more favorably upon increased use of devices.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2016 10:52AM by Shop-et-al.
On the third hand, there is glare. If and when there is a 100% guaranteed, money-back glare-proof covering or coating for device screens, I might look more favorably upon increased use of devices.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2016 10:52AM by Shop-et-al.
What does reforestation have to do with ADA?
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
@Shop-et-al wrote:
Responsible re-forestation and allocation of available space for forestation would ensure a supply of paper for people who for ADA or other purposes are most comfortable in an ergonomic or functioning way with pencil and paper tasks. On the other hand, if we had more and designated forests, we would have fewer physical places in which to perform mystery shops and there would be less need for shop-related paperwork such as guidelines.
On the third hand, there is glare. If and when there is a 100% guaranteed, money-back glare-proof covering or coating for device screens, I might look more favorably upon increased use of devices.
how tin is manufactured for the tinfoil hat wearers who seem to find this blog from time-to-time....
It takes a high polish and is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion, such as in tin cans, which are made of tin-coated steel. Alloys of tin are important, such as soft solder, pewter, bronze and phosphor bronze. A niobium-tin alloy is used for superconducting magnets
Thank you for sharing. One of my jobs is about a thousand percent easier to accomplish with printed information than it would be if I used guidelines on a phone. It would be impossible to schlep and work with anything larger than a phone and a phone would undoubtedly be lost or damaged within a day if it had to accompany me on this job the way that paper does. But that is just me, and that is just one of my other jobs.
I wonder what we might learn if we consulted even more people in other fields, whose jobs we may never have done or even heard of before. Here, we are discussing mostly mystery shopping, auditing, and merchandising, In these jobs, paper is utilized in varying amounts depending upon each client's needs. In other jobs and fields, do people necessarily or prefer to use paper more than some of us do in our tasks?
Just wondering...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2016 06:19PM by Shop-et-al.
I wonder what we might learn if we consulted even more people in other fields, whose jobs we may never have done or even heard of before. Here, we are discussing mostly mystery shopping, auditing, and merchandising, In these jobs, paper is utilized in varying amounts depending upon each client's needs. In other jobs and fields, do people necessarily or prefer to use paper more than some of us do in our tasks?
Just wondering...
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2016 06:19PM by Shop-et-al.
I'm wondering if paper is used at all besides legal documents and if someone asks for a copy of their medical record because they want to sue or transfer to another doctor, although even those are fairly easy to get online.
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." Did Mark Twain really say that? What would he say about today's electronic records?
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Probably a way that you can use the printed paper and signed sheets if needed as a business expense somehow.
I did a senior living home shop last week. During the presentation, the lady told me that nursing homes were required to go paperless, and this facility was following suit.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
i print because they say I should print. I was up the proverbial creek this week because I had printed all but one section. Of course it was the most important piece of the printed work. Luckily, I was given the one and only pass for my screw up.
I normally travel rural areas without libraries let alone places to print. I frequently shop small cities that do not have major office supply stores and the libraries are only available to locals.
After this week, I don't care that I may or may not need the paperwork. I'm going to print it! If nothing else I can reuse the other side of the paper in the future for other things.
That being said, there are shops that I only need one copy of the shop, when I have 30 of the same scheduled. LOA's I print 2 copies because somehow one always ends up with food stains. My audit shops, I use data and the iPad, but I do have a back up in case my hot spot doesn't work.
Then I always have my steno pad for extra information so I can write stuff that may be unusual for the shop.
I normally travel rural areas without libraries let alone places to print. I frequently shop small cities that do not have major office supply stores and the libraries are only available to locals.
After this week, I don't care that I may or may not need the paperwork. I'm going to print it! If nothing else I can reuse the other side of the paper in the future for other things.
That being said, there are shops that I only need one copy of the shop, when I have 30 of the same scheduled. LOA's I print 2 copies because somehow one always ends up with food stains. My audit shops, I use data and the iPad, but I do have a back up in case my hot spot doesn't work.
Then I always have my steno pad for extra information so I can write stuff that may be unusual for the shop.
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!
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