I love to create a route for the day and shop some rural towns in my neck of the woods. But this enjoyable pursuit comes with its own challenges.
Recently I shopped a bank in a very small town. It was an easy shop, where all I needed to do was get a business card. After the interaction I asked for the business card. The banker I spoke with had just been promoted and didn't have one. It clearly had not occurred to her yet that she might need them. She gave me a brochure and wrote her name and number on it, and I took a generic card with the bank name from the desk we were sitting at. The MSC accepted it but the client refused it. The MSC paid me anyway, but i could easily have been out that fee. Therefore:
Don't go somewhere rural for just one shop, even if the fee is really good. If you do, be aware that you are running the risk of completely wasting your day and gas.
Getting a receipt is not always easy either. Once I was auditing a gas station and during the mystery shop portion the CSR tells me when I ask for a receipt that the printer is down. He writes me one out by hand and I swear to god it looked like a 5th grader did it. So even though I didn't have to buy gas I did in hopes of getting a receipt. First gas pump, no receipt. Second gas pump, no receipt. third gas pump... well you get the idea. I finally gave up. Luckily the MSC paid me for the shop but I also had pictures from the location.
Recently I had an MSC ask me about a receipt I got from another small town. It was a hardware store. They wanted something with the address of the store on it. I had to tell them, the receipt is the receipt. I have no control over what is on it. In that store I had been waited on by (no joke) a guy name Bubba who was wearing coveralls and barefoot.
Next pitfall, GPS is not reliable. I have had it take me 50 miles out of my way, right past the location I was looking for. Always give yourself at least 2 hours leeway for getting lost, if you have never been to that particular location. The good news is that next time you will know where it is.
Along with the pitfalls are some great perks. Driving around in the countryside always cheers me up. I meet great people and avoid city traffic. Throw in some gas stations and even your gas will be covered, plus you get to work outside a little.

I agree, Coffee. I would also add that businesses you normally find open in the city at 5 PM are shuttered tight at 3 PM. Or there might be a hand-written sign on the door "out - call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX if you need me".

And don't expect wi-fi, or even cell phone reception! Which really can throw off an entire route if you're trying to get reports submitted.

Whenever you are in a bank and have a problem getting a business card, go to the ATM and get a balance from your own bank. The date, name and time will be on the receipt. This does not cost you any money.

I did a bank job in my town recently and the Loan Officer ran out of cards, wrote his name on a brochure.
I sent a pic and it was accepted, not even a reply. That happens often, you had a very mean client, but a very nice scheduler.

I know Barefoot Bubba! Tell him I said "hey."

That's crappy that the client wouldn't accept the report. Dont they keep track of their employees?

I had a similar situation. Dude was newly promoted and didnt have his cards yet. He wrote his contact information on a yellow stickie. I explained that in the narrative, but my report was pending for a while.

I live in ruralville US myself. Everything around here is rural and I kind of love-hate it. You'll also see the old beagle dog laying by the coal or wood stove inside the store, a rifle or shot gun over the counter, and a pistol laying near the register. Oh, and Bubba-Jr-Ira-Leon-Hank-Frank-Jethro-Keith-John-Michael-Ed McGraw is also going to have a large knife on him and a pistol on his hip or ankle. He's going to be wearing flannel and denim and his old pickup will be parked in the makeshift employee parking area near a broke down lawnmower, tractor, and four wheeler or other ATV But seriously, thus is live in my town.

I did a shop for BM where the guy had just filed for a divorce. He wasn't sure where his (ex) wife put his cards or if they made it out with him. He wrote his info on letterhead for me to keep. I asked him for a card incase I had more questions and he grabbed a piece of paper nearby. Thankfully was accepted. I also snapped a photo of the dealership (those pics can come in handy when proving places are closed or shut down too!)

@ceasesmith wrote:

I agree, Coffee. I would also add that businesses you normally find open in the city at 5 PM are shuttered tight at 3 PM. Or there might be a hand-written sign on the door "out - call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX if you need me".

And don't expect wi-fi, or even cell phone reception! Which really can throw off an entire route if you're trying to get reports submitted.

Yep. I don't count on Wifi. I switched my cell service to Verizon because it covers all but the deepest hollers hereabouts but I still rarely try to submit reports on the road. I'd rather get them all done and go home and do it in my jammies with a hot cup of coffee.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

I know Barefoot Bubba! Tell him I said "hey."

That's crappy that the client wouldn't accept the report. Dont they keep track of their employees?

I had a similar situation. Dude was newly promoted and didnt have his cards yet. He wrote his contact information on a yellow stickie. I explained that in the narrative, but my report was pending for a while.

Yeah I liked Bubba. I'll probably drop in and see him next time I'm in his town.

@clinen11 wrote:

I live in ruralville US myself. Everything around here is rural and I kind of love-hate it. You'll also see the old beagle dog laying by the coal or wood stove inside the store, a rifle or shot gun over the counter, and a pistol laying near the register. Oh, and Bubba-Jr-Ira-Leon-Hank-Frank-Jethro-Keith-John-Michael-Ed McGraw is also going to have a large knife on him and a pistol on his hip or ankle. He's going to be wearing flannel and denim and his old pickup will be parked in the makeshift employee parking area near a broke down lawnmower, tractor, and four wheeler or other ATV But seriously, thus is live in my town.

Yeah I see it a lot. I've taken to carrying dry dog and cat food around with me, there seem to be strays although for all I know they live somewhere. Once I saw a barefoot girl in daisy dukes and a guy standing next to an old pick up truck. Looked exactly like a scene from a movie. I grew up in that kind of environment so it always delights me that it still exists somewhere.

Kudos to the MSC who paid you even though the client didn't pay them.

@ChrisCooper wrote:

Kudos to the MSC who paid you even though the client didn't pay them.

They do deserve kudos. I will do that on the correct board but for the record it was Sinclair.

I live in So.Cal. in a community of 5,200 that is spread out over 420 square miles. We have two gas stations, and a country market that doubles as the deli, laundromat, hardware store, pharmacy, and community gathering place. We have a liquor store, a few "antique" stores, and other than the two name brand gas stations, we just got a Dollar General, our only chain store. Oh, and we have a handful of mom and pop restaurants and repair shops. Our population may increase by 10 times on weekends as we cater to offroaders who come up from the big city to camp and ride or if we have a big movie production in town or a big off-road event such as King of the Hammers.

I don't have TV or Internet. I'm usually lucky to have electricity, which is a pain when it goes out because that means no water. I love my rural lifestyle, and as such, specialize in rural shops.

I just did a gas station in a community POP 17 and quite commonly do them in communities of less than 200. The gas station owners love it when I'm the mystery shopper because they know I'm not going to ding them for the stupid stuff the guy from the big city dings them for, such as dead flowers under five feet of snow or no water hose because it's seven degrees. I understand them and what they go thru. (I can vouch for the fact that there are good reasons for some of Maritz' quiz questions.) I also do stations where not only does the station have an outhouse but most of the houses do too because no one has indoor plumbing.

I love my rural shops. You get to meet some of the nicest people. But as OP suggested, you have to be prepared for almost anything.

A few months ago I went to check on a restroom and came face to face with an assault rifle that the owner was removing from his gun safe. There were signs all over the station that he also offered CCW classes. We startled each other.

I've also noted lately a slew of gas station owners trying to give me free stuff, which makes me wonder about my counterpart. I always turn it down.

Last week I stopped between audits to photograph deer. I've also photographed bear and other wildlife. The beauty of the rural areas is calming versus the stress of shopping LA, which I still do from time to time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2016 02:32AM by whiterosie.

Probably one of thee oddest rural shop I do is a gas station in a tiny desert town where the owner packs a pistol on his belt. It threw me off for a second the first time around, because I had to take covert pictures afterward, I kept my LOA handy that time, lol.

Yeah you can count on them having a gun. It's never occurred to me that I might get it pointed at me though LOL.

I have done a lot of rural PA, NY, OH, and WV. You get to see your fair share of oddities and the simple life. Banks are easy just have the employee write their name on a generic business card or one of the other employees cards. Always no opening and closing times. Have emergency supplies and cash in case you need to stay overnight. Stay safe out there.

I am in a rural area with one gas station, a small pharmacy and a couple of restaurants. There is a post office that I was able to shop before the client changed MSC now I think it is maybe shopped once a year. Have to go to the big city which is about 35 miles away to snag any shops, but that is getting real old.

I often go to the "city" too to do shops but by city I mean a town of about 1200 people. I do have one area I go that has an estimated 4000 people and the shops there are great. I tend to make out well on these shops because they are packed full of little stores that are often overlooked on $7-$10 fees. I ask for $20-$35 and can stack 5-10 in a trip to the "city" and make my goal for myself. Oh, and there's an area I visited recently that has 18,000 people! Wowza for me coming from a town of 900 right now where I've lived for 10 years and I grew up in a town that has a current census record of 37 people.

Whether shopping or passing through unfamiliar boonies, you might need some luck. If you're lucky, someone will tell you where the best/least bad facilities are located, where the free and low-cost wi-fi is located, and remind you to bring water and an extra blankie. If you seem hopeless, they will give you water and a blankie. They may or may not admit to knowing that and why certain hotels and motels are good or bad.

If we are new here, we might not know who people are. In an extreme moment, you might walk by a ratty old soul and wonder if you should call social services, even as this person is wealthy, comfortable this way, and in the area to visit their second or third home. In another extreme, a person who looks like they got dressed in the costume department of an old western might be a tourist who doesn't know that it is not necessary to wear those clothes in real life and in today's 'out west'. The fine pieces of that clothing are for people who know how and when to wear them. They give those clothes a certain something and are always authentic.

Make time to visit places that feature old and handmade things... you might find something wonderful there!

Long live the wide open spaces!

I've often wondered about shopping the "boonies." I'm part-time in northern (suburban) CT less than two hours from two major cities, and in the backyard of a couple of minor cities. I also live part-time in the NY metro area, which is where I grew up. And to think, when I first moved to CT I thought it was the middle of nowhere! I spent three months in rural Vermont a couple of years ago and it was an absolute shock.

I've never been to New Hampshire or Maine but would love to shop hotels and maybe do routes in rural areas there in order to get a chance to go. I loved the countryside in VT.

My Mom's family is from the boonies. That's how I know Barefoot Bubba! I spent my childhood summers there, so I don't have the shopping experience.

My Grandfather owned the general store, outhouse included. Don't forget the jar of pickled something and some well fed brown dawg. Dirt roads, pecan trees, berries, well water and boiled peanuts.

Coffee, et al, thanks for the lovely memories!

I love the rural shops. I've shopped gas station/gun stores, gas station/gift shops, gas station/fresh produce stores, and some that have all these with hardware thrown in or an ice cream cafe. Sometimes it's hard to make good time with so much to see. My favorites are the ones on lake shores, or rivers. The scenery is amazing, and the Associates have great stories to tell to anyone that will listen.

@bcm2016 wrote:

I've often wondered about shopping the "boonies." I'm part-time in northern (suburban) CT less than two hours from two major cities, and in the backyard of a couple of minor cities. I also live part-time in the NY metro area, which is where I grew up. And to think, when I first moved to CT I thought it was the middle of nowhere! I spent three months in rural Vermont a couple of years ago and it was an absolute shock.

I've never been to New Hampshire or Maine but would love to shop hotels and maybe do routes in rural areas there in order to get a chance to go. I loved the countryside in VT.

NH routes aren't particularly exciting but if you can pull together a route in Maine in the spring I highly recommend it. You'd need huge bonuses to make it worth it but it happens. In the spring, the wild lupines are absolutely everywhere and the whole state is like a Rockwell painting, especially along the coast. They're my favorite routes but the go fast.

For some of the banks, I found the small town bankers tend to rotate around holidays. I usually try to avoid taking those the week of Thanksgiving, the week of the Fourth of July etc. because I have run into the same banker in three different towns over two days

@KevinE wrote:

For some of the banks, I found the small town bankers tend to rotate around holidays. I usually try to avoid taking those the week of Thanksgiving, the week of the Fourth of July etc. because I have run into the same banker in three different towns over two days

Awkward!

I love the hills of northwest NJ where you can take your vehicle and travel the back roads. You just got to be careful there is not a slow moving hay wagon just over the hill going 5 miles an hour when you are doing 40 MPH Just squeaked through by inches. the farmer had to clean out his britches but the"I'm gonna die" look on his face was priceless. Back in the 1970's (BC) before cell phones they had roadside phone booths. You picked up the phone and someone was talking on it, it was a party line. you had to wait your turn for the operator to connect you to civilization, the outside world.

Mod note: Duplicate post removed

I do a lot of out-of-town gas station audits over a range of even 200 miles one way. The company I work for bundles the shops in routes of 2 to 45 or 50 stations. An example of one route was about 30 gas stations in my hometown and the other 15 or 20 were in a town 130 miles south. The payment for the route was not sufficient to pay for the cost of gas or a night in a motel to do the shops in the town far from mine. I can put in a request for only a portion of the shops (like the ones at home) and present a new bid for the route, but the last three or four times I have done it the request is not even acknowledged and eventually the bundle is re-posted with another equally inconvenient route. Another aggravation has occurred when towns 50 to 100 miles away and have two or more stations are offered on separate routes. I wish I could talk with the route planner for my area. I could set up routes which would not only make my life easier and I would spend far less for gas but would also save the company money paid on incentives to send me to places I have already been.

What does LOA mean. And while I'm on the forum, what is OP?

It sounds like you need to find some different shops to do if you are in this to make money.