Hi everyone. This is my first post after doing significant research (mostly here) over the last few days. First off, a heart-felt thank you to all who contribute to this forum. The consistently caring and respectful exchanges that I've found here are rare in my on-line experience. I wouldn't be nearly ready to pull the trigger on this business if it weren't for you folks. You inspire me!

Okay...on to my question. In my research I've learned that one of the key elements in succeeding, is submitting accurate and thorough reports to the MSC's. To any of you who have done more than one shop in a day...how do you do this? It seems to me, the only way would be to write the report in your car after each and every shop, when your observations are fresh in your mind. No matter what tools you're using, I can't imagine doing eight shops in one day, and attempting to recall exact details of each shop at home that night. And since (from my research) most of the reports are done on-line, do you need internet access in your car to accomplish this?

I do everything after I get home. Others report on the road. It depends, I think, on what you prefer. I prefer to work at a real desk at home and I use away time for driving and working, not reporting.

I suggest that you start with "baby steps." Take on or maybe two different shops. After each, make detailed notes in your car. You may discover that just repeating key points out loud to yourself, as you walk back to the car fixes them in your mind. (If you hear someone walking past your who is intoning, "male, 6' tall, short red hair and beard, wire rimmed glasses," you have encountered another shopper. lol) As a beginner, you may find that you want to print out the survey and use it to check off items of importance immediately after getting back to the car. In the long run, this gets too pricey, so some of use make up short checklists that reflect key survey questions and do those right after the shop. Just be SURE that all paperwork is totally out of sight in your car.

Go home and submit your reports. Submit the one(s) with the shortest deadline first, of course.

By taking only one shop of a type (fast food or bank, or retail) to start, you won't commit yourself to doing several of one kind and then discover that it is just the sort that you hate! Also, please take a deep breath and remember that the first time that any of us, veterans included, does a new shop, we are a bit nervous and the survey takes much longer to complete that it will when we do the second or third survey like it.

If you want to enter reports into a laptop while on the road, I suggest that you find a coffee shop or fast food place with free wifi and sign on there to enter reports.

Walesmaven is spot on.

For your first shop or any 'new to you' shop, it makes sense to print out the questionnaire. I already know what will be most unusual for me about the shop and highlight it so that I have had a fresh memory nudge a block or two away from the shop. Once you are out of the shop, find a restroom or a place to park somewhat away from the site (my preference is grocery store restrooms if there is one nearby) and go over your questionnaire making notes to make sure you have covered everything. If there is an observation you forgot to do, go back into the shop to make the missing observations with some lame excuse such as you wonder if you left your sunglasses there or you dropped your favorite pen somewhere that isn't valuable but comfortable enough for you to be worth looking for. (Do not mention something of high enough value that a normal person would leave a name and phone number in case it showed up unless you have a fake name and phone number right on the tip of your tongue.)

When you write up your report circle the questions you found most difficult to answer so you will focus on them more on your next shop of that client. Note that not all shops for the client will be the same and over time instructions and questionnaires will be revised, but generally a quick view of the instructions and questionnaire will let you know if this is a 'repeater'.

The next time you do that shop, try to do two of them in the same trip. Make your notes after each. For me a visual cue will allow me to revisualize the person I was speaking to and the environment. So shop #1 may have 'purple tie' if the salesman was wearing one that really caught my attention and shop #2 may have 'wood floors' if shop #1 had carpet.

Shop competence and your observation skills will increase dramatically as you perform them and at a certain point you do the changeover from the shop being all about you and your anxiety to being all about the location and their performance.

Just as a rule of thumb I only do one 'new to me' shop on any outing. I may do 6-8 repeaters but indeed a few notes are all I need to keep them sorted out.

When I book more than 4 shops in one day, I do them all at/around a mall in a larger city and I do half- Go sit in the food court, do them. And then do the other half.

You guys are the best! This is exactly the info I'm looking for. Yes, I do plan to taking baby steps, but I need to visualize the actual doing of it, in order to feel more comfortable attempting it...if that makes sense. And eventually, I'd like to build up to doing many shops in a day. Another question relating to this...would I be able to access and complete my reports using an iPad?...as this is my preference, especially if I were to do them on the road.

The iPad will work with most companies although I would recommend using Chrome rather than Safari. Pay attention if a company says they will only accept work on a specific browser and try to do it if at all possible. Those companies are few and far between.

I'll third (or is it fifth by now) the taking baby steps. Believe it or not there shops some of us can almost do in our sleep by now. That can also be a shopper's downfall if they fail to check the guidelines every month to be sure nothing has changed. You will probably read stories here from veterans who were so used to a shop being done one way they didn't notice something additional being added. It is just proof nobody is infallible

I'll totally second Lisa's notes about don't become too good at a shop! I've been known once or twice to say, "Oh, xxx shop again. Let's go, I know exactly what I'm doing." Then I'll forget that I now need to buy a second pop, or not buy a pop, or really, not take a new 45 degree angle photo at that gas station that didn't used to be required. And talk about kicking yourself when you get back.

I can do a gas station shop from wheels on to wheels off property in a max of 19 minutes. Even if there are a TON of problems. I have a great system, do it the same every single time without fail, and for many companies come up with your own cheat sheet to help you out. But, just make sure to review those guidelines every time. (Or at least every month/quarter depending on the shop)

I'm hearing you. As it is with most lines of work, repetition breeds comfort. Just don't get TOO comfortable. And start out slow and build. I appreciate all the insightfull tips! Thanks again to ALL of you for your generosity.

meaggiej Wrote:
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> When I book more than 4 shops in one day, I do
> them all at/around a mall in a larger city and I
> do half- Go sit in the food court, do them. And
> then do the other half.


Be careful when filling out reports in a food court. You are basically "out in the open" and many mall employees eat in the food court. I have been eating in the food court, texting a few notes to myself (not filling out written notes or a report) and I have had employees that I have shopped sitting at one of the surrounding tables next to me. I have also seen a MS'er filling out her report in the food court. If I could see her, employees could see her. Why risk it? Bathroom stalls or your car are much better.