SQM Restaurant Shop Question

Fine Dining Restaurant... Shopper Resources gone for the weekend so was just wondering if one of you fine intelligent ppl can help me out

On the shop instructions and within regular guidelines it all says to evaluate the main dining room and eat in there, but on special instructions says to sit in the bar. Am I correct to assume to eat in the bar too and stay for the whole visit?

In the guidelines, there is no specification for opposite gender guest, so I guess I can bring a guest of the same gender?

Also, guideline states one appetizer or dessert, entrees and beverages with no clear rules on beverage, am I right to assume there is a requirement for 1 beverage per person? aka myself and my guest? Not a big fan of beverage requirements as I am a water drinker

Anyone whos done shops for SQM, any help would be appreciated!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2012 07:09AM by nli07.

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I haven't done shops for them, but just to answer generally....

In terms of guests, I have never seen a gender requirement, only stipulations re: guests being allowed, and how many. Re: beverages, if it doesn't say alchoholic, go non. As for per person or not, you got me, but it stands to reason that would be the case. (Two entrees, but one appetizer and dessert are typical.) How the shop pays may be a clue -- does it pay for 'x' items, or is there a flat fee up to a certain amount, with minimum ordering requirments?

As for the other items, are you sure this isn't a two-parter in terms of the bar? A lot of restaurant shops require you to eat in the dining room, but also visit the bar. I'm sure you've read the instructions and guidelines a few times, but even the best of us can overlook something. Take a break, go back to them with fresh eyes, and see if there's something you might have missed. Sometimes the survey itself will also serve to clarify things.

For SQM, Special Instructions take precedence. For restaurant guidelines, go to the main menu, open up Shopper Information, scroll down to Restaurant. If it says you have to order a beverage, that's what you have to do. Unless stated otherwise, it doesn't have to be an alcoholic drink. You could order mineral water.
Read the guidelines carefully and follow their reporting standards. Have you done any of the STEPs yet?
Good luck!

lindab19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For SQM, Special Instructions take precedence. For
> restaurant guidelines, go to the main menu, open
> up Shopper Information, scroll down to Restaurant.
> If it says you have to order a beverage, that's
> what you have to do. Unless stated otherwise, it
> doesn't have to be an alcoholic drink. You could
> order mineral water.
> Read the guidelines carefully and follow their
> reporting standards. Have you done any of the
> STEPs yet?
> Good luck!

I've read and re-read the guidelines along with the form along with the shopper information for restaurants. For the special instructions, it said to "ensure you are seated in the bar".... This will be weird since I've never eaten a full meal at the bar section of any restaurant before to be honest.

Still stuck on Step 2! Just signed up not long ago lol. Hopefully this shop goes well tonight, fingers crossed.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2012 09:10PM by nli07.

This is a common requirement. It means they want to evaluate the bar staff.

It is very common for people to eat at the bar or in the bar area so you would not stand out. I did notice you said "in" the bar as opposed to "at" the bar.

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.

when in doubt you could always call the company to verify the requirements. They want the shop to be done correctly and will help answer any questions you might have.

How did it go?

lindab19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How did it go?

Pretty good actually, food was good had a very nice server.

The report wasn`t too bad either, now onto these Step tests...

Step testing???

GACryptic Wrote:
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> Step testing???

When the cops stop you after leaving the bar, and ask you to walk a straight line....

D'Agosto

"What does it mean? You ask. I answer not/For meaning, but myself must echo, What?/And tell it as I saw it, on the spot."

I guess I don't have to worry about those steps

Dagosto Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GACryptic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Step testing???
>
>
> When the cops stop you after leaving the bar, and
> ask you to walk a straight line....

nli07 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> lindab19 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How did it go?
>
>
> Pretty good actually, food was good had a very
> nice server.
>
> The report wasn`t too bad either, now onto these
> Step tests...

I find SQM a good company. As for the steps, you might want to consider making a spread sheet to record the answers you put in. Some of the steps, in particular Step 2, is a real pain. I couldn't tell you how many times it took me to get past it. After that, the others were a breeze. I still have a couple of levels to go but I'm sure Step 2 is the hardest.

I recently passed Step 8, one more test to go!!!

nli07 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recently passed Step 8, one more test to go!!!

Congrats! I still have 4 steps to go. I sorta got lazy and haven't tackled them for a while (like several months). When I get back from holidays I'll have to put some time in on them.

Have you found any real benefit to going past level 2?

Bena Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> nli07 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I recently passed Step 8, one more test to
> go!!!
>
>
> Congrats! I still have 4 steps to go. I sorta
> got lazy and haven't tackled them for a while
> (like several months). When I get back from
> holidays I'll have to put some time in on them.
>
> Have you found any real benefit to going past
> level 2?

Yes, now I can apply for restaurant shops. I did my first shop because it was a last minute thing and they waive the restriction but after that, I could not apply for any fine dining. Now I can....

nli07 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, now I can apply for restaurant shops. I did
> my first shop because it was a last minute thing
> and they waive the restriction but after that, I
> could not apply for any fine dining. Now I
> can....

Did more shops appear on your list, or did you just start get accepted for them? The reason I'm asking is that I've had family restaurants on my lists, and been given them when I applied. I've never seen any fine dining shops on the list.

If more shops will become available to apply for, then I'm definitely going to get busy climbing those steps.

Everything is available to you as soon as you sign up with them. You are assigned more shops as you ascend the ladder and gain experience with sqm. They don't have a ton of fine dining shops.

lindab19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Everything is available to you as soon as you sign
> up with them. You are assigned more shops as you
> ascend the ladder and gain experience with sqm.
> They don't have a ton of fine dining shops.

I guess that's why I've never seen any. They probably don't have any in this area. We don't have a lot of restaurants that are both 1) part of a chain, and 2) fine dining. Thanks.

lindab19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Everything is available to you as soon as you sign
> up with them. You are assigned more shops as you
> ascend the ladder and gain experience with sqm.
> They don't have a ton of fine dining shops.

Thats weird because I tried "requesting" fine dining shops when I was at Step 5 or Step 4 and it wouldn't take my application. The system was telling I did not meet the Step requirements...

So I wasn't sure if they changed the policy or some weird issue with my account.

I'm stuck at step level 4!! Meaning, I have 24 questions out of 25 on Step 5, and I can't figure out which one is incorrect. I've been going through each day and changing one answer to see which question is wrong, but no cigar.

Several Keg shops came out today that require a step 7, so I missed out. Sigh!

eternitybc,

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