This station has two pumps and full service its a service garage they have vending machines outside to purchase soda or snacks the bathroom has a can of ajax on the sink to wash your hands. How could this job be done. Years ago I know someone who did this job they called the police when they saw him taking pictures across the road the police came and took him to the station and tried to say they would book him for terrorism. The police told him never to go back to that station.

That is why you have a letter...

That's a slim chance you take when you shoot pictures across the road before you present the letter. I admit I often do this if its more convenient to get an overall picture before I actually pull into the station. So far, so good.

If I stop to take two to three shots of an overall from across the street before entering the station, I'm going to be in that station presenting my letter before the police could possibly respond to a call. From your description of the station, there should be no problem doing the audit. Go for it.

I can honestly say I have never taken a picture from across the street
for a cori shop, ever. Don't see the reason why you need too...

It is tempting to start to take piks before you give the letter but better not to. I would sit in my car and take the outside pictures before going in and was getting a lot of suspicious looks from the employees. Now I just go in, introduce myself, hand them the letter and it goes pretty smoothly most of the time.

taking pictures outside before the letter defeats the whole
purpose of the shop. If they see you they are more likely
to do what they are suppose to when you go inside to make
your inside purchase. If the client wanted that they would
just send their district managers in to do it...

From the OP's description and perceived dilemma, it sounds like the GS that is always a completely unrevealed audit. The letter only needs to be presented if you're questioned. Shouldn't be a problem. You only need an overall photo and, since this location is full-serve, a photo of the PID (don't need a pump photo at full serve locations). Note also, in this case you don't need an inside receipt since there is no store. Take the restroom infraction photo with the door closed, but check your job description - a lot of full serve garages that have restrooms have job descriptions that say "Restroom - No," in which case you don't need to evaluate any restroom present.
For any other infractions on the lot (pump cleanliness, curbs, pavement, cleaning supplies, etc.), take the photos from your car with the window rolled down, making sure to not get any part of your car in the photo. Catch the PID on your way out, turn right out of the lot, and pull a U to double back for a photo from across the street, usually again from inside your car. Full serve, no shop, you're in and out in less than four minutes, add a minute if the description says there's a restroom.

If it's the other GS shop, which these days is usually part mystery and part revealed, you do not need to get gas when it's full serve only (and you won't be compensated for the gas purchase if you do.). And if there's no shop, you don't need a receipt or any inside audit (take a photo of the office just to back yourself up if a zealous editor questions you.) When it's full serve and no shop, submit a second overall photo as a receipt. Been there, done that successfully multiple times.

Don't confuse the two GS clients.
Full serve at always unrevealed = get gas, no pump photo (PID instead).
Full serve at part mystery/part revealed = don't get gas, every pump photo'd.


And tech, the overall photo is supposed to show as much of the premises in a single photo as possible. I've been in very few settings where this has been possible from anywhere except from across the street.

elcarev68:

At the full service revealed ones without a store, I always buy gas
and they have always paid for it, never an issue...

No reason to waste time going across the street to take an overall
picture when they have accepted it everytime and I have never done
so. I take two overall pictures. One of just the front of the building,
and one of the canopy since that is what they are really looking for
in the overall picture.

Also, have you taken the pic of the top of your pump you used to pump?
I have never done that, and they have never asked for it.

techman wrote:

Also, have you taken the pic of the top of your pump you used to pump?
I have never done that, and they have never asked for it.

I am waiting for this to all of a sudden become an issue. There is no place to upload this picture, as of now. Wasn't there supposed to be a pic of the restroom as well?

When I did mine in February (part mystery/part revealed photo audit) I took a pic of the top of the pump and there was a place to upload it. I made a streak in the dirt with my finger first to show that it was dirty.

But why, even if it had been cleaned the day before, would they think it wouldn't be dirty? One little gust of wind can blow in enough dust to write your name in, depending on where you live.

I upload the picture of the pump top in the second slot on the pictures for that pump.

It gets uploaded in my imagination since I never
take the picture physically. No sense in taking photos
that they don't ask for. Save yourself the time. Those
seconds and minutes add up.


MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I upload the picture of the pump top in the second
> slot on the pictures for that pump.

How do you ever get a photo of the top of the pump. I'm not excessively short but I find it difficult to even see the top of the pump even if I stand on tip toe. Are we going to have to start dragging a step ladder around with us? lol

I believe that the pump top pic is for another kind of shop ,more of an inspection shop, that's how I read it anyway. I have done 1000's of these shop and have never been asked for the pump top photo but I have read it in the instructions for and inspection shop.

I raised the camera up high, pointed it downward, and pushed the button. If you stand on the concrete pad the pump is on, it makes it easier.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2013 11:11PM by itsasecret.

techman01 Wrote:
> At the full service revealed ones without a store,
> I always buy gas
> and they have always paid for it, never an
> issue...

The first time I did, I got reimbursed. The second time (in a different state) it got hung up in editing since there wasn't supposed to be a receipt for gas (so I was told). I stopped getting gas at full-serves for that client after that.
I verified last month with the project manager re. full-serve/no shop = submit an overall photo in the receipt slot.

> No reason to waste time going across the street to
> take an overall
> picture when they have accepted it everytime and I
> have never done
> so. I take two overall pictures. One of just the
> front of the building,
> and one of the canopy since that is what they are
> really looking for
> in the overall picture.

Cool. I will definitely try doing that for a few shops, but with across-the-street backups, and see if they make it through.
Sure as heck would beat trying to run across some of those four lane highways and hurdling a cement divider!
How do you submit two overall photos, though? There's only one spot. Just toss the second in as an extra?

> Also, have you taken the pic of the top of your
> pump you used to pump?
> I have never done that, and they have never asked
> for it.

I can't remember when the word went out to get the top of pump photos. Late last year I think. I took the photos for the first twenty or so shops, but there's never been a place to upload it, so I never did (unless there was egregious damage that I would have reported anyway without the new standard.) I haven't been taking the photos lately, and have submitted 80 for that client in 2013 so far without a single request for the pump top.

janalou Wrote:
Wasn't there supposed to be a pic of
> the restroom as well?

That was for this client in pre-2012 times, when this client was exclusively unrevealed. There were a few rare stragglers of the completely unrevealed, restroom photo required, shops for this client still occasionally appearing into early last year, but I haven't seen one anywhere since last April.

savak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How do you ever get a photo of the top of the
> pump. I'm not excessively short but I find it
> difficult to even see the top of the pump even if
> I stand on tip toe. Are we going to have to start
> dragging a step ladder around with us? lol


Then never do Cenex gas stations (different MSC) audits. You are supposed to change the pump toppers as well