This gets frustrating.... I was reviewing a potential shop's description the other day and was appalled to see several grammar and usage errors throughout, even through the description was fairly short.
A couple of weeks ago I received feedback comments (from a different company), and the "editor's" comments, although just six lines, contained no fewer than five egregious grammar errors. I'm not talking about mistakes in obscure usage, but items that any high-school student should know! (Such as putting quotation marks inside periods at the end of sentences, which, unless you live in certain parts of the world, is wrong; using a plural form of a word instead of the possessive, etc.)
I realize that the main thrust of a report is the content, but when one applies to a MSC, they claim they want people who are good writers--that's why they ask for a writing sample. And I understand that editors sometimes come out of shopper ranks and aren't necessarily professional or trained copy editors. But I don't understand how a professional company, or one that wants to present itself as such, can allow this. Especially in verbiage that appears on its website, which can be read by thousands of people!
It doesn't give me confidence that my reports are being properly edited. Are editors changing correct usage to incorrect before they submit my reports to the client? Are they "marking me down" because they think their incorrect grammar is right and my correct grammar wrong?
I know when I shop ("real" shopping, not mystery shopping!) online, I usually won't shop with a company that doesn't hire professional writers or editors, or even a proofreader, to write and/or review its copy. I can usually spot such a company from "a mile away." To me, this says that the company doesn't value its customers/potential customers enough to pay some money out to be sure its copy is professionally done.
I'm seriously re-thinking this entire mystery-shopping thing.... Some of you may think my concerns are petty, but this is a really big issue for me. Do I want to slave over shops and reports for hours and hours, only to have my narratives "corrected" incorrectly or get a "low grade" because my editor doesn't know proper English usage, grammar, and spelling?
Or are my concerns unfounded, and do most editors leave grammar issues alone unless they're blatant? (But at this point I'm wondering how they know!)
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.