My 2nd Video shop

Last night I completed my 2nd ever video shop; a show home.

The MSC really likes me as my reports are great and I've never been outed. They even gave me a bonus due to my quality work! (End boast)

I took great time to prepare my gear; setting up the PV-500, making sure the button and camera aligned perfectly, mic is perfect, etc.
Before the shop I make sure the camera is straight and aligned to point at my target's head & shoulders. I check twice, even getting out of the car before entering the showhome. All is good.

I arrive and meet the target....she's tiny! About a head shorter than I am....sigh

I try a quick adjustment during my visit, I try to stoop when I talk to her..sadly I still only get half her head in most of my shots.

It's still a good shoot because the audio is perfect, but I ask the MSC to give a head's up on target height prior to the shop. They agree, of course.

With no report to write, I'm starting to really like thee video shops...

.
Mike T
Looking for shops in Western Canada

"Life is good because the alternative is forever "

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More About Video Mystery Shopping

That height issue is good to know about. Thank you! I am 5' 1" so it shouldn't concern me for the majority of shops however it is great info since in certain demographics the locals are either my height or shorter.

Congrats on the bonus!

Just lost trying to find a fire pit in a concrete jungle wishing it was a wooded glen...

if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all

Actually target height is a concern for all video shoppers. Unfortunately, it is rarely possible to know the height in advance. Most of my video shops are not for a predetermined target. Even if you would know in advance there are so many other issues that arise. Targets trying to stand with their back to the sun or a bright window is one. So is the variety of desk, counter and chair heights. A car dealership actually had low sofas for customers instead of chairs. More times than I can count targets have tried to sit down next to me rather than across a table or desk. On my first video shop the associate literally jogged around the car lot and jumped up and down on the door of the vehicle he was demonstrating. All of that makes camera placement so important so you can be confident about adjusting your body and stance to accommodate the unexpected.

And enjoy those video shops without a report. It was one of my favorite things when starting video. For some reason there has been a shift to more reports. Now at least 75% of the video shops include some sort of report and often it is exactly the same as the traditional shop.

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.

I'm excited. I have 2 new home shops on Monday that have.......NO REPORT!

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I'm 5'1" in heels and my first video shop target was 6'7". I don't see how knowing the height of a target in advance would help. I tried my best to keep a few feet of distance between us.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

You certainly don't want the video to be of the target's crotch the entire time.

Maybe you shorter MS'ers could figure out a way to wear your hair in an updo, (think Marge Simpson) and put the camera up there.

(Just kidding!)

Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.

cubbiecat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm 5'1" in heels and my first video shop target
> was 6'7". I don't see how knowing the height of a
> target in advance would help. I tried my best to
> keep a few feet of distance between us.

I'm assuming the clients want to see the sales person in video - gestures, facial expressions, body language, etc - otherwise, why use video?

If there is a, unknown yet large height difference, it is hard to aim the camera correctly. The result, as in my situation, is only half the salesperson's head is in the shot and the client might not get what they want.

The result after that is the client might not get their full value out of video shopping and as such stop...which is bad for all of us.

.
Mike T
Looking for shops in Western Canada

"Life is good because the alternative is forever "

You are absolutely right that things like a big height difference can make it difficult. Unless you are only going to take targeted shops you won't have any way of knowing in advance. New homes and some apartment shops can be targeted which still means most shops are not. With all of the variables in mystery shopping, knowing their height is probably not going to be enough. Just last week I had a sales associate who was only about six inches taller than me, but he was a close talker. My only choice was to keep my back arched and move away as much possible.

Honestly, a low quality video is not going to turn the client from video shopping because they probably will not see it anyway. In most cases the MSC will just send in another shopper. To be successful we have to learn to adjust to less than ideal conditions. I'm glad the MSC was willing to accept your video, but I have seen video shops thrown out for less.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

My 2nd Video shop

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine