Narratives
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I remember doing that for a car shop for Sinclair. It wanted a full and detailed story of the encounter and they got it. I managed to freeze the system. I could back out and get in again, but as soon as I pasted my narrative into the form everything froze. We went for a few days trying to figure out why the report would not work and finally their IT guy indicated that only something like 1500 characters were allowed and I had over 5000. So much for 'full and detailed story'.
sometimes i'm shocked by how few characters the limit is on key narratives. i did a shop yesterday, and the meat and potatoes whole point of the shop narrative was limited to 700 characters. it can become harder to condense it than it was to type the thing out in the first place.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2015 12:12AM by jay225.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2015 12:12AM by jay225.
Yah, that's what I'm struggling with now. I don't think I can get all that detailed in 1,500 words. I've now cut it down to just over 1,600, but I hate the way it sounds. It doesn't give me any room to use any sort of adjectives. Just doesn't feel like a good narrative to me, but I can only give what they'll take, right?
Shopping central Arizona.
I finally had gotten it down to 1,502. I took out the last two commas that existed in my narrative and called it done. Now I just hope they don't expect me to add anything about the follow-up to the narrative! LOL
Shopping central Arizona.
This happened to me too with one of Sinclair's bank shops. As usual, I write long narratives and this one froze on me!@Flash wrote:
I remember doing that for a car shop for Sinclair. It wanted a full and detailed story of the encounter and they got it. I managed to freeze the system. I could back out and get in again, but as soon as I pasted my narrative into the form everything froze. We went for a few days trying to figure out why the report would not work and finally their IT guy indicated that only something like 1500 characters were allowed and I had over 5000. So much for 'full and detailed story'.
That has happened to me a couple of times, and I hate it!!!
I couldn't agree more...if a narrative box has a limit, the text box should clearly state that upfront. Better yet is to count my characters as I go so I know where I am limit wise (if I am typing in the barrative box instead of a word processor). I hate chopping up what I consider to be a very good description only to end up with something that is what I would consider bush league...
"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."
I have done this a time or two, but not quite as over as some of you guys! I completely agree that there should be information up front on the text box limits!
Silver certified for 11 years and happily shopping Arizona!
I wouldn't exactly call these narratives, but I've had problems with some of the maximum field sizes on MF. For one of the shops I have done a few times, you have to list each item which does not have the correct quantity displayed, but you only get 100 characters. If even 3-4 items are missing, you max out. Abbreviations seems inappropriate, but are the only option, I guess. But at least you are aware of the limitation and character count. It's much easier to think succinctly the first time you write it than to pare down from 5000 characters to 1500. That would be a total re-write for me!
Apartment shops, and some dining shops and vehicle shops require long narratives. For most lower - paying shops, I actually try to stick with 3-5 sentances for a one-point question, and the editors are happy with an overall narrative in maybe 10 sentences or less. A sentence can have as many as three seperate, different points in it. I (practically) always have my reports accepted the first time I submit them. Signed, Night Owl at 1:58 pm.
It does make it a bit confusing. However, the pay is a good indicator to me. Less pay = less narrative.
Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut
When a shop goes smoothly, it's not so much an issue. When multiple employees make multiple mistakes, though, it tends to take a lot more narrative to explain what happened. If the store is really large and/or busy, you will sometimes also get employees passing you off to each other or interactions with more employees than it gives you room to record when the rules are that you must record all interactions with employees. Had one of those recently at a certain retailer I've shopped many times in the past. I do enjoy working with that client, but I won't shop that location again without a large bonus.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2015 07:31PM by OceanGirl.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2015 07:31PM by OceanGirl.
@vlade5394 wrote:
It does make it a bit confusing. However, the pay is a good indicator to me. Less pay = less narrative.
Though not always. Up until recently, my bank audits with the least narrative paid me as much as I was making for some of the others. I would still be doing those, but the MSC stopped offering them, and they weren't picked up by another company with which I'm registered.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2015 07:41PM by OceanGirl.
If you're over by that much, I find it easier to just scrap the report and write it fresh. Editing down can turn into Word Tetris.
Stericycle is famous for narrative limits but they let you know up fromt min and max
Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.
I just signed up for another home builder shop from the same MSC for tomorrow. At least this time I know to keep my character count down! Lol!
Shopping central Arizona.
I did one Tuesday that asked for a narrative. I typed up a nice complete narrative. I go to submit and it won't take it because the narrative had to be under 700 characters. That was fun.
Silver certified for 11 years and happily shopping Arizona!
I had a narrative a few days ago that was to long also. I forget which company it was with but I did not know there was a character limit until I thought I was finished. Then I also found I had an error to fix. Come to find out I was about 2800 over! If they want a detailed narrative I prefer knowing ahead of time what my limit is, if there is one. It is so frustrating when it happens.
Incognito
silver certified
silver certified
I just completed another one...this one at least told me the character limit (600), so I knew going in my limitations. However, in the guidelines, they provided an example of the type of narrative they wanted .It was clearly over 600 characters.
Shopping central Arizona.
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