What I always tried to do was have the same things on the same device. In other words, if there were enough photos required to justify my camera, I would take pictures of my receipts with the camera so everything could be transferred at the same time. I have not dealt with cropping or re-sizing in ages. Most often the photo is uploaded in whatever size it was taken. If I do need to email them to myself an option is provided to send them as is or to reduce them to Large, Medium or Small. Then I will choose Medium or Small. I don't do any work for the MSC with the lion's share of gas station audits so most of my assignments only require one to six photos. If I ever get back to assignments requiring more, it may require a change up in procedures.

I use a regular camera for my photos but seem to spend lots of time labeling the photos and receipt scans so they meet requirements and I can tell them apart when browsing. I have different labeling rules from various msc. It might be useful for me to look back at some of these companies to see if their rules for labeling photos has changed over the years. I never have to crop anything but I do spend time getting the labels just right to their (maybe old) specs. Do you just add the same label to all photos for any particular shop by bulk labeling? I can see doing that and then throwing out all the bad ones before up?loading to the report but then how do you know what each is without a specific title to each photo or scan? I do not have a cell with a good camera on it.

I only label pictures when it will help me such as a large number of photos needing to be uploaded to specific places within the report. If the job number or something is required, I just highlight everything, type in the job ID and let the computer add (1), (2), etc. Funny this came up. I was uploading pictures to a report yesterday. It was the first time I noticed they wanted the ID followed by a description such as business card. I have never done it for their shops and didn't yesterday either.

I rename each photo so that it is very easy to find the right one for each question. For me, that works well and efficiently once I have done a shop a few times and can label them quickly. I am a semi-professional photographer and used to obsess about framing the photo correctly, cropping it, rotating it, color-balancing it, etc. It took awhile, but I realized that the the MSCs don't care, and that rotating the camera means rotating the photograph later. Now, I rarely take any photo in other than landscape mode. Sometimes, gas pumps, for instance, demand portrait because I can't always back up far enough to get it from base to top in landscape mode and the same thing with very tall gas station ID signs, but otherwise, I now do the minimum essential photography when on a shop.

I think some of the labeling requirements are a throwback to the earlier days just a few years ago when some companies did not have a way to attach the photo directly embedded in the report. So they had elaborate rules. The big msc said they needed the AID on each photo, some ask for the ID_some word or other_location_date.. It can make one crazy and take lots of time. So perhaps like the thread/list about payment policies some nice person will start a thread/list about photo and scan labeling rules. I think some companies no longer need photos to be labeled just so as they are now embedded in the report they are about.

I didn't read the beginning of this thread, sorry if I am repeating anything.
I use my regular camera and download directly into my Document Library and put the pics in a folder with the location. I do label each one with what is in the pic. This only takes me a few minutes. All pictures are automatically sized. The upload is easy and works for all MSCs. I have never had a request or return in 10 years for my pics. I could also do this with my phone. I choose the Kodak camera because I can get close ups if needed. I never have to crop or do anything else.

I use a neat scanner for receipts which does the same as above. EASY!

I admit to being quite anal/obsessive about the photos! I usually take at least two or three shots of each required image; choose the best one and name it so that I know exactly what it is; crop out extraneous background; resize it to make sure it fits within the MSCs size parameters; adjust contrast, brightness, and focus if needed for best viewing (I even color adjust business cards as accurately as possible!); etc.

I'm sure I go overboard, but I have to have photos as good as they can possibly be for my regular business, and I can't seem to get out of the habit when I mystery shop! I need to re-train myself....

You won't regret that re-training. While the inclination may be to provide the best photos, we are not being paid to shoot someone's wedding. Good is good enough. Photos need to show what the client needs to see. For years I completed pizza shops and gas audits, including photos of every pump, with my phone. Hundreds and hundreds of each. Rarely re-sizing or taking more than one photo and never cropping, etc. I'm not suggesting half-assed attempts, just take a clear photo and be confident. You will save time and aggravation.

Good enough is good enough.

If you do 10 gas station audits a day that take 30 minutes each and you cut 5 minutes per audit off because you don't obsess over perfect photos you can do 2 extra audits a day. If you get $20 per audit that extrapolates out to $40 per day, $200 per week (working 5 days a week), or $10,400 per year. Now, how important was taking 3 of every photo, cropping, sorting, and renaming??



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2016 04:13AM by bgriffin.

For me, it doesn't make much of a difference right now, given the amount of shopping I do. This is a very part-time gig for me, and I'm trying to maximize my time by picking up better-paying shops. Most of those don't require many photos, if any. It doesn't bother me to crop a photo of a business card if I'm getting $50 or $60 for the shop. I'd obsess more if I didn't.... I've stopped doing the $10 and $12 shops where taking that extra few minutes does make a difference.

But when/if I retire from my two primary businesses and start doing more shopping, or if I start doing route shopping (which I don't do now, but I may start), then I'll have to just chop my hands off if they insist on doing all that fussing with the photos!

BirdyC - I feel your pain. I used to do the same thing you are doing with photographs. If I knew how to include photographs here, I would show you what I am capable of when it comes to flowers or travel photos. I think that I still take better than average photos for submission to MSCs, and once in a while, I still crop them. But no one at an MSC ever complimented me when I was obsessive about the photos, and no one at an MSC has had problems (except for some goofy editors who object to the presence of cars on the roads when I do street views of gasoline stations across 6 lanes of traffic) since I reformed. Hold my figurative hand - you can do it also. Let go of your need to submit perfect photos. You can still take some duplicates - I do, because it is easier than going back. And I am gradually getting used to using my camera phone some of the time to take advantage of image stabilization. I still use my full-manual 35 mm Minolta XD-11 SLR, but never for mystery shopping.

I had a shop once where the MSC said you could not have any obstructions in front of the store in your photo. Well, the only way I could get a shot of the storefront without being seen was to drive to the parking lot across the street, park behind rows of cars, and take the shot. I had to angle over cars, under phone lines, and around trees to get the shot. Maybe that added to my obsessive paranoia? LOL.

LIke you, I have a high-end camera I use in my business, and was very unhappy with the quality of my phone's photos. But I got a new phone last year, and it takes much better photos than the old one. I've been able to cut down on the amount of time it takes me to get an acceptable (to me) shot. Maybe two now, whereas with my old phone, I'd have to take three or four. I still take a minimum of two to make sure at least I have one good enough to use.

I used to take my "little" DSLR out on jobs where I needed to get an exterior shot at night, as my old phone just didn't get the job done. But the new one handles those pretty well. At least I don't take the "monster" out on shops.... Even I'm not that crazy! Well, at least not about that.

I will try to cure my illness. I wonder if anyone has set up a 12-step program for obsessive-compulsive mystery shoppers?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2016 04:37AM by BirdyC.

HA! The first gas stations audits I ever did were a group of 24 last minute shops. I had never done them before and didn't know what kind of quality they expected. The entire group got done with a Nikon d300s. 1000 shutter activations later I said uh no I'm going with a cheap point and click!

BTW, I haven't learned to be efficient to make $10 and $12 shops better. The last pizza shop I did paid $35 and the last gas audit was $30 to $40. I don't crop business card pics for the shops paying $200 to $300 either. Time is always money.

I must state I am learning a few "tricks" here that I have been using and didn't know, or now will. I think I still obsess with photos. Never had complaints though unless it was an obvious flaw.
I put my photos in a folder for the msc and then labeled for job #. Yes, then I label each one. Perhaps I should stop at the folder label. The pix speak for themselves

@LisaSTL wrote:

BTW, I haven't learned to be efficient to make $10 and $12 shops better. The last pizza shop I did paid $35 and the last gas audit was $30 to $40. I don't crop business card pics for the shops paying $200 to $300 either. Time is always money.

I don't know how anyone can be efficient enough to make those $10 and $12 shops more of a return on investment! Photos, no photos, etc.

And, yup, time is money. I'll have to figure out a way to get my nit-pickiness about photos under control. I'll probably still crop many of them, but if they're sharp and in focus, and show what they're supposed to show, I'll have to skip worrying about color and other stuff!

@BirdyC wrote:

Tonight I saw a $10 cell-phone shop that required photos of ALL the different brand displays. Nope; not doing that one.

I took something like this in my area at $15 - and wouldn't do it again. I was assigned the "tablet" scenario in a warehouse club. Despite posing as a person looking for a tablet, they also wanted me to count all the dummy and live phones for each carrier - PLUS take a picture of each brand display in the kiosk. I had to go back the next day to count phones and take more pictures because when I originally read the instructions, I thought that all I had to do was count the tablets. All I could think was that if I had done it all in one visit, it would have outed me as a shopper. It was such an unnatural thing to do. Why would I be looking at phones if I was asking about tablets - let alone taking pictures of the phones instead of the tablets? The report was simple enough, but getting the required counts and photos made me feel really conspicuous.

I did that tablet shop once, and fortunately the CSR was busy with another customer for a while, so I don't think I looked too conspicuous fiddling with every phone on there. It is hard to remember how many phones are connected to the web, how many are on, etc, and getting all of the required pictures was a pain. I haven't taken one of those shops again.

@AustinMom wrote:

@supersavvymommy wrote:

I'm the one who is taking the low-priced shops, and am not ashamed to admit it. I'm a single parent with 2 kids who have complex special needs. I started mystery shopping in November 2015 to provide for my family. Due to lack of income, I was three months behind on the electric bill. I have a college degree in communications and have earned great wages in the past. But the special needs do not allow for me to do "typical" work, as there are often medical emergencies. So, I do what I can, when I can. I will take shops for $10, if they're just around the corner and take 20-30 minutes, or are a route filler. I see that some here aren't fans of AA. Well, thanks to AA I was able to take my youngest son rollerskating, for the first time. I could never have afforded that otherwise. And we rarely had the finances to eat out, until mystery shopping. So, I think it's all about perspective and the reasons we do what we do. I will eventually start passing on the lower-paying shops, but for now I can't, even though I'm highly skilled in other areas as, unfortunately, skills alone don't pay the bills.

You are not the "only one". I have posted quite a number of times about "shops of opportunity" I am retired. I know of retirees who go to the mall to be with other people after their spouse past and their kids do not communicate with them often. They do not need the money. They will buy coffee and a cinnamon bun or pretzel or other mall food anyway if they did not have a shop just to be with people and chat with them. They do not wish to be in solitary confinement I do not take those shops as I have other things to do with my time..I am "retired" but still need a calendar..

In the summer I will go to the beach. I can go to the beach without going to the convenience store or fast food but heck it is like a $10 bill on the side walk (bend over and pick it up) and get the "free" lunch (there is no free lunch you must do the report)..I need something for lunch and I can do the report instead of a crossword puzzle when I am under the umbrella on the beach. The MSC's are not taking advantage of me. It is a mutually beneficial agreement.

Before I retired I went out of the office and was compensated for my time and expenses.
The MSC's are not asking for the in depth reports requiring much more time. They are not asking for me to be an "undercover boss" type investigator who would report to management and make suggestions. They are not asking me to speak to their employees because they can not communicate and be a "prophet in their own land." Clients are not asking me to review misunderstandings and put relationships back together again. I got a lot more money for that. .

You get what you pay for. A $10 fee and a $5. sandwich will get a client a $15 effort and report cheerfully, intelligently and with integrity as I will not abuse, mislead or cheat the client. I will not work for the client if they attempt to cheat or abuse me. They may do it once, shame on them. If i take the shop again looking for different results. Shame on me. Know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run. (Kenny Rogers)

You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want ..Zig Zigler

@komondor wrote:

It all depends on where you live in Denver there are plenty of shops that pay fairly well ans some that don't. I ma just saying take the low paying ones last so maybe they will get the hint. 5 Guys does not pay much and the 3 buck bonus just for you is a joke in my opinion, since they call me with 14-18 offers on a fairly regular basis. Smashburger has a more complex form and usually pays nothing or just a few bucks.

Look for the better paying shops I have had my carpets cleaned twice for free and the survey was simple.
New car shops will range from 25 bucks up to 150, usually 60-75 is the top.

Excellent Post. I like to read something that makes me feel that Mystery Shopping really helps when it comes to finances.

@LisaSTL wrote:

Birdy, you might want to look at some other options instead of scanning and uploading POV. I take pics with my phone and upload them to OneDrive. It takes seconds and by the time I reach my computer the pics are there waiting for me.

I do the same thing with Google Drive and I have a Chromebook as my laptop, and an Android tablet I sometimes use, so it is all integrated.

I've taken low paying shops when I can piggyback it on another shop. I don't do this full time, but occasionally I have done a full day of mystery shopping. When I do that, I like to target a mall or the downtown of my city and hit up several places without having to move my car. I can usually find a semi-private nook of the mall somewhere to start some surveys and take some notes and then when I get home to do my reports, I am well along the way. I find it kind of exhausting though.

Kudos to people who do it full time. I do try to respect those people and not take shops that don't pay what the time is worth even if they are interesting to me. The lower paid shops are less and less tempting the less of a newbie I am though.

I wonder if this is why Trendsource grocery shops are so complex for so little pay. Trendsource pays fast and everyone needs groceries. I for sure would have been doing tons of them back in the day when I was super broke. I stopped doing them for now though because I don't think I get what the time is worth unless I spend time arguing for PAD which is also more time spent "working."

When I do center city parking shops, I will walk down the block to a place that provides Wifi, seating and a bathroom. If some MSC want to pay for a coffee and/or snack/meal while I spend 30 minutes waiting for my parking shop to be "fully baked," so much the better. (But, no, I am not doing those $17 parking assignments unless I use them to park for a $50+ shop.)

It is quite understandable why someone would take lower fee shops. I have done it myself, especially, when filling in a route. Unfortunately, mystery shopping companies know some people will take the lower fee and that is why they do it. There are some good mystery shopping companies out there that maximize there profit without taking advantage. Just remember if you wait just a few more days the few normally goes up. If you can do more than one shop well within in an hour, then it maybe worth doing a low fee shop. If you are spending more time doing the shop, entering data, and uploading pictures than you would make at a minimum wage job, then you are being taken advantage of. I've noticed that the lower the fee being paid, usually the more time required to complete everything.

Food for thought. A bank shop that I do regularly pays me in excess of $75 for each bank. It takes me 30 minutes or less to do the shop and less than 20 minutes to complete entering the data. The only upload is a business card. The company makes in excess of $400 per shop completed. This is what they bill. How do I know this? I once was sent by accident the complete spreadsheet showing this. This is just food for thought.

Remember some of the companies are rather large and pay large sums to get the data they need from mystery shopping companies. Mystery shopping companies need us more than we need them. Yes, we need the money but at what expense? I've been at the point where I needed the money badly but my wife reminded me that if it takes more time to do it and takes away from the family, is it worth it? Is it worth doing an Exxon shop for $11 plus $5 in gas if it takes me 20 minutes to get there, 30 minutes to complete the shop on a freezing day or night, 20 minutes to enter data, and 30 minutes to upload photo's? If I can do a few shops a day and earn in excess of $200 why would I settle for doing numerous shops for $80 that ends up costing me time with my family and financially overall. Just food for thought.

Only take low fees if you have other things going on as part of a route and even be selective then. You will learn who is good to work with and who you should avoid. i only use a select few quality shopping companies now and they are not always the biggest ones out there.

Truly excellent post. I was trying To live on $1200 a month when I started shopping. I took anything nearby just to get experience and some extra bucks. It was a thrill to have a great meal out. I always take friends who can pay the check on their credit card. They also drive and give me $10 bucks out of the reimbursement. Love the free oil changes. I even got a designer purse. Now that I have a few years experience with many MSCs, I only take the better paying shops. May you be blessed and your family thrive. Susan

My wife and I were mystery shoppers back in the 70's for Shoney's and a few other companies. We had 2 small children and loved the chance to eat out for “free”. Back then the reports were very simple. 3 years ago, after nearly 40 years of marriage my wife passed away. As I was slowly wasting away our oldest daughter said “Daddy, why don't you sign up to do mystery shops again? Here's a company you might like to do things for.”

I signed up, was accepted, and my life began to change almost at once. I found I could travel a bit, eat different things, visit different businesses, and interact with people as I never thought I would again. Sure, I still have a job, but his is totally different. I found people to actually “listen to”and to observe their work. I found people to actually listen to me. I found that I have an ability to allow an MSC to feel as though they were beside me on my shop, and felt important ( worthy?? needed?? useful??) again.

I have been doing this for just over 3 years and must confess to doing low paying shops that I am far more conscientious about doing, than their meager fee deserved. I am in financial need as much as anyone else, and these shop fees and reimbursements help handle my bills. However, when I accept a task I do it to the best of my ability. I have had 6 issues during this time, all resolved satisfactorily, and never had a shop rejected or invalidated. I did nearly 200 shops in 2015.

I have read this forum regularly for over a year now and find myself looking forward to each issue. I have many “favorites” among you (and I would guess that those who are my favorites already know that – because you probably are everybody's favorites). I have noticed a villain or two, but enjoy reading all of you.

I especially like the camaraderie here. Whether mutually supporting a newbie, one who mistypes, one asking inappropriate questions, or someone who is set upon by a cad - the majority of you are very positive, entertaining and satisfying to read.

Good job, Mr John Doe! I'm so happy to read your comments. It's great that you have made a new
Life and found something that works for you.

@AustinMom wrote:

@supersavvymommy wrote:

I'm the one who is taking the low-priced shops, and am not ashamed to admit it. I'm a single parent with 2 kids who have complex special needs. I started mystery shopping in November 2015 to provide for my family. Due to lack of income, I was three months behind on the electric bill. I have a college degree in communications and have earned great wages in the past. But the special needs do not allow for me to do "typical" work, as there are often medical emergencies. So, I do what I can, when I can. I will take shops for $10, if they're just around the corner and take 20-30 minutes, or are a route filler. I see that some here aren't fans of AA. Well, thanks to AA I was able to take my youngest son rollerskating, for the first time. I could never have afforded that otherwise. And we rarely had the finances to eat out, until mystery shopping. So, I think it's all about perspective and the reasons we do what we do. I will eventually start passing on the lower-paying shops, but for now I can't, even though I'm highly skilled in other areas as, unfortunately, skills alone don't pay the bills.

Excellent post. It deserves its own thread. Discussion?

i take what work allows me to pay the bills. i have a monthly income quota.