How to keep track of shop requests that have not yet been assigned?

I've applied for a couple of shops and then... crickets. How do you keep track of these dates? I would hate to request a shop, forget I made the request, and then hear back from the scheduler on or near the assignment due date letting me know they have awarded me the shop. It would be terrible if I had accepted another shop in the interim for the same date. I suppose I could keep another calendar with requested shop dates, but isn't that a pain? Is there an easier way?

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Why ANOTHER calendar? Just add a note on the date for which you requested the shop. something like: ?storage shop for xyz at location b? Then, if that gets assigned, remove the question marks. Simplicity is your friend.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2017 08:01PM by walesmaven.

I use different colors of ink for different types of shops, on a datebook with large day boxes. It works for me. Love to all! Signed, Night Owl at2:29 pm

I track everything in Excel. When I am assigned a shop, I fill in my "pay" column with the amount. Before I am assigned, I type "pending."

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

I put it in my calendar in red text with the word Applied before it, then I change it to black and remove the word applied once it's assigned.

I keep everything in Excel, too. I inserted a column that asks Is this an App? If I put a "y" in that column, then the entire row turns red. If the shop is assigned to me, I delete the "y" and the text turns black.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2017 12:27AM by ChrisCooper.

I use Google Calendar in addition to Excel to track my shops. When I apply for shops, on the date in the calendar, I put ???shop $ MSC. When it is assigned, I remove the ???.

All assigned shops go into Excel with full details.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

Nothing goes in my spreadsheet until it's complete.
Assigned shops go into my quarterly Streets and Trips map.
I can't remember the last time I had to apply for a shop and wait for it to be accepted.

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

@mahemj wrote:

I've applied for a couple of shops and then... crickets. How do you keep track of these dates? I would hate to request a shop, forget I made the request, and then hear back from the scheduler on or near the assignment due date letting me know they have awarded me the shop. It would be terrible if I had accepted another shop in the interim for the same date. I suppose I could keep another calendar with requested shop dates, but isn't that a pain? Is there an easier way?

Here's one method (I don't use this, but I do something very similar):

Use a color-coded spreadsheet with dates and shop details listed.

Anytime you apply for and/or accept (right away) a shop, then type the basic details into the spreadsheet. By default, everything starts out typed in black.

**If the shop application gets accepted, then change to color to green (I think of street lights meaning "go"

.
**If the shop accepted shop is completed/done, then change it to red.
**If the shop is cancelled, then I delete it.

Pretty simple and works for me (I don't use those exact colors and schemes, but I do something very similar).

(continued from above)

By the way, I use Google Sheets, which is free online, instead of Excel.

I find that Sheets does pretty much everything Excel does with a few things here and there that aren't available.

I put my entire schedule on a Word document each month and add to it as necessary. If I applied for a shop that has yet to be assigned to me, I put it in light grey color. It only takes a click of the mouse to change it to black (like my scheduled shops) when the shop is actually assigned to me. A Word doc is simple, fast, and easy to read on pc or smartphone. Having it hosted in a Cloud, such as Dropbox, allows me easy access to my schedule with 2 taps on my smartphone or pc. I started doing it this way when I got married and needed to keep my and my wife's schedules compatible.

Once I have scheduled shops for a certain period, I delete my applications for other shops to avoid receiving last minute acceptance. Since I am very picky about what shops I plan to do, I seldom check the MSC job boards. I, instead reply to the emails I receive if I am interested. If I have already scheduled self-assigned shops, I adjust the dates. That's why I prefer shops with a set of dates rather than one specific date. At times some shops are called in with a significant bonus. I want to be able to make adjustments since I depend mostly on public transportation.

You may not heard of this but I use the old school method. I use a sheet of paper, write down the requested shops dates, type of shops, shop fees and MSCs. Once the shops have been assigned, I write the shops on the dates the shops were assigned on my desk calendar, the fees, and the MSC. I can quickly look at the shops at a glance when I am planning out my days. It doesn't have to be complicated to keep track of your requested shops.

@catgrannyof5 wrote:

I use a sheet of paper

What's this "sheet of paper" thing you speak of? I've never heard of such thing.

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

I find when you apply for a shop and they take forever to assign it, they are willing to reschedule for you so that the shop fits in with everything else you've accumulated since applying. But writing it down or entering it into your calendar seems to be the only way to truly schedule yourself out. I'd hate to put something else off that you can self assign just in case the shop becomes yours that you've applied to!

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do

I color code on my online calendar; Yellow for requested. Green for assigned. Red for overdue and I need to chase payment....

While I get many of the shops I request, It's easy enough to request 2 or 3 shops for the same day and pull or move the requests once one get assigned one.

I keep folders for jobs pending, assigned, done, along with the email of acceptance. Companies then send a reminder, so, being i don't do as many as most of you, this simple method works for me, have never forgotten a job...also write it on my calender.

Live consciously....

I maintain an Excel spreadsheet that lists my shops, color coded by day of week. This spreadsheet contains only the shop name, shop location, start date, due date. Shops requested, but not assigned yet get listed just like any other shop, but in red font (which tells me they haven't been given to me yet).

I use this spreadsheet when looking at filling in dates with more shops (I rarely do less than one shop per day). It gives me a much better visual idea of how much work I've planned on a given day. It also allows me the ability to easy shift shops around to different dates as I work though the month. I find this works much better than an actual calendar. Once I am assigned the shop I enter it into my Access database.

Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.

Like others, I find color coding to be the easiest. I use the background fill in Excel. I put the shop into my schedule as normal, but color code it yellow. This way I know I need to either keep that date open or cancel the application. Accepted shops are red. Shops I want to keep on the radar but haven't applied for are gray. Completed shops get moved to a different workbook.

I also add to excel pending shops, and just put big ??? question marks next to date. This lets me know I am waiting to hear back. If date passes, I delete.

On my phone calendar, I add "(Pending)" in front of it. A placeholder can always be deleted and also not overlooked. Typically, I put the MSC and project name / location on the day I plan on shopping. It doesn't have to be "Pending," but just enter it into your regular calendar but note it out somehow until it gets assigned (or not assigned). This usually helps me plan out a bunch of mini-routes throughout the month.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

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