I went to a local station to do a BP audit. I handed the attendant the letter and he asked what it was for. That is not all that unusual. I explained that it just entailed a few pictures and then I would be out of his way. He laid the letter to the side and said he would give it to the owner when he came in tomorrow. I was puzzled as to whether he was allowing or denying the audit, it wasn't clear at all. So I said, so can I go ahead and do the audit? He said no, that I could come back tomorrow when the owner was there.
That would not really have been a hardship for me, but the guidelines are quite clear and they don't mention anything about letting the station schedule the audit. I think part of the whole point is so they can't prepare and get rid of porn or whatever. So I told him that the letter states that if the audit is not allowed that they will be considered non-compliant without the ability to cure. (Whatever that means.) And also that I would have to report that I was not allowed to do the audit.
Keep in mind that I"m quite sure this guy only understood one word out of three that I was saying. He finally called the owner and got permission. I know the owner from many previous audits and I've been giggling all night. I"m sure the attendant got an earful.
This was a first for me. How would you have handled it?

You did the right things. I had one where they told me to wait for the owner so I asked are you saying I can't do the audit? and he said oh no, I just wanted the owner to be here. I explained that I do these on a regular basis and I just need a few photos and I would be out of his way. Then he repeated he wanted the owner there but was not saying that I could not do it. So I made my purchase and continued. Now I know the owner and have never had an issue again.

I would handle it exactly the same way. Many times I am told I should come back when the owner is present. I politely explain the audit is routine and must take place then. If they still resist for any reason, I politely encourage them to contact the owner or manager. Nine times out of ten, they call and the matter is resolved. If they still refuse, I explain the station will fail the audit, and I will not be returning. This sometimes works. I very rarely am refused in the end, but if I am, I want to make sure I gave them every chance.

Of course, if they were belligerent and I felt uncomfortable or unsafe, I would be out of there in a second. Fortunately, this has never happened to me.

I was refused an audit one time for a different gas station brand. The CSR insisted that I go two doors down the street to talk to the owner and I politely told her that I was not allowed to leave and come back. She really did not want me to complete the audit without getting permission from the owner, but evidently did not want to call the owner and ask over the phone. After going back and forth a couple times, I frankly told her that it was less work for me to report the location as refusing to allow the audit and if she would give me a yes or no answer to the question I would either do the audit or I would leave. I explained that if she refused me, someone else would come back to do the audit at a later time. She would not give permission, so I left. I reported it as a refusal and got full pay. I don't know for sure if/when the audit was performed for that round of shops, but I did go back several months later and got a pretty hefty bonus to do the audit. It was the same CSR and she gave me permission without any questions that second time. I won't do it a third time. Too much work!

At another brand shop (and different MSC), the CSR refused to let me take pictures inside the store to show the non-compliant drug paraphernalia. He insisted that I must have an ID from the MSC even after I explained that I was an independent contractor and not an employee of the MSC. As he called the owner and carried on a lengthy discussion in a foreign language that I could not understand, I had several minutes to look around the counter area and see several other violations that I would not have otherwise seen in the brief amount of time it had taken for me to make my purchase during the mystery portion of the shop. Before I left, I politely explained to the CSR that even though I was not allowed to take the pictures, that did not mean that a detailed explanation of what I saw would not be going into the report. I knew the MSC would back me on what I said I saw if the store tried to contest my report.

Y'all are nicer than me. I would have said thank you, marked the audit as declined, and been on my way.

I had one once where I was told to come back when the owner was there. I left and put declined and the reason why. I got paid full price and it got put back on the job board.

That's exactly what the instructions say for every audit I've done. It is not our job to try talking the location into letting us do the audit. We ask. We get a yes or no.

Honestly I usually don't ask, I state I am doing an audit, it's up to them to stop me if they don't want me to.

I don't really feel like it's in my best interest to make an enemy of the station owner, who is a local hardworking guy. The whole family contributes to the economy here. I would have done my job correctly and reported that the audit was not allowed if that was what the attendant did. But the guidelines state for us to encourage them to call the number on the letter before denying the audit. I don't feel like calling the owner is any different. The MSC wants the audit to happen. I also knew that the owner would want the audit to happen due to previous interactions with him.

@bgriffin wrote:

Y'all are nicer than me. I would have said thank you, marked the audit as declined, and been on my way.

When I do gas station audits I do long routes where I do 20 plus in a day. The ones I do take 15 minutes, sure it may only take 5 minutes to go through all that back and forth, but if that happens 3 times a day that's an extra audit I could have done that day that now I cannot. That is money in my pocket. How much they contribute to the local economy and how much I like the station owner isn't a factor for me. Like I said, y'all are a lot nicer than I am, lol.

Also I don't know that the "MSC wants the audit to happen." Perhaps if you're working for Maritz. I don't do audits for them but it is my understanding that MSCs, like us, get paid just the same for a declined audit as they do for one that is performed. I would also assume the petroleum company is less than concerned about it as well. They charge stiff penalties for failed audits, which is what a declined audit becomes.

I stand corrected. I am indeed, nicer than bgriffin, who is no lady.

I give whoever is there about 30 seconds IF they show any concern. My usual response to people who don't initially say "go for it" is "you get this at least every 3 months. It's no big deal."
99% of the time that takes care of it. It's usually the noobs that don't know that audits are a thing. If I get more pushback after that I tell them "it's up to you. I don't HAVE to do it" and that's their last chance.
I don't think I've ever been asked not to perform the audit.

If I do am there to do an audit and the associate is jacking-me-around and not allowing me to do it, I just say, "Are you refusing the audit?" (this includes ALL audits I do, gas stations or cell phone stores/vitamin stores, etc). Usually they look scared when I ask that question. I ask again: "Are you refusing the audit or may I begin?" I don't give them time to think about it too much because I will turn around and leave. My time is valuable.

I am positive this guy was a noob. I have never seen him before.

@Hoju wrote:

I give whoever is there about 30 seconds IF they show any concern. My usual response to people who don't initially say "go for it" is "you get this at least every 3 months. It's no big deal."
99% of the time that takes care of it. It's usually the noobs that don't know that audits are a thing. If I get more pushback after that I tell them "it's up to you. I don't HAVE to do it" and that's their last chance.
I don't think I've ever been asked not to perform the audit.

I'm there to do an inspection and don't have the time or desire to argue or plead with a CSR. If I get blow back I'll explain it is done every month, it's routine, I will take some pictures that will take about 20 minutes and that if he prefers that I don't complete the inspection i will simply submit a report stating that it was denied. I will wait for the CSR to call his boss but won't wait for him to arrive or come back tomorrow or go two stores down the street to get permission. Despite this type of delay I can still be in and out in 20 or 30 minutes.

I'm nice because it is usually a new employee who simply doesn't know what's going on and is afraid of getting in trouble for allowing the audit. I know they will probably get in trouble if they refuse, so I feel bad for them and take the time to explain it if necessary. As a self-employed mystery shopper these audits are one of the rare times I actually interact with other people on the job while not acting a part, and I try to have a pleasant interaction if for no other reason than my own self being.

I'm always nice unless someone gives me attitude. If they are just a noob who is afraid of getting in trouble, like in my OP I erred on the side of nice. If there had been a hint of snotty I'd have been on my way.