Tomorrow I am doing my first appliance shop for IPSOS. For those of you who have done these, you know how the guidelines specify your particular TYPE of appliance?? For example, I have to shop Appliance #1, which has to be the type, say, that has "revolving gonkets" (totally made up here so as not to give anything away). However, when I print out my worksheet, it ALSO includes Appliance #1, but one with "stationary mobles" (whatever!) The GUIDELINES and SCENARIO are very specific about only having to shop the ONE TYPE of appliance. But seeing more than one on the worksheet leaves me wondering: Do BOTH types show up on the actual input form when I enter my report??? Or only the one what pertains to my scenario???

I don't want to have any surprises here when I go to input my report, and find out I was supposed to shop both types, when the guidelines and scenario only say one, but the worksheet prints out two!! I've read several posts here of how the actual input form asks for things that aren't on the guidelines/worksheet, and I don't want this to be one of those if I can help it! I want to be fully prepared!

Thanks in advance, and hope I didn't confuse anyone with my made-up "types" here!

ETA: Just realized this should probably have been posted in the Mystery Shopping COMPANY Forum section. Moderator, please move it over if it needs to be moved...thanks!

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2017 10:57PM by guysmom.

I found the report confusing, too. It asks for things not on the guidelines. For example, it's not in the guidelines anywhere to take photos of the appliances you evaluate. But when you do the report, there it is: please upload photos of the appliance(s) you evaluated.

I take a notebook with me, and take notes -- but I'm old (70), so I can get away with "I hope you don't mind if I take notes -- I won't remember what to tell my daughter about this unless I write everything down!" (I'm getting her diamonds, or a new car, or a new washer/dryer/dishwasher for her birthday, etc., etc., etc.)

And don't forget to ask the floor person what brands to avoid. I usually just say "I read Consumer Reports all the time, and I know they say to avoid some repair-prone mfgrs., but I don't remember what they say. Which ones would you not recommend?"

I recently had a sales person tell me that ALL machines are manufactured to self destruct in about 4 years.

Remember Maytag? Their machines were SO great, they never sold replacements. Planned obsolescence is the name of the game! My old Maytag lasted 35 years, and was still going strong when I sold it used for $75.

And I've had weird things happen on these shops, too -- the machine I was to evaluate wasn't there. At all. Just not there. Empty space, with the signage. The manager sold it that morning and had it delivered to the customer, LOL!!!

To more directly answer your question, I also ask the salesperson about Machine #2, sort of like an afterthought -- oh, by the way, can I ask you about XXXXX? And I take notes. Pictures, too, now that I know about it, LOL!!!
That way, I'm prepped for the report.

Good luck.

Whichever one is listed on the survey summary is the only one you have to ask about. Make sure you memorize your assigned Feature Set and Comp Scenario brand. When you print out the survey, all possible questions related to that kind of shop will show, but when you actually fill out the report, the questions for the other type of appliance will filter out.

@RhiaB wrote:

Whichever one is listed on the survey summary is the only one you have to ask about. Make sure you memorize your assigned Feature Set and Comp Scenario brand. When you print out the survey, all possible questions related to that kind of shop will show, but when you actually fill out the report, the questions for the other type of appliance will filter out.

Thank you! That is what I was hoping would happen!

@ceasesmith wrote:

I found the report confusing, too. It asks for things not on the guidelines. For example, it's not in the guidelines anywhere to take photos of the appliances you evaluate. But when you do the report, there it is: please upload photos of the appliance(s) you evaluated.

Good to know! I do remember reading about that somewhere in this Forum...didn't realize at the time that it pertained to this shop....so thanks!

@ceasesmith wrote:

And don't forget to ask the floor person what brands to avoid. I usually just say "I read Consumer Reports all the time, and I know they say to avoid some repair-prone mfgrs., but I don't remember what they say. Which ones would you not recommend?"

Excellent point.....thanks!

@ceasesmith wrote:

To more directly answer your question, I also ask the salesperson about Machine #2, sort of like an afterthought -- oh, by the way, can I ask you about XXXXX? And I take notes. Pictures, too, now that I know about it, LOL!!!
That way, I'm prepped for the report.

Good luck.

Thanks!!

these shops & reports are pta. i think i stopped doing them after two shops.

My guidelines did say to take photos of the appliances but it said it at the bottom along the lines of *if you are able, please capture a photo of the X brand appliance in X style* and if you are able to please capture competitor item X item in X style. To my credit, I knew what I was getting into because the same vendor/company used another company I work for to do phone shops that asked for the same information so I kinda knew the ropes of it after a blue billion phone call shops. Your experience may vary by region, of course.

ETA: I forgot to take a storefront photo on one of the shops. Thankfully, I had a business card photo, brochure, all kinds of appliance photos, the employees name and personal card, yada yada so they let the storefront photo slide. Whew! Only did that once and then started setting reminders again. I took a little hiatus and apparently the breaks we take cause us to occasionally be off our game.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2017 11:31PM by MountainCacher88.

@MountainCacher88 wrote:

ETA: I forgot to take a storefront photo on one of the shops.

I almost did that today!!!! Got in my car, turned it on, and was briefly reading the worksheet, getting ready to drive off. Then I saw it on my worksheet!! PHEW!! Got my picture....sure would have hated to drive back to that store, seeing it's a good 18 miles away one way!

As far as the appliance photo, it wasn't on my guidelines that I could see, but thanks to this Forum, I was ready!!! And I found that the report only asked for the newest model of the type of appliance asked for. I had taken like 6 photos of different items, and I only needed the one! Well, it's over and done with!!

Glad it went well.

I did not see, in the guidelines, where it says to ask the Associate for a brand they do not recommend. Therefore, you only need that information if they specifically say something on their own. I always take photos, it says in small print but it does say on the guidelines to take a pic of a sample of what you're evaluating.

My phone, TV, robot vacuum, washer/dryer and fridge are of this brand. I'm in love with them and their shops and I take ALL of them that I can get my greedy little hands on because they are buying me a new phone! muah!

Well, guidelines DO change. Mine certainly did not say to take photos of what I was evaluating, and definitely said to ask for the brands the salesperson would avoid.

Last year I did a route of shops where the guidelines CLEARLY stated "Take your required interior photo as soon as you enter the location.". So I did. Came back from the editor -- "you were supposed to take a photo in your required department. Please upload a photo taken in your required department." I copy/pasted the section of the guidelines, sent it back, and stated that I followed the guidelines perfectly. I also suggested an immediate rewrite of the guidelines, so other shoppers would get it right. Oh, no, entirely not necessary. Sure enough, a few weeks later, started getting urgent e-mails that they needed me to go back and take the required photos -- too many shoppers had taken photos upon entering the store (following the guidelines!) and the client was now rejecting reports.

I think it's awesome when companies listen to us and do rewrites of contradictory/incorrect/incomplete guidelines.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Well, guidelines DO change. Mine certainly did not say to take photos of what I was evaluating, and definitely said to ask for the brands the salesperson would avoid.

Same here for me, too, cease.

may be a diff shop or only updated some guidelines

@ceasesmith wrote:

Well, guidelines DO change. Mine certainly did not say to take photos of what I was evaluating, and definitely said to ask for the brands the salesperson would avoid.

Last year I did a route of shops where the guidelines CLEARLY stated "Take your required interior photo as soon as you enter the location.". So I did. Came back from the editor -- "you were supposed to take a photo in your required department. Please upload a photo taken in your required department." I copy/pasted the section of the guidelines, sent it back, and stated that I followed the guidelines perfectly. I also suggested an immediate rewrite of the guidelines, so other shoppers would get it right. Oh, no, entirely not necessary. Sure enough, a few weeks later, started getting urgent e-mails that they needed me to go back and take the required photos -- too many shoppers had taken photos upon entering the store (following the guidelines!) and the client was now rejecting reports.

I think it's awesome when companies listen to us and do rewrites of contradictory/incorrect/incomplete guidelines.

did u go back? did they pay u for return trip because their fault? did u get paid?

It was an 800 mile route. No way was I going back, on my own dime. I reminded them that if they had rewritten the guidelines when I suggested it, the client would not be receiving wrong photos. I got increasingly less polite about it, too.

I did get paid in full.