@JASFLALMT wrote:

You don't understand Shop-et-al's questions either, do you.

Well in his defense I rarely understand what she's saying either.

@johnb974 wrote:

@Shop-et-al wrote:

johnb947,

Are you trying to lead us mules into a new thought? Perhaps you are suggesting that some shop requirements, such as a mandatory 30 minute visit for shops which sometimes can be finished in half that time, could be changed? *ponders* Do you think that spending extra time after the presentation is necessary or unnecessary? Does it give an information advantage to some shops and a disadvantage to others? ?

Read the guide lines on the 30 minutes. There is no mention of staying in the store for 30 minutes. The 30 minutes only apply to the time waiting for a sales person. After meeting the sales agent, you're free to go.

Spending extra time after talking to the sales rep is a waste of time. It add nothing to the report. You only report on what the sales person shows and tells you about the phone. That's all they ask for.

It's almost time for recipes. How about brownies...

I'm going to clear this up, ok.

Assuming this is a MetroPCS, I just looked at the guidelines. The guidelines DO NOT say that you have to be in the store for any particular minimum or maximum amount of time unless you are waiting for service. It says that you must wait 20 minutes to be assisted. If, after 20 minutes you are not assisted then you are free to go and report your findings.

The guidelines DO NOT say that you have to be in the store for any particular period of time once you have been assisted or once you enter if you are assisted. So, when @johnb974 left the store he had not been at the store for 15 minutes. That should not be a problem because the interaction had occurred as much as it could have since it was obvious that it was over based on whatever cues he received by the Associate.

However, he received an email asking why he had not been in the store for 15 minutes and his shop was invalidated. Therefore, he has decided that he will continue to do these shops and if the interaction, in the store and with an Associate, does not last 15 minutes then he will sit in his car for the remaining time.

His shop should not have been invalidated because he did nothing wrong. However, the choice now to fake a shop is not the answer either. What is the answer? If you can't hang for a 15 minute cell shop don't take the shop.

Shop-et-al, as often as you have pondered the essence of shops and shopping, have you ever contact a msc about your ponderances? What is your opinion? I am often chastised for my opinion here but I have one.

Reading this makes me feel like my brain is melting out my ears.

It reminds me of the latest update to shopper guidelines for a shop I do regularly. “Curb appeal picture (an overall picture of the location, NOT a picture of the actual curb).”

@Megs7521 wrote:

Reading this makes me feel like my brain is melting out my ears.

It reminds me of the latest update to shopper guidelines for a shop I do regularly. “Curb appeal picture (an overall picture of the location, NOT a picture of the actual curb).”

I've seen that one too. Seems some people took pictures of the curb. LOL

@spicy1 wrote:

I'm going to clear this up, ok.

Assuming this is a MetroPCS, I just looked at the guidelines. The guidelines DO NOT say that you have to be in the store for any particular minimum or maximum amount of time unless you are waiting for service. It says that you must wait 20 minutes to be assisted. If, after 20 minutes you are not assisted then you are free to go and report your findings.

The guidelines DO NOT say that you have to be in the store for any particular period of time once you have been assisted or once you enter if you are assisted. So, when @johnb974 left the store he had not been at the store for 15 minutes. That should not be a problem because the interaction had occurred as much as it could have since it was obvious that it was over based on whatever cues he received by the Associate.

However, he received an email asking why he had not been in the store for 15 minutes and his shop was invalidated. Therefore, he has decided that he will continue to do these shops and if the interaction, in the store and with an Associate, does not last 15 minutes then he will sit in his car for the remaining time.

His shop should not have been invalidated because he did nothing wrong. However, the choice now to fake a shop is not the answer either. What is the answer? If you can't hang for a 15 minute cell shop don't take the shop.

On those shops, if you put in less than 15 minute on the shop time, ANOTHER question pops up and asks, "Why did this shop take less than 15 minutes" You don't see that when you get the guidelines and print them out. That only appears after you start filling out the report.

@johnb974 wrote:

On those shops, if you put in less than 15 minute on the shop time, ANOTHER question pops up and asks, "Why did this shop take less than 15 minutes" You don't see that when you get the guidelines and print them out. That only appears after you start filling out the report.

As you and others who read the instructions said, time spent in the store was not a requirement. You seem to be hung up on the fact that a question appeared that you were unprepared for. Has the MSC given you a reason why they rejected your shop? Did they actually tell you the reason they rejected your shop was due to not spending at least 15 minutes in the store?

I have done many phone shops for a particular MSC where I get the pop-up asking why I wasn't there for 15 minutes. I explain why, using some of the report requirements the associate did not perform, and have never had a shop denied.

@johnb974 wrote:

Here is how this shop plays out. You print out the report and what is required. No mention of having to spend 15 minutes in the store. No mention of any time limits. You do the shop and fill out the report, when you started and when you left. The shop only took 10 minutes. Another question pops up, that wasn't part of the report, asking "How did you finish the shop in less then 15 minutes?" I explain, there were no other customers. I get a message back, shop denied. Because I didn't spend 15 minutes in the shop. They don't tell you that until AFTER you finish the shop.

So, it is not required to spend 15 minutes in the shop - so long as you explain why not? This suggest that @johnb974's shop was rejected for some reason other than not spending enough time in the store. Moreover, hanging out in the car and being a bit deceitful about how much time was spent in the store would not solve the issue.

@bgriffin wrote:

@johnb974 wrote:

@Rousseau wrote:

There's one shop out there that requires one to spend 30 minutes on site. Problem is that store is only about 10 x 15 feet and nearly never has more than one customer in it. So one lingers, and lingers, looking at the same unwanted trinket over-and-over, pondering it, after the clerk has several times sold, resold, and attempted to close the sale...

I would just go out and sit in my car.

Just so it's here, and you're not confused. Here is the quote I am talking about.

And unlike your statement above, NOWHERE, VERY PLAINLY or otherwise, in that quote does it say they actually DID the shop.

@MFJohnston wrote:

So, it is not required to spend 15 minutes in the shop - so long as you explain why not? This suggest that @johnb974's shop was rejected for some reason other than not spending enough time in the store. Moreover, hanging out in the car and being a bit deceitful about how much time was spent in the store would not solve the issue.

No, they were clear, because I did not spend at least 15 minutes doing the shop, it was denied.

@KathyG wrote:

I have done many phone shops for a particular MSC where I get the pop-up asking why I wasn't there for 15 minutes. I explain why, using some of the report requirements the associate did not perform, and have never had a shop denied.

@johnb974 wrote:

Here is how this shop plays out. You print out the report and what is required. No mention of having to spend 15 minutes in the store. No mention of any time limits. You do the shop and fill out the report, when you started and when you left. The shop only took 10 minutes. Another question pops up, that wasn't part of the report, asking "How did you finish the shop in less then 15 minutes?" I explain, there were no other customers. I get a message back, shop denied. Because I didn't spend 15 minutes in the shop. They don't tell you that until AFTER you finish the shop.

Exactly. Kathy is right on target. I have done this particular shop and I have been asked why I wasn't there 15 minutes. I answer and I have always been paid. I also had one shop where I was there a very long time waiting (I was working on my tablet while waiting so I didn't mind the long wait, I actually didn't realize it had been as long as it had) and they asked me why I was there so long. I answered and they accepted the shop and paid me. There is NOT a requirement to be in the store 15 minutes. Being in the store less than 15 minutes does not mean a shop will be rejected. I am guessing John's shop was rejected for a different reason or because of the answer he gave them when they asked why he wasn't in the store 15 minutes.

@KathyG wrote:

I have done many phone shops for a particular MSC where I get the pop-up asking why I wasn't there for 15 minutes. I explain why, using some of the report requirements the associate did not perform, and have never had a shop denied.

@johnb974 wrote:

Here is how this shop plays out. You print out the report and what is required. No mention of having to spend 15 minutes in the store. No mention of any time limits. You do the shop and fill out the report, when you started and when you left. The shop only took 10 minutes. Another question pops up, that wasn't part of the report, asking "How did you finish the shop in less then 15 minutes?" I explain, there were no other customers. I get a message back, shop denied. Because I didn't spend 15 minutes in the shop. They don't tell you that until AFTER you finish the shop.

Where did I NOT perform all the requirements of the shop? I told you I did. Whoever edited this shop rejected it over the 15 minutes. You shop can be accepted or rejected by the editor for any reason. Some are more accepting than others.

@TroyHawkins wrote:

@johnb974 wrote:

On those shops, if you put in less than 15 minute on the shop time, ANOTHER question pops up and asks, "Why did this shop take less than 15 minutes" You don't see that when you get the guidelines and print them out. That only appears after you start filling out the report.

As you and others who read the instructions said, time spent in the store was not a requirement. You seem to be hung up on the fact that a question appeared that you were unprepared for. Has the MSC given you a reason why they rejected your shop? Did they actually tell you the reason they rejected your shop was due to not spending at least 15 minutes in the store?

Yes, I was told because of the 15 minutes. That statement of the 15 minutes should have been mentioned BEFORE you start the shop. It's only mentioned AFTER you've finished the shop. They need to change that. No one likes questions added after you do a shop.

@johnb974 Do you remember how many minutes you were in the store that time?

@Megs7521 wrote:

@johnb974 Do you remember how many minutes you were in the store that time?

First time I did one of these shops it was 10 minutes.

@johnb974

Were you told that the shop was rejected because of the time constraint? Or, are you assuming that that was the reason?

@MFJohnston wrote:

@johnb974

Were you told that the shop was rejected because of the time constraint? Or, are you assuming that that was the reason?

I was told the reason, I didn't stay for the 15 minutes. Had I known before going, I would have stay for 15 minutes. They need to make that clear at the start of the report or eliminate the timing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2018 04:19PM by johnb974.

If you shop is the same that @KathyG did, it sounds like you should not have had it denied for that reason. It would make sense to contact the project manager.

HOWEVER, that does not change the fact that now that it is known how long you are expected to say, you need to actually stay inside the store for that long.

@MFJohnston wrote:

If you shop is the same that @KathyG did, it sounds like you should not have had it denied for that reason. It would make sense to contact the project manager.

HOWEVER, that does not change the fact that now that it is known how long you are expected to say, you need to actually stay inside the store for that long.

With all due respect, that is known only by people who have read and understood this thread. Other, potential shoppers who have not attempted this shop may not know about it for the same reason that johnb947 did not know it. The information was shown to the shopper too late for the shopper to comply with it. Other, potential shoppers may experience the same situation if they have not read and understood this thread. The guidelines and/or the report should now be changed to reflect the expectation of a fifteen-minute visit.

@johnb947: please forgive us for taking so long to get the point. In our defense, we only needed a few pages to catch on to what you meant. And thank you for bringing this to our attention. My take away is two things. First, the guidelines should relate to the report form. Second, it might be time to re-think how much time a "typical" cell shop takes. If real shop times are short, maybe it would be acceptable to allow mystery shops to take as long as needed, up to a maximum number of minutes which include wait time for service, etc.

The only one that has that pop-up question is the Cricket audit How can you do a Cricket audit in 5 or 10 minutes?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2018 05:09PM by spicy1.

When I did this shop the first time, I was new to mystery shopping. The report does need to be changed. All shops should have all the guidelines up front.

@spicy1 wrote:

The only one that has that pop-up question is the Cricket audit How can you do a Cricket audit in 5 or 10 minutes?

It isn't a Cricket audit, but you do have to ask the sales person about Cricket. Even if it was, this shop can be done in less than 10 minutes. Especially if there's no one else in the store.

Ive never had that pop up question for MetroPCS. I set my timer to ring at 17 minutes on cell shops.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

@johnb947: please forgive us for taking so long to get the point. In our defense, we only needed a few pages to catch on to what you meant.

It took you a long time and you're still not at the point most of us are concerned with.

JohnB did a cell phone shop.
There may or may not have been a 15 minute requirement. If there was and it was not in the guidelines then he should have been paid for the shop. I don't think anyone disagrees with that.

It's what occurred after this shop many of us have a problem with.

He stated that since then when he does this shop, he falsifies the report by sitting in his car after the interaction is done until 15 minutes is up.

Rousseau spoke about a totally different shop (not even a cell phone shop) that has a requirement to stay 30 minutes.

JohnB replied to that stating he would also go sit in his car after the interaction was done until 30 minutes was up for that shop as well.

This is a trend of falsifying reports. This makes him in particular look bad and all shoppers in general look bad.

There are a ton of MSC representatives on this forum. And he has given a ton of identifying information in his posts. I would not be surprised at all if some of them started looking at their shopper list and deactivated him based on these comments.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2018 06:00PM by bgriffin.

My shops were all AT&T and Metro PCS stores. None of them were audits.

@spicy1 wrote:

The only one that has that pop-up question is the Cricket audit How can you do a Cricket audit in 5 or 10 minutes?

Im sure @johnb974 feels better knowing that he is not alone in his 10 min. shops

The shop is not an audit, never said it was. This is just a cell phone mystery shop.