Pizza timings

Has anyone shopped a Blaze Pizza? I am interested in doing this shop because it is so close to me. However, I am very intimidated by the timings described. How do you successfully get all 5 timings down to the second without totally looking like a mystery shopper? What is the secret to doing this successfully?

Happy Camper

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iPhone 8. Simple lap timing and basic math. It's an easy shop.

I use Ultracron on android. It has a great lap counter that uses the hard side buttons of the phone, and you can do it all while your hand is in your pocket on the phone.

Orlando - lightly shopping NC

Is there a way to have Ultrachron so you can use the hard buttons, but the app is in the background? I downloaded the app, but can only use it when it's displayed on the front.

I use an old fashioned stop watch with lap timings that is in my pocket. I look at my phone before entering the store. As soon as the minute changes, I hit the lap timer so I know which minute I started at and that the seconds is zero. Then I go about my business. I just hit the lap timer for all the times I need to record. I've never once had a problem. It is intimidating the first couple of times, but it becomes easy once you've done a few shops.

I leave it set to not allow it to go to sleep (or lock the phone), with it in front. Then I can have it in my pocket and the hard buttons work. I don't know of a way to do it if the app is not the focused (foregrounded) app.

Orlando - lightly shopping NC

Like SoCalMama , I have done these shops using the lap timer on my iPhone. In theory, it is a simple shop.
Where I have trouble is making sure my finger presses the right spot at the right time, catching the hand written names on the employee caps/tags, observing their behavior & actions, and being able to speak intelligibly, all within a span of a few minutes.

I use an app that records timestamps. Besides that, be prepared for a ton of narrative. Remembering the names of each employee that helped you (there will be minimum 4-5) is the hardest part of the shop. I only do these if bonused.

Yes - like quovatis watch for these shops to be bonused. I've seen $20 bonuses in my area.

@las30 wrote:

I use an old fashioned stop watch with lap timings that is in my pocket.

What brand & model do you use, las30? I'm looking for such a stopwatch. I ordered from from Amazon but am going to send it back because it has functions I don't want or need, and it was too complicated to use. Someone suggested the phone app, but I keep my phone in my handbag, not in my pocket. so it would still be awkward in to try to hit the lap key while in view of an employee.

I just want a simple stopwatch without date, clock time, alarms, etc. Sometimes less is more....

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

I use the Mystery Shop Watch and also find this to be a fairly easy shop. I guess I have been lucky, my pizza rarely gets passed to a new team member LOL

BTW, part of the reason I do this shop is because in my area it is bundled with a more desirable shop, so if you want the good shops, you take one for the team and do a pizza shop. Well worth it in my estimation, I love my scheduler.

Orlando - lightly shopping NC

I bring up a world clock on my screen and just screenshot the time when each event occurs. I used to audio record the whole thing and then go back through, but that took forever and still didn't get names/descriptions, obviously. It's not a hard shop once you do it once. Just make sure you're prepared for narrative on each section of the questions.

I record it all. I tried a stop watch once or twice and since I am really bad at that I went back to recordings. I had trouble with pushing the wrong button because the hidden watch was upside down in my pocket and also one time pushed the playback function on my recorder for the same reason. It only takes a few minutes to go down the line so I record and then look at the times when I have said something new to the next person. the best thing to do if you can is arrive early before the rush and do the job when there are only a few staff working.

@sandyf wrote:

I record it all. I tried a stop watch once or twice and since I am really bad at that I went back to recordings. I had trouble with pushing the wrong button because the hidden watch was upside down in my pocket and also one time pushed the playback function on my recorder for the same reason. It only takes a few minutes to go down the line so I record and then look at the times when I have said something new to the next person. the best thing to do if you can is arrive early before the rush and do the job when there are only a few staff working.

If you get an off time, you might only need 3 names because people are multi-tasking. Sometimes I've had as little as 2 names, if the order taker gets my info and someone else takes me down the line, rings me up, and then calls me for my pizza. Avoiding the rush is the way to go.

I use an Ultrak 830. It does have the extras though, like date and alarm. I have the alarm shut off. I put a sticker near the lap time button. I start the timer before I enter. I wait outside until the minute changes by looking at my phone. As soon as the minute changes, I hit the lap time button in my pocket and then I enter. Since the sticker is near the lap time button, I can feel the exact button I need to press that is in my pocket. I have never once had a problem using the stopwatch. I'm sure there are other brands that would work. You just need a stopwatch that is intended to time laps for swimming. Mine can time up to 30 laps.

I did this as one of my first shops. It was horrible and I have never done another one. The timing was a pain in the neck, the person in front of us ordered 6 pizza's so it made it take a lot longer than normal and no matter how many times I explained that they kept arguing with me that I should not have been in line as long as I was. There was nothing I could do about that. I spent way too much time explaining and re-explaining to them for the small amount that I was paid. They pretty much beg people to do them now and I refuse everytime. Plus the pizza was terrible.

Has anyone ever had one of these where the crust was not burnt?

I think this shop is the root cause of the MSC's problem with scheduler turnover.

@cindycribbs wrote:

They pretty much beg people to do them now and I refuse everytime. Plus the pizza was terrible.

Yes, I've had many Blaze shops where the pizzas were cooked properly and not burnt. The one I did yesterday where the pizza stayed in the oven over six minutes was not one of them.

For those who haven't done these, make sure you save the timings. If they are "extreme" (like the above example) the editor will reconfirm them with you. I just take a screenshot of the stopwatch app from my iphone.

Isn't the stop watch app visible though? Maybe yours is smaller. Mine takes up the entire screen.

I agree! I will NEVER do another one of these. I had two declined for stupid reasons, then they come back and ask 50 questions, like doing the survey all over again. NEVER again!!

I intentionally pick a time of day that is very slow and will probably only interact with two employees, less names and descriptions to remember.

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