Gas Station Reveal Shops
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Depending on which ones you’re talking about the biggest challenge can be the sheer number of pictures involved. If you’re at a busy station and you have to get a pic of every pump it could take a while.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Getting a good exterior photo when there are two semis parked in front of the station, making deliveries. Otherwise, I don't find it challenging. When you are new to this type of shop, just make sure you fully understand the shop, and realize that you are not there only to take required photos, you are there to do an inspection and look for the other elements in the guidelines as well.
The pump photos are the hardest part for me. Sometimes you'll get, at a larger store, someone who parks and goes in to order a pizza and sits and eats it. I have submitted reports before with a missing complete pump, including photos from the side, and from the opposite pump showing the vehicle parked in the way, and an explanation. That was after an extended time.
If there's a car parked in front of the pump, I'm not waiting. I take one pic from each side and send it in, saying that the driver could not be located. Never been an issue with Maritz.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
The entire exterior picture. If you have a Samsung phone, learn how to use the panoramic feature.
Cars that sit at the pump and never leave.
As for the report, uploading the pictures into the correct section.
Otherwise, the shop is easy. The time consuming part is uploading the pictures. I wirelessly transfer the photos to a dedicate folder on my laptop.
Cars that sit at the pump and never leave.
As for the report, uploading the pictures into the correct section.
Otherwise, the shop is easy. The time consuming part is uploading the pictures. I wirelessly transfer the photos to a dedicate folder on my laptop.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Right now my greatest obstacle is the Missouri River. I live in Southern Iowa, and had a route scheduled for Nebraska. Ain't happening any time soon, I am afraid, without some serious detours. My lost revenue is nothing compared to the thousands of homes and businesses that are under water. 
Yes. I live in western Nebraska, and have a route including ONeill and Spencer this week. Watching the news -- right now, the route I was going to take, the road was washed away when the dam south of Spencer, NE, was swept away (yes, totally swept away) by the flood waters.
Whoever built that dam??? I think it was on the Niobara River, which is usually a pretty calm stream.
Whoever built that dam??? I think it was on the Niobara River, which is usually a pretty calm stream.
Wasn't that dam a hundred years old? That is part of the problem. There are several bridges washed out closer to Omaha that might have been on the "any time' list. Crumbling when the roads were closed may have saved lives and forced their replacement.
jeez, you two and your dam complaining!
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
At least where I am, its the time and pictures for the payout. There are are a number of non reveal gas station shops near me which i prefer, they pay less, but substantially faster to do, and reports take 1/3 of the time.
We got rain last week, yet there still is about 6 inches of snow on the ground. But the sun has been out and it is getting warmer.
As for any type of gas station shop (and all shops), ensure that you have a good camera and a worksheet that specifically outlines all of the photos you should be taking. Last of all, review your photos and write all and everything on your worksheet before leaving the site.
Someone once told me that the reason you see a police car on the side of the road long after he is done with whatever he was doing (tickets, etc) is that he is writing everything down to ensure it is correct.
As for any type of gas station shop (and all shops), ensure that you have a good camera and a worksheet that specifically outlines all of the photos you should be taking. Last of all, review your photos and write all and everything on your worksheet before leaving the site.
Someone once told me that the reason you see a police car on the side of the road long after he is done with whatever he was doing (tickets, etc) is that he is writing everything down to ensure it is correct.
weather conditions are tough for me , winter is awful. Cars sitting in front of a pump forever, had one that I finally asked the clerk to have it moved, customer was sitting in an outdoor area just chatting away. I had waited quite while and no other customers were in the store. Safety is always a concern, instead of crossing a busy highway I will drive over to a safe place and park, but sometimes even that is not possible. I always try to do the shops all the same to keep things in order, when I don't I have problems and when doing them for the first time slow down and make sure you have everything.
I frequently find myself in the situation where the station owner parked their car in front of one of the pumps. They get annoyed when I ask if they can move it, but come on, that's not a parking spot!
The owner is usually paying for the "review" so I ask and they usually comply. If not, I take an oblique angle photo.
Generally, even the jobs that do not require a photo of every pump will have a photo of every pump. The amount of detail each pump has to have to not have a photo is a lot. So usually something is missing. I generally take photos of every pump, which is time consuming if busy.
Generally, even the jobs that do not require a photo of every pump will have a photo of every pump. The amount of detail each pump has to have to not have a photo is a lot. So usually something is missing. I generally take photos of every pump, which is time consuming if busy.
Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
@quovatis wrote:
I frequently find myself in the situation where the station owner parked their car in front of one of the pumps. They get annoyed when I ask if they can move it, but come on, that's not a parking spot!
There are tons of times when I take an angled view and submit it with the explanation that the owner could not be found. It’s always accepted.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
The hardest parts are all about the number of photos involved. Getting them all, making sure they are all clear, uploading them in the right place, waiting for slow uploads to finish. I've gotten to where I look up the station first to see the birds eye view. If it is lots of pumps, I don't apply for that station. And, if it is in a part of town where I don't want to be vulnerable, I don't do them either. I never take the night assignments because there are too many deer and wild hogs on the road between me and any station. I prefer the ones where you don't have to reveal. Yes, the pay is usually lower, but they are also less stressful and less time consuming.
In addition to everything that has already been mentioned, I find one of the biggest time consuming activities is the time spent standing in line in the convenience store at busy stations. You initially have to purchase something, so you stand in line. Then when you return to do the reveal, you're usually standing n line again unless you get lucky enough to do the reveal with a manager who just happens to be passing by. You then have to wait again to get a clear photo of the counter that does not contain either customers or staff. Two clients require a photo of the staff member who sold you the convenience store item. This may require more waiting until they are available. Finally, some of the clients require a leave behind, such as a cure sheet or thank you note. I don't just drop them on the counter to get lost, I hand then to someone, which might require standing in line again. At a busy or understaffed station this can add ten minutes to the total time on site.
Two words: Lottery. Customers.
I want to stab every one of them in the back when I'm waiting for them to decide which losing scratch tickets they have to buy. Nothing about this job angers me as much as lottery customers.
I want to stab every one of them in the back when I'm waiting for them to decide which losing scratch tickets they have to buy. Nothing about this job angers me as much as lottery customers.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
It amazes me how much money is spent (wasted) on lottery scratch offs. Usually it is not just a couple of bucks but $10, $20 or more. If there is a rare winning ticket that money usually gets re-cycled as well. And yes, it is annoying to have to wait in back of a customer calling out their lucky numbers. But I must admit, my wife buys scratch offs for the stocking stuffers at Christmas time. I don't think we have ever come out on the plus side.
You can tell the career lottery players, though. It's very sad when you spot it. The most recent was a woman that would go in, buy a bunch of tickets, then go out to her car to scratch them off before going in to get more.
What happens in life to bring you to that point?
What happens in life to bring you to that point?
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
@Hoju wrote:
Two words: Lottery. Customers.
I want to stab every one of them in the back when I'm waiting for them to decide which losing scratch tickets they have to buy. Nothing about this job angers me as much as lottery customers.
States want to raise money? Double the price of the scratch offs, but don't increase the prizes. The addicts will still buy them and pay their math impairment tax.
@Hoju wrote:
You can tell the career lottery players, though. It's very sad when you spot it. The most recent was a woman that would go in, buy a bunch of tickets, then go out to her car to scratch them off before going in to get more.
What happens in life to bring you to that point?
Failed at mystery shopping?
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