I did my first shop with a company doing fast food shops in the western US area. They want certain photos with a smart phone, one being the window where you pay for your items/receive your food.

It is EXTREMELY difficult to take that picture well without looking strange / getting noticed as the MS unless you get lucky and the employee leaves the window area to get the food. You can take the picture later, but in most restaurants it is not possible to again get in position for that photo without being seen or getting caught.

Any suggestions?

If they do not give you a time frame, the best time I find is when it is very busy like lunch time etc The workers generally too busy to deal with you taking sneaky pictures.

That is what saved me the Presto shops however there was at least 2 shops I couldn't do cause they were getting too suspicious lol So I just called it a loss and moved on. If you have to spend more than 20 minutes for the photo just decline it as it isn't even worth it.

If this is the one that’s been discussed here before, they allow you to take the picture as you approach the window, at an angle. Look at the sample photos in the guidelines. If that doesn’t work it has been suggested that you tell them you (if asked) you are taking a photo of the posted hours in the window.

How are you taking the photo now?
What exactly are you finding difficult about it?
With today's smartphones you only need a fraction of a second to take most photos.

Some tips:
1. Turn the shutter sound off. Most important.
2. Don't try to frame your photo. This isn't for your family photo album. It's so you can fulfill a requirement. It's not even so the company can see every detail of the window. It's so they can get a general idea of the condition. If they want a beautiful photo that gives every detail they should pay for a revealed audit.
3. Learn how to take photos with your phone with one hand. Also learn where the shutter button is so you can hit it with your thumb as you move your phone around.
4. Take 20 photos as you wave your phone around that no one can see instead of one photo that makes it obvious you are taking a photo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/2019 03:11AM by bgriffin.

Thank You for the info...

I looked at the guidelines, and I can see how that could be handled... a slow drive up to the window would work.

I took the photo with the phone in one hand with the volume button, but got my mirror in the photo also... it looked fine, but it was awkward...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/2019 03:14AM by my1958vw.

I have these down to a science. Slow drive up to the window works best. If you can’t do that, then shutter sound off, when they turn to swipe your card you turn, snap, then put phone in center console. If that fails, I have tinted windows so I get the food, roll up the window, take the pic and then drive off. Only once did I have a close call — the guy just stood there staring at me — I took the food, rolled up the window, snapped and left. I submitted a pretty nice portrait of him standing in the window smiling lol

If you can’t get the “lead-up” pic when rounding a corner and the drive-thru is full, hang back and wait for the car in front to pull up then take the through the front window.

Keep your camera up the whole time. Use an iPhone as the camera app is smoother — I have an iPhone and Android line and heavily prefer the iPhone for these.

The main thing to keep in mind is that they have high volume and many weird clients coming through the drive through. You can be handling your phone for many reasons.

I haven’t done these because of photo requirements as well. Usually I’m so close to the sign that I can’t imagine how I would get the whole board. Do they want the whole thing in one shot?

I’ve never been turned down for not getting the whole board. I get as much of it in as I can. They seem pretty reasonable and realize some of the photos are hard to get in such a short amount of time. I’ve also messed up geoverify numbers — and the way it submits doesn’t give you a chance to go back and fix and they’ve never rejected.

The one thing that will trigger a rejection is putting the wrong photo in the wrong slot. Especially be careful to not twist around the first preview menu and second menu board slots.

I really wish they’d put these in Presto... that’s what it’s meant for. I can only assume there was some additional back-end fee or something that kept them from doing it. But Presto is meant to act like one of the “mobile apps” which is how they want these filled out. It’s just kinda wonky using the standard system — but you do get the hang of it after you’ve done enough.

IMHO its not that serious. I take it all the time without concern about what they think. They never ask questions. Sometimes they are even in the pic if they come to the window at the wrong time. No way usually to get the whole window in the unless I come in wide and then either have to stretch or back up and get closer. My motto is get her done asap.

I drive my car so that the tires are almost touching the curb. I snap the first picture and move to the second menuboard, keeping my car as far from the menuboard as possible. As soon as I come to a stop I hit the stopwatch and then switch back to the camera. I take the second menuboard either while I'm ordering or as soon as I'm done. I move a few feet forward and take the photo of the drive thru lane. When I get to the window I usually don't try until I've handed them my credit card. There is usually about five seconds between paying and getting your food where their back is turned. If they just won't leave the window, I will take the photo right in front of them. Some are shocked. Some know what's going on. I get paid either way so I honestly don't care.

I have done several hundred of these. I have found two things. First, if they see you take the photo, almost to the shop, it's the manager that will come hand out the food, being as nice and accomodating as can be. Second, those restaurants that screw up, do so time and again even when they know you're the shopper.

If you are asked, you can just say you are a Yelper or like to write Google reviews. Or just ignore them. Every single time I do one of these, or any other food shop, Google asks me to write a review. I don't, of course, but it certainly is a logical explanation.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2019 01:19PM by whiterosie.

I now park my car, get out and take all the pictures.

I simply park across the parking lot, use a little zoom and take the pix. People have their phones in front of their faces all the time. You can always pretend to take a selfie. We did this in Amsterdam to take pictures in the red light district.

Since no client has been named and there could be multiple msc/clients being discussed I will mention an experience I had in one of these situations. I was doing a shop for Second To None. I had done a location multiple times over a few months. One month the report was accepted another with nearly identical photos (just taken differant time) was not accepted. I didn't realize until a period of time later since they dont notify you of rejected reports. I reached out and received no explaination as to why photos showing the same thing would be accepted one month and not the next. I guess they didnt like me questioning them because then they deactivated me.

What works best for me is to hand them my debit card; they generally turn away to run the card and that's when I take the photo.

I was intimidated by that photo before doing my first one of these shops, but it's (usually) not as bad as it sounds. I also appreciate their clarification (also mentioned earlier in this thread) that you can take the photo from an angle when approaching the window. I usually take it that way just in case I can't get a better shot while I'm actually at the window. Usually I can, but at least that way I have a backup for the cashiers who won't go away.

Do you all take the window photo through the window in your car? I have done 7-10 of these shops and I too find the window photo to be the worst one to take. If you take it at an angle while approaching the window, is it from inside your car - through your car window? One time I was seen taking the window pic (the drive-thru window was left open as the employee processed the money). The employee got really mad and started shouting that it was illegal to take photos of people without their consent. The manager came to the window and she was not happy either but she did not say much. I was so flustered after that I forgot to upload the pre-menu pic and the job was rejected. I have not done any locations since then. Finally, are you all saying it does not matter if the ENTIRE menu boards are captured in the pics? I have had a very difficult time capturing entire menu boards with my cell phone because the drive-thru lane is so narrow.

The MSC is not that picky. Just get a decent picture. If the employees say something, shrug, say sorry, and continue working on your pictures.

@Dandydew, it's fine to take them through the windshield. Some of the sample photos in the guidelines were taken through windshields.