Getting a pass on not following guidelines?
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@Tanischri87 wrote:
What’s one time -for reasons beyond your control- where you mostly followed guidelines but something was amiss, and you weren’t penalized?
My husband and I did a restaurant shop at a place we'd never been to before, and in checking the menu prices online, we saw that we'd be tight on the reimbursement. So we promised ourselves we wouldn't order dessert. Got there, got all the timings and all the required photos. The food was so good, though, and the dessert menu so tempting, that we ordered dessert. I forgot to take pictures of that. I didn't ingrain it in my mind because I hadn't planned on getting any! I immediately 'fessed up to the MSC, and they let it slide. I got fully reimbursed up to the shop limit. I think they were willing to overlook it because I had done many shops for them before without issue.
That really wasn't beyond my control, but I still felt like an idiot and I wouldn't have blamed them if they didn't pay.
Recently I did a shop that required a photo of the front of the building clearly showing the street address on it. Well, the building didn't have a street address on it, anywhere. I did a GPS verify, plus included a satellite photo with the latitude and longitude, verifying I was at the right location--in addition to providing a photo of the building with no address on it. I think they deducted a point. What was I to do? Photoshop in a street number? LOL.
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've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2022 11:59PM by BirdyC.
I did a hotel once and I thought I didnt have to attend a nightly manager's reception because they didnt serve food. I didnt realize the guidelines had changed and if anything is offered, it should have been attended. They reimbursed my room, but said in the future I may not be reimbursed if there was missed guidelines. Thankfully, I havent had an issue since with that type of shop.
@jlcarter1975 wrote:
I did a hotel once and I thought I didnt have to attend a nightly manager's reception because they didnt serve food. I didnt realize the guidelines had changed and if anything is offered, it should have been attended.
I'll bet you now read your guidelines for every shop, even if you've done it before! I think the MSC was generous; glad you got reimbursed.
I did the same sort of thing once; didn't read the guidelines thoroughly for a shop I'd done dozens of times. They'd changed a photo requirement, and I missed it. I didn't get reimbursed and had to re-shop. So from that point forward I read the guidelines and survey all the way through, no matter how many times I've done the shop! Probably happens to most of us from time to time....
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've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2022 02:03PM by BirdyC.
And shout-out to the MSCs that highlight any changes in the guidelines or at least show the date of the most recent revision!
@BirdyC wrote:
So from that point forward I read the guidelines and survey all the way through, no matter how many times I've done the shop! Probably happens to most of us from time to time....
Yes; it would be nice if MSCs alerted us to a change in the guidelines of long-standing shops! Sometimes I think they don't on purpose to see if they can catch us!
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've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I have found there are a number of companies that will work with you when something goes awry, if they can. The issue is communication. I have submitted a photo of an empty dessert plate when I forgot to photograph it untouched and had the shop accepted with a warning.
I have shopped location A when I should have shopped location B and had a wonderful scheduler find me a location B I could put my report in and reschedule location A so I could go back and do it.
I have also had companies reject shops when I entered my arrival time of 11:50 AM as 11:50 PM even though the receipt and exit times were both spot on at 12:13PM.
Not all companies are the same and you learn to cherish the ones where there is mutual understanding that both they and you are human with human errors and brain farts.
I have shopped location A when I should have shopped location B and had a wonderful scheduler find me a location B I could put my report in and reschedule location A so I could go back and do it.
I have also had companies reject shops when I entered my arrival time of 11:50 AM as 11:50 PM even though the receipt and exit times were both spot on at 12:13PM.
Not all companies are the same and you learn to cherish the ones where there is mutual understanding that both they and you are human with human errors and brain farts.
It has just been recently doing a Dino shop in a very small town in UT.
I had been here before and I knew the hours I thought. Due to covid and being out of tourist season They had modified the store hour to just being open three days a week.As directed in pasted shops I shopped it as a card lock location. I took all the required pictures and fill out the report. The company has now required that the shop has to be performed during HOURS post and would not except the shop. The MSC has started doing to all shops at least the gas station shops.
I had been here before and I knew the hours I thought. Due to covid and being out of tourist season They had modified the store hour to just being open three days a week.As directed in pasted shops I shopped it as a card lock location. I took all the required pictures and fill out the report. The company has now required that the shop has to be performed during HOURS post and would not except the shop. The MSC has started doing to all shops at least the gas station shops.
I have got lucky a few times. I do work for an MSC, mostly merchandising resets or revealed audits. They require GEO Verify. I have a mind block sometimes and would forget maybe 2 on a 10 job route.
Very understanding scheduler Linda was always able to push these through (my pictures are all geo tagged so that helps).
I now have it beaten into my head to the the Verify as soon as I park. I have not had to send one of the "I am very sorry, please help me get paid" emails in well over a year.
Very understanding scheduler Linda was always able to push these through (my pictures are all geo tagged so that helps).
I now have it beaten into my head to the the Verify as soon as I park. I have not had to send one of the "I am very sorry, please help me get paid" emails in well over a year.
Do use GPS Verifier? I could never get it to work.
I got a new iPhone last year, and had tremendous trouble with photos. I cannot count the number of times Shannon Scarberry at Intelli-Shop "pushed through" reports with photos of my thumb instead of the required food photo. I ended up doing over 200 shops for her, but the first dozen -- well, I'm surprised she didn't double down on efforts to find another shopper!
I messed up on a post office Hazmat shop (the clerk sent it Ground without asking if that was acceptable to me), and I didn't discover the mistake until too late. I pointed out my good track record to the MSC, and they said they would pay me 'this time'.
Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt
@Tanischri87 wrote:
Do use GPS Verifier? I could never get it to work.
The old version never worked for me, but when I upgraded to a newer one, I haven't had any trouble since.
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've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I had a hotel shop where I was supposed to be at the breakfast before they opened, but the (required) wake-up call didn't arrive in time for me to make it on time. I suppose I could have set the alarm in the room or on my phone to get up on time; it was a required wake up call, so I didn't even think that I needed a back-up option to get up in time. I was maybe 10 or 15 minutes late and they, thankfully, still reimbursed. I usually ask my hubby to give me a call in the morning now, just to be safe!
I tried to do a yellow gas station audit with 16 fuel positions in the early morning when it was extra busy (so I had to wait for every fueling position) and 20 degrees out. Everytime a position was empty I would line up the shot and a car would drive up to get gas. It was so frustrating and I was soooo cold. I don't know how I missed 1 fuel position photo but they accepted it anyway.
I had a purchase shop that, of course, required a receipt. The receipt evaporated somewhere between my purse, the parking lot and my car. I had a great relationship with the scheduler. She allowed me to submit a screenshot of my transaction for the receipt as proof.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
I've had some pics that didn't save or weren't clear, and once a lost receipt but they let me use my cc statement.
I took a picture of the exterior instead of the restroom, DH started devouring the appetizer before I could take a picture, I neglected to order an appetizer, I ordered a cocktail instead of wine or beer.
I forgot to order a shake (was in the instructions) to go with my meal two weeks ago. Not long ago, that would have gotten my report rejected. Not this time....times have changed lol.
I recently screwed up on a shop by not reading the guidelines. I was required to call the shop in advance of my visit which I left till the day of the shop. I was unable to get through and emailed the scheduler owning up to the mistake. They moved the shop date to the following weekend and did not say anything about the miss.
In case any MSP is looking for a scheduler, I would recommend them :
barb@schedulingsupport.com
sheralee@schedulingsupport.com
Note:
1. I am not affiliated with them in any way, shape or form. I'm just trying to thank them for helping out a newbie like me.
2. I have taken their permission to add their email addresses to my post.
In case any MSP is looking for a scheduler, I would recommend them :
barb@schedulingsupport.com
sheralee@schedulingsupport.com
Note:
1. I am not affiliated with them in any way, shape or form. I'm just trying to thank them for helping out a newbie like me.
2. I have taken their permission to add their email addresses to my post.
I so agree. Yes, they both are wonderful to work with.
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