That was terrible. If you’re new to the program, don’t use that as a guide. She went in the wrong order (gas isn’t first, and I don’t think your shop will be rejected if it’s in wrong order, but I have been called out by editors before for getting gas first, though sometimes the layout requires it) and she skipped half the steps. If she had said she was covering the problem areas or something that would’ve been ok. But half the overall required photos weren’t mentioned at all.

That was bad. It doesn't even come close to an actual shop, unless they changed it a LOT with this new combined program. She did mention the 15% rule a LOT. But I doubt that will keep the editors from questioning every speck of dirt you don't report if they see it in one of the overall pics.

@Notme2021 wrote:

...She went in the wrong order (gas isn’t first, and I don’t think your shop will be rejected if it’s in wrong order, but I have been called out by editors before for getting gas first...

I don't think it's a bad thing that she went to get the gas first. To me it makes more sense to get the gas first, but there is a risk of being called out by the editors for this. I think I got called out for this on maybe 100 of my reports by the editors, before the editors decided to stop calling me out for it, as I just ignored them submitted anyway. And they were accepted.

In this case, I don't see the problem as being with the video but with the guidelines. Those guidelines need to be fixed because if for example, you as a male, were to go into the women's restroom to check it before revealing yourself as the inspector, it would cause all sorts of problems, where quite likely you might have the police called on you. Because you are supposed to check both bathrooms. Not just the bathroom of your gender. So this would be yet another example of where I think the people running this project don't know what the heck they are doing. Otherwise why have that in the project's guidelines. As for the editors, they seem to lack critical thinking skills as to not see that before demanding shoppers go inside first.

What I am critical of in the video is the estimate of it taking 30 minutes to do these audits combined. If you are entering everything on phone, as opposed to just taking pictures, and uploading them later, I think it will take longer than 30 minutes to do that. Especially if you have signal issues, or problems with your phone overheating in 100 degree heat like I do. In my case, my phone will work for a while in 100 degree heat, but then after that there will be performance issues. So it works out better to just get the photos, and go without spending an unnecessary amount of time out in that heat.

The other thing that I noticed was that she stood in the middle of the road to take the overall site photo. This expectation of shoppers to do this within project guidelines has been an issue for years. In many cases, it is not safe or practical for a shopper to cross the road, or stand in the middle of the road to take an overall site photo. And my guess with what she did was cherry pick a site where there was a spot to stand in the middle of the road to take a picture. But for most sites, you are not going to have a safe spot to stand and take a picture like that. Also, given the problems with going across the street not always being possible, I don't know why they don't just say you can take a photo from the corner of the property, and that is acceptable. That is why I have done on all of mine and they have been accepted. So to me it seems a bit disingenuous to suggest you absolutely must cross the road, or stand in the middle of it when it might not be possible or safe to do so.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2022 03:53PM by Curious99.

I did one of the first ones back the end of May. While it's a combined shop, I'm not seeing either a pin nor anything for the location I did repopulating as a regular mystery shop two calendar months later. Anyone know if they're going to be Presto visible or just in Sassie/Metrics later?

Thes shops are three quarters a year, not every one or two months. It will be back on Presto Sep 15 (through end of year). Probably @ $18, hopefully more.

@JohnInNC wrote:

I did one of the first ones back the end of May. While it's a combined shop, I'm not seeing either a pin nor anything for the location I did repopulating as a regular mystery shop two calendar months later. Anyone know if they're going to be Presto visible or just in Sassie/Metrics later?

@Curious99 wrote:

In this case, I don't see the problem as being with the video but with the guidelines. Those guidelines need to be fixed because if for example, you as a male, were to go into the women's restroom to check it before revealing yourself as the inspector, it would cause all sorts of problems, where quite likely you might have the police called on you. Because you are supposed to check both bathrooms. Not just the bathroom of your gender. So this would be yet another example of where I think the people running this project don't know what the heck they are doing.



Yellow stations also have the requirement for the shopper to check ALL restrooms during the mystery shop, BEFORE the reveal audit portion. So, yeah, they have no idea. But I wonder how many new shoppers, trying to prove themselves by doing everything exactly as specified, are sneaking into opposite gender restrooms and taking pictures before presenting an LOA. That's just so rude of the MSC to tell us to do that.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2022 11:51PM by sestrahelena.