What are the tips and hard rules you've adopted when mystery shopping?
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Yes. One needs to be willing to communicate, and a lot of schedulers will make adjustments. You reminded me - I used to enjoy doing airport routes for CSE years ago because they always allowed 48 hours to get the reports submitted. When I had one day to do 10 to 14 shops at a major airport, across several terminals, being allowed two days to get my reports in was definitely appreciated. That was their standard for airport routes, though, not a special accommodation.@condorchristi wrote:
. . . I have noticed was that if you work with the schedulers, they will give you a little breathing room if they can.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2023 07:46AM by shopnyc.
Always leave your itinerary with someone.
I may turn off my email notifications and choose to not shop with an MSC, but I don’t terminate my relationship. Things change. Clients change. Owners change.
These are great suggestions! Here's one I haven't seen: in addition to taking photos with my smartphone, I frequently have a back-up photo device with me.
My rules: Always prep. Even shops I have literally done hundreds of times (see my thread about the stupid Exxon test!), ALWAYS prep. Rules change, sometimes without notice.
Have back-ups -- extra battery, extra charger, etc. I now use my cell phone for most shops, but in some places I go, there is NO cell coverage. I always, but ALWAYS, have my fully-charged digital camera along, just in case!!!
For me, a note on "hard deadlines" is imperative. It's really really important to know if that report MUST be submitted within 8 hours (I'm thinking USPS shops, they won't give you an extra 5 minutes, even if you're concussed from a car accident!). Part of my planning, going on a route, to block out time to submit that report before the deadline when needed.
Have back-ups -- extra battery, extra charger, etc. I now use my cell phone for most shops, but in some places I go, there is NO cell coverage. I always, but ALWAYS, have my fully-charged digital camera along, just in case!!!
For me, a note on "hard deadlines" is imperative. It's really really important to know if that report MUST be submitted within 8 hours (I'm thinking USPS shops, they won't give you an extra 5 minutes, even if you're concussed from a car accident!). Part of my planning, going on a route, to block out time to submit that report before the deadline when needed.
@redink wrote:
These are great suggestions! Here's one I haven't seen: in addition to taking photos with my smartphone, I frequently have a back-up photo device with me.
Forgot about this one. I always carry a camera and phone, at a minimum. I also have a cheap backup phone I can slip my SIM card into in an emergency while on a route.
I just take my old smartphone with me in case the first one gets overheated, discharged, or whatever.@redink wrote:
These are great suggestions! Here's one I haven't seen: in addition to taking photos with my smartphone, I frequently have a back-up photo device with me.
In addition to having sufficient charge on my devices, I always have an AC/DC inverter that I can plug into the car and charge my devices between shops. I couldn't do a long route shop without it.@ceasesmith wrote:
Have back-ups -- extra battery, extra charger, etc. I now use my cell phone for most shops, but in some places I go, there is NO cell coverage. I always, but ALWAYS, have my fully-charged digital camera along, just in case!!!
I don't do much route shopping anymore, because of my POS Jeep. But I almost never leave the house without a cell phone, and my tablet. The jeep has a built in inverter so I can just turn it on and plug anything in if I want to, but I'm scared of inverters so I don't use it often. I have a charging button in the 12 volt port that has 2 USB slots on it, one three amp and the other 2.4 amp, so it charges everything and does so fairly quickly. I also have a car charger for the laptop which hasn't really left my desk for a while. I need to plug it in and get it all updated again and start using it, or at least take it with me for just in case.
I also keep in stock, in the Jeep, current LOA's for all of the local gas stations. Because I'm very good at printing out all of the paperwork for a gas station and leaving it on my printer. So it just helps to keep current copies in the Jeep anyway.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2023 06:57PM by Morledzep.
I also keep in stock, in the Jeep, current LOA's for all of the local gas stations. Because I'm very good at printing out all of the paperwork for a gas station and leaving it on my printer. So it just helps to keep current copies in the Jeep anyway.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2023 06:57PM by Morledzep.
@Morledzep wrote:
... I'm very good at printing out all of the paperwork for a gas station and leaving it on my printer. ...
Me too, lol.
If you need to print out 6 forms for 6 gas stations or any other shop types, try printing one form total for all gas stations on your route and use a pen with different color ink to fill each form. Pens last longer and are cheaper than ink and printer paper.
For the gas station audit that requires a 4-page Leave Behind form, I print on both sides and use 50% less paper. I can't find paper for $3 anymore. For my copy that I have to scan and submit, I just print only the 4th page, and I use paper that has already been printed on the other side (see next tip below).
I save all the printed material that is printed only on one side that I get from shops, such as apartment shops. I print on the other side of these when printing anything that is for my eyes only. I save the new printer sheets for printing pages that others need to see, such as LOA notices that I hand to gas station employees.
I almost always print in black and white or greyscale.
Printer quality is set to "better." I have not encountered any need to set it on "best" for mystery shops.
I usually do not print instructions or guidelines. They get sent to Dropbox so I can review them from my smartphone.
For the gas station audit that requires a 4-page Leave Behind form, I print on both sides and use 50% less paper. I can't find paper for $3 anymore. For my copy that I have to scan and submit, I just print only the 4th page, and I use paper that has already been printed on the other side (see next tip below).
I save all the printed material that is printed only on one side that I get from shops, such as apartment shops. I print on the other side of these when printing anything that is for my eyes only. I save the new printer sheets for printing pages that others need to see, such as LOA notices that I hand to gas station employees.
I almost always print in black and white or greyscale.
Printer quality is set to "better." I have not encountered any need to set it on "best" for mystery shops.
I usually do not print instructions or guidelines. They get sent to Dropbox so I can review them from my smartphone.
Why?@shoppinalongtheriver wrote:
Always leave your itinerary with someone.
1) Believe half of what you read here. Stick with the percentages of feedback.
2) Time is money, if you aren't shopping for a company, shut those emails off. You can always rejoin. My best jobs have come via the phone from desperate schedulers ready to deal.
3) Don't shop for Cirrus
2) Time is money, if you aren't shopping for a company, shut those emails off. You can always rejoin. My best jobs have come via the phone from desperate schedulers ready to deal.
3) Don't shop for Cirrus
Evaluating and mailing packages since 1994
Always leave your itinerary with someone because weird stuff happens and someone should know roughly where you are, and when you should be home. It's a simple safety measure. Cars and cell phones aren't 100% reliable, and some of us travel through sketchy areas.
If the pay looks bad, don't take the shop.
Don't be afraid to ask. Phones work for a reason.
Don't put up with rudeness from an MSC. No money is worth being treated badly.
Don't be afraid to ask. Phones work for a reason.
Don't put up with rudeness from an MSC. No money is worth being treated badly.
@RobinMarie wrote:
1) Believe half of what you read here. Stick with the percentages of feedback.
2) Time is money, if you aren't shopping for a company, shut those emails off. You can always rejoin. My best jobs have come via the phone from desperate schedulers ready to deal.
3) Don't shop for Cirrus
Robin, I laughed when I read this, so I read it to my son too. And he laughed too. He's never worked for Cirrus (I won't let him), but he has been there when Cirrus has pissed me off to the point that I quit talking, and bite off the heads of anyone that tries to make me...
I think I waited seven months for payment, I totally get where you are coming from!
Evaluating and mailing packages since 1994
@ceasesmith wrote:
For me, a note on "hard deadlines" is imperative. It's really really important to know if that report MUST be submitted within 8 hours (I'm thinking USPS shops, they won't give you an extra 5 minutes, even if you're concussed from a car accident!). Part of my planning, going on a route, to block out time to submit that report before the deadline when needed.
I'll add, don't be afraid to ask for deadline extensions sometimes. I've done restaurant shops that say 'due by midnight' but sometimes I'll ask for an extension because a dinner shop often means I'm not home until after 10pm and if the report is long, the timing will be difficult. But, ask before you shop - not at 11pm that night
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2023 03:41PM by CorrieCJ.
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