I wish we were able to go back and view our reports after we submit them. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I feel like when I am contacted for additional information, it is information I already submitted in my report. I wish I could go back and read what I actually wrote. For example, in one shop I went to on a Sunday afternoon, I asked if they had a bloody Mary. The server said they usually only have them on Sunday brunch, but she will check. She came back and said the bartender said there was no problem. In the report, one of the questions asked if I had made a special request (a special request wasn't a requirement). I selected yes. I know I talked about this bloody Mary in the report, but then the editor comes back and asks me what special request I made.
Another time I commented about a team member asking me open-ended questions to better understand my needs. Although I know I didn't specifically outline each question separately, I feel like in my commentary I did mention these questions, like asking what brought me in today, asking what scents I like, asking if I liked the texture of the samples, asking if I liked the scents of the samples I tried, etc. Then I get an email request for more information asking what questions the team member asked. I just wish I could go back to my submitted report and read what I wrote to see if maybe I wasn't clear enough or what I actually said, because four days later I'm not remembering too much and I almost always feel like the requested information was already in my report. 

I copy and paste in an email my responses when I do Coyle because they are soooooo picky, I want to make sure I have all the information they require so when they come back with a question, I have the proof I answered correctly.

i always print my reports to pdf and save them to a mystery shopping folder on my computer before submitting them. that way i have a record of where i went and what i said.

I believe some Sassie reports provide a button you can push after you submit it that will print the submitted report out to a .PDF for you.

Just look for it before you close that tab in your browser.

I get 9's on reports sometimes and when I asked about it, I was told it was for grammatical and spelling errors. I wish I could check this, as I KNOW I'm not misspelling anything. I think it's a cop out, like people who give rave reviews but only give four stars.

@charleybuddy wrote:

i always print my reports to pdf and save them to a mystery shopping folder on my computer before submitting them. that way i have a record of where i went and what i said.

That's a good idea. Never thought about doing that.

@wrosie wrote:

I believe some Sassie reports provide a button you can push after you submit it that will print the submitted report out to a .PDF for you.

Just look for it before you close that tab in your browser.

I will try this next time. I dont know why I never thought about printing it. I always print the first sheet of the questionaire that has the address on it and i take all my notes from the guidelines and write them on that. Then after i staple the receipt to that paper and throw it in a box. I could print the report and staple it to the receipt page.

Right, there are people that say they never give 10 stars because there is always room for improvement but then you ask what you could have improved on and they say, well, idk but there is probably something. Lol

Just save copies of your reports. Some reports are easier to save than others, but there are usually ways to do it.

When I was an editor, I had to deal with so many shoppers who demanded to know why they did not get perfect scores that I saved all the original reports in one project. That was neither normal nor necessary but I did it because I was sick of dealing with shoppers with bad attitudes. Once I quoted some of their mistakes to those shoppers, most of them went silent without admitting they were wrong.

When a shopper was polite and wanted tips to improve, I usually took the time to review their original reports again and made constructive suggestions. I was not paid for the extra time and effort but was willing to help.

ETA: I gladly gave perfect scores. Some reports were a pleasure to read and I was grateful for the shoppers who made my job easy.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2024 06:26PM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Just save copies of your reports. Some reports are easier to save than others, but there are usually ways to do it.

When I was an editor, I had to deal with so many shoppers who demanded to know why they did not get perfect scores that I saved all the original reports in one project. That was neither normal nor necessary but I did it because I was sick of dealing with shoppers with bad attitudes. Once I quoted some of their mistakes to those shoppers, most of them went silent without admitting they were wrong.

When a shopper was polite and wanted tips to improve, I usually took the time to review their original reports again and made constructive suggestions. I was not paid for the extra time and effort but was willing to help.

ETA: I gladly gave perfect scores. Some reports were a pleasure to read and I was grateful for the shoppers who made my job easy.

I usually get good scores and dont really have any complaints about my scores. Im not beyond admitting i made a mistake - if I did, i would like to understand where the confusion is and learn from it.

I don't actually print out the .pdf file. It just goes into my download file. I then rename it as 24-01-05 shop name. Year first and using a 0 for single digit dates and months allows for chronological sorting by file name.

Keep a PDF of the report. It has saved me several times.

I understand and empathize since I am a shopper myself (and no longer an editor). AFAIK, most editors no longer have access to the original reports (as submitted by shoppers) after the editing process. Additionally, an editor has usually edited many reports from different shoppers by the time any one shopper asks why their report did not get a "10." It is therefore difficult to impossible for an editor to point out the specific reasons why a report did not get a perfect score.

I remember one project vividly even though it was many years ago. Initially, editors were not required to grade the reports but that changed. After the change, many shoppers who did not get perfect scores asked why, and some of those inquiries were hostile and/or rude. That was when I started saving the original reports.

Editors are not paid to be tutors or advisors to shoppers. I compare shoppers who ask editors to explain imperfect scores to MSCs who ask shoppers for additional information that is not covered by the shop guidelines or report forms. Do I understand the desire for more information? Yes. Do I feel obligated to provide that information? No. Would I provide the information anyway? It depends on many factors, including the tone of the request and whether I even had the information. As an editor, I followed the Golden Rule and helped whenever I could. As a shopper, I respond positively to reasonable requests from MSCs.

@JSuing wrote:

I usually get good scores and dont really have any complaints about my scores. Im not beyond admitting i made a mistake - if I did, i would like to understand where the confusion is and learn from it.

I set up a new folder for each shopping year, and this year I labeled it, "Shopping 2024." I then set up a folder for each shop, where I put screenshots, receipt scans, all photos taken during the shop including extras, special notes about the shop from the scheduler or project manager, notes I make as an email to myself right after doing the shop, etc.

After I finish entering the shop, and just before I submit it, I save my own PDF of it. (With some platforms you might have to save page by page, or by making screenshots. Be sure to expand and make the entire narrative sections visible before making the PDF.). My PDF goes into that shops folder as well. If it's a Sassie or ISecretShop that generates a PDF of report for you, I add that PDF to the folder as well.

That way there is no question what I wrote, what images I uploaded, etc. If there is a question, I know where to find the answer. If they want more photos, I know where they are. If there was a tech difficulty and the shop gets "lost" somehow, I can regenerate it from the PDFs.

susan l., that’s pretty much what i do!

if it helps anyone out, two other things i’ve found useful are:

if you use google chrome on your computer, there’s an extension called GoFullPage that makes taking screenshots/PDFs of reports extremely easy. it does it all for you and makes one nice PDF, even if it’s a long report. it can also make JPGs for those times you can’t use a PDF (like uploading webpage receipts to MSC platforms)

i also use google drive on my computer and backup this year’s mystery shopping folder to it. that way i have a backup, and with the app installed on my phone, i also have access to my reports/instructions/notes from anywhere i might be.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Just save copies of your reports. Some reports are easier to save than others, but there are usually ways to do it.

When I was an editor, I had to deal with so many shoppers who demanded to know why they did not get perfect scores that I saved all the original reports in one project. That was neither normal nor necessary but I did it because I was sick of dealing with shoppers with bad attitudes. Once I quoted some of their mistakes to those shoppers, most of them went silent without admitting they were wrong.

When a shopper was polite and wanted tips to improve, I usually took the time to review their original reports again and made constructive suggestions. I was not paid for the extra time and effort but was willing to help.

ETA: I gladly gave perfect scores. Some reports were a pleasure to read and I was grateful for the shoppers who made my job easy.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz
It's awesome that you provided feedback when asked but sad that shoppers who were wrong did not acknowledge their mistake(s).

There've been a few times when I messed up or think I might have messed up on a shop so I'll send an email explaining what happened and offer to do a reshop if it's possible.

I've done a few parking shops for Servimer and their editors give helpful feedback. I'm an overthinker so I appreciate the tips especially since their editors also do their shops so they can make really specific suggestions.

@LindaS Some shoppers did acknowledge their mistakes. Some even thanked me. OTOH, some of the most aggressive or rude shoppers did not.

I shop for Servimer regularly and Christopher Stanley is my scheduler and editor usually. He is exceptionally effusive in his feedback but can also provide spot-on constructive criticism when necessary.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz,? Christopher has been my editor as well. He gave a lot of helpful advice when I made a "Request for Additional Information" (don’t want to hijack this thread too much).

@ServiceAward wrote:

I honestly am sitting here stunned as grown adults b**ch and moan over getting a 9 on a report. Are you kidding me? That crap reminds me something my ex-wife (re: miss goody two-shoes) would do. I could see if you got a score of 5 and there was no feedback, I would be curious what I had done wrong. But a 9? Geeze.

I read this comment as semi hostile -
I think the whole point is not complaing about a 9 so much as wondering what they could improve on to get a 10. We should all desire the be the best we can be.

There seem to be two types of people on this forum. The first don't worry what score they get as long as they get paid for the shop.

The second feel slighted if they don't get a perfect 10 for every shop they do.

People are just wired differently.

This "not getting a 10" issue comes up all the time. It's like beating a dead horse. People ask why they didn't get a 10 but nothing changes. I guess they feel better because they were able to vent here.

@JSuing wrote:

For example, in one shop I went to on a Sunday afternoon, I asked if they had a bloody Mary. The server said they usually only have them on Sunday brunch, but she will check. She came back and said the bartender said there was no problem. In the report, one of the questions asked if I had made a special request (a special request wasn't a requirement). I selected yes. I know I talked about this bloody Mary in the report, but then the editor comes back and asks me what special request I made. 

Asking for a Bloody Mary when it is not normally served is not a special request. Asking for a Bloody Mary "extra spicy" is a special request. A special request is a modification of a normal menu item. Ordering scrambled eggs at 3 PM is a request. Ordering scrambled eggs, cooked well done, is a special request. HTH

@wrosie wrote:

There seem to be two types of people on this forum. The first don't worry what score they get as long as they get paid for the shop.

The second feel slighted if they don't get a perfect 10 for every shop they do.

People are just wired differently.

This "not getting a 10" issue comes up all the time. It's like beating a dead horse. People ask why they didn't get a 10 but nothing changes. I guess they feel better because they were able to vent here.

I actually have no idea what my score was. A lot of the time, I can't figure out or even know what my score is. I don't really care about that. I was more interested in being asked for additional information that I felt I already provided and wanting to read what I submitted in my report to help understand and clear up confusion. 

I do think people come to talk about stuff with like-minded people, whether to bounce ideas or vent, which is the purpose of this or any other forum. 

@BayShopper22 wrote:

Asking for a Bloody Mary when it is not normally served is not a special request. Asking for a Bloody Mary "extra spicy" is a special request. A special request is a modification of a normal menu item. Ordering scrambled eggs at 3 PM is a request. Ordering scrambled eggs, cooked well done, is a special request. HTH

We can agree or disagree. 

It wasn't a requirement for the shop; it was just some random question on the report. I wasn't planning on making any special requests at all. I had heard the place had really good bloody marys, and it was Sunday afternoon. When I read the question, I answered yes because I felt I had made a special request. That's what I felt. If it had been a requirement to make a special request, examples may have been given in the guidelines, or I could have emailed and asked for more clarification.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2024 07:45AM by JSuing.

Rosie "hit the nail on the head" with the comment that shoppers are different; I am money oriented. The only occasion upon which a score would matter to me would be IF it were being considered for assignment. I have seen a few shops with a high number of 8 required to be awarded the work.

I wouldn't actually "print" it though, waste of paper. Do the "print to pdf" which is just saving it as a file (why they call it print I don't know) which you can then read through later.

I see where you are coming from but "special request" Is a term of art when it is a restaurant or bar shop. In our industry, it is as BayShopper22 stated. Another example would be to ask for "no pickles" or "extra mayo" for a burger that usually comes with pickles and regular mayo.

HTH.

@JSuing wrote:

@BayShopper22 wrote:

Asking for a Bloody Mary when it is not normally served is not a special request. Asking for a Bloody Mary "extra spicy" is a special request. A special request is a modification of a normal menu item. Ordering scrambled eggs at 3 PM is a request. Ordering scrambled eggs, cooked well done, is a special request. HTH

We can agree or disagree. 

It wasn't a requirement for the shop; it was just some random question on the report. I wasn't planning on making any special requests at all. I had heard the place had really good bloody marys, and it was Sunday afternoon. When I read the question, I answered yes because I felt I had made a special request. That's what I felt. If it had been a requirement to make a special request, examples may have been given in the guidelines, or I could have emailed and asked for more clarification.

There are more than two types. I don't feel slighted if I don't get a "10" but I do want to know what I can do differently to improve my reports. It's not about feeling slighted. It's about wanting to improve.

I won't contact an editor if I got a "9" or even an "8" unless something in the feedback didn't make sense (such as the feedback saying I did not report something when I did report on it). If I got a "7" or below (gasp!), I may reach out to an editor to find out why, especially if I plan to do more shops in a project.

@wrosie wrote:

There seem to be two types of people on this forum. The first don't worry what score they get as long as they get paid for the shop.

The second feel slighted if they don't get a perfect 10 for every shop they do.

People are just wired differently.

This "not getting a 10" issue comes up all the time. It's like beating a dead horse. People ask why they didn't get a 10 but nothing changes. I guess they feel better because they were able to vent here.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

I see where you are coming from but "special request" Is a term of art when it is a restaurant or bar shop. In our industry, it is as BayShopper22 stated. Another example would be to ask for "no pickles" or "extra mayo" for a burger that usually comes with pickles and regular mayo.

HTH.

Thank you for explaining that. If that's the case, then it's frustrating when they ask random questions and leave it to your own interpretation. As in my case, I did not know this. I can't ever remember doing a shop with a special request. Ive done shops that say not to make any modifications. Next time, I will be more knowledgeable. 

My rankings on mystery shops are always based upon what the MSC and client want, not on my personal preferences. Where there is more room for personal preference, on gas station audits I mark down 10% if the receipt does not print and 10% if no functioning public restroom, except for clients where not having one is acceptable.