It's not complicated at all. Wales apprently cannot understand that in the past I have attempted to do that and been unable to enter the shop in order to even put in a fake checkout time.

I mean ACL should not make it that complicated.

Oh, yes, I completely agree.

LindaM Wrote:
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> It really shouldn't be that complicated.

I agree it should not be complicated to start a hotel shop the day you check in without having to fudge the date. I do this all the time and it works well. I would however like to be able to input the phone call part much earlier and get it out of the way. Sometimes the reservation is made weeks in advance. Why not allow us to input that part? Ditto for restaurant reservations days in advance.
The part that bothers me more is asking upfront about problems with the job etc when sometimes I find problems I did not mention as I am entering the report. It would be great if there was a comment section when you finish instead of when you start the report.

sandyf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> The part that bothers me more is asking upfront
> about problems with the job etc when sometimes I
> find problems I did not mention as I am entering
> the report. It would be great if there was a
> comment section when you finish instead of when
> you start the report.

I agree wholeheartedly with that. It should be at the end.

I agree. Asking if you missed anything or have anything unusual to report when you begin the report defeats the purpose.

More than once I have had to email my scheduler to ask her to forward new information for that part of the form so that the editor can change my original answer and insert the explanation.

I just completed a shop for these guys and missed a photo of one of the food items. I noted this in my report, but I still got an email from the scheduler asking for it. I explained the situation to her and she still accepted the shop. She said the report looks great and they are submitting it to the client, but it is now up to them whether or not they pay me as I didn't completely follow the shop guidelines. Um, except I did a near perfect shop and submitted additional photos and information. Like seriously, it was a perfect shop! I will wait and see what they say, but if anything, I would think its only fair to pay me a percentage of the shop fee, rather than not pay me at all. If they are going to use my information and photos, then they should at least pay me for what they use. Anyone ever have this with these guys?

Prairie,
If the client rejects the shop ACL also does not get paid and will have to have someone else redo the shop. Some clients wil accept; some will not. It's not as though the MSC is holding back money that they have been paid.

I really trust ACL, and yes, one of my shops was not paid becasue the client standards were not met.

IMO when a shop is sent on to the client for them to approve or not, they still get the data collected. Invalidating the shop after it is in their hands just means they get a freebie. In general it does seem when shops are sent on the MSC has a good feeling the client will accept it and most of the time it is accepted. Just sayin' what a less scrupulous client could do.

I too trust ACL and over the years have had shops that in theory could have been rejected by the client because something went awry--sometimes my bad, sometimes well beyond my control. I have always been warned when the shop was in danger and I have always been paid. What this tells me is that their relationship with their clients is good enough that a margin of error is allowable.

Flash has said it better that I ever could!

Thanks Wales! I usually write each section's narrative on Word at the hotel. After I get home, I check the boxes and paste the narratives in the comment boxes. You way is much better!

I forgot to order dessert once, got the warning and I was paid. I don't have much contact with the schedulers, but I love the editors.
Recently the schedulers are sending out email for early assignments.

I just did a shop at one of the restaurant clients. It required a photo of each item ordered. That part seemed a bit suspicious looking to me but I did it. Taking photos of each entree was okay but each and every drink too? The table was very small and to get multiple items shot I had to move items around and take some off the table completely so that I would not get two things in the shot. My guest wanted to order a second drink, exactly the same as the first which was not refillable. As I understood the instructions I would have had to photo the second of the same drink. I did not keep rephotoing the required refillable drink each time and my job was accepted. The restaurant was quite small and my table could be seen from everywhere so I just told my guest he should not order a second. Even if I was adding my photos to yelp why would I pull out my camera and take a second shot of the exact same thing?
If I do this one again I will ask about photos of double orders but does any one have suggestions on this particular shop if it sounds familiar. These restaurants may only be in California.

PrairieShopper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just completed a shop for these guys and missed
> a photo of one of the food items. I noted this in
> my report, but I still got an email from the
> scheduler asking for it. I explained the situation
> to her and she still accepted the shop. She said
> the report looks great and they are submitting it
> to the client, but it is now up to them whether or
> not they pay me as I didn't completely follow the
> shop guidelines. Um, except I did a near perfect
> shop and submitted additional photos and
> information. Like seriously, it was a perfect
> shop! I will wait and see what they say, but if
> anything, I would think its only fair to pay me a
> percentage of the shop fee, rather than not pay me
> at all. If they are going to use my information
> and photos, then they should at least pay me for
> what they use. Anyone ever have this with these
> guys?

This is not just a new-shopper issue. Long-time shoppers forget, too. I recently did the same thing - only worse, I missed ALL the photos. It was my first shop for this particular client and I completely missed the requirement in the guidelines to provide a photo of both entrees and of one side. I did a great report but provided no photos. When the editor contacted me, I re-checked my guidelines and I saw the requirement, and I explained that I had missed the requirement and had no photos. He told me I had a great report and he would pass it up the line, because he was not the one who made decisions about the photos. I thanked him, and I was pretty sure I would not be getting paid. It is very clear to me that I did not do the shop correctly and did not provide what I contracted with ACL to provide. The senior editor contacted me and explained that the client would not accept the report without photos, so my report would be deleted, it would not be forwarded to the client, and I would not be paid. She offered me the opportunity to re-shop the location. (I would not be paid for my first, incorrect attempt, but I would be paid for the second visit and report.) If I had enjoyed the shop and the food, I would have happily re-shopped the location. Because I did not care for the food (and my guest had said when we exited, "This is NOT a do-again, don't take this shop again", I declined to re-shop.

I am appalled with myself that I made such a dumb error ...... but I did! I completely trust ACL, having worked with them for 6 years, and it would never occur to me that my report would be used. I did not do the shop correctly, and I believe ACL will delete the report and schedule another shopper to re-do the shop. Painful? Yes. Unhappy that I spent $28 for food I did not care for at a restaurant I would not return to? Yes. But my error and I'll own up to it. No hard feelings. Business is business. And - a good wake-up call to me to pay attention and get it right.

It really depends on their client. I missed ordering dessert on one of their casual dining $80 reimbursement shops. There was enough money left to order dessert, I just plain forgot. Luckily for me, they accepted the report.

One time I was so busy chatting with my dining companion, I almost forgot to take photos of our entrees! I had to practically grab her fork before she chowed down!

Sometimes, I have to concentrate to make sure that I don't forget any details, so that means that my dining companion has to understand what my job is and know that when I'm distracted and not responding to the conversation, I'm just trying to do the shop!

This is a very forgiving MSC. I think I'd have been OK if I had just missed one photo or if the photos had not been great quality. But I had completely missed it and had NONE of the required photos. sigh. Live and learn.

Has anyone received August payment for works in July?

Got mine yesterday,

PrairieShopper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just completed a shop for these guys and missed
> a photo of one of the food items. I noted this in
> my report, but I still got an email from the
> scheduler asking for it. I explained the situation
> to her and she still accepted the shop. She said
> the report looks great and they are submitting it
> to the client, but it is now up to them whether or
> not they pay me as I didn't completely follow the
> shop guidelines. Um, except I did a near perfect
> shop and submitted additional photos and
> information. Like seriously, it was a perfect
> shop! I will wait and see what they say, but if
> anything, I would think its only fair to pay me a
> percentage of the shop fee, rather than not pay me
> at all. If they are going to use my information
> and photos, then they should at least pay me for
> what they use. Anyone ever have this with these
> guys?

.... But you still didn't meet the crucial parts of the requirements aka the pictures. Besides, as others stated, your pay isn't dependent on ACL's discretion, it's more on the client's acceptance on your submitted report. If the client accepts it, you'll get paid with some constructive criticism (and probably a pay deduction).

Just take it as a learning lesson. You could have a damn near-perfect report, but if you miss a crucial requirement that the client emphasizes in their guidelines, have in the back in your mind that the shop may be completely rejected and you won't be reimbursed and paid.

sandyf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just did a shop at one of the restaurant
> clients. It required a photo of each item ordered.
> That part seemed a bit suspicious looking to me
> but I did it. Taking photos of each entree was
> okay but each and every drink too? The table was
> very small and to get multiple items shot I had to
> move items around and take some off the table
> completely so that I would not get two things in
> the shot. My guest wanted to order a second
> drink, exactly the same as the first which was not
> refillable. As I understood the instructions I
> would have had to photo the second of the same
> drink. I did not keep rephotoing the required
> refillable drink each time and my job was
> accepted. The restaurant was quite small and my
> table could be seen from everywhere so I just told
> my guest he should not order a second. Even if I
> was adding my photos to yelp why would I pull out
> my camera and take a second shot of the exact same
> thing?
> If I do this one again I will ask about photos of
> double orders but does any one have suggestions on
> this particular shop if it sounds familiar. These
> restaurants may only be in California.


Fortunately, in this day and age, it isn't uncommon to take a bunch of food and drink pictures due to the heavy influence from social media. It helps a ton if you're using a smartphone. That way, you can always state that you're trying to brag to your friends on Facebook or Instagram.

ShopperFun99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has anyone received August payment for works in
> July?

I also received my check yesterday.

The check arrived today.