Trendsource has a strict 12 hours or midnight of same day whichever is EALIER requirement for shop report submissions. If you submit your shops late, you get penalized with deductions on your shop fees.

I have no problem with penalty system since its clearly listed on the guidelines. Nor do I have an issue with the 12 hour requirement. It's the midnight requirement that really bothers me. I have asked for clarifications from the company before and the answer that got does not really make sense.

Here is the response btw: "The reason we have to have the data before midnight, is because we have a contract with our client that we have 48 hours to retrive all shop data. Once data is entered we have a department that checks it and most of the time, there will be discrepancies which have to be followed up with agents and it can take agents a while to respond. Once data is 48 hours old and issues have not been resolved, we are supposed to create a re-shop."

Just to be clear, I am not ranting here. If I am late on my shops and I get penalized so be it. I just have trouble how if I am doing the shop at 11pm, and cannot get the shop in by midnight, it would have catastrophic effect on the integrity of the report.... So if I perform a shop at 7am, I get my full 12 hours and if I perform my shop later than 12pm, I am being penalized for starting my shop later? So strange and confusing...

It used to cause me a lot of stress since I had to do the shops after office hours. I brought my laptop once but I guess with the smartphones and tablets, the problem is reduced. My problem is shouldering the expense and the reward for the project. I try to minimize my reveal shops so I have not done much for them.

It is just easier programming if the deduction is always taken at midnight.

I think the issue if they have truly have turn around times that are that short, they then know when they need to start recruiting for someone to reshop. It is all based on the contract they have developed.

I don't do much with Trend Source any more. Many months of the year, I work 3-11 pm. I can shop during the day, but I can't get the shops in by midnight, so I suffered penalties. Since the pay is usually very low, and I might have a penalty for being late, it usually isn't worth it any more.

To the best of my knowledge there never is anyone there late in the evening let alone over night. I think Best mark has the best program due by 10am the next day. Its difficult for me to create a route and complete the reports by mid night since I normally always have to travel an hour or two making it a two - three hour drive with out shops. I would understand it if they had a employees in there waiting on reports to review.

I agree that a deadline of midnight doesn't make much sense if they aren't going to do anything with the reports until morning.

My question is, Midnight whose time?

I think TS does midnight shopper time.

I hate when they give a time based on the msc location. It means we West Coast shoppers have three less hours to do a shop than the East Coasters.

Bay,
but you can get started three hours earlier though right. Before the start of next business day makes more sense.

Does anyone do the BVs at TS? Are they willing to "help"? I did my first one yesterday. They are asking for clarifications that I am not sure how to answer. If I email or call and ask for help, will they? Or am I on my own?

ffrieszell Wrote:
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> Bay,
> but you can get started three hours earlier though
> right.

How do you figure?

robinhardage Wrote:
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> Does anyone do the BVs at TS? Are they willing to
> "help"? I did my first one yesterday. They are
> asking for clarifications that I am not sure how
> to answer. If I email or call and ask for help,
> will they? Or am I on my own?


I've done a couple now with two more tomorrow. I'll answer questions if I can, but probably someone with more experience with these can help better. I've had a couple chances to communicate with Trendsource and found them to be helpful. I would give them a call or shoot them an email.

The BVs are simple and straight forward. However, they got me on the last one, because one of the report needed the door handle on the door! I did them for three years and this was the first one that required a picture of the of door handle. They were nice about it and told me I did not need to go back to get the picture, and I was paid in full.