My Trendsource business inspection forms now have my photo on them! The page you leave with the customers.

Yes! I have finally arrived as a "Certified Onsite Inspector."

Only trouble is I'm not sure I want to be handing those out all around town.

must be why they were requesting business appropiate headshot photos
last month

I don't mind showing a photo ID, but draw the line at leaving a copy of my photo with a stranger.

I'm with Lisa, I'm not comfortable with my pic, plus name and phone number left with any Joe Blow.

I was hoping the pic was to make us a badge to show for ID, instead of using our own with our address and DOB on it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2014 10:49PM by eveb.

I'm disappointed. I, too, was hoping it was for a laminated badge to use as ID.

(heart)

I'm with you guys. I thought these were going to be used for a badge, which would have been kind of cool.

This is kind of the polar opposite of being a mystery shopper.

The only saving grace here is the business owner most likely throws these forms in the recycling bin the moment we walk out the door.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2014 11:11PM by sportsed1.

I just submitted my photo last night so have not actually seen the new documents where the photo is used. Has anyone registered an objection with TS?

I see we can print out a badge. I haven't uploaded a headshot and I won't unless they make an issue of it. I did a job for them today without it.

Ha!

Guess I won't be doing any more evaluations for Trendsource!

cease

More for me.

I love it when folks say they do not do these or are going to stop doing them. I'm with speakes - more for me! Yay!

Did a couple yesterday without having a photo.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2014 12:43PM by dhilpert.

Your photo is fine, just no personal information as that would not be wise.
I had a cousin that refused to give the Social Security Admin his SS number. It was funny to me because he is a conspiratorial person. He feels the city leaves his trashcan out front of his house just so that "they" can throw trash in his front yard. And to prove his irrational thoughts he states, "its always got trash in it"!
I had to explain to him that they were the people that gave him the number in the first place. They need it for ID>
Them being able to ID the person, and the company paying the bill must know who is doing the work is important. If they were to ask for your SSN (being a non governmental agency) or copy of your ID...NO! Get the persons name, as well as time, date, place and send a report into the shopping company.

plmccut Wrote:
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> I love it when folks say they do not do these or
> are going to stop doing them. I'm with speakes -
> more for me! Yay!

You gonna drive all the way to Nebraska to do the shops that I won't do?



cease

(Neither will anyone else. That's why my shops get such nice bonuses!)

Well, if you don't take them, it's more shops for someone....

I did an assignment for Trendsource, a company I enjoy working for and appreciate, the other day when the wife of the company was friendly and answered the pertinent questions, but the husband sat in the corner with a frown and barely spoke. A few days later, I saw him trying to buy something in Walmart. He was very mean to the employee because no one staffed that department at that late hour. I thought of saying hello to him but decided not to. Given what you all have said, I don't think I would want him to have my information. I am in another business as well, and I choose not to put my photo on my business card. I would prefer a Trendsource ID for Trendsource work. I have had the "certificate" on the letter I give people, but so far haven't noticed or received anything about adding my photo for the work.

What would they do if we submitted a bogus photo, say of Mickey Mouse?

They would think you had awfully big ears as they printed it on the authorization letter.

(heart)

On most social media, I use a photo of one of my dogs for the profile photo.

For my Google account (G-mail is the only thing I use, haven't explored all the other 'G' stuff yet), I use a photo of the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile that I was fortunate enough to capture at one of my mystery shops a year or so ago. I got a message along the lines of, "We don't detect a face... are you sure this is the photo you want to use?" I said yes, and it went through.

For a while, I used one of the 'Far Side' cartoon dogs.

Oh yeah... as to the topic... I've been thinking for some time I should get the background check and whatever else it is Trendsource requires to do BV's. I just never get around to it. Then all that EIN stuff... I was afraid that if I did the other stuff, they'd *require* the EIN. (For now, they let me continue to do jobs without it.)

At first I was almost gonna get the EIN... but since the IRS website was 'closed' overnight (they actually had office hours for using a WEB SITE!) I put it off and never got it done. I'm usually not home during 'office hours'! Then after reading some of the stuff on here about getting an EIN making you incur local/state tax issues I was glad I didn't. We really shouldn't *NEED* one (or be forced into one) anyway.

There's only a few in my area, although sometimes it's quite a few.

Also... there seem to be two kinds I see... one that seems fairly simple ~ ask some questions, look around a bit... and another where you have to walk all around & measure stuff and stuff like that? I could easily do the first, but not the second (back issues). Do you always know before accepting, which of the two you're getting?

They do make it clear which shops are which before you accept. And by far the most shops are the simple business verification shops. I actually wish they offered more of the "measurement" shops because they pay about triple.

Trendsource is one of my favorite companies to work for. The BV assignments are a very nice change of pace from mystery shopping. You set an appointment time, which the clients are eager to do. You go in, ask the questions, take the photos and then fill out the online report. It's ll routine. There's minimal writing involved. There's also no pretending or spying required. I'd do these jobs exclusively if there were more of them.

I just got back from vacation and hadn't heard this. Yikes! I've never had my photo on any forms. I'll have to look and see which photo I put on the site. I had no idea that's how they're going to use it.

I actually prefer the photo on the document we have to give the contact. At first I did not like the idea but after thinking about it I realized it was much safer providing the contact my photo vs. showing my driver's license which has my address on it. The photo document does not have any of my personal information on it other than my name.

they also put how many shops you've completed so
if a new shopper completes it it will say zero. Doesnt
seem like something they would want to convey to
the client.

plmccut, do you really think someone could memorize all the info off your DL at a glance?

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> plmccut, do you really think someone could
> memorize all the info off your DL at a glance?

All the info, no, but the street address, certainly.

Mine never leaves my hand in this type of circumstance and nobody has ever looked that closely.

I did an onsite inspection today and was upset they had to write down my DL number in order for me to access their secured area. I understood the reason why, but it was uncomfortable for me. I think I am done with inspections.

What type of secured area? If you were doing a police station etc
then it is likely the case but for a regular business then no.

techman01 Wrote:
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> What type of secured area? If you were doing a
> police station etc
> then it is likely the case but for a regular
> business then no.

I've done police stations and have never even been asked for that.

I did a pierogies factory and they required it.
Should have at least gotten some free samples.