Hi Fellow shoppers,

I was offered a grocery store shop. When I looked it up I almost fainted. The work that goes with this shop and the pay just don't add up. Since I'm new with them I hated to have to say no but when I reviewed the requirements there was no way I could complete this shop. The requirements had 37 pages to it. Am I crazy? Or is this a shop most people won't take. Hey, I'm not looking to get rich but I at least want to be compensated for my time.

Anyone out there have some advice for me?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2014 11:00PM by margaretbella.

If it's the shop I'm thinking of it's really quite straightforward. There are pages and pages of questions but you run through them really fast. I think it takes me about 30 minutes. Pay could definitely be better though.

I had the same initial reaction and cancelled the first shop. Months later it was bonused and I decided to try it. I was easy. I think the initial pay is low unless you are driving right past it. It takes me about 25 - 30 minutes now and so far I have not had to take many photographs. The worst part if the printed checklist. Printing it in B/W works. You can also print one copy and record answers elsewhere.

$10 is a joke for these shops. It's 2 shops in one. Yes, once you do a few they only take about thirty minutes on sight, but I just wait until they bonus. They pay more for 5 minute banks shops than these. Blows my mind.

diana, I totally agree. Even though I love these shops/audits, $10 + $3 RI is w-a-y too low.

How anyone can do these in 25 minutes and follow all of the guidelines is unfathomable to me, unless they are yelling "Fire" to get everyone to clear out of the produce department for the required photo and then sprinting through the rest of the store.

It takes me close to an hour. As I've said before, you have to select an item(s) to purchase and then check out and leave the building. You return with your LOA and either ask to see a manager or go to where you know their office is. If I was speedy, I would have already spent 7 to 10 minutes. I would like to understand how the those of you who do the shop in 25-30 minutes accomplish the remainder of the shop, meeting all of the guidelines, in max 20 minutes.

The last one I did had 3 out-of-dates, so just reviewing that with the manager takes time.

(heart)

Experience with these shops will easily allow you to follow the guidelines and complete then in 20 to 25 minutes. Reviewing out of date items with the Manager is a snap. I push a buggy during the Audit portion. Out of date items get a picture and hit the basket. At the end of my audit, I shove the cart at the manager. Her or she are always very glad to take it from there.

Doing the same locations over and over again helps. You tend to remember potential problem areas of concern.

If all else fails, please pass on these shops. I get passed on locations with a bonus...

computerman101, I have done so many of these shops over the last two years, visiting the same locations over and over again, that I am confident when I estimate the time it takes. Beginning about 9 months ago, I stopped doing them, unless they were bonused, due to the time required.

I cannot think of a single time that I have or even wanted to "shove(d) the cart at the manager" with the out-of-date items, since I know that means they automatically failed the entire audit. I always allow them a moment to absorb and process the information I just gave them.

Who's right, you or me? I guess it's a matter of opinion and about how we want to live our lives.

(heart)

That shows how little you know about the grading process for these shops. Out of date items do not mean an automatic failure. Problems you report are deducted from a score of 100. The client looks at each location then decided pass or fail.
Looks like you have been doing these for 2 years and still have a lot to learn...

Yes, I do have a lot to learn!

From my understanding, all of the "problems", except the "out-of-dates" result in (possible) deductions. For out-of-dates though, the managers from all five of the stores that I've done, have told me it was an automatic fail. I'm relieved to know they were wrong!

That's great news, computer101 and I thank you!

(heart)

I live in the middle of several of the locations for this particular shop. I asked the managers how long the previous shopper spent doing the "audit". I was told about 15-20 minutes. It is not possible to do this in less than 40 minutes in the store if you follow the guidelines and have it memorized. The managers attempt to be very "chummy" with you, as they have a bonus on the line.

I foolishly made some very light small talk with the different managers and stated some positive things like "This store is very well organized", and another store that was in worse shape complained and I was accused of "comparing one store against another" when I found expired product at two locations and turned it in to the managers. I was then told that it was an automatic fail for them and they were not happy to loose a bonus.

I actually took the time to do the audit properly and took a photo of every single no answer. There was absolutly no question of my integrity of what I reported. The simple fact that I took the time to do the audit for the $10 fee and upload close to 25+ photos for some locations and less than 15 for others and report the true state of each store was enough to have the managers collude to find a reason to have me removed from this shop.

I don't hold this against Maritz as they are there to please the customer, and the customer was snowed by the store managers to get rid of me for taking the time to accuratly do the job.

I have learned much from this experience.

I did a single shop for another company that took me an hour time to write a difficult narrative and less than an hour on site and made the same financial gains with an up front outlay of over $100 and it was a return product shop than I would have made from going to four locations all about 5 miles away from me.

50 miles of driving, hours of clicking through the reports, and this is not counting the time doing the actual work.

I am going to strive to do the more difficult shops than to eat fast food and fill out mindless reports from now on.

I was loosing money and doing the shop more for the needed exercise than for the positive income statement on my spreadsheet. The gas and printing alone would negate the small $10 fee. The managers want another shopper that will not check dates on product and snap a few photos and leave with a false high scored audit.

I'm actually glad that I was removed from this shop, as my integrity is worth more to me than any shop fee is. I was foolish to even take such a low paying assignment for what was asked at the base pay.

I imagine they will get the old shopper and all the stores will score really good again, instead of the stores that were in worse condition getting a bad score and the stores that were in good shape getting a good score. When all the stores were getting a good score, everything is fine. When someone does the job properly and the stores that had more faults were evenly graded on the facts, they found a way to remove me from the project.

Thank You.

It's a PHOTO audit. A picture is worth 1000 words.

If you are inclined to do this assignment, my advise to you is to not speak a word to anyone working there, no matter how harmless it may seem at the time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2014 01:01AM by scanman1.

First off let me thank all of you who have taken the time to give me your take on this issue.

As for me doing these shops, I can't see it ever being worth my time and effort. I'm a stickler for details. I always want to do a job to the first and last detail. Either I'm too old for this or I'm to fussy because I can't see how anyone can do all that is required and I do mean all including paperwork and photos and come out ahead. Maybe for $25.00 but no less. I'm thinking in all farness this shop should pay $50.00.

Maybe in the future if I see one with a bonus but not at this point in time. And not with a $3.00 bonus! For sure!!!!!!!

Happy Shopping

I too have been told my numerous managers that even having just one expired item is an automatic failed shop. They have even said the rest of the shop doesn't matter if there is a out of date item. They are genuinely upset when I have to show them the item.

I enjoy doing these, but usually won't touch them until at least $30, and that is for ones with 15 miles.

Interesting. I wonder if some District Managers are using this to meet their own standards.

Make a spreadsheet for your survey since the same questions are asked in most departments, that saves on the printing. I have it down to 4 pages. It speeds it up also as I can do each department as I walk by it insted of following 20 pages of scattered departments.

I think I know which grocery shop you're doing, and I've done several lately. Takes me about 30 minutes in the store, as I now know the routine. They're never so crowded that I can't take the required pictures within 30 seconds.

I had thought of reformatting the questionnaire, so glad to see others have thought of it, too.

I never worry about what affect the results of my shop will be to the manager. That's their problem. If I worked directly for the company I'd do it the same.

Since many of the shops have so many pages. I have started printing my pages 2 pages on one side. This has decreased the amount of paper I use tremendously. Even though I get enough free paper from staples, I am still trying to cut back on the amount of pages I print off for a shop.

just an option.