A Closer Look - late report warning 1 hour after shop was performed

This came across to me as unnecessary, premature, and somewhat inappropriately worded. BTW, my report was 90% completed when the email was sent and submitted before I read the email.

Shop was to be performed between 5 and 8 pm today, which it was. A little after 9 pm I received the following email:

"I’m writing to follow up on your recent shop. Your report has not yet been submitted to us. If we do not receive the completed report by noon tomorrow, unfortunately, we will have to unassign you from the event. We look forward to receiving your report. Thanks very much! "

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson

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This is a generic automated mail I believe. I've gotten these and never gave them any thought. In the shop guidelines it states how many hours you have to submit your report after completing the assignment, and your receipts or proof of visit should back that up. Don't worry about it.

proudly shopping in the D.

The last shop I did for them (and very possibly the last shop I will ever do for them) was a hotel. I got this email, it was not automated but personalized, about an hour and a half after I checked out of the hotel.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

The assignments I do for ACL require a report within 12 hours of the onsite. You received a spank an hour after the shop was performed? What was the deadline for your report? Hopefully, just a glitch on their end.

Automated or not, I agree they are annoying. However, as long as I got the shop in under the posted guidelines, I've never had any issues. And if I was running behind, a quick email to the scheduler always bought me a at least 12 extra hours. I don't do a lot of shops for ACL, (maybe 2 or 3 a year) when I do it is because I like the client and the MSC is easy to work with. Also their checks always show up when promised.

proudly shopping in the D.

I received the late email before I checked out of the hotel. I emailed the scheduler immediately and she said not to worry about it. It was a two night stay and I started the report on the first night, as I like to report on each section after I completed the interaction. I agree the email came across as a little bit harsh.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2015 01:46AM by cubbiecat.

Their system is unfortunately not smart enough to take into account the hours of the shop, the potential duration of the shop or time zones, it seems. They are form letters that look more personalized than they actually are.

I get similar warnings from the Coyle Shopmetrics site. On just about every dinner assignment, I come home from the meal to a warning that my shop is nearly due. I wish there was a way to opt out of warning emails from all MSCs. I have my own system of keeping track of the required submission times which is much more accurate then theirs....

@SteveSoCal wrote:

I wish there was a way to opt out of warning emails from all MSCs. I have my own system of keeping track of the required submission times which is much more accurate then theirs....

This.

I spoke to someone over at MaritzCX today since I got an email from them asking me to call and confirm that I'm really going to be doing the shop I signed up for. I told the (very nice) scheduler, "do I really have to call you to promise that I'll do a shop I have already promised to do? Can't you just assume that because I've signed up for it and am an adult I will be conducting it as agreed?" She about laughed herself into a hernia. I may still be a bit naive. sigh.

But I did get her to admit that I don't really have to call if I'm planning to do the shop as assigned. Small victories.

Shopper in California's Bay Area

I have had this issue happen to me when I open a report and start it in order to report the required telephone conversation or the reservation before I actually go on the shop. The system asks for a time and date and will not take one in the future. The computer thinks this is when I started the shop. To get around that happening if that is your situation I have learned to go into the report and update the time later in the day. The computer does not send messages to me if I do that. The other option is to ignore the messages.

Yes, especially for the hotel shops. In order to start the report during th site visit, you need to input a checkout time that is earlier than the date/time that you are trying to enter the report. Next day, you can change that to the actual date and time of checkout. In the meantime, if your "convenience" entry said you checked in at 4:00 PM on Monday and out at 4:30 PM on Monday., the computer will see that your 12 hour limit was up at 4:30 AM Tuesday and send a later report reminder. You just ignore the computer nudge and carry on. It's just an oddity of the system.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Thanks for the insight. I now see what happened. The original shop was for the 17th. They sent an email out, someone must have cancelled. I was available for the 18th. The 17th was left hardcoded. The evaluator just asked why I was a day late doing the shop, I forwarded them the email exchange from the scheduler. All is good.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson

Glad that it all worked out!

I email the schedulers when I finish a shop, before I submit. They seem to like this because they know it gets done. Always got a thank you and they know how reliable I am.

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A Closer Look - late report warning 1 hour after shop was performed

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