I've been having a bit of trouble with Maritz and I wanted to post about it here. It's calm and not a rant, just a bit of a heads up to new shoppers with the company to be aware since they were the winner of the unofficial vote at the beginning of the year for being the best company to shop with.

I do between 200-300 shops/audits a month. In almost four years time I've only ever had three rejected (the most recent being the past week with Maritz). I read and follow my directions thoroughly and if I am the one to make the mistake, I will admit my error or try to correct it.

I posted a bit about my problem with a Maritz gas station audit last week. I did the audit on Saturday the 13th, during the week I receive an email saying I needed to get another picture of a pump not in compliance. I call and am given until Friday evening at 7:00 to get the picture. I notice that the pump in question was not under the canopy so I call them again to point that out. I am told that I am right, I do not need the picture because it is not under the canopy. So I ask to clarify, should I get the picture. I am told no, that it is not needed, if anything changes they will call me.

A few hours later I notice that audit is back on their job board. I was not called nor emailed saying they had rejected the shop or saying that they did still want the pump picture. The shop was put back on the board about 1:00 pm on Friday, 6 hours BEFORE the original deadline I was given to get the picture.

I finally reached someone there this morning. She says that my file shows that the shop was rejected on Thursday at noon. Why then hours later did one of their reps call me saying to go back out and get the picture? According to the rep I talked to this morning, once a shop is rejected, it is rejected, there is no way to receive payment for it, it's considered case closed.

So AFTER he knew there would be no way for me to get paid for this audit, their rep calls me telling me to get the photo. Would they have used the audit anyway, turning it in to their client, getting paid for it, but not paying me?

It is only one job I won't be getting paid for by them. I've done around 20 with them just since the beginning of this year and chances are I will continue to do jobs for them. But I feel I can not trust what I am told. I don't live close to most of my assignments and between the auditing and the reporting, their gas station audits take some time. If I was the one to make the mistake, I will own up to it and accept that I will not be paid. But that was not the case with this. Whether the photo was needed or not, I was told three different things but three different reps. That is not a good way to run a company.

I would try another phone call and talk with someone else. Whomever it was that you spoke with may not have understood what you were asking. I would detail it out: job reported ___, contacted ___ for additional photo, pointed out that per guidelines photo not needed, contact agreed. Just wanting to clarify that the job has been accepted and that I will be paid.

I suspect you got a knee jerk defense when you mentioned seeing the job reposted.

I may try reaching the rep I talked to originally saying I had until Friday evening. This rep today seemed sure when she stated, the audit has been removed. There is nothing that can be done.

Another bit of evidence that their reps have no idea what the others are doing: less than 10 minutes after I got off the phone with the rep I called, I got a call from a rep there. She wanted to know if I would be interested in taking another gas station audit. I ask where it is, and yep, it is the same shop they just rejected and removed from my job log.

I was given the same pump issue rejection. I told Maritz the shop was too far away and was part of a larger circuit I was completing that day. Maritz now says I will not be paid because the shop is incomplete.

I did a gas shop for them last year. I had to take a photo of the location across the street. No problem, but there were trees in front of the station if I took the picture from across the stree, all you would be able to see is the trees, so I tried to get the whole station at a 45 degree angle. Maritz call and wanted me to go back and get the front angle. I explained to them about the trees, but they still wanted the picture. I didn't make a special trip, but did take the picture of the trees:-) Never heard another word from them and I did get paid. Doing the same station next month. Funny.

I am so surprised to hear this about Maritz. I have had nothing but positive experiences with them. My calls are always returned. I had to reschedule a few shops recently and they were very nice about. My payments always come quickly.

kittybratt Wrote:
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> I am so surprised to hear this about Maritz. I
> have had nothing but positive experiences with
> them. My calls are always returned. I had to
> reschedule a few shops recently and they were very
> nice about. My payments always come quickly.


That's why I posted this as a "non ranting heads up". I too for the most part have had great experiences with Maritz. I've done tons of jobs for them and even after this I will still probably work for them. I too have been paid quickly and most reps I talk to are really nice.

But I can not overlook the fact that after a job was removed from my log, a rep told me to go back to a site (knowing it was quite a distance from me) to get a picture that supposedly would not have been needed or used. It just created a little bit of doubt in my mind I guess.

I haven't worked for them in several years, but I did get a couple additional photo requests and one was valid. The photo was submitted a day or so later and the shop was accepted and paid. Overall, though, the cumulative issues there finally had me throw in the towel.

I am waiting to hear back on a curve ball I just threw them. I accidentally did 2 gas stations that are not due to be done until next week. Waiting to see if I can enter them now or if I have to do a reshop. Mistake is mine, not theirs...:p

They were nice and accepted the shops now...

Sometimes I wonder how I get by with some of the photos I get accepted. They take some I figure they will kick back. I did have a restroom shot and they wanted more of the sink or the toilet. I sent one of a small part of the sink only. This is a shop that would be a 100 mile round trip. They asked again for more of the sink. I told them it was on outside restroom and very small. The only shot I could take was what I sent or one with my reflection in the mirror. She laughed and said what I sent would do.

Deech Wrote:
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> Sometimes I wonder how I get by with some of the
> photos I get accepted. They take some I figure
> they will kick back. I did have a restroom shot
> and they wanted more of the sink or the toilet. I
> sent one of a small part of the sink only. This
> is a shop that would be a 100 mile round trip.
> They asked again for more of the sink. I told
> them it was on outside restroom and very small.
> The only shot I could take was what I sent or one
> with my reflection in the mirror. She laughed and
> said what I sent would do.


Getting on the topic of restroom pictures, almost all gas stations I do require a restroom shot and some of those gas station restroom layouts make it impossible. The one I did the other day literally was around 3 foot square. That thing was impossible to get a picture of.

We do not have many GS shops here...not like you all on the mainland do. So, for me, the ones I accept have minimal photos, and usually no bathroom at all that is accessible to the public. But they do pay way more than $3.00. :-)

Sometimes I do think the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. We deal with an editor on the evaluation repost answers but with a non editor, I think, when there is a question. I sometimes get a "They wanted me to call and ask you about this photo or date," call and it is after the folks I talk to have left for the day so I don't really know who I am talking to.

I have never been given a deadline for a resubmitted photo it was just when you can when I talked to someone about it. If it is out of town and I will lose more money if I have to drive back to get it I have told them I can't do it and why. I am going to lose money either way but more of it if I have to get in the car and drive anywhere than across town . All of my GS are out of town and it is a weekend day trip with at least 6 or 7 shops, so I will admit I screwed it up and take the heat and the money loss.

Dee, one of these days I am going to have to try one of the $3.00 shops just to see if I want to do 5 shops to get enough gas to make it home. :-) It is $1.00 for gas and $2.00 inside isn't it? OPPS $5.00 won't get me home and back so I guess I better try for 10 shops. :-)

Its $1 inside also. Ya gonna starve too...

One oil company charged their stations $40 every time they got shopped. I do not know if that is still in place or not. All the people I know are not there anymore because the stations got leased to somebody else and they lost their jobs.

Starve and push my car home also. I don't think so.:-)

Deech Wrote:
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> Starve and push my car home also. I don't think
> so.:-)


:-)

I never liked Maritz and was suprised to see them at the top of the "Favorite Companies" list. Are they a favorite just because they are nationwide? I just found the photo requirements to be very tedious, and the gas station shops in my area are always reveal shops and the store managers at some stations have tended to give me a hard time and try to pull BS with me (like not wearing a nametag when I walk in, then putting one on after I reveal myself and go out to my car to get the paperwork). Uggh... just too many little things that added up. However, yes they do pay more than a silly $3 fee, but in my area the pay for the GS shops is $10 each, but with all the pictures, cashier hassle, and long checklist, I'll pass.

I'm really getting a little annoyed with Maritz now. Today I redid the shop I had rejected from before. I paid special attention to the pump they wanted the picture of. I went through the manual again where it says if the diesel pump is under or near the branded canopy. The pump is close to 50 feet from the branded canopy. It is right on the borderline of the station and the building next to it. That shop did not need to be rejected.

Then over the weekend I did two more of the audits. The two stations are on the toll road across from each other (they are the same station brand, just one for travelers going east and one for west). The overall picture is supposed to be taken from across the street unless it is impossible. The directions even give the example of if it is located on a large highway.

I took the overall picture from as far away on the lot as I could and got the whole station. I get an email saying I need one from across the street. I explain to them that is impossible as at that point there are 10 lanes, plus a median. Since I was doing both stations right across from each other, I tried to take the overall pictures from the station across the street and it was impossible. It was too far away to see anything. I could not move closer as I would be standing in the middle of the toll road.

I explain this to them and get a "well I don't know if we can take them then since it's not across the street".

I am now convinced they have no idea what their own rules and guidelines are seeing as the two issues they have had with my audits are both allowed according to the booklet THEY sent me.

Call them and use EX# 3. Thats Editor. Explain it in person. State that it was a safety issue. You should have submitted the shot that was too far away to see anything. It would have been accepted...

I have hardly any problems with this company. EXCEPT for the yellow and green editor. I had to get a full shot pic for a station that had a eight lane highway in front of it , so I took the picture from the station parking lot. I was asked to return and get a better full shot.I returned and took the picture from across the highway. The station was so far away that the station in the picture was hardly discernible, even when zooming in on the picture. Then she had an issue with me doing shops ahead of schedule ( I had schedule these myself and just happen have the time to them) the dates were within the ranges the shops could be done. Needless to say I can no longer do those yellow and green jobs. I'm just fortunate that I don't have to deal with this person any longer. I pity the people that work in the office with her.

I'm calling them now (wasn't sure if they were there before 9:00 am) and explaining it.

mrcomputer101 Wrote:
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> Call them and use EX# 3. Thats Editor. Explain it
> in person. State that it was a safety issue. You
> should have submitted the shot that was too far
> away to see anything. It would have been
> accepted...


I tried to call with the EX#3 without an email instructing me and I was told the editors were too busy to talk to me and if they had a question they would call me. I tried to tell her what I wanted she just repeated if they had any questions they would call me. No one ever called.

If that shop shows overdue for a couple of days - The head editor will look at it and call you if needed. She might just approve it and push it through...

The key for the pictures on their audits is to take as multiple pictures of the same thing - that way you have a choice.

biancajean Wrote:
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> The key for the pictures on their audits is to
> take as multiple pictures of the same thing - that
> way you have a choice.


When you take multiple photos be sure and move yourself or the camera a little bit. That way they will not think you are sending the same photo over and over.

biancajean Wrote:
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> The key for the pictures on their audits is to
> take as multiple pictures of the same thing - that
> way you have a choice.


I usually do take a few of each required photo just to make sure one good one turns out. This case though wasn't a blurry picture, they wanted a picture of a pump that was nowhere near the branded canopy.

I kept getting an email for a picture of the gray tank and I ended sending 4 of different views of the same off road fuel. They still wanted more pictures. So I called . They wanted closer photos of the gray tank at the side of the building, and I asked what gray tank at the side of the building. I was told they wanted a closer photo of the gray tank that was in the store shot. So I am really showing how much attention I am paying to what is in my photos, because I said I did not see a gray tank beside the building to take a picture of.

I happened to be just getting off at work and had my laptop so I asked him to hold on and let me pull up the photos. There was a gray tank beside the building it fact it was a pretty good size tank. It was a butane tank for heating and cooking in the store. I got tickled then because I see so many of them I do not pay any attention to them and they see very few of them, if any, and thought fuel was sold out of them somehow. The guy I was talking to got it straight and he said he did not think they needed a close up of a butane tank.

The difference between city life and country life.:-)

that's good to know about Maritz.. I don't know why the gas shops are so involved, but pay so little!
I think they are some of most complex shops I've done, really, because of all the photos, all the quetions you must ask, though the time to do the shop itself is quite small!

But for them to want you to travel ALL the way back to the gas station? Ummm. no thanks, we don't have gas station on every corner either, Wud be nice....

Not to say there's not gas station close by, but they never come up on the board most time.

I love working with Maritz, The only thing is that I have been doing jobs for about
four weeks and have not got paid yet!!!Do they really pay. They have been real good about paper work,and help when I have asked .The last job I done was pretty far out there.120 mile round trip.But I did do two over there that same day.