Maritz Shops

I am fairly new to mystery shopping, and just signed up with Maritz and haven't done any shops with them yet. Could you all please give me a general idea of what is involved with their gas station reveal shops, banking shops, and their DIY Home store shops? I want to make sure they aren't over my abilities, or if they are low pay for the amount of time invested. Or to sit back and wait for the fees to go up. Thanks for any advice you all may have.

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These are fairly low pay, easy shops. If you read and follow the directions, they are very easy. The reports are also fast and easy, compared to the reports of some other MSCs. I would love to be able to say wait until the fees go up, but it really depends on your area. In some areas, like mine, these easy shops are grabbed fairly quickly as soon as they are posted and the fees do NOT go up. Shoppers in some other areas are luckier. BUT - DON'T FORGET TO SUBMIT AN INVOICE AFTER EVERY REPORT.

Thank you so much for your advice! I don't mind low pay if they are easier in nature, but heck no to some of these horror stories I have read on here.

So if that DIY Home store has multiple departments to be evaluated can you request them all and do them all on the same day?

The hardware store usually has an out-of-stock item that you ask about to see what the associate tells you. Ideally, he will recommend something similar at a similar price. It's very easy to find an empty space on a shelf in some area - I always try the faucets and shower heads. Then you evaluate one department for a particular product using the scenario they give you. Then you check out with a cashier, purchasing whatever you want, but they will reimburse only $1. I'm usually in the store 15 minutes or less.

Initially you will be requesting the shops, and the company will call and assign you. But after you successfully complete some - I think it's 10 but can't remember, it's been so long - you will be able to self-assign. I don't remember there being a limit to the number of locations you can shop on the same day, I don't think there is. You cannot perform more than one shop at the same location on the same day, though.

Thanks for the info! I think I see how this works now. Maybe I live in an area with very few Maritz shoppers because I have a list a mile long of gas stations, banks, and hardware stores to pick from.

No, you can not do more than one assignment at the Big Box DIY store per day. Today, they just began allowing shoppers to sign up for the the same location on different dates (actually different weeks in different months) out into March. Previously, you could only have one assigned per location. When you did that one, you could apply for another if it was still available. Once you complete a few shops, you will get self-assign privileges. Before you can do a shop, you have to pass a quiz. My advice is to keep all quiz answers by client and month of the test.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I will not perform gas station shops, due to hazards involved, workload, and low pay.
Make sure you follow photo guidelines when submitting bank shop docs. 640 x 480 pixels.

I have done some gas stations for MF and they are easy, and pay is ok, but I agree about the hazards. Trying to get certain pics off a busy highway is dangerous, and the last time I did one a strange man kept following me around while I was pumping the gas and asking me out for drinks. He came out of left field and made me a nervous wreck.

Gas station shops are easy. If the highway is too busy with no way to cross the street, I just take a pic from the property boundary and include in the comments why I cannot cross the street. Other times I have been able to get the pic as I leave and park in a lot across the street to get good pics. A few locations are in the middle of the block with no car access anywhere near across the street, and so the pics were at the edge of the property -- but maritz had no problem accepting them because of the danger of trying to cross the street at that point. Pay isn't too high but they are not difficult to do. I stock up on all locations near me whenever I can.

Wear the recommended bright orange vest. You'll be surprised how cars will stop for you. Usually you can get a break in traffic just enough to sneak out there, snap a pic, and the approaching car will slow a bit seeing an orange vest. Of course, not recommended on very busy roads, or anywhere near rush hour. Maritz will put weird things on hold sometimes, but then (for me anyway) becomes understanding when you call and explain it more. Use internal comments whenever possible.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2016 06:05PM by tcurione.

My experience on gas station audits was with Market Force and CORI. We all know how picky Market Force can be. Even they accepted overall shots from the property when it was explained the only other option would have been to stand in the middle of a highway or on private property across the street.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

If you have a long list of available shops it might be because other shoppers are waiting for them to get bonused.

Also, be sure you understand fully the guidelines for the gas stations. Some brands are MUCH more difficult than others. Some require photo back and front of ONE pump, other require back & front of EVERY pump. Some take 15 minutes, some take an hour. The ones that are more complicated, I will not do for less than $30.
Usually more than $30. I would suggest picking one brand and mastering it. I have learned to not mix brands when doing a route; too easy for me to make mistakes. So I'll do one brand one route, a different brand on another day. Other (YOUNGER) shoppers don't have the same difficulty this old dinosaur has! JM2CW.

I completed 2 bank shops for Maritz last week and submitted my invoices. This was my first experience with a company requiring invoices. Is there a place on their website I can check payment status? I would like to confirm that they received my invoice.

I don't think there is a way you can view payment status. You should have gotten a confirmation and a printable invoice after submitting your invoice with receipts. I always save a copy of the invoice. If I don't get paid for the shop, I can pull the invoice. I've always been paid and never had to actually pull up the invoice.

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