@ctalbert wrote:

I did a shop last week that I had done at least five times before with no problems but this time it got sent back to me because it was not a convenience shop and just a service bay I had to take a picture of the service bay. ....

I have never taken a picture of a service bay. I'm not sure the mechanics would understand or appreciate that. I do take a picture of the register and waiting area which is usually next to the bay.

I've had one on hold for nearly a month now because they seem to be under the impression that I owe them a MID photo when I've made it quite clear quarterly for the past two years that the location has no MID. I have a feeling their editors are overworked.

Been there myself. What I do now is upload a photo of a handwritten note, "This location does not have a Main ID sign" in the main id picture slot. So far, so good.

Whenever I know that I do not have a required photo, I create text explaining why in PowerPoint, create a JPG screen shot, and upload that instead. That usually heads off the issue at the gate.

Have you ever noticed on these "holds" that when you do the required entry of a photo or similar, the editors often have changed your original answers?
For instance, the editor might change my answer that yes, the restroom was fully stocked, with a "no" and then show my photo of the restroom.
Granted, my photo might show only the toilet and sink, minus the paper dispenser due to its proximity. But, it was still there! I saw it and noted it. Maybe even used it!
Its almost as if the editor does not want to give the station a passing grade - they must find something awry in order to appease their supervisors.

Just sayin!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2016 12:58PM by French Farmer.

Yup. And I consider that not my problem. If the client wants to argue with Maritz, that's on them to deal with.

Hoju, you do realize when a store challenges results the auditor is always the one to blame and the one who would be removed from the program, not the editor.

Their lovely editors just got around to a shop I did three weeks ago. THEN it gets put on hold because they were so sure there was a quick serve restaurant at the location and they also wanted a new photo of me in my chic finery while holding the guidebook. They didn't seem to grasp the concept that this location did NOT have a public restroom since it was a small family-owned grocery store which happened to sell XYZ gasoline and therefore no mirror to take my photo in. What they thought was a restaurant in another photo was a view of potato chips and snow brushes. Those blessed children of God (see? I was being nice) also wanted me to drive all the way back to the location to take another selfie. Ain't happening.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2016 02:27PM by Cettie.

Lisa, I've never had that happen. Not saying it doesn't but either way, what control do I have over it?

If I knew the editor was changing my answers I would try to find a way to do something. Changing a yes to a no to justify their existence has longer ranging consequences for you, the store, the client and the MSC. How many challenges will it take before the client decides it may behoove them to find another MSC with "better" auditors?

I get it, but I'm pretty sure Maritz doesn't care about your protests. In the hierarchy of importence in that (and most MSCs) organizations, we are at the bottom.

Of course Maritz wouldn't worry about my protests. I have never done even one assignment from them

I did my first home improvement shop for them today, because it was bonused. Not a bad report, I think. But we shall see if I get any requests for further info. I made one objection, and the associated backed off, so didn't present a second objection.

I won't do gas station shops anymore. Not worth it. But maybe, if I got a $125 fee!!!

Really? I did one today for $125. No audit, 2 photos, in and out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
good for you however this was not exactly what's being bantered about here. For 12.00 there is no way on earth I would perform anymore of *those* shops from *that* MSC

I would beg to differ with you on that point. Make no mistake, the MCS's know who their better shoppers are, and they acquiesce accordingly. They know whose buttering their bread.

@Cettie wrote:

They didn't seem to grasp the concept that this location did NOT have a public restroom since it was a small family-owned grocery store which happened to sell XYZ gasoline and therefore no mirror to take my photo in.

Cettie, I have used my reflection in the (tinted) window of my car when there is no mirror available. It's not that clear but you can see my image and I have not had one rejected yet.

I suggest a selfie stick. It works!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2016 11:57PM by French Farmer.

I love it when the time on the receipt from the station is off..... I put in the comments that the time is off on the receipt and the time that I reported is correct, yet still, EVERY TIME I get that station back saying the time on the receipt doesn't match..... my standard response.... please refer to the comments, thank you. It passes the second submission, every time.

@SS4U wrote:

I would beg to differ with you on that point. Make no mistake, the MCS's know who their better shoppers are, and they acquiesce accordingly. They know whose buttering their bread.

I've buttered their bread literally thousands of times and, for the most part, they don't give a $hit about me. That's not the case for most MSC's, but for Maritz, it definitely is.

I have done more than 100 of these sbops. I have done them for they top five companies. Each company has it's own ideas that they want. I have taken the picture standards of all of them and have tried to put them in each photo I take. I can tell when a new editor is review the shop for this is win I get the complaints. I have had them complain that I needed to give them something to judge the size of a potholes and why my times don't match the receipts. If you want to get paid you tell them the true. If that does not work then you ha e to tell them you don't have it and you are not driving back to get that photo and you don't get paid. One company says to take Three of everything to which I have fiound a good thing. Take and make a list of the photos needed and take the ones you would take from the other companies even if the shop doesn't require them this way you have covered everything so you have the photo needed by that MF editor that is trying to brake you back. Good luck

My experience with Maritz has been, for the most part, a positive experience. There are shops I will not accept, and those awful 12.00 gas station shops are # 1 on my list.
I have found that, if you treat the MSC with courtesy, it will be returned to you.

"Editor" with a good company the translation is "mentor". These are the ones that offer details that you learn from and improve your skills with.

"Editor" with a bad company the translation is "miser". These are the ones that ding and reduce pay any way they can. Dangerous when you base your value off of their actions.

Might be time to ask yourself which ones you prefer to shop with and take your happy back!

I have shopped with this MSC for over a decade, doing hundreds of gas station shops for all companies. Recently did a visit with a question due to a one room service bay only. I took pictures of the bay, "the sign service bay", the garage door, etc and entered them all to show there was no food. It took days to resolve and finally I hand drew a schematic of the location with a long note illustrating that I had taken a picture of every inch of that place and submitted it. Approved! Then did a visit at another sea animal gas station a week before leaving the country for Mexico. No issues until I was totally out of the country for nearly a week. Then got a hold. I am not anyplace that I can resolve the issue. I sent FOUR emails and tried to add comments to the hold. When I got home I found the shop accepted and submitted without the picture they wanted!! Finally, I just got a hold on a home improvement shop which I was begged to perform. I responded with three emails requesting help resetting the quiz. I had taken it 6 times in 2016 and for some reason one question would not correct?? I left phone messages as well After four days of my effort to help resolve the visit, it was removed from my list. Never did hear from the editor.
This was always my favorite company, and I have befriended several schedulers, but am not going to take shops for a while. Frustrating when you really value the quality of your work.

I had two holds last week. In one hold they said that I had not uploaded my overall pictures. Thing is, I had. When I went to look, only one photo was left. Weird. So I uploaded all the rest again and resubmitted. The other shop needed info on the person's appearance. I had also entered it, and the report does not let you submit with empty spaces. Doubly weird. So I reentered it and clicked submit to get the summary...the info I entered was gone. Not cool. I called the company to explain what happened and if they could unlock the question so I could change the nametag answer back -- and the person told me that I also needed to upload all of the overall photos, that they were not there. Geez! They were there and the clarification request I got said nothing about photos. In the end she cleared the whole report and I reentered it. I noticed that some spaces were blanked out again when I saved the report, so I put that info in the comments at the end. So annoying!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2016 02:04AM by Karen IL.

Ok. They have become absolutely ridiculous. Every one of my jobs this week is on hold for completely asinine reasons. Requesting a store receipt when I clearly selected like 5 answers that say "no store?"
Requesting a pic of a MID that shows pricing when the the pic of the entire MID that I submitted had no pricing display? Requesting employee details that are already in the damn report listed under the exact question numbers they're asking for??
I'm REALLY close to completely dumping all 12 of my routes for this client. This doesn't happen on their red and blue audits.

Hang in there. This is temporary.
This is temporary. This is temporary. . . . . . . . . .

I had this happen three times. I would make a comment and ask a question but NEVER got a response. The worst part is that they downgrade the "grade". I will NEVER do gas shops again. They pay is too little with too much work.

OMG. I thought I was the only one that had this problem. I would even send messages but they wouldn't respond. The bottom line, after 4 gas shops, I got downgraded to a 5 because I didn't complete the shops as asked. I did! But the pictures kept disappearing on me. I know - frustrating.

Were you able to get anyone to respond to you?

Hmmm, I've never heard of them sharing the shopper rating.

I've followed the advice of Ms Nowell and submitted additional photos without their requesting them.

Has worked!

Thank you Ms Nowell!

Oh man, Mary. I had to call and voice my opinion but of course the only people you can get on the phone is the lowly scheduler... or whatever they call them. They have no power and pretty much don't care.
I wish I had a relationship with the supervisors on that team but I've never needed to talk to one because this type of ridiculousness has never occurred before. It's got to be a new crop of editors that are poorly trained.