No, I'm saying they put the shops on hold because they say my photos don't comply. If they would take the time to read the narrative, they would see they do comply so they get the same photos. For example, they put one shop on hold because the forecourt photo did not include the canopy. If they bothered to read the narrative, read the answers to the questions, and look at the overall photo, they would see the station had no canopy. In another instance I did a long narrative about how the station had no restrooms and they put it on hold for not having pictures of restrooms. In another instance I explained in the narrative that the station did not participate in Plenti because it was so remote and had very, very old equipment. They wanted a picture proving they didn't participate in Plenti. They already had several pictures of the front counter showing violations but they wanted more of the exact same thing. Another time they said a photo showing fresh sandwiches, ice cream, fruit and pastry was not a "food offering" photo and instead they wanted a picture of the Subway counter. I get really irritated with them but these all had $40 - $50 incentives each so I keep doing them and just take my blood pressure medicine.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/2016 06:19AM by whiterosie.

The last one about the Subway counter is legit. It's in the guidelines that you have to include a pic of the OSR if there is one. Other than that, you're right. They're being ridiculous.

I've been getting a lot of holds too. I spoke to a supervisor about it recently and she said she is working to address it. I'm noticing that the editors are not reading the narrative. I wrote that the pumps at the station didn't have numbers. It was returned demanding photos of issues that included pump numbers.
I also had an editor threaten to invalidate my report if I didn't return and take another photo (the timeframe I was given to avoid invalidation was 1 AM to 8 AM)... because I changed a N/A response to a yes after clarification. The editor said that it was falsifying data to change a no to a yes just because I didn't have a photo (agree this is true but it didn't apply in this situation). Even though the demand made no sense, I panicked when I saw the email an hour after the deadline. With the routes, you only get the incentive pay if everything is reported without issue. I would have lost a lot of money if the shop had been invalidated. I'm going to take a break from Maritz until they reign in their editors.

BTW I am blacklisted from the blue stations because my reports were too negative. I had noticed editors changing my yes responses to no and zooming in on issues in my overall photographs (saw this while resolving holds). I explained this practice wasn't cool as I was conducting the audit as a typical customer, not an editor who wasn't even there. Not sure if it continued but it might explain why you don't see them on the board anymore.

Here's a good one concerning the photo for product selection. This was not recent, but it stuck and I remember it. I shot the overall in the store and took note it was also a terrific shot for the product selection, so I moved in closer for another shot. Not a lot closer, but close enough to clearly emphasize a large number of products rather than the whole store.

I got a hold on it because I "used the same view". Ok, then. I also had other shots, which were not as comprehensive, but I submitted a few of them and didn't hear anything else. The first shot I submitted (the same view but much closer) just wasn't good enough.

And here another good one on the towel shots. I shot the empty slot and got a hold because they "could not tell what that was". OMG. I went back to the same station and took an overall shot of a valet. Different day, may or may not have been the same, but hey, what do I know about anything? Apparently not much.

Of course, the picture didn't show whether or not there were towels. It just showed towels were not hanging low enough to be seen. I thought we were supposed to reach in and check for towels, and if there weren't any towels we were supposed to take a picture that proved there were no towels. Silly me.

Mine's been especially steep and I'm afraid I'm about to fall off.

I have a hold right now for the exact same interior view situation.
Anytime I have a hold that isn't super simple to resolve. I call. It always gets handled when I call. I never ever interact with the editors through their email thing.

For whatever reason, I rarely get my reports put on hold when I do a Blue gas station for Maritz, but when I *do* it's because after I upload all the photos, and receive a message saying I've submitted all the photos, the hold will be because I'm missing photos. SMH

Two weeks ago I did a Blue station with a multipl e stall bathroom. I took photos of the sink area and one stall. There was only room to upload one of the two, and of course I chose the wrong one; got an email that the shop was on hold. I uploaded the second phot and it went through.

Yesterday I did another station with the same bathroom issue. This time I included a note with my report saying I had additional views if they needed them.

@KathyG wrote:

. . . Yesterday I did another station with the same bathroom issue. This time I included a note with my report saying I had additional views if they needed them.

They won't need them. They only need them if you don't have them. Here's one for you. I did a large men's restroom with the sink on a wall nowhere near the stalls and urinals. I sent a urinal picture and they wanted a picture with the sink/toilet or sink/urinal. I sent them a sink picture. Good luck and so sorry.

@MDavisnowell wrote:

@KathyG wrote:

. . . Yesterday I did another station with the same bathroom issue. This time I included a note with my report saying I had additional views if they needed them.

They won't need them. They only need them if you don't have them. Here's one for you. I did a large men's restroom with the sink on a wall nowhere near the stalls and urinals. I sent a urinal picture and they wanted a picture with the sink/toilet or sink/urinal. I sent them a sink picture. Good luck and so sorry.

I've done those multiple stall/urinal restrooms too. My pictures were always of a urinal and sink together whenever possible. But, while taking my photo, I always thought about how gross it is to be washing your hands while next to you a guy is relieving himself.

BTW, did anyone ask you what you, a woman, was doing in the boys restroom? Taking photos??

No, because it WAS a woman's restroom :-)

@French Farmer wrote:

BTW, did anyone ask you what you, a woman, was doing in the boys restroom? Taking photos??

@KathyG wrote:

No, because it WAS a woman's restroom :-)

@French Farmer wrote:

BTW, did anyone ask you what you, a woman, was doing in the boys restroom? Taking photos??

I use the men's room quite often. Sometimes it is your only choice like if the ladies' room is out-of-order or being clean. Sometimes it is just more convenient like at sporting events and concerts. There is ALWAYS a line for the ladies' room. Whether they are doing drugs in the stalls or reapplying makeup or whatever, there is almost always a line. Men get in, get the "stuff" out, maybe wash their hands (wishful thinking) and they are outta there. No fuss, no muss.

I think she is talking about a certain client Maritiz's has which requires taking photos in the men's restroom, too. I do them all the time.

@mawmaw26 wrote:

I think she is talking about a certain client Maritiz's has which requires taking photos in the men's restroom, too. I do them all the time.

It was more out of curiosity than anything.

Whenever I do those shops, I do knock and always make sure I'm wearing the nametag that identifies me as a worker for the company. I could just imagine the police collaring me and seeing all my photos of pumps, chest shots and restrooms.

I was just wondering what you might say if you surprised some poor gentleman when the restroom is multi stalls.

BTW, I've noticed that some of the restrooms (single use) have become unisex rather than boy/girl.

Makes sense to me.

I know your post is a little old, but I appreciate it, b/c almost all of mine have been put on hold, and they are clearly not reading my comments. I had a customer accost me b/c I was taking photos of the location.

Thanks for sharing. I've been shopping 19 years now, and I have never had a problem with my photos, and I've had almost all my shops put on hold? Some of them showed EXACTLY what they asked for, and had comments, and still they write back?

I SOOOOO agree with you all....Maritz' answer is simple:
The OP gets blacklisted.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2017 04:45PM by winemaker.

I recently input some shops via their app. I then had to input the invoice via their website. One of my shops is on hold and I can only look at it on the app I'm going to have to fix it on the website. I hope it isn't too long before everything can be done on the app.

New England not cancelled yet.

@taraklunkler wrote:

I had a customer accost me b/c I was taking photos of the location.

Did you call the cops?

I've had a shop put on hold because of the pictures of the bathroom. They told me that I needed to have a complete picture of a toilet or a sink. That wasn't possible in one picture because the bathroom was long, narrow and had stalls in it.

Later, after I didn't hear anything, I went back to check and the hold was gone. I never got a communication about my question. Is that normal?

Yes. Over several years of working with them, I have had some reports on hold. The holds have all disappeared when resolved without communication.

@taraklunkler wrote:

I know your post is a little old, but I appreciate it, b/c almost all of mine have been put on hold, and they are clearly not reading my comments. I had a customer accost me b/c I was taking photos of the location.

Wouldn't it be nice if Maritz provided IDs for the flying horse gas stations like they do for the Yellow and Green gas stations.

what ? thats a no no

@SS4U wrote:

what ? thats a no no

What's a no no?

@Sybil2 wrote:

@SS4U wrote:

what ? thats a no no

What's a no no?

The opposite of Oui Oui??

@French Farmer wrote:

@Sybil2 wrote:

@SS4U wrote:

what ? thats a no no

What's a no no?

The opposite of Oui Oui??

No, thanks. I just went.

@Hoju wrote:

@French Farmer wrote:

@Sybil2 wrote:

@SS4U wrote:

what ? thats a no no

What's a no no?

The opposite of Oui Oui??

No, thanks. I just went.

Wouldn't that be a Go Go?

I did not ... but I put it in my comments and they basically ignored it.

For some reason the MS company hasn't given me any grief about my shops, to my utter shock of shocks I actually got a note from them congratulating me for having 22 years of service as a shopper with them. The first time in the 24 years I've been out there in the MS world that any company ever did that.