I don't think we are all that unique. Unlike other businesses, there is a wide variety of business models. In that way full time shoppers may be unique when compared to the total number of shoppers. There are still a lot more making a living at this than you may realize.

The audits get easier the more you do. I have a favorite, and since I do it so much, I find it simple. I take two photos of all required shots, because I know from experience sometimes the shot does not come out. I also double check before I leave that I got everything. I don't want to come back. I do figure in drive time, and that's why I usually wait for a bonus, with the possible exception of two which are close to me. I have a second favorite -- I like debrands. I have done about four or five different kinds of gas station audits. Once you get an idea of what is required and how long it takes, you can judge whether the fee works for you. Regarding downloading photos from your phone, you can set your photos to upload automatically to whatever cloud service you are using and they are already available for you to access when you get back to the computer, or you can use a usb cord and drag them over. (I have an Android phone, Windows computer). The real time comes in uploading them to Maritz, but you can leave some to the end and upload them all at one time after the summary of the report. I recommend doing no more tham 6-10 at a time.

Also why would you upload to a cloud & download to your computer?
I take, resize & upload to the report from my phone. NO transfer of photos. I have learned the hard way to set my automatic back up to Amazon Prime photo to use data not just back up while in wifi incase I accidently hit delete when I didn't mean to.

Depending on the cloud service, photos are auto uploaded and available on other devices. That's the way it works with OneDrive among others.

Yes, my point was that the OP was 'complaining' about the EXTRA time spent to do this and if you are trying to cut your time spent I was simply wondering why you would go the extra step of upload, download & report.... I use Amazon Prime and for a while had my setting so that it would automatically upload when I entered wifi. (due to a hard earned lesson) I changed that setting and it uploads immediately using data but that is just my preference. I don't spend any time manually uploading and then downloading. Just like I don't spend extra time printing 99% of the guidelines, I just download them and read the digital copy. My point is that the OP has created unnecessary extra steps.

@LisaSTL wrote:

Depending on the cloud service, photos are auto uploaded and available on other devices. That's the way it works with OneDrive among others.

Also I don't label each individual photo. I move all photos for a location to a folder labeled with the location address. I don't understand why someone would spend time labeling each photo.

I do long day routes as a general rule. I do not make massive money on these routes. My stuff is mostly wham, bam, thank you mam and this is why I need to be careful with Maritz shops.
My most lucrative routes do not have office supply stores, so there is no way I can download or print on the road. This is an issue with some Maritz shops because we need to physically print paperwork for the code. I know they have an app, but I'm not confident utilizing it. I cannot drive back 100 miles if it doesn't work.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't make a ton of money on my long days. I I try to grab shops with fees plus reimbursement. But 9 times out of 10 I take advantage of sales, specifically grocery sales and plan my day accordingly. This time of year, I'm hitting areas of my state so my gal pals and I can put up fruit preserves.

I love working for Maritz when I can plan ahead of time. They aren't the company I can try and grab on the fly. This is sad, because the money is fairly decent in my route areas.

Trying to make comparisons for someone who lives in the city, suburbs or rural areas is in my opinion is comparing apples to oranges. I can do routes in San Antonio, but I'm on the road for a solid 11 hours and have no time to take a break. I also make about 1/4 of what I make doing twice the mileage, less stress, able to take breaks and take advantage of grocery sales. I shop 2 more places as a general rule.. My drive time is usually less on the longer route because I'm on back roads and the speed limit is significantly higher. It's less stressful.

Everyone needs to figure out what is best for them. I'd rather drive my back country roads, but YMMV.

I just print to PDF on my phone or laptop and store it. Then I save ink/paper and have the code with me.

@MA Smith wrote:

My most lucrative routes do not have office supply stores, so there is no way I can download or print on the road. This is an issue with some Maritz shops because we need to physically print paperwork for the code. I know they have an app, but I'm not confident utilizing it. I cannot drive back 100 miles if it doesn't work.

I tried that, but it didn't work.

@luckygirl0100 wrote:

I just print to PDF on my phone or laptop and store it. Then I save ink/paper and have the code with me.

@MA Smith wrote:

My most lucrative routes do not have office supply stores, so there is no way I can download or print on the road. This is an issue with some Maritz shops because we need to physically print paperwork for the code. I know they have an app, but I'm not confident utilizing it. I cannot drive back 100 miles if it doesn't work.

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!

Then why not just print the first page?

My note 4 doesn't let me do that, nor does my iPad. If they did, I'd be on that like a flea on a dog!

@luckygirl0100 wrote:

Also I don't label each individual photo. I move all photos for a location to a folder labeled with the location address. I don't understand why someone would spend time labeling each photo.

You can create albums, i.e. folders, on an iPad. There are also great options for apps. I use OneDrive because it syncs my photos, word documents and spreadsheets across all my devices.

I'll experiment with this idea next week. I have an iPad2 and it's getting fussy with every new update.

@LisaSTL wrote:

You can create albums, i.e. folders, on an iPad. There are also great options for apps. I use OneDrive because it syncs my photos, word documents and spreadsheets across all my devices.

Anyone who has a smart phone and/or tablet owes it to themselves to spend time researching all the wonderful apps that can make the job easier and more efficient. At one time I had even found an app that would allow me to load LOAs to be signed directly on the iPad rather than being printed, my last obstacle at that time to be completely paperless. Unfortunately, it was the same time many of the gas station audits went to Maritz which was also the time I stopped doing them.

My gosh. I just hit print, and it opens up a print-preview page. I copy and paste the code from the preview and close the window. I never print it.

Same here

@SoCalMama wrote:

My gosh. I just hit print, and it opens up a print-preview page. I copy and paste the code from the preview and close the window. I never print it.

Same! Works like a charm!!!

For audits where I must have the guidelines on site, I refer to them on my phone, or download to my tablet and take that with me.

I don't do these anymore because by the time I do the report and edit in all the photos, I have made about $1/hr.

Why are you editing photos? Take the photo. Upload the photo. Do not edit the photo. This is not a photo shoot.

Perhaps ferris meant upload and not edit in?

I think Ferris knows what he did and why he posted what he did.

Sometimes "newbies" don't know how to maneuver a photo program. I know what I did when I did my first photo shop. I got mad at the MSC and the client for having complicated requirements in the guidelines. After a few shops, I learn a different way and a "cheat" way. Now I am better.

Wow, sojo917! You're amazing! What is the different way and what is the "cheat" way you learned? Being fairly new myself, maybe you can help me and other "newbies" by sharing your expertise?!

@sojo917 wrote:

I think Ferris knows what he did and why he posted what he did.

Sometimes "newbies" don't know how to maneuver a photo program. I know what I did when I did my first photo shop. I got mad at the MSC and the client for having complicated requirements in the guidelines. After a few shops, I learn a different way and a "cheat" way. Now I am better.

My first photo shop I was resizing every photo one at a time with paint. I swore I would never do another one. That was my ignorance for not knowing how to take the right size in the first place.

Now the only thing I do that is extra is drag and drop all the photos into their own folder so that they aren't cluttering up my pictures album. And with the app you don't even have to upload photos at all.

OK, I am going to try to answer the OP's questions. Let me first state that my preference is to not work every day or work 8 hours a day. I did mostly gas stations in January and worked 13 days out of the 31. My shop time was 31 hours, travel time 18.5 hours and report time 21.75 hours. The income/expense ratio was 3.9 to 1 and my gross income was $37.52 per hour. That would be the income earned based purely on shop time. The income for the shop + travel was $23.49 and the income for the shop + travel + report was $16.33. I had a bad month for negotiating bonuses so that was not much of a factor.

When I accept assignments I factor in the travel distance and costs and this has a strong bearing on my negotiating for bonuses. I request what I consider a fair and equitable bonus amount and will pass on the shops if the MSC does not agree with me. In those months when I am able to negotiate decent bonuses I average around $28 or $29 per hour, shop + travel.

An additional bonus is that the govt gas allowance for tax purposes is $.545 (a little less this year).

I don't factor in the report time, time on the phone or on line research as I consider that necessary to running a successful business. I could cut down my report time if I didn't have the TV on in my office, didn't have an enjoyable glass of wine, didn't play with the dogs and didn't have any other interruptions. It is a tedious necessity and my least favorite part of this business.

While I agree that the only productive part of shopping is when you are in front of the client, I don't think that should be used as the basis of how much is earned per hour. As pointed out, a shop 50 miles from you has more intrinsic costs than one 5 miles from you.

A couple final thought on gas station shops. They must be linked together to form a route and a well thought out worksheet helps avoid missed photos, guides you through a logical sequence and saves time.

Used to shop stations for Maritz but got booted out because I had to scan 2 full pages of detailed ads for Plenti card. The girl was not thrilled I complained about using an entire cartridge of ink so that was that. These companies simply don't care, there are so many shoppers to replace you. You r nobody just an ID number. Took a beating on a 3 year old car due to stations and smartened up. Very little shopping for me and none with Maritz.

Mystery shopping for 7 years and have basically given it up. I took a beating on my 3 year old car and averaged it out and I was paying these companies when all was said and done. Pitiful!

Consider 1 hour total for travel taking pictures and submitting the report until you get a system down, once you have it down you can cut it down to 40 minutes but not much less than that and if you dontravel more than 30 miles out.