How often do your MaritzCX Gas shops "Require Clarification"

Just wondering, how often does Maritz find a problem with your evaluation and send you back to the gas station to take more photos? It seems are pretty large number of my shops (around 30% - 40%) are returned by Maritz and require follow up visits.

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I had two return visits last year.

Her Serene Majesty, Cettie - Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of Her Caprine Domain

I have had a few shops put "on hold" for clarification but never for my photos. Many of the editors are too lazy to read my comments at the end of the report explaining what the issue was or why this happened. If they just read the comments from the beginning, I would probably have no shops put on hold.

I have never been sent back for a re-shop except to fix another shopper's mistake.

@Jbrz123 wrote:

Just wondering, how often does Maritz find a problem with your evaluation and send you back to the gas station to take more photos? It seems are pretty large number of my shops (around 30% - 40%) are returned by Maritz and require follow up visits.

That's a pretty large percentage. When doing one of their gas clients in particular, the one with the infamous "Q17", always take far more pictures then is actually necessary, especially inside. That way, when you get the hold, you have another picture at your disposal and do not have to go back. Actually, in my last shop for that client, the highly energetic CSR kept teasing me (in friendly manner) about the number of pictures I was taking and that the other guy only took one or two. (She later told me that this other guy told her they did not employee photos anymore and she thought that was odd). I learned from my first mistake of having to go back, and haven't had to go back for that client again.

The only time I had to go back for the other major gas client was an error of complacency on my part and had no problem accepting that fact.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2017 10:44PM by tcurione.

I don't get sent back for re-shops just to take more photos. It gets pretty confusing juggling four different gas clients with different photo requirements.

Being sent back to take more photos is just a variation of a re-shop. Meaning that you have to make a second trip to that location to take the photos.

My % is very, very high. Much higher than any other company I've done work for!

That is a pretty high percentage. I'm far from perfect, but mine is still under 1 percent, and most of those are just stupid things like forgetting the main ID or the restroom. Like tcurione said, take a million photos of everything at each station until you get the hang of it. That's what I used to do. Using a photo checklist might help too. If you are using a phone for pictures, invest in a decent camera. You can get used ones pretty cheap.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2017 02:41PM by mystery2me.

Question about the Maritz app for gas station shops. I have been hesitant to use it because when I take a picture, it appears to block out the top and bottom of the view. Is this actually happening and do I need to take the pictures from further back to ensure the full picture I need is viewable? Thanks

I used the app for a few until I realized that all of them had clarifications because pictures did not upload. Hopefully its better now...this was when it was new. I have had more clarifications for photos recently -- this quarter, but they have almost all been overturned before I could deal with them. I think there may be a new overzealous editor. In one of them I supposedly took an interior picture incorrectly, including one item but leaving out others. When I checked the photo they were all there. I went to respond to the clarification and found that it was gone -- as if there was a new editor whose work was being checked by someone else. This has happened 3 times in a few weeks. Odd but annoying.

Probably a third of the last round of shops...and that is after about two years of doing these shops. I wouldn't mind the requests for clarification, but the request often makes no sense. Going back to a gas station is the price one pays if you don't do it right the first time, but being forced to go back two or three times for editor bias/mistakes is unfair.

tcurione....that's about right....30-40% pf visits, but it depends on the editor....

I have to agree with tcurione on this one, 30%, 40% is way too high. And Q17 causes many problems. I have learned to take many photos of the C-store overall and food/product selections. Although this go round I had 4 shops bounced back because of Q13. There was a lot of confusion concerning the POP and all 4 were eventually accepted. I notice that this was cleared up for March with a Q13 supplement.

I also don't understand why you can only take two pictures for noncompliance for any given question. I submitted three shops through the app today and noted that I had additional pictures. We'll see what happens?

Editors request replacement photos all the time and 99.9% of the time those requests are ridiculous. I just call and tell the supervisor that the photo they have is fine and I'm not going back and they always agree. Calling makes all the difference in the world, unless you're genuinely screwing up 30% of your jobs.

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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Got yet another clarification email today that was NOT a clarification. It was about photographing a certain pump that doesn't always have to be photographed. The email asked for a photo of that pump. Instead of a photo of the pump, I send a photo of the shopper guide section that explains when a photo of that pump is not necessary. Of course, I had already explained all of that in the comment section, but apparently those are read -- or believed -- I'm not sure which one.

I rarely have any of these problems. I do get holds from time to time but they are usually my own fault.

they still tell you not to use the mobile app for the yellow and the blue stations. The requirements of the number of photos and the order of the uploads make it impossible. At this time there is only one shop I have used their app on and that is the station that does not require any photos past the receipt ones.

Shopping Southern Georgia, Valdosta, Waycross, Quitman, Thomasville and North Central Florida I-10 & I-75.

This is the reason I take too many photos. I've haven't had to go back, but I have had to submit a different photo with a different angle. And another explanation.

I definitely back up all of my photos and my narratives because they usually call when I'm on the road and too far away from home to fix it lickety split.

I was told it would be smart to keep everything I do for them at least 6 months or longer if I have the space.

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!

I was questioned at least three times, but I have not had to go back to take more photos. I submit another photo when necessary. I take two of everything on required photos and then take extras for other "No" answers because I'm paranoid and don't want to have to return. I average about 60 photos per audit, esp. the audits where you have to take photos of every pump.

I haven't had any holds lately. I've only been doing these for about six months. I've done almost one hundred from four different clients, and some were debrands, some were consumer audits, etc.

Huh, that's a large percentage....why aren't the photos that you take sufficient?

A lot of the editors contradict each other. Sometimes they'll send me back to capture the *front* of the counter/transaction area and then another editor will want a top/aerial view. Happens with other photos as well. The guidelines don't definitively show what they want. I will just have to take lots of photos from every angle.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2017 10:41PM by Jbrz123.

I have never been asked to go back to a location for more or different photos so I really don't understand what the issue is. I have a knack for taking photos so maybe that helps.

What they want with interior photos is for the photo to show as many things as possible. Show as much of the counter as you can get into the view finder. Put as many food offers together as you can, like if the donut case and the ice cream case and the coffee bar can all fit into one photo, that is what they want to see. I am short so I hold my camera above my head and take a lot of shots. That way I get as many features into the photos as possible. They have seemed happy with them most of the time.

Karen IL....I've got the same problem as you. They have asked me to go back and take a picture of "that" pump. I sent them an email (haven't been able to get anyone to call me back, so I tried that) Asking them if they did not read their own UPDATE LETTER that specifically said that photo was no longer required. Have they cleared yours? I just did mine Saturday but got the Clarification Sunday. Here it is Tuesday night and no communication.

I once had a cashier not allow me to take a picture of the counter. I put that in my report and got a phone call that I had to go back and get a picture of the counter. I told the scheduler that the person did not allow it and what should I do if they did not allow it again. She asked her supervisor and told me to forget it.

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How often do your MaritzCX Gas shops "Require Clarification"

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