Not doing the gas shops again.
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I started with (XXX) shops, which were easier but the pay was lousy. Got my feet wet. Then I advanced to the harder ones. I don't do routes, only bonused shops. I have several for tomorrow. It takes some effort, and for me I have to do several to make the investment in time worth it.
Moderator note: It is a violation of the ICA to name the client.
Moderator note: It is a violation of the ICA to name the client.
Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
I completed 4 yesterday and 1 audit. Yes, some locations are hard to get an overall shot of the location. Sometimes I have to pull over on the highway and get out of the car. I take the major sign photo as I get out of the car, before/after pumping gas, or when returning to my car.
I've done hundreds of gas shops for several different MSCs. I do not do reveal shops or audits, just the mystery shops. I actually find the Market Force gas shops the easiest of them all. The report is a breeze and collecting the 2 pictures is easy. I grab an overall picture from across the street before pulling to start the shop. I collect the other picture while my car is parked at the gas pump before I pump the gas. It doesn't really matter whether the name of the store is on the receipt as long as you get one. A lot of these small convenience stores with gas stations don't show any information on the receipt. But the gas receipt that you get when you pay at the pump should have the name and address of the location on it.
I do as many as I can; they're easy peasy. But, every once in a while I forget to have cash with me. So, I had to purchase $5 worth of water yesterday to meet the credit/debit requirement. Or come back later. NOT.
Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.
The only thing about the receipt not having a store name is that is a question on the form. I was not sure how to answer. There were quite a few questions that were auto generated based on earlier answers that were not quite right. I answered no to purchasing an item from a station that had just a kiosk because they only sold cigarettes. They did have a bathroom but then I could not answer the questions about the bathroom even though they had one and I evaluated it. I just was not super comfortable with the questions. The good thing is that some other lucky person who likes these can get them 
I've done a few of those in the past. Absolutely hated them. Would rather wash dishes in a restaurant.
At least you tried it and you know you don't like it.
I do gas station shops for A Closer Look. They offer $10 reimbursement for gas, and all the metrics are hit. The reports are very simple.
I do gas station shops for A Closer Look. They offer $10 reimbursement for gas, and all the metrics are hit. The reports are very simple.
"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
I like doing gas station shops. And I've done them for several MSC's. Most are pretty ok money and are routinely bonused as the month drags on. There are some MSC's who deliberately start the pay out very low. I tried to offer to do ALL of the shops in my area for a slightly higher amount, even ALL of the remote ones in my part of the state and was turned down. So as far as that company goes I'll only do shops with bonuses and only locally from now on. And if that means I don't get to do those anymore, that's fine too.
I find the MF gas stations easy to do. Love them.
The only ones I've ever really looked at seemed super detailed and difficult. Having to remember "Ok, if they have this type of pump, the painting on the portico should have diagonal lines, but the other kinds of pump means they have to have horizontal painting." Holy cow, those of you who do those are the real MVPs.
Does anyone know which MSC is currently running the audits for the red, white & blue gas stations? (sometimes a red horse, too)
Because forum guidelines and ICAs prohibit us from linking client with MSC, we cannot say. I realize some feel "hints" are okay when they are not. Though I don't recognize gas company brands most of the time, even I know which one you are alluding to, LOL.
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.
"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.
Sometimes I do the overall photo first, from across the street. I pull over, open the window and take the shot. You can use your zoom to get it just right. If you are on the wrong side of the road, do it last when you leave the lot.
I really hate the audits with those guys especially if something is wrong. Talk about more and more pictures. Even had to explain that that was not a squeegee handle but a broom handle that was leaning against the pump. Guess they were used to a truckers squeegee with the long handle to reach the windows. If you look at picture #27, you will see that it is actually a parking lot broom when taking from the other side or the pumps.
@2stepps wrote:
I really hate the audits with those guys especially if something is wrong. Talk about more and more pictures. Even had to explain that that was not a squeegee handle but a broom handle that was leaning against the pump. Guess they were used to a truckers squeegee with the long handle to reach the windows. If you look at picture #27, you will see that it is actually a parking lot broom when taking from the other side or the pumps.
I am so glad I came And read the forum and this post. My scheduler just asked me about audits and if I was interested in them. I remembered I did not like them but then, reading this post about pictures reminded me why I dislike them so much. The last time I tried to get my feet wet again doing the audits I had emails from QC asking about angles etc. when you travel 120 miles to complete a shop only t possibly have to return oven an angle being wrong..,, no thanks! Thanks for the photo reminder
There was one time I did a mystery shop at a gas station and I had to visit the bathroom and it was outside. The bathroom smelled like nasty cig smoke. Never again
if nasty cig smoke was the worst of it consider yourself lucky big time. ive seen explosive diarrhea to used needles & blood.@Isaiah4031a wrote:
There was one time I did a mystery shop at a gas station and I had to visit the bathroom and it was outside. The bathroom smelled like nasty cig smoke. Never again
IMHO, the in-and-out shops at gast stations for MF were quick, great and fast. The audits, not so much, although I did take several bonused what I thought at the time was very high. Live and learn, change of perspective.
Hey, now. Counting the number of gyrations and convolutions needed to capture all images is the best part of the shops! If anyone is interested, I can tell you how many gyrations and convolutions to expect, and provide an extensive but not exhaustive list of applicable conditions, for a few locations. In future, if I do these assignments, I will want the shops only and not the attached reveals or audits.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
I do these when they have a bonus also. There is a notice that you must take the major sign and overall photo AFTER the mystery shop is complete' having purchased the gas and the inside store purchase. The notice said they can tell when the photo was taken and if it was taken before the shop it will be rejected. Just in case anyone is reading this and believes they can take the photos before the shop is complete.
do we really need to hear about your sex life.@Shop-et-al wrote:
If anyone is interested, I can tell you how many gyrations and convolutions to expect, and provide an extensive but not exhaustive list of applicable conditions.
Sex on the brain much? Or, new editor?
All I really meant was that after awhile, one learns how to accomplish the images, no matter how challenging the circumstances. With experience, the task takes less and less time. Shoppers might mind the gas station shops less and/or be willing to do more of them and possibly increase their profits. I would hate for any shopper to be so irritated by all the gyrations and convolutions of accomplishing required images that they would forfeit an entire category of shops.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2017 06:04PM by Shop-et-al.
All I really meant was that after awhile, one learns how to accomplish the images, no matter how challenging the circumstances. With experience, the task takes less and less time. Shoppers might mind the gas station shops less and/or be willing to do more of them and possibly increase their profits. I would hate for any shopper to be so irritated by all the gyrations and convolutions of accomplishing required images that they would forfeit an entire category of shops.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2017 06:04PM by Shop-et-al.
i think thats your shortest forum answer. good job.
edit - typed too soon. why edit short & sweet answer.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2017 06:06PM by MSNinja.
edit - typed too soon. why edit short & sweet answer.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2017 06:06PM by MSNinja.
The audits take me about 24 minutes on site. I have an orange cone and I will block that mo'fo lane, you bet I will. The non-audits take, what, 7-9 minutes?
On your smart phone, click on your photo. You should see a round dot with an i in the middle of it. Click on that and it shows the date, time, latitude and longitude of the location the pic was taken, among other information. Once you download it on your computer, right click it and click on properties. There is the same information, but even more info. So they know where you were, on what date and time you were when the pic was taken.
@spicy1 wrote:
On your smart phone, click on your photo. You should see a round dot with an i in the middle of it. Click on that and it shows the date, time, latitude and longitude of the location the pic was taken, among other information. Once you download it on your computer, right click it and click on properties. There is the same information, but even more info. So they know where you were, on what date and time you were when the pic was taken.
I'm wondering how they can be sure because if they are taking the time stamp of off either one of the receipts they are dumber than we think they are. I have never seen a receipt that actually matches what time it is. Sometimes it isn't even the right time zone.
The name of the photo also has date and time info.
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