What is the sense behind requiring a sales associate's business card be uploaded with a report when there was no interaction with a sales associate? That seems deceitful to me. And if I had interrupted the associates who were seated at tables signing papers with customers to get their business card after standing there for 40 minutes, wouldn't I have been "made"? And please tell me, if you can, what is the sense in requiring a brochure be uploaded (in lieu of) a business card when the store doesn't even carry brochures? This seems deceitful and careless to me on the part of the MSC. I'm trying to make sense of things so I can do better moving forward but I just can't see things any other way at the moment other than I've been duped. So, I thought I would ask for help here, to prepare myself for the worst. So, thanks in advance.

In my report, I explained in detail that all the sales associates were helping other customers, that there were no brochures and I waited the required amount of time, (40 mins) before I left the store. And that just before I exited the store I took a photo that captured the current time and uploaded that instead of the business card or a brochure along with a photo of the store front (taken when I first entered) as required. (This isn't how my report was actually written I'm just giving you the bottom line.)

My question is a matter of sense. Does it make sense to ask a shopper to wait 40 mins before giving up AND still get a business card from someone they did not interact with or a brochure that does not exist? And if that does make sense to someone reading this, then my next question is, what would you have done? Copped a squat at the table, taken the pen out of the associate's hand and said, "Excuse me, I've waited 40 minutes, now I need your business card. Since you probably don't have one those, you will have to write your name down instead, so please will you do that for me now, so I can leave?"

"Hey, I see you guys are really busy. I'll call later to make an appointment. Can I get your business card so I can remember your name?"

I understand your frustration. Lots of times shop requirements don't make sense based on the actual situation. The only thing you can do is contact your scheduler and explain the situation. Hopefully they'll be okay with what you have.

Oh! Thanks sassymmmm. I didn't think to express what happened separately in an email. Maybe there's hope. It's hard to believe the client would really want a shopper to interrupt a hefty sale just to get a card from someone they did not interact with. Thanks for the hope!

You're welcome. I've done it myself in other situations where stuff not covered in the guidelines has happened.

It's good that you took a photo upon arrival and upon departure, that has embedded time and date in the details which proves you were there for the required time. I wish you luck.

Don't put too much stock in a report with a "business card upload." The desired result and the way most shops work out is with an interaction. It is not realistic for a report to be set up with all the options. You will also learn reports tend to be way behind the times so they don't always recognize how many businesses have gone paperless. There is absolutely nothing wrong or deceitful with uploading a photo or some other POV in place of the ideal documents.

*UPDATE* I did what sassymmmm suggested and sent an email explaining what happened to the scheduler and here's the reply I received, "No you did the right thing. If therein nothing available and no one helped you then that is all that you could have done. If the editor has any questions to ask you can always send him/her the extra picture that you took" (the scheduler is referring to another photo I took before leaving that showed the associates seated at tables with customers which I did not upload with the report because the site only allowed for 2 photo uploads and I chose photos of the front of store and the current time I exited the store).

I'm glad that you got a positive response. I'm glad I could help.

I think you over thought this. As Lisa noted, the survey asks for things that may not be required, but potentially obtained. Unless the report would not let you submit it, or the editor indicated a problem, just follow the process and submit the survey.

isaiah58 I completely did. Today, the report was reviewed. No questions 10 out of 10 rating. Looking back, I don't know why I worried so much on that one when I knew I did everything I could. My guess is that I need to learn from past experiences AND don't turn new experiences into something they aren't!