You really thought about revealing that you were doing a mystery shop on a mystery shop? SMH.
Just don't say you're a mystery shopper.
A Closer Look - Narrative length
Just don't say you're a mystery shopper.
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LOL you don't think that a notepad and stopwatch and telling someone you were just doing your job is a dead giveaway, eh?
@JASFLALMT wrote:
LOL you don't think that a notepad and stopwatch and telling someone you were just doing your job is a dead giveaway, eh?
Tell them you have a obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). You time everything you do. LOL
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 08:55PM by johnb974.
@johnb974 wrote:
Even recording the shop can me a pain. You have to listen to the whole shop all over again, measure the times, and than add up the times to each section. Not worth the pizza. I thought about going in with a stop watch and a paper pad to time each section. I'm sure that would be real annoying to the employees,. Tell them you're just doing your job.
Rather than use a paper pad why not just make notes on your smart phone. It would look like you were texting which is not unusual. If you are too obvious about being a mystery shopper you will be probably be revealed and not allowed to do more shops.
I personally would just rather not do those shops. There are so many other shops I enjoy, why bother with something that sounds like a PITA and doesn't pay very well? I will leave them to those who enjoy them.
@johnb974 wrote:
Who designs the reports anyway? If the pizza company is the one telling ACL what they want in the report, we really cannot blame ACL. I'm sure they have other shops that pay better and are easier to use. That would be the responsibility of the company asking for the information.
The reports I have completed for them have been ridiculously easy (the takeout shop and a casual dining shop), to ridiculously detailed (retail shop). I imagine this has to do with the demands of the company requesting the reports, not ACL.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2018 03:26AM by Niner.
I received emails about their pet food shops. The scheduler said that she's done them herself, did a route in SF, and Oakland area, shop takes about 10 minutes. What she left out was the driving and parking time. The shop pays about $25 each but I am very familiar with the SF area. She had shops in SF, Benicia, and Oakland area. Ok, traffic is very heavy and parking is a PITA especially in SF.
Doesn't it drive you crazy when schedulers look at a map and think that a place 15 miles away is only 15 minutes drive? LMAO!!! Yeah, it depends on the time of day sometimes, but add in an accident or some other traffic mishap and it could take an hour or more to go even 5 miles. And I think some of these schedulers must live in rural areas and may have never been to a city before and don't get it. Oh and I am lucky that parking is not usually a problem in my particular city, but I have been to bigger cities where it might take you 30 minutes or more just to find a place to park...and you still have to pay for it.. Sigh.
I like some of their shops but as others have said you have to watch out as they vary so much from extremely detailed to rather simple.. I will do some of their shops and then others I refuse to do.. that’s the nice thing about mystery shopping you can choose what to take...
More than the narrative length is just the repetitive nature of the reports. You're asked for 2 comment boxes explaining things (3-5 sentences) and then just below it asked again for 5-7 sentences detailing the last 2 boxes? WTF Totally unnecessary. One time I literally just copy-pasted the above 2 boxes back to back again, and it was accepted haha.
Moral of the story, as long as they keep their jobs filled, I wouldn't imagine any changes. The pizza shops were reimbursement only until they couldn't fill them, now you at least get a few bucks for your trouble.[/quote]
Personally I think the big issue with the pizza shops before they changed them was that you could only get the full value with a guest along. At first you were allowed to get back in line and order a second pizza but they quickly cut that out. For me if I had someone to go with that I was willing to treat the old style was great but when I did not I got only one pizza for all my work. Now you have the choice of almost the same amt of money in the end and if you choose to you can cover a guests pizza with the fee....or not and keep the fee as a fee. In my town they still have issues filling all their pizza jobs. It's been a long time since I have seen any high end restaurants in my area..but maybe I am not allowed to do them? Mostly gourmet fast food and middle level places.
Personally I think the big issue with the pizza shops before they changed them was that you could only get the full value with a guest along. At first you were allowed to get back in line and order a second pizza but they quickly cut that out. For me if I had someone to go with that I was willing to treat the old style was great but when I did not I got only one pizza for all my work. Now you have the choice of almost the same amt of money in the end and if you choose to you can cover a guests pizza with the fee....or not and keep the fee as a fee. In my town they still have issues filling all their pizza jobs. It's been a long time since I have seen any high end restaurants in my area..but maybe I am not allowed to do them? Mostly gourmet fast food and middle level places.
it all depends on the shop. If you're doing a high end restaurant, you have to expect a lot of narrative. For ACL, I usually limit it to their new casual dining with an easy report and some pictures, and the carry out curbside casual dining in my area. They have some nice higher end places in my area, but they usually don't allow more than 2 guests, and I like to take the family along. The build your own pizza shop I would try for the price, but it is in a downtown area with metered parking that I would have to drive 10 minutes to get to, search for parking, pay for parking, and then do the shop. Not worth it to me. The other shops in the metro area are just too far away for me at lunch. Extra info added just in case an ACL editor or scheduler is reading.
proudly shopping in the D.
I don't do their hotels, as they are of no interest to me.
For the shops that I do with ACL, I have never felt bound to stay within the parameters of 2-3 or 5-7 sentences. Sometimes I write less, sometimes more. I report the facts, and don't feel the need to restrict my sentences, or regurgitate to extend the length.
Many years with ACL. So far, so good.
For the shops that I do with ACL, I have never felt bound to stay within the parameters of 2-3 or 5-7 sentences. Sometimes I write less, sometimes more. I report the facts, and don't feel the need to restrict my sentences, or regurgitate to extend the length.
Many years with ACL. So far, so good.
The editor is likely changing it for you to meet the minimum requirement. They may break up long sentences into two or supplement your comments based on the pictures you provided, etc. No problem giving more than the required amount if it is useful information. When I (briefly!) edited for them, that's what I would have to do. And it's not a big deal as long as you address everything and your narrative supports your yes/no answers. Your kind of reports are MUCH easier to edit than the kind where the report reads like nonsense and the shopper takes forever to respond to questions. Those reports were in the majority and are the reason I no longer edit.
@Mert wrote:
I have never felt bound to stay within the parameters of 2-3 or 5-7 sentences. Sometimes I write less, sometimes more. I report the facts, and don't feel the need to restrict my sentences, or regurgitate to extend the length.
Threemom, that may very well be. Although, their editors have never been shy about contacting me for additional info. I know, or am familiar with, several former editors who left for the same reason as you. And, not just ACL, but other MSCs as well. Their experiences have been enough to dissuade me from considering editing.
Probably happens in a lot of places because people just don't have intimate knowledge of the geographic areas. I have frequently been contacted about $7 or $9 jobs that are 60-140 minutes away. I used to get frustrated and wonder if my time was really valued so little.
But it happens so often that now I try to remind myself that it is just a matter of not knowing. The shop is in the same state I'm in, I do travel (as frequently as I can develop routes that are protfitable to do so) so the scheduler is taking a shot to see if it works for me.
What I have to do is stop feeling badly that I can't help every time I'm asked and stick to the work that is a win-win (they and their client get what they need and I get what I need - which is enough pay to justify the work).
But it happens so often that now I try to remind myself that it is just a matter of not knowing. The shop is in the same state I'm in, I do travel (as frequently as I can develop routes that are protfitable to do so) so the scheduler is taking a shot to see if it works for me.
What I have to do is stop feeling badly that I can't help every time I'm asked and stick to the work that is a win-win (they and their client get what they need and I get what I need - which is enough pay to justify the work).
@JASFLALMT wrote:
Doesn't it drive you crazy when schedulers look at a map and think that a place 15 miles away is only 15 minutes drive? LMAO!!! Yeah, it depends on the time of day sometimes, but add in an accident or some other traffic mishap and it could take an hour or more to go even 5 miles. And I think some of these schedulers must live in rural areas and may have never been to a city before and don't get it. Oh and I am lucky that parking is not usually a problem in my particular city, but I have been to bigger cities where it might take you 30 minutes or more just to find a place to park...and you still have to pay for it.. Sigh.
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