Okay, I admit it - I did a gas station shop this week and found later when I began entering the information or the debrief, that it was not scheduled until next week. Even though I had written the start and end dates on my worksheet, I didn't bother to look. It was part of a route and I do not know why I chose the second week of the rotation request rather than the first.
I thought about requesting the scheduler to move the date of the shop to this week. But then, I realized my scheduler never answers E-mails after hours and so, even if she saw the request the next day, it would be too late to enter the report.
Then, I thought to myself, Wait! I can change the date! IPSOS has a date changing section for each of these shops!
So, once again, I realized that all a shopper can do is change a date within the week of that shop's schedule, not move it to an earlier week of the month.
To me, the date change app or whatever it is referred, is useless. All it seems to function as (for this particular gas station shop) is a shortening of applicable dates to do the shop. Why would anyone need to do that!
IOW, if the time to perform the shop is anywhere between say, May 1 to May 8, why would anyone want to change the time? All the app seems to do is just that - shorten the amount of days in which to perform the shop.

Am I missing something here?

I don't auto schedule, so I don't have direct experience, but it seems odd they won't let you enter the report early. Have you tried using the website interface?

@mystery2me wrote:

I don't auto schedule, so I don't have direct experience, but it seems odd they won't let you enter the report early. Have you tried using the website interface?

It appears that the website interface is slow to react - usually replying to me when I've had a question in 2 to 3 days later. IOW, that option might work if their replies were swifter.
As for the scheduler, she seems intractable anyway. I realize she has a huge territory and must receive a myriad of E-mails. But, as I said, she seems intractable. I've resigned myself to returning in the correct week to perform the shop. It was my mistake anyway.
But actually, my remarks are more about the "Date Change" feature. I cannot understand its need or worth, for that matter.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2022 01:59PM by French Farmer.

That's what I meant. You mentioned the app. I was wondering if you had tried opening the report on the website. That has worked before for me, although I can remember which project.

Worse case email the scheduler and submit the report a few days late. They should be okay with it.

If it’s the scheduler I’m thinking of, I call her the “no woman” as opposed to yes man, since her automatic response is always no, even if it’s no big deal, just because she can or likes to. She also likes threats. (In this case the dates are partly because if the shop was done late in April they don’t want someone showing up the following week)

I change to an earlier date all the time. For the brand I do, there’s a limit of 15 per day. I always claim for the latest day just in case something comes up, but then I’m in the system as doing 15 that day and can’t self assign any more. So if I say I’ll do it may 10 and do it today, I change the date to today right before submitting the report.

@mystery2me wrote:

That's what I meant. You mentioned the app. I was wondering if you had tried opening the report on the website. That has worked before for me, although I can remember which project.

Worse case email the scheduler and submit the report a few days late. They should be okay with it.

Due to the customer first thing-a-majig, the schedulers can't change dates, so I've been told, until later on in the month. So, you can let it drop off and then take it again, but I understand you would like to submit it since you did it already. What's crazy is the ones on the board can be shopped this week, but the one I had assigned can't be moved to this week and I can't do it next week. Can you open the report at all? If so, you may be able to enter it early. I'm afraid to "Confirm" my shop and then not do it, so I can't check to see if it will open.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2022 05:10PM by MsJudi.

It’s scheduled for later so it won’t drop off. I’d submit report on first available day and explain what happened in the notes. They may accept it. If they don’t, then claim again and do it again.
I don’t think there are tougher consequences for confirming vs not confirming and allowing shop to drop off.

@MsJudi wrote:

Due to the customer first thing-a-majig, the schedulers can't change dates, so I've been told, until later on in the month. So, you can let it drop off and then take it again, but I understand you would like to submit it since you did it already. What's crazy is the ones on the board can be shopped this week, but the one I had assigned can't be moved to this week and I can't do it next week. Can you open the report at all? If so, you may be able to enter it early. I'm afraid to "Confirm" my shop and then not do it, so I can't check to see if it will open.

1st I don't do anything at base pay. So I naturally turn down anything being automatically scheduled for me. And most of the "IshopFirst" stuff, unless I am checking out a new shop I've never done before.

I like the feature in the sassie platform that makes it so I can reschedule one time as necessary. It makes my life easier and it makes it so i don't have to bother schedulers as often.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2022 09:59PM by Morledzep.

Maybe I have been clear enough regarding the scheduling feature: A shop is scheduled to be performed between the dates between May 1 to May 8. That means the shop can be performed on any of those dates.
The rescheduling feature for the shop only allows for shortening that time, not changing to a time further out or earlier.
Unless I'm missing something I cannot understand how on earth this feature is worthwhile.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2022 11:56PM by French Farmer.

That’s not how Sassie works. You have to choose a date tho you can always complete it before that date. Let’s say you schedule 15 shops for May 8, figuring you can do them anytime between now and the 8th. If you finish them all early and want to schedule another shop for the 8th, you won’t be able to schedule it because you’d be over the 15 per day limit (for the ones with a daily limit). So, if you want to schedule more shops, it’s always best to change the due date earlier to the actual date before submitting.

Furthermore, you know they’re going to extend the timeline. So if you want to do it the 9th, you can schedule it for the 8th and then change it later when they extend the range of dates.
(Tho I agree I wouldn’t do any of this during ishopfirst unless I really needed quick money or needed to fill gas tank)

@French Farmer wrote:

Maybe I have been clear enough regarding the scheduling feature: A shop is scheduled to be performed between the dates between May 1 to May 8. That means the shop can be performed on any of those dates.
The rescheduling feature for the shop only allows for shortening that time, not changing to a time further out or earlier.
Unless I'm missing something I cannot understand how on earth this feature is worthwhile.

Is this the gas station audit that does not require a mystery shop (the mystery shops must be performed by another shopper because one person cannot be in both programs)? I know that the old company made you schedule those at least a week out because they inform the station that an auditor will be coming. The current company has a blurb in their emails, in red, that states “It is crucial that the shop be completed during the timeframe specified…” - or something similar - alluding to the fact that the shop must be completed during a certain week. That’s my best guess - hopefully you get an answer!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2022 04:26AM by patman9760.

Yeah, I find the entire website now unusable. And emailing the generic address a total waste of time.

My job expired and disappeared and I still don't have any answer.

Just to be clear, I'm referring to the often times "Blue", but also can be "Red".

I understand why the date change did not fit your needs. But in response to why anyone would find it useful I wanted to chime in. I typically will select a date closer to the end of the period with the goal of completing sooner. As weather or other factors come into play I will move the date up.

I finally feel your pain. I did one of the shops for Ipsos's new gas station client much discussed here. I scheduled it for the last date available, and then did it a few days early. When I went to submit the report, it told me, "This Evaluation cannot be submitted until XXX." I tried moving the due date back, and found it impossible. Fortunately it is a small local station I frequent anyways, but this will make it frustratingly difficult to schedule routes for this brand in the future.

@mystery2me wrote:

I finally feel your pain. I did one of the shops for Ipsos's new gas station client much discussed here. I scheduled it for the last date available, and then did it a few days early. When I went to submit the report, it told me, "This Evaluation cannot be submitted until XXX." I tried moving the due date back, and found it impossible. Fortunately it is a small local station I frequent anyways, but this will make it frustratingly difficult to schedule routes for this brand in the future.

Did it just tell you that it wasn't the right date or did it block you from putting in the information? Sometimes the shops tell you that the you're not there at the right date, but it takes the information anyway, that has happened to me with some fast food shops. Is there a do not shop before this date? If you do the shop before the Start date you're not gonna let be able to input your information.

It let me put in the information. There was no save or submit button. Just the message. I could have scheduled for that date originally.

FWIS, you are missing something.

The date change feature is essential for long, remote routes. Not only does it allow for some flexibility if you fall behind schedule, it keeps shops from dropping off the board if you are unable to complete reports by midnight. Before this feature was implemented I'd have to email the scheduler for any schedule changes, and that could be often if I were out on a 4- or 5- day loop. Now I can manage them on my own.

The feature was not implemented for your situation: you messed up and you're hoping to use SASSIE to cover your butt. ;-)

I agree. Previous MSC allowed multiple date changes. Particularly this time of year.

Yeah, I do alot of these and it will not let you save any work if it's not put in on the exact date you chose, I learned this the hard way by doing a shop a day early, filling out the entire evaluation and then it would not let me save or submit it....was so frustrating. With that said, I never did that again but I have done some shops early and have had no problem getting the scheduler to back the date up for me so I could submit. In my area, I have 2 schedulers in that program because I am on a state line right where the assignments are divided between them. One of them is awesome, the other one...not so nice, but I still have never had a problem with getting the date backed up or getting either of them to respond in a timely manner, usually by days end or the next morning at the latest.