The Shop Logs

Well, I have taken a first step back to shopping in my new home state. I guess you could question my thought process, shopping a chunk of my new shops for a company associated with the previous G3 mystery shopping company that left many shoppers unpaid, but what’s a little potential controversy between me and virtual strangers on a website/email? Well, it seems like a large project for them - so, here’s hoping!

It is a menu survey audit. I knew I’d be rusty & it would take me time to get back into my groove, but geesh, I over estimated my own ability I’d say.

The route was pretty easy to plan, because by now I know the major intersections (we’re talking FF places here, so they are easy to locate). Although I was caught a little off gaurd when three FF places within .2 miles of each other were all in three different towns. Apparently I Shop the Nexus of the Universe should be my new signature line. I did the 18 shops over 3 days and did remember how I LOVE the flexible scheduling you have when MSing. Although, I was bummed using a Prophet system, not being able to rescedule after the first time (something always comes up to change your route) and I had to email a scheduler. He was a little concerned the second time understandably, so in the future I’ll just do the shops ahead of time for them & then email saying they are done early - please move my due date up so I can enter the data.

We had a friend staying with us & I had intended to reschedule the audits, but, my AC went out in the house so we really needed an excuse to get out & about. Turns out it was a good thing to do because my eyesight has deteriorated drastically in the last year. He needed to read prices to me. We only did five (that was all I could stand being such a hack & really knowing better) and then I took to him the mall for the remaining shops, but he hardly noticed/minded those.

I picked up some good ideas & the rest of the audits this week have flown by! I have 10x binoculars (less than $20 at Wally World) in the car. I do the Play areas first on the two big chains & I can usually get a better shot of the hours for that place if I get out of the car. I take pics of the menu boards as I pull up to order, just asking for a minute to decide. At the end, on the way out, I take pics of the turned menus (breakfast if it is PM or Lunch if it is AM) instead of two trips, luckily that has worked on all of the places that offers two separate menus. I copy the prices at the Big Mac store, at the Whopper place I rely on the pics when I get home, at the Baconator place I copy the prices there. 10 minutes at the places I need to copy the menus and 5 (with a bout 15 at home looking at pics) of the take-a-pic-&-drive places.

All in all, I think I might be ready to jump back in! Selectively of course…….