Just curious what you think is an acceptable amount of time to expect an editor to contact you with a report issue?

I did a bank shop a week ago on Thursday. One week later I left for a short vacation. On Friday, eight days after I submitted the report I got a request for clarification. I responded that I did not have access to the information but would take care of it immediately when I returned home on Tuesday. When I received a second request I asked the scheduler to help quarterback.

This morning I received a message from the scheduler telling me they went ahead and accepted the report without my clarification. BUT she went on to slap my hand, saying "for future reference, you need to make sure you can respond to clarifications right away. We have deadlines that we have to meet so we cannot wait for you to return from a trip. So, it is best to make sure you will be around to answer any questions after completing a shop or take your notes with you, if you will be out of town."

Really?!? I purposely cut off shopping a week before I was leaving in order to avoid this very problem. Seems like your editors could work a little bit faster to avoid issues like this.

OK, I feel better now. Thanks for reading :-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2018 11:54AM by KathyG.

Ooooh, that is sooo irritating!

Thanks for letting us know that! We have a trip planned in May. I will stop shopping the second week of April.

I often email my schedulers to let them know I'll be out of town on such and such a date and if they have questions, they should ask them before I go. That often moves my shops to the head of the line for editing and makes everyone happy, except for maybe the shoppers I "cut" in front of - but they'll never know.

They think we don't have real lives I guess.

In my experience such a long delay often indicates that it was the client that delayed asking for clarification after getting the report. Before just blaming editors, you might want to ask. Often, the editor, QC dept. and/or project manager is at least as frustrated as the shopper when clients get in a snit about a report. I have even been paid for a couple of shops that the QC dept and client rejected when I asked what the problem was in a professional manner. A little empathy smooths many a path to agreement.

Yes, there are MSCs that I elect not to work for because I think the schedulers are unreliable, but very few editors have ever made me think twice about working for an MSC. And, in most of those cases, a chat with a scheduler or MSC manager sorted things out to my satisfaction.

I had to wait a month to finish a report finding out if the agent called....the instructions said not to give correct name, so of course they won't call. Major error on the instructions, but, do the schedulers really read instructions, not in this case.

I did a shop on Sunday. During the week, at around 1:30 PM, I got a message that they immediately needed me to update a shop (this was a long shop with thirteen mini shops). They said they needed it "in a few hours." There was no way. I normally do not check my personal email at work, but did that day.

Some companies expect us to be available 24/7. They can finish things whenever they want. It makes it challenging at times.

Often before I go on a trip (as long as it's in the US) I have whatever I need accessible concerning unfinalized reports. I do take my laptop with me and have my smartphone on my trips and check email frequently. I learned this from experience over the past 10 years or so since my hubby and I take so many vacations. If I shop within the last week before I leave, inevitably there is something. If I am going to Mexico or Canada I don't shop for the last week before I leave unless I know that it's a company that has fast editors and my shop has been processed before I leave.

I did that with the two shops I completed the day after this one, but somehow I arbitrarily decided that seven days was an acceptable amount of time. I've learned my lesson!

@Bec2117 wrote:

I often email my schedulers to let them know I'll be out of town on such and such a date and if they have questions, they should ask them before I go. That often moves my shops to the head of the line for editing and makes everyone happy, except for maybe the shoppers I "cut" in front of - but they'll never know.

That makes sense, as the associate at this bank did a horrible job.

@walesmaven wrote:

In my experience such a long delay often indicates that it was the client that delayed asking for clarification after getting the report..

I once did a Cici's PIzza carry out shop on aThursday before Labor Day. I submitted it with required photos, and had lots of extra photos on my phone.

The editor apparently took off that Friday before the holiday...as well as Sat, Sun and the actual Monday holiday.

On Tuesday, she emailed me and said that the pic had a thumb that was obscuring a tiny bit of the pizza. I told her I had other pics.

She said that it was due to the client that day and that she couldn't wait for me to update the pic.

My shop failed. No payment/bad mark on my record....

GRRRR

@KathyG wrote:

Just curious what you think is an acceptable amount of time to expect an editor to contact you with a report issue?

I dunno. I never expect them to contact me, yet I am never surprised when they want additional information... because, you know....

Seriously. There is no exact answer. In a perfect world, all our reports would be perfect and accepted as is. I might be annoyed if the request were weeks or months after the event. By that time, the old artifacts should be stored or otherwise elsewhere. I should be thinking about the now. Days after? Not so much. But my world is fairly localized, and I am almost always within a few hours of home. I feel for traveling shoppers who, despite exquisite preparations and plans, need to produce information much later and from afar. That is unfortunate.

I think if companies/ editors have a very strict 12 hour deadline, they should also have it back to us within 12 hours from submitting it if they need further info..

Hi Kathy,

I know your frustration. I edit for one company as an employee, but I contract for 33 MSP's as a shopper. With only seven editors at our company and sometimes 200 or more reports to edit, it sometimes takes a week or two to catch up. Very rarely does the Client have questions because not only do we edit, but the account manager looks at each report to make sure it is ready for the Client.

As a shopper, I did not know anything about the inside operation of the editing or scheduling of the MSP. Now that I have been with this company for a while, I see both sides. I agree with one of the shoppers who said they took their notes with them. I do the same because one time, I did not have a photo that the MSP said I did not submit, which I know that I did submit. I was 300 miles from home and did not have it with me. From that time on, I always brought my work with me on a flash drive and also brought my laptop.

Oh and another thing, and my company knows this. When I was asked to be an editor for this company, I was humbled, but I also told them I hated editors because of some of the things that happened to me in the past with a couple of MSP's. One example was on one report I submitted the editor neglected to read it and gave me a grade of 7. I talked to the lead editor, and she changed it to a 10. Not all editors are like this, but that editor got their wrist slapped for what they did. I try to be very fair when I edit and try to help my shoppers. Anyway, I hope that I was able to provide a little bit of insight from both sides.

Everyone have a great evening and a wonderful week ahead. Happy shopping!

I say, " It has been XX days, I am out of town. Please open the report so I can read it and I will do my best, from my not so great memory, to answer your questions, since it has been over 2 weeks and I have done several shops in between now and then."

Being a newbie I hadn’t realized how long I have to hold onto pamphlets, photos, business cards and receipts. I figured after a week I can ditch but after a error here and there and what you’re all saying I can’t. The other day I went to a project and it was a no show at the event. I walked all around looking for the event even after the facility I was in ( Assisted Living) telling me no such event was happening. I sent in the information and then received back that I didn’t stay long enough and so I’m not being paid. I think that’s ridiculous considering where the event is being held. These facilities know who are coming in and using there conference room. Really!!!!

How long do I have to keep the paperwork?

@Jrsygal59 wrote:

Being a newbie I hadn’t realized how long I have to hold onto pamphlets, photos, business cards and receipts. Ifigured after a week I can ditch but after a error here and there and what you’re all saying I can’t. The other day I went to a project and it was a no show at the event. I walked all around looking for the event even after the facility I was in ( Assisted Living) telling me no such event was happening. I sent in the information and then received back that I didn’t stay long enough and so I’m not being paid. I think that’s ridiculous considering where the event is being held. These facilities know who are coming in and using there conference room. Really!!!!

How long do I have to keep the paperwork?

Read your contracts and agreements. This varies per client and/or msc.

Keep tax information for years, or forever.

Yes this does make sense, as I am an editor for a MSC. Thank you walesmaven.

@KathyG wrote:

That makes sense, as the associate at this bank did a horrible job.

@walesmaven wrote:

In my experience such a long delay often indicates that it was the client that delayed asking for clarification after getting the report..

It's not a fair deal and we the shopper have zero leverage. Just my experience after having completed 1000+ shops. We are suppose to available 24/7 to reply to editor requests but they can take their time.

Editors do not wait for you, you wait on them. If they need clarification, and if you don't reply it is a late fee or termination of account. I always be in contact even on my phone to access email if something needs to be done right away to avoid losing the job.

My policy is that I keep materials for 2 months after unless the contract from the MSP or the paperwork says that I need to keep it longer. Also, I scan everything I get when I get home just in case something comes up after 2 months.

@Jrsygal59 wrote:

How long do I have to keep the paperwork?