Maritz is a good company , I nust have done over 100 shops with them. Now they have shops at concerts and sporting events...Prety cool...

The gas station shops can be challenging , but they pay for the gas and you can shop stations close to your home...Some station managers even give free soft drinks...

Am I the only person who has been reading ALL comments in this thread? Or, maybe, am I the only one who is taken aback by some of these responses? Maybe the reason I get frustrated with some MS companies is that I take them at their word and do everything EXACTLY as I am instructed.

Jackthomas says “The gas station shops can be challenging , but they pay for the gas and you can shop stations close to your home...Some station managers even give free soft drinks...”

We should NEVER accept anything from the person we are auditing.

Secretagentmom says “After 250 audits, that one. Whatever. I happened to have a shot of a pump and edited it down for the store site shot. Stupid.”

One of the top rules for any company you are auditing for, especially Maritz, NEVER crop one picture to make it fit another. The way to know which side to make a picture of is to look carefully at the diagrams they attach to assignment.


ShopPro says “Good company but the special ID to log in the report is a bit frustrating. I have a good fix if you haven't printed yet.......... Pull up the report and hit PRINT PREVIEW. The code will be on the preview and you can then enter it without printing the report if you don't want to.”

Good job ShopPro!! You have just encouraged all these beginning shoppers to cut corners like you do! Have you ever wondered why Maritz wants this form printed? It is NOT to waste ink and paper! The main reason they cause you to print the form is so you will have it to refer to, will be able to write your answers on, and to take home and enter them on the computer.

So unless you are going to tell everyone how to make a master form of the questions of all the shops they frequently do, don’t tell them any other shortcuts.

Sorry, I know it’s not Wednesday night, so I will get down from the pulpit! Anyway mostly I am preaching to the choir or you would not be here trying to better yourself and others.

Secretagentmom says “After 250 audits, that one. Whatever. I happened to have a shot of a pump and edited it down for the store site shot. Stupid.”

One of the top rules for any company you are auditing for, especially Maritz, NEVER crop one picture to make it fit another. The way to know which side to make a picture of is to look carefully at the diagrams they attach to assignment.

FYI number1nana50: I was instructed by Maritz to crop the pic for the question. AND I did look at the diagrams. I have done over 250 successful shops for this particular client, this one station was set weird in its location. That is why the picture was taken according to THEIR rules and not what the editor wanted/needed. The front of the station was facing the street that I took a picture of. What they actually wanted would have been taken from across the parking lot, not the street as directed. The shop instructions were followed to the T. The editor agreed is was a strange station/location, that is why I was instructed to crop.

AND...it was stupid.

Thank you SecretAgentMom, I stand corrected. As you first stated the situation, the circumstances appeared different.

I have been shopping for Maritz since 2004. I have done all kinds of shops for them.

I have shopped service stations that required buying gas with part if it timed; buying gas with none of it timed; and not buying any gas. All of these had several required photos. Most required photos of all no answers. Some required double photos of some views.

I have shopped revealed MS of fast food locations. This required going thru the drive thru evaluating the service. Then going inside and getting the manager’s signature on the report. This required no photos.

I have shopped (I don’t know how to say this without revealing the name of the client) a mail/shipping outlet. This required no photos.

I have shopped banks that required a pre-call, then a visit. No pictures are required, but scanning of materials is.

As has been mentioned before Maritiz does not care to give incentives. I have traveled as far as 300 miles in one day, done several shops, all for Maritz, and was well compensated for them.

Their editors are picky, but for the amount I get paid, I think I can take it.

By the way, until recently we did not have to copy our materials. Maritz sent all paperwork, including manuals, to our homes when we were assigned the work.

Incentives? They're offered.

I agree with number1nana50..Never, NEVER accept anything free from the subject of an audit. You are immediately seen as beholden to them, even if you don't see yourself that way. If you do not agree, add to the comments that you were give a free drink. Bet you'll hear about that.


It's also mentioned that until recently we did not have to copy (print) materials. I've been with Maritz for several years, and have never received "all paperwork" in the mail. How long ago are you talking?

I just received ALL my paperwork in the mail for upcoming shops yesterday which was June 26, 2012. I've been with Maritz since early 1995 and it's always been like that with me.

Do you mean you have never had to print not one single sheet of paper? Not even the pages that have the codes that you use to put your shop in the computer? If that is so, some of us are really getting left beside the road!

number1nana50 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you mean you have never had to print not one
> single sheet of paper? Not even the pages that
> have the codes that you use to put your shop in
> the computer? If that is so, some of us are
> really getting left beside the road!


Maritz's green gas station shops are this way. Bank shops and red/yellow gas stations are not. Not sure on other clients.

I've been with Maritz for many years and remember when they had the postal company and others, they sent all the reading material by mail. Then they stopped and I had to print out everything, which is still the same way now. I don't print out the "entire" report; just the first page with the code number on it and use the other side to jot down my answers to the questions. It saves a lot of money for ink...even using the draft setting on my printer, and a LOT of trees!

In my area, Maritz does quite a bit of shops. I have done many, many bank, and gas station/convenience store audits. The only problem I have, my fault, is to not take some photos per the guideline. If you are very keen about the guidelines, they have paid like clockwork, and mostly steady work. I only wish they paid electronically versus by paper check. I like them!

vbarbara Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What do you guys think of Maritz?

All the shops I do for them, I do not print paper work. I print to CutePDF and get the code from that. I dont feel it is needed to have a hard copy. I save all my completed evals to cutepdf as well. So I have a computer file.

I do alot of different types of shops, love them all...except the sea shore station. It is all about the gift card with those. LOL.

the yellow gas shop is much easier than the green one. the green one gets placed on hold all the time. i just completed 25 green shops and 18 went on hold. some careful cropping saved me some reshops. you got to watch your photos for sure. they do pay quickly, but the rates are low for the work involved.

You need to print the authorization letters for the gas stations....neither ones are sent to you.

I'm so surprised that people crop and are told it's ok to crop...it's in the instructions not to crop.

They are a great company. I do a lot of gas, audit and bank shops with them and never have any major issues plus they pay on the dot. Also they respond right away to any problems. Highly Recommended!!!

number1nana50 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jackthomas says “The gas station shops can be
> challenging , but they pay for the gas and you can
> shop stations close to your home...Some station
> managers even give free soft drinks...”
>
> We should NEVER accept anything from the person we
> are auditing.


RE: the "free soda" issue, I've noticed that several shops of one of the brands Maritz covers offers a free soda to all gas fills due to hot weather. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with succumbing to the appearance of impropriety in this case as there is nothing personalized or singled out. I would say same thing as doing an apartment or bank shop that offers a cup of coffee or bottle of water to all people doing business there.

imho

TIMHO you still run the risk of an appearance of impropriety. Comparing the offer of a beverage on a covert apartment or bank is comparing apples to oranges. Employees in those businesses are expected to offer a potential client/tenant a beverage as part of the sales process and the jobs are covert. Bottom line, if the client and/or MSC decides it is inappropriate, how much is that "free" soda really worth?

I never accept a freebie because (1) it is a questionable issue and (2) it gives the site ammunition if they are inclined in that direction. If I buy an item, I make sure I get a receipt and staple it in the folder. Many of the locations I audit will offer a drink, which I appreciate. I tell them "Thanks, but I have something in the car." The price of a drink is not worth losing a shop or losing auditor status altogether with an MSC. I always assume the camera is rolling.

I have been MS for a couple of months and they were my first company I signed with. They have given me lots's of fast food and gas station shops that are right in my neck of the woods. Quick pay and easy to work with. I normally hit them up first when researching jobs and I always get a little call with an extra bonus incentive when they have shops hitting the deadline.

So far so good! No complaints from me!

I found Maritz to be a good back up, and filler company, but a bit flaky to depend on for any real income.

Oaklandshopper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Their website is a little tedious, and you have to
> print the form (I use a PDF printer) for a special
> code before you can do the report.
>

I saw your note here about having to print the form - and have a work around that I use all the time with no problms. Apologies in advance if this was already brought up by someone else - I did not check to see.

To get your "secret code" without printing the form: With the screen open, right click on the document and on the menu that opens you will see an option to "view source" - click that and what opens up will be all the goobledygook that goes into creating that webpage. Just a few lines down you will see words referring to "print only" or similar and the code immediately follows that. It always appears in the same place every time, so once your eye is trained to look for it, it will just pop right off the page and saves SO much time and ink

Happy shopping!

number1nana50 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Am I the only person who has been reading ALL
> comments in this thread? Or, maybe, am I the only
> one who is taken aback by some of these responses?
> Maybe the reason I get frustrated with some MS
> companies is that I take them at their word and do
> everything EXACTLY as I am instructed.
>
> Jackthomas says “The gas station shops can be
> challenging , but they pay for the gas and you can
> shop stations close to your home...Some station
> managers even give free soft drinks...”
>
> We should NEVER accept anything from the person we
> are auditing.
>
> Secretagentmom says “After 250 audits, that one.
> Whatever. I happened to have a shot of a pump and
> edited it down for the store site shot. Stupid.”
>
> One of the top rules for any company you are
> auditing for, especially Maritz, NEVER crop one
> picture to make it fit another. The way to know
> which side to make a picture of is to look
> carefully at the diagrams they attach to
> assignment.
>
>
> ShopPro says “Good company but the special ID to
> log in the report is a bit frustrating. I have a
> good fix if you haven't printed yet.......... Pull
> up the report and hit PRINT PREVIEW. The code will
> be on the preview and you can then enter it
> without printing the report if you don't want
> to.”
>
> Good job ShopPro!! You have just encouraged all
> these beginning shoppers to cut corners like you
> do! Have you ever wondered why Maritz wants this
> form printed? It is NOT to waste ink and paper!
> The main reason they cause you to print the form
> is so you will have it to refer to, will be able
> to write your answers on, and to take home and
> enter them on the computer.
>
> So unless you are going to tell everyone how to
> make a master form of the questions of all the
> shops they frequently do, don’t tell them any
> other shortcuts.
>
> Sorry, I know it’s not Wednesday night, so I will
> get down from the pulpit! Anyway mostly I am
> preaching to the choir or you would not be here
> trying to better yourself and other

Hi
You go girl!!!
Some of us try to follow the rules!

I just signed with them last month and got an audit shop for cellphones.

Took all the photos, went home, opened the survey, and it was the craziest ungapotch thing I ever have seen as a mystery shop report. Surprise! We are now going to drive you nuts. Worked hours on it. And said never again. Asked questions that were absolutely not in the guidelines. But the editor didn't think my report was as bad as I thought it was, which was nice of them.

I do the green gas stations for someone else. I assume it must be the same gas station.

But you all are giving such glowing reports, I'll see if they have some shop with a survey that has not been written by the Marquis de Sade.

I'm new to MS and Maritz was the first company I had signed up with. I do mostly gas shops and a few fast food shops for them. I have to say that the shops are easy and they paid me fairly quickly. No problems so far!

I did a couple shops for Maritz, but I cannot remember how they reimburse. Was it Paypal, Direct Deposit, or Check? Also, how long does it usually take to get paid? I can't find these answers in their FAQ section. I submitted the invoices, but cannot find a place to recall them.

They pay by check. I usually get mine about a month after the shops.

I have been getting mine every two weeks. Less that 30 days after the shops have been edited.

MrC is exactly right. It just seemed like a long month. I just looked. I got my most recent check dated 7/30 and it covered shops performed 7/9-7/14.

Thanks... I guess I should have a check coming to my mailbox soon!