I did a bunch of gas station audits last week and 3 (the only 3 edited at this point) have been put on hold. The first because ID pic was blurry and dark. I just checked my pics against what I submitted, no it wasn't. Not one bit of it was dark or blurry. So I resubmitted it. Second, evaluated and answer store. Well, like I put in the "internal" box there was no store, it was a service station and I did as I was told by a Maritz employee when I called to verify what to do in this case. So I went thru and gave them a stellar report on the nonexsitent store. Third, submit photo of stupid vest, I did, they removed it. Now, why would I remember submitting this particular photo, because I commented to myself how tired I look in the picture compared to the others throughout the day. I have had other reports put on hold because pic was not from across the street. Ummm yes it was, but oops pardon me, I thought they wanted to see the building/overall site not the lanes of traffic. Now I make sure to include lanes of traffic in my pics.

Lately their editors seem to put things on hold just to do it. This wasn't my first route of stations with them, this was like my 100th.

I love this company, but stuff like this really ticks me off sometimes and makes me wanna say forget it sith them...anyone else???

ffering chocolates, flowers, voodoo doll, and a gift certificate to a spa::

There there little grasshopper! They're doing stuff like that to me right now too.

I feel your pain. I also shop for them and have had shops put on hold for like reasons. I just put up with what they want and re-submit the same pics right back. I did some stations about 100 miles away in the summer an 1 came back for a hold on one pic and they would not accept the pic I sent. They wanted me to go back out for a 200 mile round trip for a pic. I told them NO WAY and they could just take the shop from me. Which they did and didnt pay me for all the work I did of course for that 1 stop. I now take about twice as many pics as they ask for, at least with digital it doesnt really matter, so that if they dont like something I have another to replace it with.

Getting assignments completed with Maritz can be a real PITA. I feel your pain. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. They seem to LOVE putting reports on hold status.

I am starting to think "hold" status is their accounting. Many times when put on hold it doesn't get taken off for days putting it into the next pay cycle.

this really makes me wonder why you work for maritz considering their pay scale. i think their pay is very low...but many have consistently said they're great to work with. it doesn't sound so from this post.

oh, i wanted to add...just received an email from maritz. due to the fact that they need shoppers to complete their bank account opening shops, they are offering a gift card drawing! seriously??? anyone who completes a shop gets entered into the gift card drawing...yeeeesssss!!!!! this only makes my opinion of maritz worse. newsflash maritz....if you want people to complete your shops, you need to increase the fees. i will never open a checking account for a measly $20. even the enticing gift card offer can't make me bite

I think it's their editing department justifying their own jobs.

They called me three times one day last week begging me to do gas. Nope not until you pay me for the last one.
The third time I told the guy no no no.... he says why? Because you already called me three times TODAY!

SecretAgentMom, I'm with you. I did their gas jobs for years, before completely giving up on the gas stations earlier this year. Their auditors have gone completely over the top. And the crazy thing is my daughter also worked for them, in a different area, and had a great auditor who never returned a shop. My final straw with them was when the auditor wanted me to return to get another picture of a pump, not because my picture was not compliant, but because she could not see the credit card strip clearly enough. She wanted me to return (and drive an additional 60 miles), to get a clearer picture of just the credit card strip. I actually love them, when it does not involve gas stations, and still work on their non-gas station projects.

I have put them on my Ten Foot Pole list. I can't abide dealing with their septuagenarians on the phone. They are like some awful Hot Tub Time Machine from 1972, and everything takes FOREVER to get accomplished!

God Forbid that I'm like that in 25 years, put me out on an ice floe and let me drift out to sea with the polar bears if I am.....

It isn't just you. I've been having trouble with them this week too. Out of 4 in the past week, 3 got put on hold. 1 because 90% of my photos mysteriously disappeared!! I can see me spacing and 1 pic not getting uploaded correctly, but you would think I would notice if there was only 1 or 2 pics there!! Another because I did what I was told. I took a pic of the bathroom door because the bathroom was unavailable. I also had one with the invisible store. I called and asked what to do since I needed to evaluate the cashier. I was told to say yes to everything. Yes, he/she smiled.........yes, they thanked me etc.... please! Do they want accurate or not? Get rid of these boiler plate forms and find out what is really available at these locations!

I wonder if the gas station client ever reads this forum?

If I were a marketing manager/CFO, I sure would be interested to know what a rinky-dink operation they were cutting their six-figure checks to...

(/rant)

OMG! I just had the report with no store or kiosk put on hold because I did not include a picture of the store/kiosk that wasn't there!!

They used to be so nice. The nice people are still there. I have just had some really unreasonable, non-logical people to deal with. I haven't worked for them in months.

I'm curious...for a gas station with no store or kiosk, where do you pay? There has to be SOME place a person working a register sits, right?

Karen IL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm curious...for a gas station with no store or
> kiosk, where do you pay? There has to be SOME
> place a person working a register sits, right?


No some stations are pumps only, pay at the pump or no gas. Some places are service stations, no store or kiosk, just a little dark, dank office with a desk.

Wow...I've never seen one of those without a building of any kind. In Illinois you cannot pump gas without an employee on duty, and, since the employee has to work SOMEWHERE, all stations have some form of building. I HAVE seen ones that have no store, but I've still taken a picture of the building.

I believe the human-less ones are credit card only. I've only seen them while traveling. I've never stopped at one.

MissyH71 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have put them on my Ten Foot Pole list. I can't
> abide dealing with their septuagenarians on the
> phone. They are like some awful Hot Tub Time
> Machine from 1972, and everything takes FOREVER to
> get accomplished!
>
> God Forbid that I'm like that in 25 years, put me
> out on an ice floe and let me drift out to sea
> with the polar bears if I am.....

LMAO, MissyH! You are so on the money with your assessment. Save me a place on that ice floe when I reach the average age of a Maritz employee.

My report was just returned AGAIN because I don't have a pic of a building I told them TWICE is not there!

robinhardage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My report was just returned AGAIN because I don't
> have a pic of a building I told them TWICE is not
> there!


When stuff like this happens to me, I email them "Debrief problems" from the drop down menu and then I tell them plain and simple. I would just say that "As you can see from the overall location picture there is no building to include a picture of. Please advise." Usually this gets me over the void that I had fallen into with my reports.

Good luck.

I did that yesterday morning. Report was returned yet again yesterday afternoon!

SecretAgentMom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> robinhardage Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My report was just returned AGAIN because I
> don't
> > have a pic of a building I told them TWICE is
> not
> > there!
>
>
> When stuff like this happens to me, I email them
> "Debrief problems" from the drop down menu and
> then I tell them plain and simple. I would just
> say that "As you can see from the overall location
> picture there is no building to include a picture
> of. Please advise." Usually this gets me over the
> void that I had fallen into with my reports.
>
> Good luck.

Robin,

Have you called them and talked to an editor? You know how much they LOVE their phones. Sorry...just brain storming here for ya!

THANKS!! So, yes. I just called. Ready for this?? On my end, the shop shows as on hold for a pic of the building. On their end......... it says that the location is CLOSED!! I was super clear in my email (or so I thought). Just because there is no store, does not mean the location is closed!! They have my receipt! I paid for gas with a CC (per instructions for a location with no store or kiosk)! They are escalating it to someone else who of course did not answer the phone

Update!! I finally got a call back from an editor! She said that my picture of the building appeared to be blocked. I told her that there was NO building. After it was sent back the first time, I gave them a pic of the only "structure" there, which was one of those locked shacks that are used for emergency power issues. I said in the report....... No building. I said in an email........ no building. I told the guy who answered the phone this morning.......no building. So the editor calls me back and I "think" she gets that there is no building. She looked at the report done by the last shopper. (They had also said no building). She said she would give it to someone to take off of hold. It is still there for now. Let us pray.

SecretAgentMom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Robin,
>
> Have you called them and talked to an editor? You
> know how much they LOVE their phones. Sorry...just
> brain storming here for ya!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2012 08:22PM by robinhardage.

Geez... does anyone there have comprehension and/or reasoning abilities?

What a pain for you!

So, while we are on the Maritz subject, here is another question.......I did a shop a couple of weeks ago. Another gas station. This was an odd one. There was no store per se. There was a FF restaurant. Now, I don't mean a convenience store that sells FF, I mean a taco restaurant with 2 cash registers, one of which said "Gas" on it. No merchandise, nothing. So if there is no "NA" option, what do you say about the merchandise being orderly and all that?

I would say that it was orderly, if the store/restaurant was neat and clean. If it was a mess I would report that too. Shelves stocked, well does it have to be candy bars or could we say Yes shelves were stocked (even though it was napkins and taco sauce).

I would treat it as a "store". Btw I HATE when these stupid places are out of the norm and not in the booklet on how to deal with the craziness of the location! Like they couldn't add a little location description in their job listing to let you know how to deal with the strange place!

Edited to add: I was told once by an editor that if there is anything strange at the shop to put it in the Maritz internal box at the end. This box is not just for reasons why you couldn't do the shop as instructed. She said ANYTHING weird, unusual, or that you would like them to know add it in there!....So now I add alot there and copy my report before it goes to them because they change boxes on occasions.

In this case I would have added to the "Internal" box that "There was no C-store but a taco place. I graded taco place in all the above questions related to store. Inside the taco place there were 2 lines, one of which had a sign that said Gas above it. If that was not correct, please advise."

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2012 02:01PM by SecretAgentMom.

I feel your pain, I also have the no self assigned in my profile, I even check every time I get those self assigned shops at the start of the month with just $5.00 pay and reinvestment of 5.65, I always lose money since the meal is more than the reinvestment plus the time and gas. I execute because I am afraid of being penalized, not one but five or six. What can I do?