Am not sure how specific I can get with this post, please edit or delete if necessary.
I'm trying to complete reports for the bundled shops at Maritz for which Feb. 1 was the first date of opportunity. Q14 asks about pumps being out of order, and requires a listing of the number of pumps that are out of order. When I list three pump numbers, e.g. "4,5,6" or "4 5 6", I get an error message, "Must be a real number." When I enter "3", as in three pumps are out of order, I get an error message saying more than two pumps must be out of order in order to mark this answer "no." I clicked "I'm stuck" and it shut down the report. Anyone else have this trouble and figure a way around?
Further, I'm very concerned about the details regarding these bundles. I'm pretty certain when we were pitched the bundles that nothing was said about having to complete 10% of the shops every week or pay gets docked, and nothing indicated that we were committing to do the same bundle for every rotation this year. This was only conveyed in the 2013 manual when it arrived with the shop report papers, and I don't know whether I can meet these expectations. Anyone else concerned about this?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2013 02:35AM by elcarev68.

Primarily what I take from your message is that if they ever offer ME bundled GS shops, I should run the other direction as fast as possible.

I can't offer you any assistance because I've never encountered any problems inputting a Maritz report and I think I've only ever done one gas station for them and it wasn't an audit, just a MS.

On Q14, try putting spaces 3, 4, 5 (you didn't in your post so not sure if you didn't on report as well). They want the pump number in this Q too. So if it is pumps 3, 4, 5 okay, but make sure you are putting the pump number in. Sometimes their software is weird. Add the weirdness in the Maritz internal box at the bottom of the report. I think they have changed their error messages and new ones are popping up. Sometimes it takes a while to get the weirdness out.

I didn't get a bundle of shops, so I can't offer anything on that. However, I am doing other gas stations that weren't bundled and their was a little deception with the times it could be done. Very upset they did that, because usually Maritz is my number one pick of best companies that are straight up truthful.

Sorry can't help tons. Good luck. If all else fails hit the I'm stuck button and explain in email about that job number.

ETA: Ooops you did hit "I'm Stuck", for some reason my mind only comprehended the now I'm shut out part of that sentence. LOL.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2013 04:59AM by SecretAgentMom.

Or try 3 4 5, but since you clicked "I'm stuck," you won't be able to access your report until someone contacts you.

As to the other issues: Yes, it did say in the route email that 10% of shops had to be done per week to avoid being docked (it even gave the example of a 10 shop route, I believe, and said you needed to do 10%, or 1 shop in this case, per week). It also said that you would be available to do the route 2 more times this year -- that was the whole point of saying there would be no rotation. I only accepted a very small (4 shop) route for this reason.

Karen - lucky you, 4 shops in your route. I was offered 5 different routes, the lowest at 48 and the highest at 69. I don't love that type of audit enough to want to take that on all year. I would've jumped at a route of 10 or less stations. :-(

>>>>Once you have been awarded a shop bundle you will have 7 weeks to perform the shops as you see fit as long as you are performing at least 10% of your shops (minimum of 1 shop) weekly.<<<<

Wow, my routes ranged from 116 to 164. I would have jumped on a smaller route, but with the distance I can't work full time, deal with unending family issues and commit to that many shops a week.

I do remember the 10% a week.

However, I am doing other gas
> stations that weren't bundled and their was a
> little deception with the times it could be done.
> Very upset they did that, because usually Maritz
> is my number one pick of best companies that are
> straight up truthful.
>

At least I'm not the only one that feels this way. I posted in another thread I took several of the shops because it said the start time was 6:00 PM. I took a bunch near my full time job thinking I could do them on my way home from work. Once they were assigned it says "Must be done no sooner than 1 hour after sunset" Well it does not get dark around here until at least 6:30 so that means I either have to kill about an extra hour before I can do the shop, or come back into town later in the night. Not happy.

OK, I can stop my pouting just got a route and accepted the offer. I thought it was fair, as I have done all of these locations at the regular rate at some point last year.

Wish some of those routes would show up in my area.

I havent tried the recent gas bundles but Maritz is usually responsive and helpful over the phone.

Thanks greatly for those who pointed out the original message concerning the bundled obligation of 10% per week. I checked the message that was sent, and sure enough, I missed that detail. I'll honor the commitment, and get it done meeting that requirement.
However, all I could find regarding the obligation to complete the bundle for the rest of the year was, "Shoppers performing all of their shops on time without issue will be given the first opportunity at those locations for the rest of the year."
I really don't want to do the bundle again with the 10% weekly rule in place. I took a bundle of 25, all of them 35-90 miles away one-way, figuring I'd hold off until other agencies' prices went up in the most distant cities to make the 4 hours round trip and trans-state tolls worth while, with a 7 week window to sync up the pan-agency route.
Karen, if you can find any other pre-commitment communications regarding an obligation to the rest of the year versus first opportunity at the rest of the year, I'd be grateful to know where to look. I'll finish this bundle before I balk at the rest of the year, and I'll suck it up and get it done two more times if I missed it, but I'll need to balk if I can't find the expectation set out in advance.
Thanks for anything you can offer.
And SAM, thanks for the suggestions. I tried the recommended response formats to no avail. Am waiting for a return call from a scheduler. If I figure it out, I'll post it here.

Really don't understand what you mean by bundled GS shops. I've done GS shops for Meritz for about 3 or 4 years and have never run into this. Never a mention about a 10% requirement either. I always take all I can get and work out my routes to complete as many as I can each hour I have available. They have completly gone computerized now which takes away more of the personal touch and puts you back into just a number catagory. Oh well - it's like everything else - computers are taking over.

twofritzs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Really don't understand what you mean by bundled
> GS shops. I've done GS shops for Meritz for about
> 3 or 4 years and have never run into this. Never
> a mention about a 10% requirement either. I
> always take all I can get and work out my routes
> to complete as many as I can each hour I have
> available. They have completly gone computerized
> now which takes away more of the personal touch
> and puts you back into just a number catagory. Oh
> well - it's like everything else - computers are
> taking over.


Maritz has just recently (this period) taken all of one of their clients gas stations off the boards for picking and bundled them into routes. These routes do not show up on the job board and are available by invitation only. The 10% is part of the requirement for the routes as well as bonus money for completing the route in the time allotted.

Is this GS that is bundled nationwide? It seems all of the brands here (West Coast) were on the boards this quarter.

The GS is nation wide. I do not know if they have a nationwide contract. From what I can tell reading here, they have bundled them in Texas, down south Fl and up north Pa, OH, IL, MO....I don't know about the rest. Maybe others can weigh in.

I can't tell they've bundled anything around me in DFW/North Central Texas.

SecretAgentMom Wrote:
Thery
They are in Kentucky and Tennessee. I am glad you got offered a route.
-------------------------------------------------------
> The GS is nation wide. I do not know if they have
> a nationwide contract. From what I can tell
> reading here, they have bundled them in Texas,
> down south Fl and up north Pa, OH, IL, MO....I
> don't know about the rest. Maybe others can weigh
> in.

mawmaw26 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SecretAgentMom Wrote:
> Thery
> They are in Kentucky and Tennessee. I am glad you
> got offered a route.
> --------------------------------------------------



Thank you, me too. I was panicking. Single mom and $200 month loss in income was not cool. But all is okay now.

Bundles in NJ also.
For those who didn't get a shot at a bundle, maybe a call to the scheduler towards the end of March could yield a next-round opportunity or first shots at flaked shops for the current round. I suspect some shoppers will not re-up for the rest of the year, if permitted.
Re. my original question concerning Q14, so far, my scheduler has had to enter the information for me, and then kick the reports back to me to upload the deficiency photos that won't load without all the questions answered.
If anyone figures out another way, I'd still be glad to know.

I wouldn't mind doing the bundle BUT one lone shop they stuck in the bunch they offered me is 150 miles away one way. Otherwise I'd do the group with no problem.

@Cettie, there is instruction to uncheck the one(s) you do not want to shop in the bundle and they would take it into consideration.

I was just going to say what cubbiecat said. I didn't realize that when I took my bundle, but most of mine...well all of mine are all together within 30 minutes. It wasn't until after I accepted the offer that I found out I could counter off with a location that I didn't want.

Kudos to Maritz for follow up. A scheduler just called to see how I was doing with my bundle. She also let me know that there was a programming error with the Q14 glitch, and it's been fixed for future reports. Got the chance to ask re. obligated to the rest of the year or simply having first shot, and it's first shot for future rounds on the same bundle - no obligation.

I was called today by a scheduler because I had not yet honored the 10%/week requirement. I said that my route was only 4 shops, so was exempt from the requirement. She said that was true and this was only a courtesy call. Interesting, because the call I got threatened removal of the route if I didn't let them know how I was doing. This wouldn't be a problem except that I called 2 days ago to make sure I didn't have to do any of the shops this week -- they're all quite a way aways from my house, but all fairly near each other, so I'll pick some Saturday coming up and knock them all off.

That doesn't sound like a very courteous courtesy call.

So how are ya'll liking the new forms? I haven't done a shop yet, but looking at the form, I can see some details that should save me some time on audit and input.

AND- Did you find it strange they didn't just change the question numbers on the form instead of making them all out of order?

The forms are fine - actually a little easier to read, and the shops are going slightly more quickly. Plus one less required photo for the year and an additional photo not required for this quarter.

You're right about the numbering system, SAM. Kinda goofy.

Way goofy is the little subjective section with the 1-10 scales.
How satisfied can I ever be when getting gas? I mean, was there gas to put in my car and do I still have any money left in my wallet?
How likely would I be to return, when this company's prices are usually 3-6 cents higher per gallon than other fuel stations?
I'd be very likely if someone else is buying.
And, in my book, best in class is cheapest. I don't mind graffiti on the pumps or a rude cashier inside the store when I just want to fill my tank as cheaply as possible and be on my way. I notice those things now, but they still don't bother me.
I'm not sure if that's the subjective considerations they had in mind, though, when they added those questions.

(The space would have been much better used with a check list of required photos on every form - once or twice a year I'm making that dreaded distant roundtrip to capture the mandatory inside counter snapshot.)

LOL...I always forget that stupid counter photo and am known for driving back to get it! LOL.

I hate the stupid number scales companies give on forms. Their yellow sea side gas stations have 3 of them, I just feel like saying the same things you did above...I buy gas and it was cheap. I don't care about anything else.

Are these reveals? I've only ever done one GS shop for Maritz and it was just the dual mystery shop, pump and counter.

Itsa -
These are quite revealed. Gotta take a photo of yourself in an orange vest to prove that you were willing to be a lightning rod for the complaints of every disgruntled customer on the lot for a half hour.
It might have helped me not get run over once or twice as well.
Never got run over anywhere else, though.
I hate the orange vest.