Hey all!

I downloaded the iSS App for the revealed convenience store shops for one of the MSCs on this site. However, I found that trying to input everything into the App as I did the audit really slowed down my time on site, and I quit using the App halfway through my first audit. I'm glad I had copied and brought with me a printout of the audit, along with a notebook. I found it much easier having a copy of the audit, and my notebook with me, and I wrote down anything I needed to note in the notebook....using a separate page per location. Then when I got home, I inputted everything into my laptop.With the App, I would have had to go back and forth to each category heading, taking even more time. And I can type MUCH FASTER from my laptop than I can from the App on my smartphone, as I had several comments to make per location. At home, at least I'm comfy and on my couch and out of the 100 degree heat! Had I stayed onsite and inputted everything, particularly comments that needed to be made, I would have been on site twice as long as I was. Any comments I needed to make I could write in my own short hand version in my notebook and type it into my laptop when I got home, and that's what I did for the rest of them.

Anyhow, that's been my experience so far with the App. Anyone have any thoughts on it, good or bad??

I have been doing a wide variety of shops. Some are very well designed for the app with drop-down menus and short comment requirements. Others are a nightmare to input on a cell phone or tablet.

its always a good idea to review the questionnaires before doing your shops and print them out in the case of a very detailed shop or a busy day of doing shops.

i find the app to be very convenient for checking to see if anything new became available while I'm out, but 90% of the time, I'll enter my shop results using my PC.

new app let's me post photos fast!

I did not type the decorative apostrophe. That was autocorrect. Does autocorrect interfere with your shopping comments?

The App does have it's benefits, as Anthony said - it lets you check everything on the go, sends useful notifications, and helps to be able to take photos from within the App, it's more convenient and faster than using the phone camera, then searching for them and uploading them separately. And lots of shops are indeed incredibly easy to complete on the App right after the shop is done, or even in real time, as the shop is being completed.

The only downside I've noticed is that video recordings and large-sized photos can be a nightmare to upload on the smartphone or tablet, since the mobile network and wi-fi are nowhere nearly as fast or stable as my home internet connection, so there's that :)

As for the autocorrect - yes, it's active in the shop comments input too, so it's best to check when you're done filling out each comment, just in case.

Oh and that voice-to-text "dictating" option for imputing comments hands-free - not a good idea. I don't know if it's the way I talk, but the number of times it misinterpreted what I said is ridiculous :)

Beverly @ Jul 22, 2017 12:30:36 AM

Hey all!

I downloaded the iSS App for the revealed convenience store shops for one of the MSCs on this site. However, I found that trying to input everything into the App as I did the audit really slowed down my time on site, and I quit using the App halfway through my first audit. I'm glad I had copied and brought with me a printout of the audit, along with a notebook. I found it much easier having a copy of the audit, and my notebook with me, and I wrote down anything I needed to note in the notebook....using a separate page per location. Then when I got home, I inputted everything into my laptop.With the App, I would have had to go back and forth to each category heading, taking even more time. And I can type MUCH FASTER from my laptop than I can from the App on my smartphone, as I had several comments to make per location. At home, at least I'm comfy and on my couch and out of the 100 degree heat! Had I stayed onsite and inputted everything, particularly comments that needed to be made, I would have been on site twice as long as I was. Any comments I needed to make I could write in my own short hand version in my notebook and type it into my laptop when I got home, and that's what I did for the rest of them.

Anyhow, that's been my experience so far with the App. Anyone have any thoughts on it, good or bad??

Hi Beverly What is MSCs? I just started a month ago, and I need help to understand and be good at this work.

Thank You.

I have found that for the simple data input and photo upload it's a good idea to use the app. However, because the comment boxes get covered when I am typing, I enter lengthy comments via my laptop. But, if I forget to save and exit it's a good idea to always take notes.

I agree with your comments here. I am new and still learning what works best for me. I really appreciate the comments and input from more experienced shoppers. I too have found the app is really good for photo or video uploads but I prefer to type on my computer as I type much faster and more correctly (spelling and grammar). I am finding that a combination of the app and my computer works best for me.

You must be careful taking anything paper into a shop. You should never take anything in print from the MSP into the shop location. Now if you had written things down or created a computer generated list that is different. But anything identifying the MSP or the client would be an ethical violation of most ICAs.

In the matter of price audits, if a store manager observes you taking down prices that is against most stores policy and they would be within their rights to have you removed from the premises, Writing leaves YOU vulnerable to being identified as a shopper and price audits completed for the competition of a store is a gray area because we are ICs. But if say Wal Mart sent an ACTUAL employee into Wal-Mart to collect pricing information that is illegal.

All I am trying to say is be careful. Protect yourself, the MSP and the client. In order to complete my shops accurately and safely I use a digital audio recorder connected to my blutooth. Most people assume I am on a phone call. I can record notes to myself and refer back to them later. There are no written notes that any employee can see and they can only know what they overheard and I am careful not to speak when people are near.

I also use a LiveScribe pen when I can't speak. I write my notes on paper and the 'pen' transfers what I wrote onto my device. I can then flip the written words into text and insert it into a report or message or whatever I need. I can instantly add shops to my google calendar. At the same time my phone can record audio and I can pull all of it up later when I am completing my reports.

Hi All,

The one thing I like about the app, is that it does not require you to save your work every 30 minutes. As long as you are working on a section, you can take your time to finish it, and not be bogged down in 30-minute increments.

The one thing I dislike about the app, is that each section is isolated from the rest of the survey report. I wish you could navigate from section to section without having to save the current section, then exit that section, and then go to the other section.

It also can be slow at times.

Colita @ Aug 2, 2017 2:08:05 AM

You must be careful taking anything paper into a shop. You should never take anything in print from the MSP into the shop location. Now if you had written things down or created a computer generated list that is different. But anything identifying the MSP or the client would be an ethical violation of most ICAs.

In the matter of price audits, if a store manager observes you taking down prices that is against most stores policy and they would be within their rights to have you removed from the premises, Writing leaves YOU vulnerable to being identified as a shopper and price audits completed for the competition of a store is a gray area because we are ICs. But if say Wal Mart sent an ACTUAL employee into Wal-Mart to collect pricing information that is illegal.

All I am trying to say is be careful. Protect yourself, the MSP and the client. In order to complete my shops accurately and safely I use a digital audio recorder connected to my blutooth. Most people assume I am on a phone call. I can record notes to myself and refer back to them later. There are no written notes that any employee can see and they can only know what they overheard and I am careful not to speak when people are near.

I also use a LiveScribe pen when I can't speak. I write my notes on paper and the 'pen' transfers what I wrote onto my device. I can then flip the written words into text and insert it into a report or message or whatever I need. I can instantly add shops to my google calendar. At the same time my phone can record audio and I can pull all of it up later when I am completing my reports.

I thought I was going to have a hard time when I started mystery shopping in January of this year.  Sometimes it seems impossible to remember everything that has to go into the report later.  Most of the reports I have had to fill out so far haven't been  too difficult but some are very difficult.  The ones with narratives are  the worst.  The shops are usually easy, its the report that is the hard part.  I have enjoyed mystery shopping and auditing this year since January.  The thing I try and remember is just  be yourself, and get your scenario in mind before you enter the store.  You have to be believable if you are doing mystery shopping.  Happy shopping everyone.