My state is a 2 party state, so I cannot record associates. Tomorrow I too have a movie shop requiring timings, names and descriptions as well as observations in the theater itself.
I have my recorder in my pocket, mention to myself the time in. When I get in the ticket line I start my stopwatch and stop it when it is my turn to purchase a ticket. While waiting for my turn I quietly say the ticket pricing to my recorder, physical description of the ticket seller and then put my recorder on pause and kill the stopwatch when it is my turn. I get the tickets, get the ticket seller name, look for the loose items and whatever is said to me. I walk away from the ticket window, unpause my recorder and get the name, any comments and observations including time in line recorded. If I can get the description of the concession folks before I join the line I record it and my observations of signage and cleanliness. I join the line, pause the recorder and start my stopwatch. When I leave concession I un-pause the recorder, record the time and restart the stopwatch to measure time to delivery and any other observations. When concession is delivered I hand it off to my partner, again record the timing and head for the restroom. I check the restroom and check the list in my pocket that I have gotten everything I needed to see thus far. I record the restroom time check and again put the recorder on pause. We head for our auditorium. The theater we will attend has the ticket taker between the lobby and the auditorium, so I will make my observations about the ticket taker--name, physical, what they said--and restart my recorder past the ticket taker area to record my observations. In the theater I have observations to make about cleanliness, numbers in attendance and what the preview trailers are. Once the movie starts I am "off duty" pretty much until the end of the movie when I must visit the restroom again before departure.
You could send yourself this information from your smart phone, you could use paper and pencil in the restroom, it is up to you. I find 'talking to myself' to record my observations, when it looks like I am talking with my partner, is the way that works best for me. If I were in a 1 party state I could just turn on my recorder or record from a smart phone, but I'm not in a state where recording the other person without their knowledge is legal.
Edited to add: I do not have some other employment so mileage to and from a shop is calculated from my driveway to the return to my driveway. This of course assumes that substantially all the miles traveled are to be able to perform the shop(s) done on that trip. If I have to cross any toll bridges or take toll roads or pay for parking to do those shops I need to collect receipts because if the MSC is not reimbursing me I still will be able to deduct them from my Schedule C business return.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/2016 10:58PM by Flash.