I would like to know where I go from here.

Hello everyone. I've just become a mystery shopper and completed my first shops. I must say there is alot of pre-shop work and printing to do before the shops.Not what I expected. How do others handle the requirement to print out so much stuff?

Generally I don't print it. The first time I do a shop I may print it if it seems unusual or convoluted. More frequently I save a copy of the instructions directly on my computer that I can review right before I head out. I generally do not print copies of the questionnaire but similarly review it before I go out if it is not a shop I have done previously.

Shops that are too convoluted I am not likely to bother doing again unless they pay very very well--which is rare as generally the more convoluted shops seem to come from the more poorly paying companies.

By the time you get fairly familiar with the shops you are likely to be printing out one piece of paper at most and using that to attach copies of receipts and such to to file away.

Thanks for the response. I'll try doing that.

I printed a lot when I first started shopping, but after a few months you get more confident and have a "feel" for the shop ....and you start repeating shops and you'll hardly ever print.

And you will know when you no longer need to print the information. Until then, use the paper and ink. Use a highlighter on stuff to review in the car before you go in for the shop. Take along a notebook or folder in the car to hide the materials in the car. Don't rush the process, the no printing phase will come soon enough.

Flash wrote:

"Shops that are too convoluted I am not likely to bother doing again unless they pay very very well--which is rare as generally the more convoluted shops seem to come from the more poorly paying companies."

LOL! Yes, why is that? I suspect they hope the time we spend on minutiae will encourage impulse shopping.

==== Bombeck-style editorial complete, now returning to topic ====

Like Flash, I save instructions to my hard drive. But I conserve drive space, paper and toner ink using the following steps.

1. Open Microsoft Word if you have it, or open Open Office Writer
(unlike Word, it is free and can be downloaded from [http://www.OpenOffice.org]
2. Open a new, blank document in whichever word processor you prefer.
3. Go back to your shop instructions by clicking on your task bar.
4. Single (Left) mouse click anywhere in the Instruction window.
5. Press and hold the Ctrl key and tap the letter A. This highlights everything.
6. Press Ctrl-C (Copies everything highlighted to clipboard)
7. Go back to your word processor by clicking on your task bar.
8. Press Ctrl-V (Pastes clipboard contents into your blank document)

Voila! You can now save paper by removing unnecessary spaces, blank lines, redundant instructions, et cetera. I also reduce the default left, right, top and bottom margins through File--> Page Set Up.

When I do print instructions (like Flash, I do so infrequently), I use Draft rather than Standard or Premium quality to save toner ink.

This process may seem excessive and time consuming at first, but no more so buying reams of paper, waiting for them to print, constantly refilling ink cartridges, then reading often redundant instructions. Editing also has the added benefit of helping reinforce the instructions, and it improves my typing speed and editing skills.

I hope this was helpful.

You can also just do the copy/paste by right click the mouse and "Select all", then go to your Word document, set your cursor and right click the mouse "Paste"

This process is also useful when you are going to need to 'certify' or otherwise take a test on materials. You have the Word document in one window and the test in the other. You can use the "Find" command to search the Word document for your answer.