True Crime
Episode 10 - ## Meet the Shopper ## - Sadhna
In Episode 10 of Mystery Shopping Talkies, host Saurav Narasarya interviews Sadhna, an experienced mystery shopper and auditor. They discuss the intricacies of mystery shopping, including the challeng...
Episode 10 - ## Meet the Shopper ## - Sadhna
True Crime •
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Interactive Transcript
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An auditor is an important ingredient to a mystery shopping exercise.
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His views, his challenges and his methodology of conducting an audit makes a lot of impact
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on how a mystery shopping result would come.
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A demographically divided auditor profile helps to understand the mapping of auditors to
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brands.
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Hi and welcome back.
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This is your host Saurav Narasarya for those who are new to this show on the founder and
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CEO of Floorwalk, a leading mystery shopping provider in India.
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And we have recently started our web series, Mystery Shopping Talkies where we talk about
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anything and everything related to mystery shopping.
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In this part of the series we will be inviting some of our outstanding mystery shoppers from
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different parts of the world.
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Conversing with them, about their experiences and challenges faced by them.
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My colleague Madhura will be the moderator for these sessions.
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Over to you Madhura.
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I am good too.
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First of all we would like to thank you to share your time with us and share your experiences
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with us.
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Yeah, thank you.
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Thanks a lot.
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It's my privilege to share my time with you and sharing my experience.
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Before starting the question as a session, I would like you to give your quick intro to
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our viewers.
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Well, as you have introduced very well, I am Saurav Narasya and I have been working for
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our floor works since last one year and I work mostly for Gohati and also sometimes
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for North North East region.
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And I am a private tutor and apart from being a private tutor whenever I get time I do
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a good job and that's it and my hobbies include listening to music, cooking and all those.
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Okay.
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You said that you are a private tutor, right?
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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But how did you got introduced to mystery shopping?
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Well, I was introduced to mystery shopping by my friend and initially I used to work for
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some other companies and gradually I came to know about floor work and then I started
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working for floor work.
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Okay.
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So, since how many years you were into mystery shopping with any company?
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Okay.
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So, I started in February 2017 and so it's been more than two years now.
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Yes.
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It's been more than two years now.
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Are you enjoying doing being a mystery auditor?
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Yeah, very much.
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I must say it's a very addictive kind of thing once you get into this field, you cannot
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just come back.
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And, I mean, did you start mystery auditing for just as an extra social welcome or was it
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your passion to go for mystery shopping?
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No, actually what happened, she was supposed to do a mystery shopping but she didn't have
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time, my friend.
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So, what happened every time?
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Okay.
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So, I simply didn't know what was going to happen or what is this kind of thing.
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So, she simply requested me to perform the audit and once I did I got money, I was happy
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then I thought that, oh, it's a nice opportunity of earning money.
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So, from, I mean since then I started working.
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Great.
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So, that was an accident.
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Yeah, I was an accident actually.
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Yeah, accident, yes, yes, yes.
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So, you were not knowing exactly what you were going to do during your first audit, right?
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This concept, yes.
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Yes, yes, very much.
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Did it ever come to your mind that whether it is legal or not or what I'm doing, what
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if I get caught during doing, I mean, doing an assignment?
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No, I didn't think much and for legal illegal, I don't think it's illegal.
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It's of course illegal because we always go for window shopping and it's kind of window
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shopping only.
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So, I thought that it's not like illegal kind of thing, you go for window shopping in the
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same way I also did window shopping but window shopping pays money now.
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So, that's the only difference.
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Yeah.
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When Mr. Shopping and window shopping.
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Yes.
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So, has Mr. Shopping helped you to increase your knowledge?
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Yeah, of course.
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Will you say that you were updated with outside word?
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Yeah, yeah, mostly I would say like first of all, I improved my communication skills.
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Now I can talk to any person.
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I know how to start a conversation or in the conversation.
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And then again, I have also come to know about a variety of brands and how the brands work.
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What is the customer service?
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So, overall, it's an informative kind of job, I think.
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So basically Mr. Shopping has increased your confidence.
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You can talk with anyone.
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Yeah.
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The feel, right?
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Yeah, yeah.
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You're not hesitant to talk anymore.
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No, no, no.
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Like from any part of India, I can talk to anyone and conversation skills are improved
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when you do the telephonic order.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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So, which order do you like the most?
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Walking on telephonic.
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A telephonic and also what is that audit called?
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Walking on it.
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Authority related.
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No, no, no, it will.
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It will.
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It will do it.
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Yes.
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Yeah.
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So, more or less, I can talk to any person now.
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Like from any language.
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First of all, it was a difficult to meet up into the South Indian people, but now I don't
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feel like any problem.
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I can understand their language because they are Indian, which is a bit tough.
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Different.
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Different.
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Yeah, more or less, this job has given me confidence.
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This job has given me knowledge.
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And, you know, the added advantage is money.
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Yes.
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Yes, for sure.
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Why is conducting mischief on it?
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Do you prefer to take someone along with you or you prefer to go alone?
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If the audit demands then I have to take the companion or parents or a Pee or a male partner.
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And sometimes I go on with my friends.
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Sometimes I go alone.
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Initially, I used to take someone.
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But now, I am confident enough to do it all by myself.
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And do it alone.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And how do you manage to gather all the poops while conducting an audit?
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For example, you are from Bhuhar, right?
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Yes.
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Bhuhar.
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Yes.
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And Bhuhar is a little small place.
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I mean, it is not a metro city, right?
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Right.
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You are not aware of this sunset over in Bhuhar.
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Yeah.
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Or not aware, my friends.
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Yes.
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I think is it some store for an assignment for an audit?
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You have multiple pictures or you have to take audio recordings and everything.
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So how do you manage to do all these things if a store is not crowded?
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See, first of all, I put my phone in the aeroplane mode.
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So that's such number one trick.
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Then I ask the various questions.
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And I try to make a friendly kind of relationship with the stuff.
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And when and necessary, I click the pictures.
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And I do it in a kind of smarter way.
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So that sometimes I ask the staff that can I take a selfie with you?
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Or sometimes I tell that the pictures are so good in the background.
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So can I take the photographs?
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So like that, I manage.
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You manage.
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But one thing I do is to always keep my phone in the aeroplane mode.
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So that I don't get disturbed and also in the silent mode.
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Correct.
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And how do you do your homework before conducting any assignment?
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First of all, I go through the guidelines very well.
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I also conduct with the scheduler about the timings and how to perform it.
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The mandatory proofs of what I have to collect.
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And in this way, I do my homework.
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And I have worked with a very fine scheduler.
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So they are always there at my backup.
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So whenever I require their help, they are always with me indirectly,
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along with my all throughout my audit.
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Like they help me messaging me what's there for direct messages.
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But they are always with me.
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So if you have any doubt, you can be directly connected with that scheduler, right?
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Yeah, yeah, right, right.
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They are always there for me.
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Great.
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Do you make any checklist before going to the audit?
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And these are the proof that I have to carry or these are the things that I have to look upon
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or I have to open during a mind visit?
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Yeah, yeah, I do definitely carry.
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In fact, I write in small letters in my palm so that I don't forget.
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Okay.
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I don't know.
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As it ever happened that your audit has not been accepted or it was paid you to some reasons.
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Yeah, actually, once it was not accepted, why?
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Because I could not take a proper audio recording.
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The background noise was so sound that my noise was not very clear.
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I mean, my voice was not very clear.
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And that it got rejected.
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Oh, and then what are the things?
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I mean, which apps you will suggest to a new user or to a new auditors to download or to use during their assignments
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to get better audio quality, to have good pictures, good date and timestamp?
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Yeah, first is the open camera app.
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That's very nice.
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And also the call recorder app.
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That's for voice recording.
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And I think the normal phones also do, I mean, it was quite a good job with if you put a proper date and timestamp.
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But for apps, if for apps, then I would say that open camera app for audio recording and for beating still for progress and the voice recorder app for voice recording.
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And do you keep the new menu of proofs?
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Like once you have done with the audit and you have submitted the report with all the proofs?
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Yeah.
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So, how many days you keep those proofs?
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Until and unless I get the proofs, once I get the proofs, because those proofs add up to my gallery and that creates a lot of proofs.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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So that's the thing.
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Great, great, great.
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Okay, Sarnath, thank you.
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Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us.
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I'm sure that your tips will be helpful, useful for our new auditors.
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And we surely get again connected with you, or to know your experiences and to have tips, no tips from you.
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Okay, thank you so much.
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It was a nice talking to you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you so much.
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Thank you.
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Yeah, bye.
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Bye.