Most Common Denials: Alternate Photos!

Here are some Keys to Success to avoid the most common denials that come from alternate photo situations.

#1. ALWAYS (yes always) take an alternate photo if you can't take the original photo. Never leave a photo section blank!
It is important to do this because our system will usually auto-deny any submission that is missing any information. This means that even if there are no alternate instructions for a particular photo, or in some rare cases the alternate instructions do not match your situation, or you just end up in a really unusual situation in general, you should still fill the photo slot with something. If there are no good alternate instructions for your situation, we recommend taking an overview photo of a store section that you think would be most helpful for explaining the situation. Be sure to leave a comment in the last question of the job explaining why you had to take a different photo than the one requested!

#2. Be sure to read the alternate instructions closely (don't assume they will stay the same).

One common denial we see is where a shelf section overview photo is taken rather than a main walkway overview photo when the alternate instructions request a main walkway photo. Our most common alternate photo request is for the shelf section overview photo where a product would normally be found, which looks like the photo below:

However, sometimes our client needs to see an overview of the Main Walkway of the store in the alternate photo. This photo will not be in the regular shelf section. Instead, this photo will show the main walkway, or track, where customers move around the store. We should be able to see aisle endcaps and freestanding displays visible like in the photo below:

#3. Follow the alternate instructions, even if you think a different photo would be better!

Sometimes it may be tempting to take an alternate photo of a different section than the one requested in the alternate instructions, like if you have seen the product before, or an employee tells you it is in a different section, or for any number of other reasons. We understand that you have good intentions and are trying to give us the best data possible. We appreciate this! However, please keep in mind that our client has requested each specific alternate photo in each job for a reason, and it is important for our client to see this exact alternate photo. Please take the requested alternate photo even if it seems like a different photo would be better. This helps to ensure that your job will be approved when going through the review process! The only exception to this is if the alternate instructions are impossible to follow, in which case refer to key point #1.