This is a guest post from C. McDaniel of

You’ve just completed and submitted your shop… now you get a notice saying your report has been REJECTED… WHY did it happen to YOU?

Everyone runs the risk of making a mistake at some point during their shop, whether you’re a newbie, or the most seasoned mystery shopper. Depending on the nature of your error, it can be nothing more than an email informing you of your error. But in those cases where the error was crucial, it can result in your shop and report being rejected by either the client or the mystery shopping company. The word REJECTION isn’t pleasant in any case, and the fallout can be detrimental to you as a person, as well as a mystery shopper.

As the Quality Control Manager for Spot Check Services Ltd, I have personally reviewed countless reports where the shopper has overlooked a part of the shop criteria crucial for the shop… failure to order the right menu items, failure to ask for specific product, failure to spend the required amount, or failure to visit the required departments. The list goes on and on. When I get a report rejection from the Quality Control department, I read through the report to make sure the rejection is justified before sending the notice to the Shop Manager, and ultimately the shopper.

While no one intentionally makes errors that result in a rejection, the results can be devastating to the shopper, the mystery shopping company, AND the client. For YOU the shopper, you run the risk of spending a potentially large sum of money on dinner, a hotel room, groceries, or an oil change. When your report gets rejected, you are out that money, as well as your time, because you skimmed and overlooked a specific shop criteria, or perhaps thought, “Oh, that’s not important.”

It makes me sad when a rejection comes through, and even more so when a shopper has outlaid their hard-earned money. It’s natural to want to fight or refute a rejection of any kind, and mystery shops are no exception. Most shoppers will put their tail between their legs, accept their rejection, and try to do better the next time. Others will fight tooth and nail as they try to prove their point in the hopes of having the rejection overturned. Unfortunately in the majority of cases, it was their own doing by failing to thoroughly read and understand the shop criteria BEFORE embarking on the shop.

So as a mystery shopper, what can YOU do to help your cause? I can not emphasize enough the importance of carefully reading ALL SHOPPER INSTRUCTIONS prior to doing your shop. Even if you have done a particular shop 100 times before, things change… shop times, shop dates, purchase requirements, spending requirements, etc., etc., etc.. Don’t take anything for granted and stick to the rules, they’re there for a reason. Many mystery shopping companies allow you to PRINT/PREVIEW your instructions and questionnaires. When I do a shop, the minimum I do is print out the instructions for reference. I then make notes on the CRUCIAL CRITERIA to look out for.

It is also VERY important to submit your shop information AS SOON AS POSSIBLE while the information is still fresh in your mind. This will significantly increase the accuracy of your information. Timeliness is also crucial as the client requires your information while it’s still relevant.

For more information on mystery shopping with Spot Check Services, click on the link www.spotcheckservices.com or email shoppers@spotcheckservices.com.

Good luck and HAPPY SHOPPING!

The information in your profile may be used to determine whether or not you receive a particular shop offer, so it is important that it is current and correct. Make sure you update your profile when:

You move. Shop offers may be based on your area code or zip code, and you want to receive offers for your area. Of course, you are wondering, “If they use the information in my profile to send shop notices, why did I just get a notice for a shop that is 500 miles from my home?” Although most companies start by offering assignments to shoppers who are nearby, if no one claims the shop they will notify shoppers in a larger radius of the location. That means that at times they send to shoppers who are a long way from a shop location. They are desperate and hope that one of the shoppers they send the notice to can do the shop or refer someone who can. Another important reason to update your address is that some companies still pay by check, and if they do not have your correct address your payment will be delayed in reaching you.

Your email address changes. If you change Internet service providers or get a new email address for other reasons, make sure the mystery shopping companies know, or you may not receive shop offers. Be sure to update your PayPal account, too. Many companies use PayPal to pay mystery shoppers, and if the address on your PayPal account does not match the address the mystery shopping company has for you, you will not be paid in a timely way.

Your MSPA certification status changes. Notify MSPA member companies when you get Silver or Gold Certification from MSPA. MSPA does not notify the companies, you must do so. (And if your email address changes, be sure to get a new certification code and update your profiles with both your new email address and the new certification code.)

Your family situation changes. Many profiles ask for your marital status, number of children, family income and other information.

You obtain new equipment. If you get a digital camera, video camera, digital voice recorder or scanner, some companies will want that information.

You learn a new language. There are mystery shopper jobs that require the ability to speak a language other than English.

You may also want to check and update your profiles when your employment situation changes, you get a new brand of car, start wearing glasses, etc. If a company pays by direct deposit, you will need to let them know of any changes to your banking information.

The first three changes on this list are critical. Update all of your profiles as soon as you possibly can if you experience one of these changes. The others can be updated as you visit each company’s site to check the job board, download guidelines or fill out a report.

Keeping your profiles current will help you get more notices of appropriate mystery shopping assignments.

What if the date I plan to do the shop changes after it is assigned to me? Do I need to let the scheduler know?

There are several reasons for asking on what date you will complete the shop. The best answer to give will depend on how the scheduler plans to use the information; however, there are some “safe” answers that will almost always be acceptable.

Let’s start with why they ask the question. Some schedulers will ask a question on the page where shoppers apply for the shop just to see if the shoppers are paying attention. If a mystery shopper fails to answer the question, they clearly are not good at reading and following directions, and probably can not be trusted with the shop. So the most important thing to do is answer the question.

But what should your answer be? Some schedulers would be fine with you saying that you could complete the shop anytime during the period of 3/1 to 3/10. Others want a specific date. They may want you to enter a specific date so that they can schedule other shoppers to go to the same location, and they need to have a number of days between visits. Or they may just want to see a date that is between 3/1 and 3/10, not before or after those dates. Or the scheduler may want to know when to expect the shop report and when to become concerned that perhaps the shop has not been done.

That brings up another point: If you say you will do the assignment on 3/1, you may be more likely to get it than if you say you will do the shop on 3/10. That is because schedulers prefer that shops are done early in the shop period. That way, if something goes wrong (e.g., you get sick or your car breaks down) there is time for you to reschedule the shop before the deadline, or for the scheduler to find another shopper, if necessary.

I sometimes hedge my bet by entering something such as, “I expect to complete the shop on 3/3, but could do it on other days, if required.” That lets the scheduler know that I plan to complete the shop on the 3rd, but if they need me to choose another date (e.g., to coordinate with a visit by another mystery shopper) I am willing and able to do so.

Without knowing how the scheduler plans to use the date information, it is hard to say if you must clear any changes with them. If your confirmation does not state that you will complete the shop on a certain date, then it may not be necessary to do the shop on that date. However, I would still advise the scheduler that you need to make a change and make sure that does not create a problem for her.

Bottom line: Always answer the question, give a specific date, and (optionally) you may also indicate that you are willing to do the shop other dates, if necessary.

As a mystery shopper, you can attract good karma (high report scores, more assignments, better paying assignments, etc.) or bad karma (low scores, fewer assignments, or even being deactivated.

Maintaining good mystery shopper karma means doing your job well, and being helpful to schedulers, editors and other mystery shopping company representatives. Here are some of the ways you can keep good mystery shopper karma flowing.

Communicate. Let your scheduler know if there is a problem on a shop, or just keep her informed of the status. For example, if you are doing a targeted shop (such as many apartment mystery shops, where you are to speak with a specific agent), let her know that you have made calls on the last three days and been unable to reach the agent, but that you are going to continue calling. The scheduler doesn’t have to worry that you have forgotten the shop, or that you are waiting until the last minute to try to get it done.

Pick up those last-minute shops. When you see a scheduler looking for someone to do a shop due tomorrow, that is probably because the mystery shopper who was supposed to do it flaked on the shop. It still has to be done, though, and if you can do it you get extra-good karma.

Have a positive attitude. Remember that the schedulers and editors do not make the policies or set fees. Be polite and positive in your dealings with them. They are people, too, and they are under at least as much stress as you are.

Be willing to help. Take a shop that is a little out of your way, or one that you might not usually do to help a scheduler out of a spot. That doesn’t mean that you take every shop that is offered or that you spend hours doing a $10 shop. It does mean taking the occasional assignment that you would not normally consider because it has to be done.

Be reliable. When mystery shopping companies know they can count on you to read and follow the guidelines, do the shop visit as the client expects, and get a well-written report submitted by the deadline, they are happy as can be. And that happiness translates to more and better assignments for you.

Be responsive. If there is a question or problem involving your report, get it resolved immediately. When an editor contacts you for more information, get back to her the same day with the answer. She has deadlines, too, and needs your answer so she can release the report.

The bottom line in all of this is that good mystery shopper karma comes from doing your job well, take pride in your work, and treating others as you want to be treated. That’s not so hard, is it?

Dumb mistakes? Yeah, but every shopper has probably made a dumb mistake or two somewhere along the line. So what do you do now that you have really messed up on a shop?

Some mystery shopping companies have a “one strike and you’re out” rule, and if you make a major mistake that would cause the client to reject the shop report, they will deactivate your account. Others will consider your history with them and other factors. Even the companies that will automatically deactivate you may reconsider if you take the right approach.

When you realize you goofed up, fess up and apologize. I once missed doing a shop on the required day because I didn’t realize that location closed earlier than others, and I got there too late. Dumb mistake—I should have verified the hours when I was planning the shop. As soon as I got home, I emailed my scheduler and told her what had happened.

I didn’t know if there was any flexibility in the deadline, but I told the scheduler I would do the shop first thing the next day and immediately submit the report, if that was acceptable. She said that would be fine, and I was able to complete the shop and submit the report. Whew! No harm, no foul, as it turned out. Many times (but not always) the company has a little “fluff” built in to the deadline. Don’t count on it, but it could save you in case of an emergency or a dumb mistake.

Offer to do the shop on the day of their choosing. That may be the next day, or it may be another day if they are coordinating with other shopper visits. And what if that is not acceptable? Apologize again and ask what you can do to make up for your error. You caused the scheduler extra work, and may have caused lots of problems for the mystery shopping company. If you have a history with that company, remind them that you have always been reliable in the past, and this was a one-time occurrence. Many companies will not want to lose a good shopper over one mistake, even a big one.

What if you don’t have a history with them, or maybe with anyone? Impress upon them that you understand the seriousness of messing up a shop, and that it wasn’t because you took your assignment lightly. The fact is that there are a lot of shoppers who do not care about doing a good job—the “flake rate” for mystery shops averages about 25%—and you do not want to be lumped in with them.

If you are sincere in your dealings with the mystery shopping company, all may be forgiven. If not, well, there are lots of other companies out there. Just don’t make that mistake again! Once was enough for me to learn my lesson and make sure I verified all the location information before the shop. If you haven’t made one of these big mistakes, learn from my experience and don’t blow a shop–ever!

Mystery shopping companies are (understandably) quiet when it comes to the procedures they have in place to verify mystery shop reports. There are always some shoppers who will try to game the system, so the less the companies say about how they check reports, the harder it is for lazy shoppers to cut corners and submit inaccurate reports without getting caught.

There are, however, some things that we know companies do to make sure reports are accurate. Some of these things may be done routinely to randomly selected reports, while others are more likely to occur when the mystery shopping provider or the client suspect a problem.

The shop guidelines include requirements that help to verify the shop. For example, secret shoppers may be required to submit a receipt, business card, brochure or comment card, digital photos or other proof that we actually visited the location. This is the bare-bones verification that we were there, but does not guarantee that our report is accurate.

Shop reports may include “dummy” questions. These are questions inserted by the mystery shopping company that do not appear in the client’s report. Their only purpose is to serve as a gauge for the accuracy and thoroughness of the mystery shopper. If the shopper answers “yes” to a question about whether the awnings were clean and in good repair, and there are no awnings at that business, that is a flag that may cause the mystery shopping company to check the shopper’s report a little more carefully. Although this is not done by every company, I have heard of it happening. (Note: The correct answer to the example question would be “N/A,” because there are no awnings.)

Clients have been known to compare mystery shop reports to video from the location. Almost every business uses video surveillance these days. Some clients will pull video for a few randomly-selected shop reports and compare the reports to the video. Others will check the video when they believe a report is in error. Be aware that you are almost always videotaped at some point while mystery shopping, and those videos may be used to verify—or dispute—your reports.

It is possible that a mystery shopping company would do a quality check by scheduling two shops at the same time. If the shop reports are drastically different, that indicates there may be a problem with one of the shoppers. I have not actually seen this done, but I would not be surprised if it (very rarely) happens.

What is more likely is that the mystery shopping company would look for significant changes in the report pattern for a location. For example, every month, the assigned shoppers answer “no” to a question and give the same details in the associated comment. One month, the shopper answers “yes.” It is not proof that the report is inaccurate (Hey, maybe that just got it right that month.) but it might cause the mystery shopping company to look at other details of the report more closely.

There are other things that mystery shopping companies and clients may do to verify reports, but now you know a few of them. Of course, if you read the guidelines carefully and do an accurate shop and report, none of these will have any effect on you.

How would you handle this?

Most of the time, shoppers are paid according to schedule for the mystery shops they complete. If you are not paid when expected, here are the steps you should follow.

First, check when they said you would be paid for the assignment. The mystery shopping company usually states somewhere (on their website, in the assignment email, etc.) when payments will be issued.

The time can vary, depending on their pay cycle and when the shop was completed. For example, if they pay around the 20th of the month following when the shop was done, and you did the shop on the 2nd, it could easily be seven or eight weeks before you get paid. This information is usually in the shop offer.

If they are past the time when they are supposed to pay, start with your first contact (usually your scheduler). If you do not receive an answer or at least some indication that they are looking into it, or have taken some action, move up the chain of command. See if you can locate other contacts at their website and email or call them. Let them know about any previous contacts/correspondence.

If you still can’t get an answer, and the company is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, let MSPA know. Although they can not resolve individual situations between shoppers and companies, if they see a pattern of late payments from a company they will contact the company to find out what it going on and may go so far as to suspend or terminate the company’s membership.

Beyond that, there isn’t a lot you can do. You can report them to the Better Business Bureau, but that doesn’t get your money. You can sue them in small claims court, but even if you win, you still have to collect. (And the filing fee may be almost as much as they owe you.)

I certainly wouldn’t do any more shops for them if they are late in paying, at least until this is resolved.

In this case, they say they are investigating so keep following up to get your reimbursement. If you can’t get an answer from your scheduler, move up a level and keep moving it up. Also check that your information is correct. If they pay with PayPal and they have an email address for you that is incorrect or not associated with your PayPal account, the money goes into “limbo” until someone can figure out where it belongs. The same would apply if they pay by check and your mailing address is incorrect.

Here are some of the issues an editor has to consider when examining a secret shopping report.

Did the secret shopper complete the shop during the required time frame? Mystery shopper jobs may have to be completed on a specific day, or during a range of dates. For example, the shop guidelines may say that the shop is to be completed between the 1st and the 8th, and it must not be done on a Saturday. There may be a time of day specified (e.g., before 4:00 p.m.) or the guidelines may say that the shop may be done any time the business is open, except the 30 minutes after they open and one hour prior to closing time.

Did the shopper follow the correct scenario? That may include completing parts of the shop in the order specified by the client, presenting a specific situation to the employee (such as, “I am looking for a car that will carry at least five people comfortably.”) or asking a required knowledge question.

Did the mystery shopper follow all of the shop guidelines? There are many other guidelines in addition to completing the shop at the right time and following the scenario. These things might include spending at least a certain amount of time at the location, purchasing specified items, etc.

Is the mystery shop report complete? Did the shopper answer all of the questions, and provide all required comments?

Does the report make sense? You might be surprised how often a shopper will answer a question one way and give the opposite information in the comments. For example, a secret shopper may say, “Yes,” to the question, “Were you greeted within 30 seconds?” but then in the comments say, “Sherry greeted me 1 minute and 28 seconds after I arrived.” Huh?

Are the comments clear? Do they make sense, or is it not clear exactly what happened?

Were all required documents included? Mystery shops may require that the shopper submit a receipt, digital photos, business card or other documentation. The shop report is not complete without them.

If the editor has any questions about the information in the report, they will contact the shopper for clarification. When an editor asks you a question about a report, get the answer back to them quickly. They need to release the report to the client as soon as possible.

And, of course, the editor looks for correct writing—spelling, grammar and punctuation. That also means making sure the report follows the style guide established by the mystery shopping company. Style guides ensure that reports are consistent in areas where grammar rules are not black and white. For example, some mystery shopping companies want shoppers to use one space after a period, and others want two. Neither is incorrect, it is just a matter of style. (If a mystery shopping company has a style they want you to follow, they will probably tell you in the guidelines or on their website.)

Editors may also assign a grade to each report. Grades are often given on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the top score. Points are taken off for errors and omissions in the report.

Editors share information (through scores and notes) with schedulers. The quality of your reports will influence your ability to get future assignments. Make the editor’s job easy by submitting an excellent report and you will be in line to receive the best mystery shopper jobs.

Be dependable. If you accept an assignment, do it. About 25% of the time, secret shoppers who accept jobs don’t complete them. Imagine having to do your job twice 25% of the time. You wouldn’t like it, and schedulers don’t appreciate it either.

If an emergency comes up and you have to cancel, do it right away. Don’t wait until the day the mystery shopper job is due (or worse yet, the day after) and then cancel. Give the scheduler time to find someone to replace you.

When you have an emergency, suggest someone else to do the shop, if you can. Do you have a friend who could do the shop for you? Don’t have them do the shop without talking to the scheduler first, but suggesting someone may make it easier for the scheduler to reassign the shop.

Pick up hard-to-schedule shops. Do you notice that certain shops seem to be posted again and again? Chances are, those jobs are hard to schedule every month. Even if it is a little out of your way, picking up a mystery shopper job like that will be a big help to the scheduler, and they remember those who make their jobs easier.

Recommend other shoppers. Can you suggest other secret shoppers who can help with those hard-to-fill jobs? Schedulers will appreciate the referral. Of course, you should only suggest shoppers who are reliable and will do a great job.

Email when you have questions. Most schedulers prefer email to phone calls, so email with questions about the shop or other issues. Don’t wait until the last minute to contact them with questions. Make sure the scheduler will have time to get back to you.

Don’t forward chain letters, jokes, video files, virus warnings and other stuff that comes through your email box. Schedulers get lots of email without getting the same lame joke from 2,000 shoppers.

Keep your emails professional. Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Make both the tone and content professional. Fully identify yourself: name, address, phone number(s), email address, and where you shop. Many shoppers use a signature file with all of that information, as well as any certifications they hold. If you are writing about a specific assignment, include details about the mystery shopper job such as job number, location, due date, etc.

Schedulers remember the shoppers who are a joy to work with, and they will want to work with you often. Be the shopper they love, and you will get all the work you can handle!

Although you may take your children with you while doing some secret shopping, you should not assume that it is always a good idea.

Do not take it personally if the guidelines say that no children are allowed. The fact is that children can be a distraction and create disruptions. Your children may be the best-behaved in the world, but other people’s children are not. Rather than saying that you may bring your children if they are well-behaved, the client chooses to say you may not bring your children.

However, even well-behaved children can be a distraction. If you have to keep one eye on them, or your toddler starts asking for food, or needs to use the rest room in the middle of the sales person’s presentation, you will be distracted. The employee may also be distracted by your children, affecting his performance on the mystery shop, and timings and other measures may be thrown off.

Some shoppers argue that sales people and waitstaff have to deal with children, so taking your children along just tests how they handle that situation. That is not the point. The idea of mystery shopping is to test specific aspects of service in a consistent way. If Shoppers A, D and F have children with them, and Shoppers B, C and E do not, the circumstances of the shop will be different.

There is also the possibility that your children will “out” you as the mystery shopper. When they know about your mystery shopping, they may blurt out something about it or ask inappropriate questions (e.g., “Mommy, did he do that right?”). Even if they are blissfully unaware of mystery shopping, they may blow your cover by asking things such as, “Mommy, how much more coffee are you going buy today? You didn’t even drink the other ones,” when you are in your fifth coffee shop of the day.

It is not the mystery shopper’s job to decide the circumstances of the secret shop. That is up to the client. It is our job to carry out the shop as set out by the client. Keep these guidelines in mind about when you may (or may not) have children along on a secret shop.

You may take your children with you when:

• It is explicitly stated in the secret shop guidelines;
• They are needed to complete the shop; and/or
• It is a place that is appropriate for children.

Never take your children on a mystery shopper job when:

• It is prohibited by the guidelines;
• It is not a place that is appropriate for children;
• They may give away your identity as the mystery shopper; and/or
• They will be a distraction to you.

By the way, these rules apply to taking anyone with you on a mystery shop, not just children.  Do not take your best friend if your friend will be a distraction, or your mother if she is likely to inadvertently give away the fact that you are mystery shopping. Never take anyone else if the shop guidelines say to go by yourself.