The mystery shopper certification workshop will be hosted by representatives from several mystery shopping companies, including Northwest Loss Prevention, Dynamic Advantage, Coast to Coast Scheduling Services and DSG Associates. These representatives will be on hand to answer questions and share information with the shoppers in attendance.

This is the first certification workshop to test a new format and, if it is successful, it may be repeated in other parts of the country. The workshop will use the certification DVD for instruction, but will add interaction with the mystery shopping company representatives and opportunities to network with other shoppers. Each attendee will receive a copy of the certification DVD to keep.

The new format combines some of the best features of live workshops and the DVD training. Attendees get to network with mystery shopping company executives and schedulers, and they receive a DVD that can be reviewed any time they want a refresher on the content.

Gold certified shoppers represent a relatively small percentage of all mystery shoppers, and the gold certification is widely recognized by mystery shopping providers. Many companies recruit gold-certified shoppers first for high-end assignments. This new format for live workshops presents an opportunity for mystery shoppers to get the training for this valuable certification while interacting with others in the industry.

Please plan to register by May 20, 2010. If there are not sufficient registrations by that date, the workshop may be canceled. No registrations will be accepted at the door. You must prepay and register online.

To register, go to http://mysteryshop.org/shoppers/gold.php

The workshop will be held at the Holiday Inn, Burbank, CA. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. and the workshop will be from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Can’t attend? You can get gold certified in the comfort of your own home with the Gold certification DVD.

Mystery shoppers represent the mystery shopping industry, and the quality and professionalism of our work helps to shape the reputation of the industry. By maintaining the highest standards, we elevate the professionalism and public perception of mystery shopping.

Secret shoppers who complete the MSPA mystery shopper certification program agree to uphold a code of professional standards and ethics. These standards and ethics might be considered “best practices” for mystery shoppers, whether they are MSPA certified or not.

Certified shoppers who fail to operate according to the standards can lose their mystery shopper certification. However, any shopper who is unethical or unprofessional risks losing future mystery shopper jobs, as mystery shopping companies will not work with secret shoppers whom they can not trust.

With the permission of the MSPA, I am using the MSPA Code of Professional Standards and Ethics For Mystery Shoppers as the basis for a series of posts exploring ethical mystery shopper behavior and best practices for professional shoppers.

The Origin of the MSPA Code

The agreement for MSPA-certified mystery shoppers is based on the ethics agreement that MSPA member companies are held to. Although the specific responsibilities vary, the principles are the same in both the member company and certified shopper agreements. It is all about being honest, ethical and professional in dealings with mystery shopping companies, mystery shoppers, clients and the public.

What Are the Basic Principles of the Code?

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s Shopper’s Code of Professional Standards is established to ensure that all MSPA certified shoppers conform to the following principles:

• Commit, in principle, to the purposes of the association: improving service and promoting excellence in the mystery shopping industry;
• Conduct mystery shopping services in an honest and ethical manner;
• Conduct mystery shopping services according to industry procedures and regulations set forth and agreed to by MSPA members;
• Instill confidence in mystery shopping and encourage public cooperation;
• Respect our MSPA members, clients, and the general public.

Pretty good ideas, right? Whether or not you choose to become MSPA certified, following these guidelines will ensure that you are operating ethically. In future posts, we will look at the rules of conduct spelled out in the agreement, and how we as mystery shoppers can conduct business with the highest level of ethics and professionalism.

I am a new secret shopper. I would like to get Silver Certified, but because I have just started mystery shopping I am concerned that I do not yet know enough to pass the test.

How long should I wait (or how many mystery  shops should I do) before I complete the Silver Certification?

I get this question a lot, and the answer is simple.

MSPA Shopper Certification (both Silver andGold) is a training program. You do not need to be an experienced  mystery shopper to register for certification. The certification program will teach you what you need to know.

The idea behind certification is to provide a level of education for mystery shoppers, whether they are brand new to mystery shopping or have years of experience. Testing is included as a part of certification to verify that you have retained the information presented.

The MSPA Silver Certification consists of a series of lessons you complete online. Each lesson is followed by a multiple choice quiz you must pass. After completing all of the lessons, you immediately receive your certification code.

The Gold Certification is more involved. You must attend an in-person workshop or view the lessons on the Gold DVD. Afterward, you complete a three-part test. One part is multiple choice, one is an observation test (where you complete sample questions that might be found on a typical mystery shop report) and the third requires that you write a brief narrative. Because the Gold test is human graded, it can take a few days to get your certification code. The Gold Certification is harder to obtain than Silver, and it has a higher value to mystery shopping companies.

So, should you get certified right away or should you wait? My opinion is that anyone who believes they would like to be a mystery shopper should get Silver certified. The program is a great introduction to the basics of mystery shopping, it doesn’t take a lot of time or cost a lot of money, and it is a credential recognized by most MSPA member companies.

Once you have done a bit of mystery shopping, you should consider Gold certification if you would like to upgrade your skills and potentially improve the number and types of shops for which you are eligible. Many companies first offer preferred and high-end shops to Gold Certified mystery shoppers.

Although no company requires that you complete MSPA certification to receive assignments from them, having either Gold or Silver certification can make it easier to get your first assignment from a company, or to become eligible for better assignments. Certification opens the door. After that, it’s up to you.

I will once again present the workshop, and I look forward to meeting many of you there. This is a great opportunity to get that Gold Certification you have been thinking about, and to meet other shoppers as well as industry leaders.

Inside Scoop: The MSPA Board will be meeting in Miami on that day, and rumor has it that they may come by the workshop for a Q&A session. Is there something you want to ask the top dogs of MSPA about the mystery shopping industry? This is your chance.

To learn more and to register for the workshop, go to http://www.MysteryShop.org/shoppers/gold.php. If you can be in Miami on September 27th, you will want to be there.

Can’t make it to Miami? You can still get your certification via DVD. Get all the information at http://www.MysteryShop.org/shoppers/gold.php

In addition to MSPA certification, other certifications have sprung up. The sponsors suggest that getting certified through them will help shoppers to get more jobs. Although there may be a few legitimate training programs available in addition to the MSPA certifications, many are not worth the paper the certificate is printed on.

One California man was recently indicted by a federal grand jury for offering worthless training and certifications in mystery shopping and bartending. Although the certifications were worthless to the “students” they were not worthless to the scammer. He is believed to have collected at least $6 million from his victims.

Here are some questions you should ask before handing over any money for a training or certification program.

Who is offering the certification? Find out what you can about the organization promoting the program. How long have they been around? What else do they do? What is the background of the principals–are they involved in the mystery shopping industry?

Who else has taken the program, and what do they think of it? Do not rely on a few posts to an online forum, or talking to someone to whom the sponsor refers you. It is easy enough to fake some good recommendations that way. If someone on a forum is talking about how good the program is, is that their only post or do they actively participate on the forum on other issues? Scammers can make up several personas and post a bunch of rave reviews, but you will not see a lot of other posts from these “happy customers.”

Is the certification recognized in the industry? Are there any companies that ask for the certification? Do they recommend it to their shoppers? Most MSPA member companies recognize MSPA certification, and give preference to certified shoppers (although no one requires MSPA certification in order to shop for them). Even some companies that do not belong to MSPA will ask about shoppers’ MSPA certification status. That is not true of most other secret shopper certifications.

There are also organizations and mystery shopping companies that offer certifications without a fee. However, even these “free” programs come at a cost: your time. Before completing a free certification, ask yourself if it is worth it. There are companies that require you to be certified on the requirements for a specific client before you may apply for that client’s shops. Some of these shops pay only a few dollars. How much time are you willing to spend qualifying for the possibility of maybe getting to do a couple of $5 shops?

The flip side is that companies requiring that you go through their certification before you can be assigned will probably mean fewer shoppers competing for those jobs. If a company has some assignments you want and they require that you complete their client-specific certification, you will probably have a better chance of getting the assignments you want because fewer shoppers will go to the trouble of completing the training and certification.

Only you can decide if mystery shopper certification is right for you. If you do decide to pursue certification, make sure your time and money are invested in a worthwhile program that will reward you for your achievement.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association will host the 5th Annual Educational Conference for Mystery Shoppers, July 18 – 20, 2008, in Pittsburgh, PA. There will also be a Gold Certification Workshop on Friday, July 18, 2008, before the conference begins.

If you have been to any of the past years’ conferences, you know why you should be there. There are many top shoppers who have attended all four of the previous conferences. They know that the conference is a great opportunity to learn about the industry and network with other shoppers, as well as schedulers, editors, account managers, executives and company owners from many of the top mystery shopping companies. This year, at least 30 MSPA-member companies are expected to be represented. But if you haven’t been to a Mystery Shopper Educational Conference before, here is what you need to know about what you can get out of attending.

First of all, if you are not already MSPA Gold Certified, you can attend a certification workshop on Friday, July 18, 2008. Although the workshop is not a part of the conference, many shoppers like to combine getting certified with attendance at the shopper conference. Because MSPA has drastically cut the live workshop schedule, this may be your last opportunity to attend an in-person certification in 2008. (Of course, the DVD is available for shoppers who prefer to complete Gold Certification at home.) You can get information about, and register for, either the in-person or DVD certification at http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/certification.php

The Shopper Educational Conference kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 18, 2008, with a welcome reception and exhibits. There will be representatives there from many of your favorite mystery shopping companies, as well as some you may not know. Some schedulers, editors and others will be at tables, while other company representatives will be mixing and mingling as they circulate through the room. It is a great chance to put faces with the names of the people with whom you work, and the companies enjoy meeting the shoppers for the same reason. The reception includes food, and it is always a fun evening of networking. If you are local or attending the Gold Certification Workshop, and can’t stay for the whole conference, you may purchase a ticket for only the reception.

Both Saturday and Sunday start with a continental breakfast, then you can choose which workshops you want to attend. There will be something for everyone, new shoppers and veterans alike. For a complete list of sessions, see the full conference schedule at http://www.mysteryshop.org/events/Scheduleataglance.htm

Some of the sessions this year include Casino and Cruise Ship Shopping, How to Score Superior Ratings on your Reports, Smart Shopping: Ways to Increase Your Profits, Video Mystery Shopping, Working with Schedulers, Business Etiquette and Netiquette and more. And you won’t want to miss my Sunday morning session on Scambusting! Stop the Crooks and Protect Yourself, where I will talk about how to keep yourself safe online, as well as how to bust the scammers who prey on mystery shoppers and would-be mystery shoppers.

You will be well-fed on Saturday. In addition to the continental breakfast, there is a luncheon and awards dinner. The entertainment at the dinner will be provided by Robert Priest. The “Theater Of The Mind” show is a skilled blend of mind reading and thoughtful comedy, an act alive with action, laughs, and mental challenges. The entertainers at the dinners are always amazing, and I am sure that this year will not be an exception.

Plan to arrive before the opening reception on Friday evening (or before the Certification Workshop on Friday morning) and stay until the conclusion of the final session at 12:30 on Sunday afternoon. You won’t want to miss a thing! See you in Pittsburgh!

For more information about MSPA’s 5th Annual Shopper Educational Conference, see: http://www.mysteryshop.org/events/shopperconference.php

Although certification is not required to be a mystery shopper, the MPSA’s Gold Certification is an effective way for new secret shoppers to get up to speed on how to be effective shoppers, and for more experienced shoppers to demonstrate to mystery shopping companies their qualification and commitment to being great secret shoppers. It can help you get more and better assignments, faster.

Many MSPA companies actively recruit Gold Certified mystery shoppers. They know that the shoppers who go through the certification process are often more professional, more reliable and produce better quality reports. Because mystery shopping companies (and their clients) value certified shoppers, many MSPA-member companies provide advantages to Gold Certified shoppers such as first access to plum assignments, including better-paying assignments.

Gold Certified secret shoppers are in demand, but supply can not keep up with demand. There are fewer than 5,000 Gold Certified shoppers out of an estimated 1 million mystery shoppers. The live workshops could never get to everywhere that shoppers live and work, but the DVD can reach every shopper.

What is the difference between getting certified at a workshop vs. with the DVD program? In terms of content, there is no difference. The DVD and workbook include the same information covered in the live workshops. Shoppers who get certified with the new DVD program will receive the same information as those certified at a live workshop.

Click here to learn about MSPA mystery shopper certification.

There is another new development. The test for shoppers becoming Gold Certified (whether through a workshop or DVD) now includes an observation and writing component. This new requirement will make Gold Certified shoppers even more valuable to mystery shopping companies.

Need another reason to get the Gold DVD? You get to see me present the workshop! ;o) Many of you know that I developed the Gold workshop for MSPA, and presented it nearly 100 times across the U.S. and Canada. To create the DVD, MSPA recorded a special workshop presented specifically for the DVD. The workshop was professionally recorded and produced on DVD. You can watch it all in one sitting, or watch a little at a time as your schedule permits.

Want to learn more about certification? You can get all the answers about mystery shopper certification at the MSPA site.

When I announced to MSPA that I could no longer keep up a schedule of more than 20 weekends on the road each year, we set out to find one or two terrific presenters to share the load. After reviewing more than 150 applications (!) and interviewing 15 super-qualified candidates, we decided that there were three that had to be part of the team. All three completed their training at the end of 2006 or beginning of 2007, and have presented a total of 17 workshops so far this year. This picture was taken at the 2007 Shopper Educational Conference in Grapevine, Texas–the first time all four of us had been in the same room together!

Karmi Anna Mattson is from Minneapolis, MN. In addition to being a mystery shopper for more than five years, Karmi is an MBA candidate and experienced trainer. You can see Karmi in action at upcoming Gold Workshops in Salt Lake City, UT and Spokane, WA.

Chelsea Benning is from the Raleigh, NC area. She not only has experience as a mystery shopper, Chelsea has worked for mystery shopping companies and has been a mystery shopping client, so she understands all facets of the industry well. Chelsea’s remaining 2007 workshops will be in Charlotte, NC, Memphis, TN and Newark, NJ.

Gail Witt is a fellow Texan who lives here in Houston. Gail is used to travel, as she traveled constantly in a previous training position. Gail also has more than five years of mystery shopping experience, and her hubby is an experienced mystery shopper. You can meet Gail at the workshops in Kansas City, MO and Milwaukee, WI.

I will see those of you attending the workshops in San Francisco, CA or Albuquerque, NM.

No matter which instructor presents the Gold Workshop you attend, expect a day filled with information, networking, great stories, tips and fun. I hope we will see you at a future workshop.

To see a schedule of all upcoming workshops and register for one near you, go to http://www.MysteryShop.org/shoppers/gold.php

Cathy Stucker is the author of The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), the world’s largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality through the use of mystery shoppers, has reached a new milestone with 50,000 silver and gold certifications awarded to mystery shoppers.

The number of certified mystery shoppers throughout the United States and Canada has been steadily increasing since the program’s inception in November 2002. Approximately 10,000 certifications have been awarded in the past eight months.

The MSPA designed the certification program in an effort to improve the quality of mystery shoppers throughout the industry. The program is a tool for mystery shoppers who want to improve their skills and learn new techniques and tips for conducting mystery shopping evaluations.

“The MSPA certification program has been very successful since the beginning. MSPA members have noted a strong and continued trend in which certified shoppers are consistently returning more complete, accurate and detailed reports,” said John Swinburn, Executive Director of the MSPA. “One main goal of the MSPA is to improve the caliber of shoppers and enhance the quality of their services for the industry – the certification program certainly helps achieve that.”

The certification program covers all aspects of mystery shopping, including how to obtain shopping assignments, techniques for conducting evaluations, tips on improving evaluation reports and the positive impact mystery shopping can have on business operations.

The MSPA estimates there are approximately 1.5 million mystery shoppers in North America and 250,000 internationally. Currently, there are more than 47,500 Silver-certified shoppers and more than 2,500 Gold-certified shoppers.

Though certification is encouraged, it is not a requirement to be a mystery shopper. For more information about becoming a certified mystery shopper, visit http://www.mysteryshop.org/certification.php.

Although 50,000 certifications have been issued, if the estimate of 1.5 million mystery shoppers is in the ballpark, it means that only about 3% of shoppers are certified. Certification is not required by any company, but it is recognized by many, giving certified shoppers a competitve edge.

Is it worthwhile to you to have a credential that is (1) recognized by many of the top mystery shopping companies and (2) only held by about 3% of your fellow mystery shoppers?

Cathy Stucker is the author of The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

Have you ever been in a room full of mystery shoppers? The workshops not only offer a chance to brush up your skills, but also an opportunity to network with other shoppers. It is a fast-paced, fun day. You will learn some things to make you a better mystery shopper, and you will make new friends.

If you are considering certification, watch for a workshop near you. We start this year in San Diego, then go to Tampa, Dallas and about 20 other cities. And don’t forget that the Shopper Educational Conference will be in Chicago this July. Watch for more details soon.

Learn more about MSPA Certification at http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/certification.php