• Based on the service you received today, would you have opened an account at this bank?
• Based on the rental agent’s presentation, would you have rented an apartment here?
• Would you return to this store/restaurant and spend your own money?

These questions call for your opinion, but a good answer requires that you back up your opinion with reasons and facts. Here are some examples of how to handle these types of questions.

First of all, read the question carefully. The question, “If you were looking for a bank, would you have opened an account with us today?” is not the same as, “Based on the service you received today, would you have opened an account at this bank?” The second question is all about the service you received from the bank employee, not about any of the products or services you were told about.

As for the basic yes or no answer, what does your gut say? If you were a “real” customer, would you have said yes to their offer or would you be willing to come back and spend your own money?

Does your yes or no answer jibe with the answers in your report? If the report is glowing, and they did everything right, but you say no, well, what is the problem exactly? Likewise, it will look odd if the report shows that you received terrible service and yet you want to do business with them.

Be ready with reasons to back up your answer, whether you answered yes or no. For example, perhaps the service was only so-so, but the food was delicious so you would return. Even if your report indicates everything was wonderful (or everything was awful) give one or more reasons why you would (or would not) select that business or return there.

Use an appropriate reason. When you mystery shop a business, you are pretending that it is a business in which you are interested. Answering that you would not do business with that bank because it is 20 miles from your home, or that you would not rent an apartment because you own your own home, is wrong. You must put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer who walked in the door because they would consider doing business there.

Another mistake is saying that you would not return and spend your own money because the prices are too high. For example, if you are evaluating a fine dining restaurant you should not say that you would not return and spend your own money because, “I would never spend $175 on a meal.” You are playing the part of someone who would spend $175 on a meal, and the question should be answered from that mindset.

It might be appropriate, though, to say that the value does not compare to similar restaurants. For example, there is a well-known fine dining chain that, in my opinion, offers food and service that are not the same quality as others. If I were to mystery shop them and the report asked if I would return and spend my own money, I would probably say no, because there are other restaurants of that caliber that have more menu selections, better quality food, and more attentive service. The specific answer, of course, would depend on exactly what question they asked and how it was worded.

When you are faced with one of these opinion questions, the idea is to give an honest answer, backed up with facts as to why you answered that way.

Related posts:

1. Secret Shopping is NOT Opinion Research Many of the people talking and writing about mystery shopping...
2. Keep Secret Shopper Reports Objective In surveys and other opinion research, you are asked for...
3. Repeating Information in Mystery Shopper Reports Does it drive you crazy when a report form asks...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This week, in the last of this series, we examine four points in the MSPA Code of Professional Standards and Ethics For Mystery Shoppers that address responsible behavior. All secret shoppers who achieve MSPA mystery shopper certification commit to uphold this code, and they are standards that all mystery shoppers, whether certified or not, should follow.

I will not use any MSPA media to publish complaints against vendors, clients, shoppers or mystery shopping providers.

The MSPA has a mystery shopper forum where shoppers can share information, including feedback on mystery shopping companies. The MSPA forum, and other public forums, are not the correct venue to air grievances against others. There is never a reason to “flame” any other secret shopper or company.

If it is necessary to give negative feedback about a mystery shopping company (such as if payments are consistently late) stick to the facts and present them objectively.

I will not perform any shops under the influence of illegal drugs, or prescription drugs that might impair my abilities.

An impaired shopper will not be able to make needed observations, get accurate timings and complete other requirements of the mystery shopper assignment. This is true even if the drugs are prescribed by your doctor, such as muscle relaxers or pain medications that may affect your ability to function.

I agree not to become inebriated or drink beyond the legal limits set forth in my state or perform any other activity that my cause harm to myself or others while mystery shopping.

There are shops where you are encouraged or even required to drink alcohol, such as some bar and restaurant shops. However, it is imperative that you not drink to excess, and never drive when you have had alcohol. It is not responsible to put yourself and others at risk.

I will not disrupt the normal business flow of an operation in the process of performing a shop (do not cause a scene).

Although some people believe that the mystery shopper’s job is to be a difficult customer, in truth we are to blend in, not stand out, and certainly not cause a scene. Do not be difficult or cause a problem for employees or other customers.

Related posts:

1. Shopping Under the Influence (SUI) Have you ever done a shop where you had to...
2. Secret Shopping Without Gaining Weight There are lots of restaurant and fast food shops available,...
3. How Do I Know if a Mystery Shopping Company is Legitimate? Question from a mystery shopper: I want to be a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Question from a mystery shopper:

In some recent articles, you talked about getting reimbursed for things you purchased on a mystery shop. I would like to be a mystery shopper, but I am a little nervous about putting out my own money then waiting (and hoping) to get reimbursed.

How long does it take to get reimbursed for mystery shopping expenses? Should I be worried about not getting paid? How much money will I have tied up in this, and for how long?

If you are working for a legitimate mystery shopping company, you will usually receive your reimbursement (as well as any fees payable for the mystery shopper job) within two to six weeks. However, if you do not follow the shop guidelines and the client will not accept the report, you will probably not be paid. When you read and follow the guidelines, you should not have a problem getting paid. (Beware: The people who send you a check for thousands of dollars and tell you to wire money somewhere are trying to scam you. Do not fall for a mystery shopper scam.)

Waiting two to six weeks for your reimbursement may seem like a long time, but keep in mind that when you are just getting started you probably will not get a lot of assignments, and most of them will not involve large purchases.

As you start getting paid for your initial assignments, the fees can help fund your expenses for the next round of shops. Here is what I mean:

In the first month, you do six fast food shops. Each one reimburses a food purchase of $6 and pays a fee of $8. If you made the maximum purchase for each secret shop, you are out of pocket $36. Over the next two weeks, you do three retail shops that pay a fee of $12 and require a small purchase. The purchases are not reimbursed separately, and the $12 fee is meant to cover both your fee and the purchase. At each of the three retail shops you spend $4, so you are out of pocket another $12.

In your first six weeks of shopping, you have paid $48 for required purchases. Somewhere around that time, you get paid for the first round of shops: $36 for the reimbursements and $48 for the fees for a total of $84. Your cash flow is now positive and you have not even been paid for the second round of shops yet.

This is only an example. Your actual experience may be different; however, it is rare for a brand new mystery shopper to get assignments with large purchase reimbursements. One reason is that those shops may be more complex than low-end mystery shopper jobs, so the company wants experienced shoppers. High-end shops are often given as rewards to experienced shoppers who have proven they do good work, or who have helped out with last-minute shops and other emergencies. Also, the mystery shopping company does not want new shoppers putting out a lot of money only to find that they did not complete the shop correctly and they will not be paid.

Still nervous? Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your cash flow:

For your first assignments, focus on fee-only shops, such as apartments, banks, car dealerships, purchase-and-return retail shops, etc. That way you will not have any cash at risk.

When you do start taking on shops with reimbursements, only choose those you can afford to front the cash for. If you don’t have the money, or will have to pay interest on it, don’t accept the shop. Once you have been mystery shopping for a while you can use the payments you receive to fund required purchases so you can take more shops, or those with larger reimbursed purchases.

When you accept an assignment, make sure you follow all of the guidelines. That means doing the shop on the right day, at the right time and in the right place. It also means getting all of the information you will need to complete the report, writing a thorough and accurate report, and submitting the report on or before the deadline.

Consider using a credit card for expenses, if allowed by the shop guidelines. Use a card where you are not carrying a balance so that interest does not begin accruing as soon as the charge is made. It is very possible that you will have your reimbursement before the charge is due. Also, if you use a rewards card, the points, miles and cash bonuses will add up over time.

Related posts:

1. Mystery Shopper Pay - Fees and Reimbursements There is no such thing as a “typical” mystery shopping...
2. Mystery Shopper Pay via Gift Card - Good or Bad? ...
3. How Much Free Merchandise Do I Get on a Mystery Shopper Job? Question from a mystery shopper: I just started mystery shopping,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Would it be okay to return the purchase? I still have the original receipt, as the mystery shopping company just had me input the receipt number in my report.

The answer, as is so often the case, is “it depends.”

Some clients do not want shoppers returning merchandise purchased on a mystery shop for a cash refund. Their reasoning is that your compensation was the purchase reimbursement and any fee. If you take cash instead of the purchased merchandise, their costs go up because the wholesale cost of the merchandise is less than the retail value.

Before returning an item purchased on a shop for a cash refund, check the guidelines to see if they say anything about returns. You may also want to ask your scheduler.

Even if the client does not want shoppers to get cash refunds, it would probably be fine to exchange the defective item for one that is not broken. Take the item and your receipt back to the store and do an even exchange for the same item. After all, the reimbursement is part of your compensation, and if you got a defective item you did not receive all of the compensation you are due.

Before you make the exchange, scan or take a digital photograph of your receipt. Even with an exchange, the store may mark the receipt and you should have a clean copy in case the mystery shopping company requests it for some reason.

Related posts:

1. How Much Free Merchandise Do I Get on a Mystery Shopper Job? Question from a mystery shopper: I just started mystery shopping,...
2. Should I Write a Complaint Letter After a Bad Mystery Shop? ...
3. Can I Mystery Shop Full Time? Question from a mystery shopper: Is it possible to make...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This week we examine five points in the MSPA Code of Professional Standards and Ethics For Mystery Shoppers that address confidentiality. All secret shoppers who achieve MSPA certification commit to uphold this code, and they are standards that all mystery shoppers, whether certified or not, should follow.

Confidentiality is critical–that’s why they call it “secret” shopping–however, many mystery shoppers seem not to understand the importance of keeping proprietary information secret. If you are an MSPA certified shopper and you violate confidentiality, you could lose your certification. Any shopper who violates confidentiality risks being dropped by the company they burned. Confidentiality is important to mystery shopping providers and clients. It should be important to you, too.

I agree to honor all confidentiality agreements.

When you apply to a mystery shopping company, the independent contractor agreement will include a section on confidentiality. Before agreeing to the terms of the independent contractor agreement, including any confidentiality clauses, be sure to read and understand it. The independent contractor agreement is a legal contract and you are bound by its terms.

I will not ask or encourage anyone to break confidentiality agreements with other firms for whom they conduct mystery shopping assignments.

This means that you should not ask other shoppers to provide proprietary information about mystery shopping companies and their clients. Don’t gossip about mystery shopping companies and their clients, and do not ask other secret shoppers to violate their confidentiality agreements.

I will not share information with others on which company shops which clients.

This is Confidentiality 101. Visit any online mystery shopping forum and you will see questions such as, “Does anyone know who shops ?” Disclosing this information is a violation of confidentiality. Many companies would also consider a violation to provide an answer such as, “I know who shops them, but I can’t tell you because of confidentiality.” Even stating that a client gets mystery shopped could be considered a violation of the confidentiality agreement.

Oh, and asking a question about which company shops which client is encouraging someone else to violate their confidentiality agreements, so even asking the question would be a violation of these standards.

I will not share information with others on shopping fees and reimbursements for specific clients.
I will not share the results of a shop with others in order to protect the clients confidentiality.

In general, you should not share any information about specific clients with anyone. This includes posting to a public forum or telling your friends a funny story about a mystery shop. If your friend wants to become a mystery shopper, you may share information such as the names of your favorite mystery shopping companies, but you may not say who their clients are or how much they pay, and you may not share guidelines, report forms or completed reports. All of those things are covered by the confidentiality agreement.

Watch for the final installment in this series on mystery shopper best practices next week.

Related posts:

1. Secret Shopper Confidentiality and Ethics Even if you are an excellent mystery shopper and make...
2. Secret Shopping and Confidentiality It is called “secret” shopping for a reason. It is...
3. Professional Shopper “Best Practices” This is part one of a series of posts on...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ralph Fontaine

Here is what you need to know about being a secret shopper for GfK Mystery Shopping.

Describe the ideal shopper.
At GfK we have several different types of programs that require shoppers with diverse skill sets, but the number one most important quality any shopper can have is reliability. When a shopper proves that we can count on them, our schedulers feel comfortable trusting them with higher numbers of shops, as well as new or different shops. We also appreciate shoppers who understand modern Mystery Shopping, are able to take/upload digital photos, and who scan/upload shop verification documentation such as receipts. Our best shoppers are those who are also very good with time management. They know how many shops they can do in any given period and only schedule those they know they can complete. We feel lucky to have so many shoppers whose experience, dedication, and attention to detail makes our programs successful month after month.

What is the best way for a new shopper to get in the door and get a first assignment?
Our registration process is very easy, and anyone can get started in just a few minutes by going to www.cybershoppersonline.com and clicking on “Apply Online”. Once you have completed your registration, you will be entered in our database, and will receive email notifications whenever we have shops available in your area. You can also log in anytime to take a look at shops on your “Visits Available” page and accept or decline them.

The most important thing you can do as a new shopper is when you accept your first shop for us — complete it correctly and promptly.

How can shoppers qualify for your best shop assignments?
Shoppers should give 110% on every shop, complete their shops as scheduled, and report their shops completely (including file uploads) within the shop timeframes and provide quality report data. These are the shoppers our schedulers go to every time we have higher-paying/more interesting shops.

How long after a shop are your shoppers typically paid? Do you use or require PayPal?
GfK only pays by PayPal, and payment is typically received by the shopper about two to three weeks after successful submission of the shop. We take shopper payment very seriously and strive to pay shoppers as quickly as possible.

How is your company helping shoppers deal with the high price of gasoline?
We encourage shoppers to group shops together, and our schedulers are happy to help shoppers plan a route that will allow them to get as many shops done as possible during a single trip. We also ask shoppers to contact their scheduler if they are planning an out-of-town trip, so that they can be offered shops in the area where they are going.

What do you want shoppers to know–what will make them more valuable to your company?
At GfK, we stand by our Shopper Bill of Rights and work to build a strong professional team of shoppers. Mystery Shoppers are our greatest asset and we take shopper loyalty and communication very seriously. We know that it is our job to provide complete and clear shop materials and objectives. When shoppers truly understand the shop and its objectives they are able to complete the assignments correctly. What we ask of our shoppers is that they take the time to familiarize themselves with the details of their shop and ask any questions before they conduct the shop. Our clients hire us, but our shoppers keep those clients happy by: completing the work as scheduled, being careful to enter all data correctly, and uploading necessary shop verification materials. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship that we value and strive to build on at every opportunity.

You can view our Shopper Bill of Rights on our website https://www.cybershoppersonline.com/postlogin/ShopperBillofRights.pdf.

Anything else you want to add? Advice? Funny shopper stories?
Here’s one of my favorite funny shopper stories from one of our Field Managers. (This shows another characteristic that’s valuable for a shopper that I didn’t mention above — a great sense of humor!)

“We had a shopper doing a road trip, heading up to a gas station in Death Valley, CA and picking up other shops along the way. A couple of weeks later, I got a postcard from her with a lizard on the front. On the back she had written, ‘Q 8.0 – Was the associate in uniform? If no, please explain.’ Her answer was, ‘Not only was he not in uniform, he did not have a name tag, he was not wearing ANY clothes, and he was eating bugs. Plus he stuck his tongue out at me. Very rude.’ I still have this postcard hanging on the wall of my cubicle!”

—–

If you would like to be a mystery shopper for GfK, go to http://www.cybershoppersonline.com/.

Related posts:

1. The Best Mystery Shopping Company I have a list of 200 legitimate mystery shopping companies...
2. Ritter Associates Mystery Shopping Company Dennis Richard of Ritter Associates Mystery Shopping, answered some questions...
3. Beyond Hello Mystery Shopping Company Beyond Hello is an MSPA-member company located in Madison, WI....

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Should I have written a complaint letter to a restaurant I was mystery shopping?

In a word, no. You should not have written the letter. Your secret shop report gave them feedback about your experience so the letter was not necessary.

A good company will respond to a letter of complaint by doing something to make the customer whole. Meaning, they will replace defective merchandise, offer a refund or, as in this case, send coupons for free products or services. However, you were already “made whole” by the reimbursement you received from the restaurant via the mystery shopping company.

The client and the mystery shopping company might view your attempt to get another free meal (even if that was not what you were trying to do) as double dipping—getting paid twice for the same meal. Of course, they might not notice. But if they do, you could have some ’splaining to do.

My advice would be to keep the coupon and not use it. If the mystery shopping company questions you about the complaint letter, you should explain that you realized after sending it that you shouldn’t have done so. You can also tell them that you did not use the coupon the restaurant sent, because you had already been reimbursed for the meal.

Whether you have a good experience or a bad one on a mystery shopper job, your report is all the feedback the client needs.

Related posts:

1. Check the Hours Before Doing a Mystery Shop It has been a long day, but you have arrived...
2. May I Return Broken Merchandise from a Mystery Shop? ...
3. Don’t Pay to Shop! You see an ad in the newspaper, or get an...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This week we examine four points in the MSPA Code of Professional Standards and Ethics For Mystery Shoppers about mystery shopper professional conduct. All secret shoppers who achieve MSPA mystery shopper certification commit to uphold this code, and they are standards that all mystery shoppers, whether certified or not, should follow.

I will not contact a client directly without approval of the shopping company.

As mystery shoppers, our professional relationship is with the mystery shopping company, and the company has a relationship with the client. We do not have a relationship with the client, and should not insinuate ourselves into the mystery shopping provider’s client relationship.

This means that we should not contact the client with comments about a secret shop we conducted, or to offer services of our own. And a mystery shopper should never contact a client to complain about the mystery shopping company.

Will a mystery shopping provider ever ask a shopper to deal directly with a client? It is rare, but it does happen. For example, the client may want to speak directly with the shopper to get feedback or the mystery shopping company may want the client to meet some of the shoppers who work on their account.

I will not announce myself as a mystery shopper to the business being shopped unless given specific instructions by the shopping company.

If this isn’t obvious, what part of “mystery” shopper or “secret” shopper don’t you understand? Most mystery shoppers get this, but you must also make sure that if you have a companion on a mystery shopper job that they, too, know not to announce that you are mystery shopping. This includes things such as saying, “I think you will be very happy when you see your mystery shop report.”

I will not accept a mystery shopping assignment for a business that I, my family or friends work for.

It can be difficult to be objective when doing a mystery shopper job at a business where you or someone you know works. The problem is obvious when you are mystery shopping a friend of relative. However, even if you do not know anyone at the location you are shopping, there may be a tendency to be too easy on the employees and make excuses for them, or be too tough because you are aware of standards that are not included in the guidelines for the mystery shop.

How is “family” defined? Does it include your second cousin, once-removed? If you are not sure, ask the mystery shopping company before accepting an assignment.

If you enter a location to complete an assignment and discover that someone you know works there, the best thing to do is to abort the shop and inform your scheduler. It may be that when you accepted the assignment you didn’t know that the kid next door was working there; however, once you know, you should not complete the shop.

I will not list any shopping company I work for as an “employer” on any forms (especially unemployment forms) if I am hired strictly as an independent contractor for that company.

This is very important. As an independent contractor you are not an employee. It may seem like the same thing to you (“I’m working for them, doesn’t that make me an employee?”) but legally they are very different.

In most cases, mystery shoppers work as independent contractors, not employees. Do not misrepresent the relationship.

Watch for additional posts on mystery shopper best practices over the coming weeks.

Related posts:

1. Mystery Shopper Professional Standards This is one in a series of posts on mystery...
2. Professional Shopper “Best Practices” This is part one of a series of posts on...
3. Should You Ever Contact a Mystery Shopping Client? You have shopped a client many times for a particular...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Well, no, I can’t. The companies that I think are the best might be useless to you. Here are some of the things to consider when deciding which mystery shopping companies are the best for you.

What types of industries do they mystery shop? Most companies say on their websites what industries they serve. Some work with a broad range of industries, while others are more specialized. If you don’t like to do bank shops, a company that specializes in the financial industry is not a good match.

Where do they have assignments? You can not always tell from looking at the website where a company’s clients are located, but there may be clues. Some will say where they have a pressing need for new shoppers, and some may say where their clients are concentrated. Of course, they could land a new national client tomorrow, and all of that changes. Tip: Sometimes companies have more clients in the city or state where they are headquartered. Although I have worked with companies all over the country, you might start by applying to companies located near you.

What do other shoppers say about them? Although confidentiality agreements prohibit us from talking about client-specific issues, we may share information about our experiences with mystery shopping companies. Check out forums (such as Volition or MSPA) to see what other shoppers are saying about mystery shopping companies. If one shopper complains, I would take it with a grain of salt; however, if many have the same issue, there is likely a problem there.

Do they belong to the MSPA? Although there are many good companies that have chosen not to join MSPA, knowing that a company is a member makes me comfortable with them.

So how do you know which companies are “best”? Short answer: It is not always easy to tell, until you start to work with them. Even then, you may not know about some really amazing clients they have, because you will not know about those mystery shopper jobs until you have successfully completed several assignments with the mystery shopping provider.

The course of action I recommend is to apply to as many companies as you can, start picking up assignments here and there and see how it goes. Many shoppers end up do assignments for a few of the same companies nearly every month, with assignments from other companies sprinkled in now and then. If you find that a company never offers shops that are interesting to you, or doesn’t have anything in your area, you can deactivate yourself, stop their emails, or just ignore them.

For great advice on a process that makes applying to mystery shopping providers fast and easy, see the Quick Start Action Plan in The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

Related posts:

1. GfK Mystery Shopping Company Ralph Fontaine of GfK Mystery Shopping recently answered some questions...
2. Game Film® Consultants Mystery Shopping Company Renee DeSantis, President of GameFilm® Consultants, answered some questions for...
3. Ann Michaels and Associates Mystery Shopping Company Kathy Doering, of Ann Michaels & Associates Mystery Shopping, answered...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Not sure if you have to pay? You can figure it out by consulting the IRS web site at http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/ch02.html

Need to know more?

Here are some general rules about who has to pay estimated taxes:

If most of your income is from being an employee, and you have tax withheld from your paychecks at your primary job, you may not need to pay estimated taxes. (This could also apply if your spouse is the primary wage earner and s/he has taxes withheld from his or her check.)

You must pay estimated tax for 2009 if both of the following apply:

• You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for 2008, after subtracting your withholding and credits.
• You expect your withholding and credits to be less than the smaller of:
  1. 90% of the tax to be shown on your 2009 tax return, or
  2. 100% of the tax shown on your 2008 tax return. Your 2008 tax return must cover all 12 months.

Seem complicated? Well, the tax code certainly can be complicated. Here is one easy way to determine how much you should pay: If you expect your income to about what you earned last year or more, you can simply make sure that the taxes withheld from your paycheck, plus any amounts you pay in estimated taxes, equal your tax liability for 2008. If you earn more money this year you may end up owing more in taxes, but you will not owe any penalties if you pay the taxes by April 15, 2010.

You can download the 1040-ES form for paying your estimated income taxes, along with the instructions and more information about estimated taxes at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf

Related posts:

1. Estimated Income Tax Payment Due September 15, 2008 If you pay quarterly estimated income taxes, remember that your...
2. Estimated Income Tax Payment Reminder If you pay quarterly estimated income taxes, remember that your...
3. Estimated Taxes are Due for the Fourth Quarter of 2008 If you pay quarterly estimated income taxes, remember that your...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.