Do I need any special qualifications to become a mystery shopper?
While you do not need any special qualifications to become a mystery shopper, we do look for certain qualities to ensure our clients are receiving the best possible feedback. These qualities include:
- Reliability – As we have to adhere to strict deadlines, we require mystery shoppers who we can depend on.
- Attention to Detail – Having a keen eye for detail & a strong memory is important to ensure you follow your brief & accurately write up the detail in the report afterwards.
- Honesty – It is important that reports written up by the shoppers are accurate, truthful & an honest reflection.
How do I find jobs in my area?
When setting up your profile, you input your address. Usually, you will be alerted to any assessments you are eligible for in your area via email.
You can also view available assessments by logging into your account & viewing the ‘Jobs Board.’ Here, you can categorise your search to find assessments that you are more suited to.
How do I apply for jobs?
If you receive an email informing you that there are assessments in your area, you can follow the link in this email to apply for them. Alternatively, you can apply for assessments on the ‘Jobs Board.’
Once an assessment is assigned to you, you will receive an email notification & it will be visible in your ‘Shop Log’ where you can access the guidelines & report.
How do I get paid? Where do I input my bank details?
You will be paid via our online system. Here, you input your BIC & IBAN into your ‘Extended Shopper Profile’ on the ‘My Profile’ section. Once your bank details are inputted correctly & you have followed the assessment brief, you will be paid as per our payment terms.
Have I entered my bank details correctly?
The system will alert you to any errors in your bank details.
When you enter your IBAN, a message may appear which reads ‘The IBAN must be in CAPITAL LETTERS & NO SPACES.’ This is not an error message & does not mean your details aren’t saved properly.
When do I get paid?
Payment falls due at the end of the month following the visit. For example: if you complete a visit in June, you will receive payment at the end of July.
Will payment be taxed?
As a mystery shopper, you carry out assignments on a part-time, self-employed basis. Therefore, you are responsible for your own tax affairs when undertaking mystery shopping.
When a shop is assigned to me, how do I access the report & the guidelines?
Once an assessment is assigned to you, it will be visible when you log into your account under your ‘Shop Log.’ Here, you can see the name of the shop, its address, the assessment guidelines & the report to be filled out afterwards.
It is important to note that you will not be able to view the report until you have accessed & read the guidelines. Once you have accessed & read the guidelines, just refresh the page & it will allow you to open the report.
It is essential to always read the guidelines carefully before conducting any assessment. If the correct scenario is not followed, we may not be able to use the report & in this case, we will not be able to pay you. You can contact us by phone or email if you have any questions relating to the guidelines before doing the visit.
How do I submit my report?
Once you have finished & spell checked your report & wish to submit it, you can do so by scrolling to bottom of it. When you submit your report, if some information is missing, you will get an ‘OOPS’ notification in red. Clicking on this will take you to the relevant question so you can rectify it before submitting.
Can I save the report for later if I do not have time to finish it?
If you do not wish to fill out the entire report at once, you can select the option at the end of the report which allows you to “save it for later”. It is vital that you save your work every 30 minutes or else the report may automatically time out.
How long do I have after the shop to get the report written up & submitted?
Best practice is to have all reports submitted within 24 hours of the visit being completed.
On being assigned an assessment, a due date for the report will be assigned. Deadlines for some shops may be more flexible than others.
If you are not able to submit the report before the deadline given to you, it is essential that you let us know. We can then investigate the urgency of that report & decide on whether we can extend the due date for you or remove it & get it assigned to another shopper.
How long do the reports usually take?
The length of the report varies from assessment to assessment. Some reports may take as little as 10 – 15 minutes, while others may require more in-depth information & can take up to 60 minutes or more.
The fee advertised for the assessment reflects the length of the report required. Therefore, the fee will usually be higher for more time-consuming reports.
How do I spell check my reports before submitting?
We highly encourage you to use our spell check feature before submitting your report. This is located at the bottom of the report. Please ensure to first change the settings to ‘British English’ instead of ‘English’.
What is a scenario & where do I find what scenario to use for each shop?
The scenario is set out by the client based their objectives. The scenario can be found in the guidelines for each assessment & will outline what is required from you during the assessment.
Some scenarios are more specific than others e.g. you may be required to purchase a certain item in the store or enquire about a specific service / product & answer questions in a very specific way, whereas other assessments may involve a more general query.
What happens if I do the shop incorrectly?
It is very important that you follow the scenario & guidelines correctly. If you do not, we may not be able to use the report. This can result in non-payment.
What is a shopper grade & how do I achieve a high grade?
Shopper grading assists us in finding the most suitable shoppers for different assessments i.e. some shoppers may be able to turn reports around quicker & may provide more information than others, so we will choose them for the assessments with a quick turnaround time & reports that require more detail.
A shopper with a high grade, will have a better chance of being assigned the more desirable assessment. You can achieve a high grade by writing a good quality report i.e. in-depth information with few to no spelling mistakes & little room for improvement.
If you score a low grade, we will leave feedback in your shopper log with points on how you can improve to achieve a higher grade in future.
Please note we do take into consideration how long a shopper has been with us when reviewing grades & do allow all shoppers ample time to take feedback on board & improve.
How do I stop/resume receiving emails?
You can turn off email notifications anytime by logging into your account, going to to ‘My Profile’ & clicking the ‘Change’ link in the ‘Account Status’ row. Here, you need to click the ‘Do Not Email Shop Offers’ button. You will still be able to apply for jobs through the Job Board but you will not receive any email notifications of new jobs.
You can resume receiving email notifications by repeating the same steps above and unclicking the ‘Do Not Email Shop Offers’ button.
