Archive: White Glove Journal
Should I Quit My Day Job?
Thursday, May 19, 2011 9:30 AM
Every time I talk with people about mystery shopping,
and the role I play in the arena, I am asked how quickly they can get rich, or
can they do enough mystery shopping to quit their day job.
Unfortunately I cannot answer them. Not because I don’t know there answer, but
because it is not for me to decide.
Success at mystery shopping is a choice.
You work as much as you want, as hard as you want and as often as you
want when you are a mystery shopper. You
can work for one Mystery Shopping Provider, or many. You can conduct one mystery shop a day, or
dozens, depending on the complexity of each.
Some mystery shoppers are stay-at-home moms. Others are single moms, or dads. Still others are students or retirees. Anyone can be a mystery shopper – well anyone
with a desire to make money. But how
well you succeed as a mystery shopper, financially, is completely up to you.
Before you decide to quit your day job, think about what
you want from mystery shopping. You
should also sit down and think about what you are doing with your life right
now, work-related.
How much time are you putting into your job? What is the reward? For some it might be a minimum wage job
working 40 hours a week with minimal benefits.
For others it could be a six-figure salary running a division of a
company. Well, the latter probably is
not going to be a mystery shopper, just because of the time commitment required
of their day job. The point is that
before you decide if you can, or want to make a career out of mystery shopping,
you need to determine your financial security.
Yes you can make great money as a mystery shopper, and
maybe get a lot of wonderful free meals and other benefits, but being a mystery
shopper is like being your own boss – well actually it is being your own
boss. By becoming a mystery shopper you
have, in affect, become a vendor for a Mystery
Shopping Provider. This means that you
own your own company and it is now your job to make your company as profitable
as possible by doing as much mystery shopping as possible to cover your
financial needs.
If you can take on enough work as a mystery shopper to
replace, and maybe even exceed your present paycheck, then mystery shopping
might be the right gig to help you quit your day job. But, if you are not 100% confident that you
can register with enough Mystery Shopping Providers, or dedicate as much time
as necessary to meet certain financial targets you set for yourself (and not a
lot of people can) then maybe you should hold onto that day job. Besides, working your regular job and mystery
shopping only means you will have that much more money saved up for retirement.
If you have not already signed up for at least one
Mystery Shopping Provider you’d better do it soon so you can start earning that
extra money. AboutFace Consulting Corp
is a leading Mystery Shopping Provider with thousands of shopping opportunities
available every month. To learn more
about how to become a mystery shopper for AboutFace visit
www.aboutfacecorp.com.
Avoid Mystery Shopping Scams
Thursday, May 12, 2011 8:59 AM
There are scams for just about everything these
days. I remember an incident almost a
decade ago when I put my mountain bike on Craigslist, for sale. Almost as quickly as I posted I received an
email from an interested buyer. I was
selling the bike for $300. The email I
received offered me $1500. The suspected
buyer wanted to send me a check to cover costs for shipping the bike to Africa. The suspected buyer was supposedly in France,
but had a shipping buddy who only wanted $800 to ship the bike. The balance of the $1500 was supposed to be
for my troubles.
I think you see where I am going with this tale. Of course I did not fall for it. Sure it sounded almost too good to be
true. And, a decade ago many people did
fall for that scam. Over the years the
number of scam-artists has grown, allowing more of the general public to learn
about them, AND learn from them.
Unfortunately the scam-artists got more creative, and
every day they come up with more interesting and more creative ways to deceive
any innocent by-stander. So, all we can
do is work together, and work smarter, when we are presented with anything that
sounds too good to be true, because generally it is too good to be true.
In the mystery shopping world there is one scam that is
growing, and is affecting the lives of hundreds of people everywhere. I, unfortunately, have heard too many of the
real life stories from these innocent people who have been scammed out of
thousands of dollars.
Simply put, if someone offers you money – it doesn’t
matter who it is, or why they are offering you the money – do not accept it
willingly. Question it! Especially if the person
offering you money claims to be from a company that you have never done
business with before.
AboutFace Consulting Corp, a leader in the mystery
shopping arena, NEVER sends people money, in advance, to conduct mystery
shops. That is not how business is
conducted in mystery shopping. Too often,
people are getting BIG checks from a company claiming to be AboutFace, or
another Mystery Shopping Provider. The
scam even looks legit. Trust me, I have
seen it. But do not be fooled.
If you EVER receive a check from AboutFace, or any
Mystery Shopping Provider, DO NOT cash it. Call the company and help them bring down the
scam artist who tried to bring you down.
You can follow AboutFace on facebook at
www.Facebook.com/AboutFaceMysteryShopping, or if you want to become a mystery
shopper for a mystery shopping leader, visit
www.aboutfacecorp.com/shop_become.cfm to register, and start earning great
money, without the scam.
What is the MSPA?
Thursday, May 05, 2011 7:49 AM
Before I was part of the Mystery Shopping world I had
never heard of the MSPA. I didn’t need
to know. But if you are part of the
Mystery Shopping world, regardless of whether you are a shopper or a comapny looking to use mystery shopping services, you need
to know what the MSPA is and why they are important.
The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) is the
largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality
using anonymous resources, so reads their website, www.mysteryshop.org.
So right about now you are probably asking yourself why
you should care and how the MSPA can help you, as a mystery shopper, or as a
company looking to use a Mystery Shopping Provider. Those are good questions to be asking. The MSPA has over 400 members. These members are Mystery Shopping Providers,
including AboutFace Consulting Corp (www.aboutfacecorp.com), who are dedicated
to a code of professional ethics with regard to the valued services provided by
the mystery shopping industry.
As a mystery shopper you should want to know that any
company you do mystery shopping for is legit and is above the law. You would want to know that these companies are
going to work with you to be successful.
There are too many scams out there not to take the MSPA membership
seriously. And, as we all know, there
are more and more scams out there, some pretending to be legit mystery shopping
providers. You can use the MSPA to learn
more about any company claiming to be a Mystery
Shopping Provider so as to protect yourself.
For those of companies out there looking to hire a
Mystery Shopping Provider to help with customer experience and improvement it
is a good idea to find out if that company is a member of the MSPA. If they are not, then move on. The MSPA helps you know who the trusted
Mystery Shopping Providers are out there – the leaders in the industry who can
help your organization grow.
Another great thing about the MSPA is that it offers a
code of professional ethics for shoppers, too.
So it holds everyone accountable for ensuring a safe, productive
environment for mystery shopping industry to grow. The MSPA offers a certification
program to all mystery shoppers. The
certification educates shoppers about mystery shopping and gives them the
opportunity to earn a silver or gold certificate. The MSPA has workshops throughout the year
for shoppers. In fact, there is one in
Toledo, Ohio on June 11, 2011. For more
information about this exciting workshop, visit them at www.mysteryshop.org
today.
Why People Mystery Shop
Thursday, April 28, 2011 7:45 AM
You might be asking yourself what the point to mystery
shopping is, and why you, or anyone would want to do it. There are a lot of good reasons to mystery
shop, the best and most basic of which is to make easy money. That is not to say that everyone who is a
mystery shopper is rich. Mystery
shopping can be a lot of work and takes a certain breed of person to do it, and
do it well.
Firstly, you have to ask yourself if getting paid to eat
at your favorite, or a new restaurant sounds good to you. Think about it for a minute. You have always wanted to dine at the new hot
spot in the city, but you never had the cash.
Well, what if that restaurant paid you to dine with them, and picked up
the tab? Sounds like a good reason to
mystery shop to me.
Of course there are other reasons to mystery shop. Maybe you need a second income or you lost
your job, or are a college student, and you need to make money to pay your
bills. Maybe you are retired and don't
feel like sitting at home watching television, or maybe you just like the idea
of playing a spy, and getting paid for it.
Still other reasons to mystery shop include an innate
desire for companies to do good by their customers; to
provide consistent, reliable, honest service, or products. There are so many reasons to mystery shop I
have a hard time coming up with reasons not to mystery shop.
Of course, if you have a busy schedule or don't have the
time needed to dedicate to seriously doing mystery shopping and doing it well,
then maybe it is not for you. It is not just about going to that new restaurant
and getting a free meal. It is about
observing every detail of your experience.
Maybe you never gave the hostess much attention before, or never paid
attention to whether or not the specials were offered, or written on a
board. There is a lot of detail that
goes into mystery shopping successfully.
Do you think you have the desire, the attention to
detail and the passion it takes to mystery shop? Are you drooling at the idea of making money,
steadily and on your schedule? Can you
write eloquently? Can you turn a dining experience or a spa treatment or even a
visit to a doctor, bookstore or car dealership into a written document that
will help that company improve and be a better company? If you said yes to any of these questions
then I think you are ready to become a mystery shopper.
Did you know that AboutFace Consulting has worked with
hundreds of companies over the last two decades, and has thousands of mystery
shopping opportunities available every month?
If you did then you must be a mystery shopper for us, or maybe you
follow us at www.facebook.com/AboutFaceMysteryShopping. If you didn’t know that about us and are
interested in becoming a mystery shopper for AboutFace then visit us at
www.aboutfacecorp.com and click on the Shoppers link to sign up and get started
today.
What Is Mystery Shopping?
Friday, April 15, 2011 9:06 AM
The concept of mystery shopping has been around for
decades. Basically, mystery shopping is
a tool used by Mystery Shopping Providers and Marketing Research companies to
measure the quality and accuracy of a service, or to gather feedback on a
product or service offered. Companies,
large and small, have been using Mystery Shopping Providers for decades to help
understand their customer's experience.
The data collected in mystery shopping programs helps companies improve
training, messaging and overall brand loyalty.
Mystery shopping has grown over the years and can be
found in almost every industry. Retail
establishments, hotels and car dealerships can see a quick return on investment
when they are able to improve customer service and product knowledge quickly,
based on short questionnaires completed by mystery shoppers. Restaurants can
use mystery shopping assessments to ensure that all servers provide the same
level of professionalism, kindness and quality.
Even the medical industry gains valuable insight with mystery shopping
programs, as they can ensure that doctors and nurses are adhering to the latest
medical laws and providing helpful, resourceful information to patients.
The process of mystery shopping is simple. A company works with a Mystery Shopping
Provider to develop a questionnaire of any number of questions relevant to the
industry and establishment. The Mystery
Shopping Provider then contracts with independent mystery shoppers who go out
into the field and observe and report back to the Mystery Shopping Provider.
Mystery shopping is conducted by people who have no
affiliation with the company being shopped.
They are known as mystery shoppers.
Mystery shoppers are paid by the shop, and because some shops take very
little time, it is quite common for mystery shoppers to take multiple mystery
shops in a day or week, supplementing their income, or making mystery shopping
their sole income, depending on how well the can mystery shop.
The information that a mystery shopper provides to the
Mystery Shopping Provider is compiled with other similar data. For example, a restaurant owner might request
that his or her restaurant be "mystery shopped" three times a week,
at dinner time, for one month. The data
from those 12 visits are compiled and delivered to the restaurant owner in a
report that shows trends and highlights areas of concern. The Mystery Shopping Provider works with the
restaurant owner to analyze the data and may also provide customer experience
training or consulting to help the restaurant owner make good decisions with
the collected data.
If you are a company looking to improve your customer's
experience then AboutFace Consulting can help you through customized programs
or a fast, on demand program to help you achieve your goals. AboutFace Consulting has been providing
mystery shopping services to companies of all sizes, in all industries for
almost two decades. Our expansive database
of mystery shoppers located all around the USA provide a strong, reliable,
dedicated pool of experience and knowledge to help us succeed with any mystery
shopping program we develop. For more
information about the AboutFace Mystery Shopping on Demand program visit us at
www.secretshoppingondemand.com
If you are someone interested in getting paid to dine at
your favorite restaurant, get a massage at your local spa, or maybe even take a
test drive of a new sports car, mystery shopping is a great way to make good
money. To get started mystery
shopping with AboutFace Consulting visit us at www.aboutfacecorp.com.
Dear Yolanda ... What Shops Are Right For Me?
Monday, April 04, 2011 2:02 PM
Variety is the spice of life when you are mystery
shopper. Not only are there many ways to complete a shop: phone, internet,
covert, etc.; there are many types of shops available. The question would be,
when faced with so much diversity, is which shop is
best for your lifestyle?
Being a
successful mystery shopper really depends on the shops that you accept. When
deciding to become a mystery shopper you must evaluate your life and determine
what types of shops would be most successful for you. For example, a person
without reliable transportation could take advantage, and possibly excel at
internet shops. Internet shops are a great way to continue to stretch the
shopping muscle in the privacy of your own home. Similarly, phone shops are
also great if you have limited transportation. The phone shop can be done from
anywhere, and for the most part can be done at your leisure. Both internet and
phone shops require less time and in most cases can be done in 15 to 30 min.
So, if you have limited time, proximity constraints or transportation
limitations, these are the types of mystery shops for you.
These indoor shops are nice, but mystery shopping offers
are usually outdoor jobs: overt or covert. The outdoor or "out of the
home" shops are plentiful and in many different arenas. You could be a
covert shopper at a department store in the morning and an overt movie goer by
nightfall. These shops take more time, require transportation and you need to
have a definite attention to detail. If you have an open schedule, reliable
transportation and the art of paying attention you could flourish doing outdoor
shops.
The variety of shops in the hundreds of industries is
also a plus. The variety gives you, the shopper, the
ability to play to your strengths. For example, if numbers is your thing, then
audits could be your super power. If being inconspicuous is your ability, then
covert assignments could be for you. The power of success is yours and you have
the ability to be as successful as you wish as a mystery shopper, but it starts
with choosing the shop that is best for your abilities.
There are thousands of mystery shopping opportunities
available to you and if you put your mind to it, and carefully plan out where
you are strongest, you could easily pack your schedule with the right number
and right types of mystery shops so that you are successful,
and well rewarded for your hard work.
Dear Yolanda ...
Tuesday, March 08, 2011 10:00 AM
How do I observe a shop without looking like a stalker? From Totally Exposed in Paris, TX.
Dear Exposed,
Observation shops are always fun. They add that little tingle of pressure every
spy must feel when on a case. Let us
take a page from the great sleuth's that make it look easy - James Bond, Ethan
Hunt and Austin Powers. Well, maybe not
Austin Powers, but Bond and Hunt for sure.
When doing an observation shop I like to find something
nearby that would appear to have my attention.
Much like Bond standing at the bar with Martini (shaken not stirred) in
hand, while keeping an eye on his target, you can do the same. If the location
to be shopped is in a mall across or near the food court then pick up a
pretzel, something to drink and a sales paper from one of the mall stores so
you have something to pretend to focus your attention on, other than the
location being shopped. These objects help secret shoppers blend in and look
like an everyday shopper so you can be at ease of not blowing your cover. Remember that shopping the target fulfills
two objectives. You get the information
you need for your shop, and you have a receipt as proof of your shop.
Of course, shops are not always so easy, but don’t fret
because this is where the excitement starts. Having to shop a kiosk in the
middle of the mall, with no place to sit, and no obvious place to hide while
observing may seem tricky. Find a store
that will allow you the visibility to see the kiosk traffic and interaction.
Most stores have displays or racks in the window area where you won’t appear
suspicious standing and looking out at the kiosk. Just browse through the racks, while keeping
an eye on your target. If there are no
stores around or there is no way to hide your observing the target you can act
like a tired shopper.
Find a bench nearby to spy, or shop, the targeted kiosk. Just remember one thing … Never blow your
cover!
If a person notices you watching them, before they can
accuse you of spying on them, just ask them a question. I always like to ask:
"I really like your shoes, where did you get them?" It works every
time. For some reason people are really
proud of their shoes.
Scam Alert!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010 8:28 AM
The scammers are at it again. We received notice that someone is posting
ads on Craigslist that claim to be from AboutFace™. When a person responds to the ad, he/she
receives the following email from “Robin Hansen”:
Hello Betty,
My name is Robin Hansen, I
represent AboutFace, a leading supplier of Customer Experience Evaluation
services commonly known as mystery shopping. We are a company that conduct
surveys and evaluate other companies. We helps CEO's
and their leadership teams conceive clever, customer-centric strategies that
engage customers in new and exciting ways. Because we are equally proficient in
research, analysis, consulting and training, we are able to develop solutions
that effectively deliver robust financial wins
We get hired to send our customer service evaluators or
our mystery shoppers to other such companies and act like customers in order to
know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers.
Once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or
outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job (either
purchase things or require services), after which you would give a detailed
record of your experience. This is why we need honest, faithful, loyal,
reliable and trustworthy Customer Service Evaluators to work for us and joining
our team of professionals.
Examples of details you would forward to us are
1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant (time wasting)
3) Customer service professionalism
4) Sometimes you might be required to upset the
attendant, to see how they react to clients under pressure.
We turn these information's over to the company
executives who will carry out their own duties in improving their services.
Most companies employ our assistance when people give complains about their
services, or when they feel there is a need to improve their customer
service.
Your Identity will be kept confidential. You will be
paid a total of $250 for every duty you complete. Funds would be given to you
if you have to spend as part of the duty. If you are dedicated to this job, you
should be able to complete three or more tasks a week and earn over $750 a week
or better still $3000 monthly if you make yourself available with a high level
of dedication.
Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer
service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant
and services providers in your area. No commitment is made on this job, and you
would have flexible hours as it suits you.
We currently have a contract to evaluate both Western
Union and Money Gram. This is due to the following reasons:
* Customers have reported their money missing
* Slow services
* Unbalanced transfer charges
* Poor servicing
* Rudeness to customers
* Excess charges
* Late opening time and Closing before time.
* Time wasting
Your Mystery/Secret Evaluation would be:
* To make a transfer of fund from any Western union
location or Walmart/Money Gram location to another
member of our customer service evaluation team and the fund would be picked up
by that evaluator at the exact location which a customer reported her funds
missing.
* You would have to record the time at which you got to
the location and how long it took you to get serviced.
* You would also provide me with the first name of the
cashier that attends to you.
* You would be sent a payment which would cover your
$250 PAY and the fund needed for the task, so as soon as you receive the check,
you would cash it at your bank, deduct your $250 PAY and use the rest to
complete the assignment/task.
While carrying out your duty, you are expected to:
* Dress Neatly
* Be Confident
* Go straight to the point
* Complete your job on time
* Keep the task secret (not known to anyone)
* Take accurate comments (preferably in your mind)
If you are interested in this job position, fill the
application form below and have it sent back to me via email.
Regards,
Robin Hansen.
707-413-6489
APPLICATION FORM
DATE:
FIRST NAME..........
LAST NAME...........
HOME ADDRESS (NOT P. O Box)..............
CITY.........
STATE..........
ZIP CODE............
COUNTRY.......
PHONE NUMBER(S)...........
AGE ...........
GENDER ............
CURRENT OCCUPATION (IF ANY)
............
Terms of Agreement.
- I understand that I will be paid strictly on a job
done basis.
- I understand that the money I would use to carry out
any assignment would be provided for (We would provide you the money needed to
carry out your task).
- I understand that we reserves
the right to reject poor quality work or late reports.
- I understand that I will work my own hours, and make
sure I complete the task the day I am told to.
- I understand that I should NEVER share any completed
or incomplete reports with anyone else.
- I understand that reports must be submitted the same
day they are completed unless otherwise stated.
- I understand that I must be available at any time via
both e-mail and telephone when the need arises regarding an ongoing or
completed assignment.
signature:
-----------------
Please be aware that the referenced ad and email are NOT
from AboutFace™. AboutFace™ NEVER posts
ads for mystery shops on Craigslist.
While Robin Hansen is a Client Services Manager at AboutFace™ (that
information is available from our website at www.aboutfacecorp.com), she did
NOT place the ad or send the email.
(When the telephone number contained in the email above was called, a
male answered the call and claimed to be Robin Hansen.)
Don’t become a victim of this scam! Any ads or emails that involve receiving
Western Union, Money Gram, cashier’s checks, money orders, etc., and keeping
part of the money are SCAMS. Report
suspected scammers to the Federal Trade Commission (this video shows how)
and/or the Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
If you see an ad or receive an email that claims to be from AboutFace™
but it looks fishy to you, contact me at kelly.pecot@aboutfacecorp.com and I’ll
let you know if it’s legitimate. Include
a copy of the ad or email with your inquiry.
Always remember:
If it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
You Don’t Have to Take a Vacation from Mystery Shopping!
Thursday, July 15, 2010 8:15 AM
Sunshine resized 600Summer’s in full swing and you may
be wondering if you should put mystery shopping on hold so you can spend every
available minute with your kids.
Don’t.
Here are five tips to help you enjoy your kids and
continue mystery shopping during the summer:
1. Take your
kids along. Check your shop guidelines
first to make sure you’re allowed to bring children. If you are (and it’s a kid- appropriate
shop), load them up and take off on a little adventure! One note of caution: Don’t tell your little ones
you’re doing a mystery shop. They might
blurt it out during the shop and blow your cover.
2. Bring along
another adult to watch the kids while you do the shop. Most mystery shops don’t consume a lot of
time, so your friend or relative won’t mind taking the kids to another part of
the store or to the food court for a soda while you do your thing.
3. Plan shops
around your children’s schedules. For
example, do the shop before naptime and then complete your online report while
the kids are napping. You can do mystery
shops while the kids are visiting with relatives or when they’re attending day
camp, VBS, gymnastics class, etc.
4. Don’t limit
yourself to your home area. When you go
away on vacation, schedule a shop or two for your destination city or for
cities along the way. One woman
scheduled a relaxing massage when she and her family vacationed in Scottsdale,
Arizona. Take advantage of the fact that
most companies allow mystery shopping suppliers to accept shops outside their
home area and try something new!
5. Most
importantly, don’t overwhelm yourself. Although
you may be a power-shopper during the school year, you may only be able to do a
couple of shops a day while the kids are at home.
With a little planning, you can still make extra cash
this summer while not short-changing your kids.
The key is to plan ahead.
If you have a vacation-time tip to share with other
mystery shopping suppliers, please leave it in the comment box below. Enjoy your summer!
Are You Smarter than a 10th Grader?
Thursday, May 06, 2010 11:15 AM
The best Mystery Shopping Suppliers review their shop
evaluations before submitting them to make sure all typos, grammatical issues
and misspelled words have been eliminated. Although a good spellchecker will
pick up any “shopping crats” that might have escaped
your eagle eye, you should also be on the lookout for less common errors that
many people don’t even realize are incorrect.
Just for fun, take this short quiz to see if you can
spot the correct sentence in each pair: (Don't scroll down too far - the
answers are below!!)
PAIR #1:
A. If I would have known about the party, I would have
gone to it.
B. If I had known about the party, I would have gone to
it.
PAIR #2:
A. He doesn’t care about me anymore.
B. He don’t care about me
anymore.
PAIR #3:
A. When we go to the party on Saturday, let’s take a
bottle of wine.
B. When we go to the party on Saturday, let’s bring a
bottle of wine.
PAIR #4:
A. If you have ten items or less, you can use the
express lane.
B. If you have ten items or fewer, you can use the
express lane.
PAIR #5:
A. We were supposed to go to a dance last night, however, it was cancelled because of lack of
interest.
B. We were supposed to go to a dance last night;
however, it was cancelled because of lack of interest.
PAIR #6:
A. She could have had anything she wanted.
B. She could of had anything
she wanted.
PAIR #7:
A. I’m not speaking to anybody in this class.
B. I’m not speaking to nobody in this class.
PAIR #8:
A. He has took the train.
B. He has taken the train.
PAIR #9:
A. I should have went to school
yesterday.
B. I should have gone to school yesterday.
PAIR #10:
A. It’s going to be sunny tomorrow.
B. Its going to be sunny
tomorrow.
Don't go down any further until you are done - the
correct answers are below.
Here are the correct sentences:
1. B;
2. A; 3. A; 4. B; 5. B; 6. A; 7. A; 8. B; 9. B; 10. A B;
Help in the Palm of Your Hand
Tuesday, April 06, 2010 1:37 AM
The best secret shoppers are constantly on the lookout
for tools to help them perform their shops more efficiently. Did you know that
one of your best resources is literally in the palm of your hand? That’s
right…it’s your cell phone!Mobile
functionality has mushroomed over the years from simple communications devices
to awesome, multi-featured technological marvels. Adding an extra service such
as texting to your phone can enhance its usefulness to you as a shopper. But if
your phone is equipped with texting, Internet access and a camera, the sky’s
the limit! Here’s a sample of some ways you can capitalize on your cell phone’s
features to maximize your shopping experience:· Phone-A-Friend – Even if all your phone
does is allow you to make and receive calls, you can use this feature to your
advantage. Keep your scheduler’s phone number handy (or
program it into your phone’s directory) in case you encounter issues or need
clarification before, during or after your shop. · Smile for the Camera – Most
later model cell phones contain a built-in camera you can use to
covertly snap photos of things you’d like to remember when writing up your
report (i.e., dirty dishes at a restaurant, unkempt landscaping, etc.). Many
phones also have video/audio recording capabilities. Just make sure you don’t
get caught!·
Note to Self – If your phone has built-in notepad capabilities, you can
type in comments and notes to yourself to help you remember key facts. If you
don’t have a notepad, you can use your texting feature to make notes. Here’s a link that shows you how:
http://www.trap17.com/forums/Set-Notepad-Mobile-Phone-t52899.html· Where Am I? – If you have Internet access
on your phone, you can use Google Maps, MapQuest, Yahoo Maps, etc., to locate
the address and find the best route to use.
· What Time is It? – Some projects require you to time certain portions of
the shop. You can use your phone’s built-in timer to keep up with your
time. · Stay Connected – Many phones allow you to
send instant messages and emails to your contacts. When phoning your scheduler
might not be an option, you can IM or email her with your questions. Got other
ideas? We’d love to hear them!
Resource-Rich Site for Shoppers
Monday, March 08, 2010 4:05 PM
If you haven’t visited the Mystery Shopping Providers
Association’s website in awhile, you’re missing out
on a valuable resource for secret shoppers all over the world. Here are a few
of the goodies you’ll find: Alerts
about scams, what to do if you are contacted by a scammer and how
to proceed if you become a victim
Announcements of upcoming
conferences and certification opportunities. Gold certification is now available on DVD so
you don’t even have to travel to get
certified! Informative newsletters
List of mystery shopping companies
that are MSPA members. NOTE: Many
unscrupulous companies attempt to
lure shoppers with promises of instant wealth while requiring them to pay a fee for the privilege of
shopping. None of MSPA’s member
companies will charge you a fee to shop for them. The MSPA is in the process of updating their
website, so you might find some pages that are under construction. Even so,
there is a ton of information available right now. Here’s the address: http://www.mysteryshop.org. AboutFace Video ExperienceMonday,
July 06, 2009 4:27 PMShoppers! You have to take a
look at the IKEA trip that Paige Hall, CEO of AboutFace took recently. Armed
with a video camera (and a few supplies) she took on the huge store of IKEA in
search of bed. Click here to be taken to the Customer Service Vigilante page
where the article and video are located. Trust me when I say - you will want to
see this!!Feel free to leave feedback for Ms. Hall while you are there - I know
that she would love to hear what you think about her 'IKEA Experience'!
Mystery Shopping Manual
Monday, July 06, 2009 4:04 PM
Are you new to Mystery Shopping or maybe just looking
for some guidance or
fresh ideas? I was looking around the Internet and came upon this
lady from Texas, Cathy Stucker. I searched a couple of her sites and
found one I thought to be quite interesting.
She has wrote a book, The Mystery Shoppers Manual. I personally
have not bought it but her site says that it is recognized by the MSPA
which I found to be impressive. This is what the MSPA had to say about her book:
The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA)
recognizes that mystery shoppers and prospective mystery shoppers need
a resource that will give them the ‘real
story’ about mystery shopping. . .the opportunities, the realities, and
how to perform at their peak. Cathy Stucker’s book, The Mystery Shopper’s Manual, provides solid information that offers the
mystery shopper reliable information on
how to obtain assignments, how to perform them well, and how to ensure that mystery shops are conducted in accord with
the wishes of the mystery shopping
company and its clients. The Mystery Shopper’s Manual provides a realistic approach to
mystery shopping that addresses step-by-step processes for becoming a successful shopper.
The cost is $24.95 plus shipping and included in this
fee is a down loadable
link to mystery shopping companies and websites that she talks
about in her book. If you are interested
in ordering her book, click here to go straight to the order page. If you just
want to read more about it and see what others had to say, click
here.
I am curious, has anyone bought the book that you can
give us some feedback on
it? Is it worth the money?
Are you on Board?
Monday, July 06, 2009 11:23 AM
Like to be the first to hear about
shops in your area? Get on board with the newest ways to communicate in the
secret shopping world – Twitter and Facebook!
With these state-of-the-art methods of communication,
you can be get alerts
about upcoming shops in real time. No more waiting for offers or
logging in to check
the job board. You don’t even have to be at home! Follow your favorite companies by
becoming a fan or a follower. News is always at your fingertips!
Don't have a Twitter account? That's okay; it’s easy to get one, and it’s
never too late to get started. Sign up today at www.twitter.com . Once you register, you control of how much or
how little information you want to receive. And, you have the option
to get alerts sent right to your phone! So no matter where you are, you’re in the
know! Click here to go to the
AboutFace™ Secret Shoppers Twitter page.
New to Facebook?
Registering couldn't be easier. Just log in to www.facebook.com
, click on “Sign Up,” answer a
few simple questions and you’re in!! Once you’re a member, you can search for the
companies that you want to follow and become a
fan of their pages. Click here to go to the AboutFace™ Secret Shoppers
Facebook Group’s page.
Twitter and Facebook are free and so simple to use, and they can put you
ahead of the game. What are you waiting for?Heads Up ~
Another Scam
Friday, June 05, 2009 10:10 AM
Hello!
Thanks to one of our shoppers - we were made aware of the latest attempt to
use AboutFace's name in a scam. The following email is being sent out and
PLEASE do not respond to it. It IS a scam!! Anyone who receives the email
below, something like this or just
anything that has our name on it and seems "off", send it to
me to and I will verify whether it is
indeed from us or something fraudulent. My email address is
Kelly.Pecot@aboutfacecorp.com.
Here is the email that they are sending - the email
address that it is coming from is - aboutface.shopper1@rediffmail.com
AboutFace™ uses the frontline measurement tool secret or mystery shopping to
help companies and teams reach their full
potential. Our secret shopper programs effectively allow clients to hold
a mirror up to
their business urging them to look inward and discover all that is good and not so good about how they operate.
Second, our services equip our clients with the tools, guidance and
support to help them capitalize on their
organization's strengths and minimize or eliminate their weaknesses.
There are many secret shopping companies out there that
ask you to pay "a
small fee" to become a shopper. Don't do it! At AboutFace™, you will never pay to
shop! We pay you!
Mystery shopping is a great way to supplement your
income. It is a fun and
exciting opportunity, but it is not for everyone! Shoppers should
have the following:
Viable transportation
Stable home
office:
Computer and
ability to check e-mail often (the library or friend’s computer will not cut it)
Fax, scanner,
copier
Telephone
Great writing
skills
Super detail
oriented
Deadline driven
Your Identity would be kept confidential (Mystery shopper)
you would be paid
$300 for every duty you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance.
FULL NAME:
CONTACT ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP-CODE:
TELEPHONE
NUMBER:
MOBILE NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:
EMAIL:
NB: Your contact detail will be used in sending you a
check payment that
will consist of your $300 payment and the funds for the
evaluation/shopping, so make sure you
provide us with a valid data.
There are over 750 mystery shopping companies out there,
and we strive to be
the best. Year after year, we have been awarded top honors for the services we provide.
Human Resources Director
Bobby Blunt
206-337-1055
About Face Corp.
Thanks so much for being a loyal AboutFace shopper!!
Kelly Pecot
Logistics Team Director
AboutFace
Urgent Message from The MSPA - Please
Act QUICKLY
Monday, March 16, 2009 8:46 AM
Dear Mystery Shopper:
MSPA has some very important, and quite serious, information for you.
There are some very serious legislative threats that could deny you the right
to work as an independent contractor and
threaten the mystery shopping industry. We urge you to contact your Senators and Members
of Congress and implore them to oppose legislation that would undermine the legal recognition of independent-contractor
status. We ask that
you contact your Senators and your Congressional Representatives
in three ways:
Call their Washington or home
district offices.
Send them an
email or submit a web-form message to them
Write and mail a
letter to them (and copy us at the address on the bottom of this message or send a copy by fax or
email)
The following are suggested points you should make in
your communications:
I am an
independent contractor (I do
mystery shopping on contract with companies) and I strongly urge you to oppose any proposals
that would threaten my right to
work as an independent contractor.
New laws that
increase the risks to companies
that do business with independent contractors put legitimate self-employed service
providers – like me – out of business,
because our clients will be afraid to do business with us.
Many companies
that are clients of Independent
Contractors qualify for Section 530 protection and need the certainty that Section 530
provides in order to continue doing
business with independent contractors – like me.
IRS data
indicate that the federal tax
compliance rate for independent contractors whose earnings are reported on Forms 1099 is 97%, which is
only 2 percentage points lower than
the 99% compliance rate for employees--that is, we are, as a group, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens.
Now is an especially inappropriate time for the government to
take any action that will depress
economic activity, especially in the entrepreneurial sector.
If you have other "bullet-point" issues you
think other MSPA
shoppers might find useful in crafting their own messages, please
send them to us via email to
vikki@mysteryshop.org and we will add
them to the list.
Thank you for
your support in this very important effort.
Contacting Your Senators and Congressional
Representatives
Click here for a complete list of Senators and their addresses and other
contact information.
Click here for a
complete list of
Congressional Representatives and their addresses and other
contact information.
To find who
represents you in Congress (both Senate and House of Representatives), simply go to this link:http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.
You can find
detailed contact information for your Congressional representative at:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.
You can find
detailed contact information for your Senators at:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Thank You!!
Researchers Identify Regional Personality Traits Across America
Tuesday, March 03, 2009 4:46 PM
Here is an interesting story about personalities.
Based on more than 600,000 questionnaires and published
in the journal 'Perspectives on
Psychological Science', the study maps regional clusters of personality traits, then overlays
state-by-state data on crime, health and
economic development in search of correlations.
What state are you in ~ what are they saying about your
personality? Are they
right on or totally off? Here's the link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122211987961064719.html?mod=yhoofrontMystery
Shoppers
Webinar
Sunday, March 01, 2009 6:27 PM
PremierShoppers.com is offering a webinar called Mystery Shopping 101 - Fact or Fiction. This
is something new for Premier
Shoppers and they are reporting they will offer 2 webinars a
month and best of all they are FREE.
Here is the date for the first webinar:
March 16, 2009 from 11:00 AM EST - 11:45 AM EST
What I know about PremierShoppers.com ~ they are a pay
site which I have never really been an advocate of. I did visit their site when I came across
this webinar and found that their
membership prices are much less then some
others that I have seen. A year subscription for them is $28.50- as
compared to $99.99 that Shadow Shopper charges.
You can make the choice about the pay sites once you
gather all your
information BUT if you want to attend the webinars - they are all
FREE to everyone.
Here is a link to the article that I found on the web.
Maybe I will "see"
you there!
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=76775&cat=15
Warning - Bogus Scam Emails Targeting AboutFace
Saturday, January 17, 2009 9:24 PM
They are at it again. Recently a shopper contacted us to
let us know about a suspicious email that she received "appearing" to
be from AboutFace. Luckily she did not fall for it and sent it to us to confirm
whether it was legit or not. Here is what the email looks like - DO NOT fall
for it:Date: Fri, 16 Jan
2009 17:30:58 -0800
Subject: Re: shopping job near you...
From: thomasmild1@googlemail.com
To: YOUR EMAIL ADDRESSHello
Secret shopper, You are welcome to our team at Aboutfacecorp Worldwide. We will notify you soon as we send
funds out.If you ever receive and email from someone
telling you that they are going to send you money - do not fall for it. They
are going to cause you MANY problems and LOTS of money! IF you ever have doubt
about a job offer - ASK before you do anything with it.
New Shopper Feature!
Thursday, January 08, 2009 10:13 AM
You asked for it - and you got it! Many of you have said that
you want to have access to see all the shops that you have completed for AboutFace. All shoppers will
NOW be able to do just that!
Here's How!!
Log into your account - Click here to go straight to the log in screen.
Log in using
your information - User name is
your email address in all lower case - Password is your last name with first letter in caps
followed by the last 4 numbers in your
home phone number.
Under Options
(on the right side of the screen)
you are going to see this:
New Feature! ·
Show Me Shops I Have Completed
Click on the 'Show me visits I have completed' link and
it will list out the
last 100 shops that you have done for AboutFace. Be Careful of
Shop Offers - Not All are Legit!!Thursday, November
27, 2008 1:15 PMPlease watch closely to what shops
you respond to!!
They are at it again and they are coming in from a different angle! They are getting
tricky - please be careful as they are using 'shops' that are really being performed by REAL companies.
The scam appears as like this:
You receive an email from a mystery shopping company.
The subject of the email
is "Please be my hero". They briefly state the shop as
taking a test drive
at an Audi dealer; no credit information
is necessary. They pay $17 for the shop. Gas money could be negotiated if the destination was very
far.
You are prompted to go to a "school" to learn
their dos and don'ts,
etc. It is about a 20 minute test. Then, before you officially "graduate"
you are linked to a site that replicates PayPal where they casually ask for your email address and
password for PayPal!
Mystery shopping companies will NEVER ask for your
PayPal password - only your
PayPal email address. Please do not give your password to anyone
unless you are certain
you are at PayPal's log in page. (Type in http://www.paypal.com/
to your browser instead of linking through someone else's page.)
Never give ANY personal passwords out to anyone. There
should never be a reason
that someone would need to know them!! Guard your personal files!!
~Kelly Pecot
Logistics Director
Mystery Shopping Scam - Up and Running AGAIN!
Monday, October 20, 2008 8:27 AM
Attention WA Shoppers!
They are after you guys this time. Please click on the
link below - to read up
on the latest and remember - 'If it sounds too good to be true
DON'T trust them'
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_101708_news_mystery_shopper_scam.1220ecd4b.html
Thanks!
Kelly
MSPA - Wait Time Study - Please Help!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008 2:04 PM
For the past two years, MSPA has orchestrated our "Wait Time
Survey," which measures the time shoppers
have to wait in line to be served in a variety of environments. With the support and
assistance of shoppers, MSPA has been able to capitalize on the inherent interest in wait time to generate
significant media coverage of mystery
shopping. That translates into great visibility for mystery shopping, which in turn
translates into growth in the number of types of businesses that recognize the value of mystery shopping to
their bottom line. And that
translates into more opportunities for mystery shopping companies
and for shoppers! Please, take just a
few moments to participate by reporting on your most recent experience (within the
last 24 hours) of waiting in line for
service.
Every "10th" participant will receive a payment
of $5 (on Friday
mornings) to their PayPal accounts. Your participation will help
MSPA in our efforts
to market the value of mystery shopping...which will help generate more business for mystery shoppers...and your
participation can give you a quick $5
reward!
Go to http://survey.mysteryshop.org/ to participate!
Thanks!
Are you MSPA Gold Certified yet?
Wednesday, September 03, 2008 2:02 PM
This email is to let you know that an MSPA Gold Workshop
is going to be held
near you! Don't miss this great opportunity to become Gold
certified.
Schedulers prefer Gold Certified shoppers. Why? Because
the Gold Workshops help
you become one of the industry's finest shoppers. From writing
commentaries to the
latest in technology, the workshop is the best. The workshops are fast-paced, fun
and incredibly worthwhile.
And the networking opportunities are amazing. You'll
meet shoppers from your
area to exchange ideas, business cards and opportunities.
For just $99 and a few hours of your time you can become
Gold Certified!
Don't delay...register
right now!
Here's the information:
Where:
Trump International Beach Resort
18001 Collins Avenue
Sunny Isles Beach, FL USA
305.692.5600
800.340.9789
Date: 09/27/2008
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Discounted daily valet parking rate for local attendees
(only) $10.00
Hotel rate 189.00
To make your reservation today, please visit the
following link http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/gold.php#dates
Thanks!