Hi Erica,

Definitely the MSP that posted the shop - that sort of feedback and suggestion is exactly what can help improve the entire process, so I'm sure they'll appreciate it :)

Hi Paige,

Yes, Heather has a good point - you should quickly verify that shops are actually under your "assigned shops" when self-assigning, to make sure they are actually there. Also, make sure to request them for the desired date (at first, I've self-assigned accidentaly for the current date, and of course, tomorrow morning the shops expired and got unassigned automatically).

If you are sure they were there, and they are missing, you can try opening a support ticket to iSecretShop, and get the most reliable info on what happened and/or what your next steps would be, just make sure to provide as much info as you can when you do that.

Cheers!

Yes, logging out of the app, exiting it completely, closing it, and then re-starting it and logging back in can sometimes solve a bunch of cache issues.

Also, you can try deleting the app, and then reinstalling it from the app store - that will ensure that you have the latest version.

HI Linda,

The Legacy badge shows how many years have you been an active shopper in the iSecretShop system, so the only way to get more points on it is to just stay active over the years - if you do at even a couple of shops a year, you will see that badge level increase over time.

And Bunny, exactly as Tiffany said - badges show what experience you have overall and in specific shop categories, and help get you selected for additional shops.

Furthermore, there are additional benefits - some shops are set in such a way that you can self-assign an unlimited number of them if your badge for that shop category is high enough, allowing you to bypass the process of requesting them and waiting for your requests to be approved.

Additionally, there are some badges, like Grammarian, Quality, Ethics, etc, that show schedulers what can be expected of you as a shopper, making them more likely approve your requests over requests from other shoppers.

Cheers!

Hi Wendy,

If the badge in question is a specific shop category badge, then the MSP needs to set their shop in such a way that it rewards that badge. However, keep in mind that every shop can only grant one specialty badge, so for example, a price audit at a Gas Station might be categorized the "Gas Station/C-Store" specialty, and give that badge, not the "Price Audit" one - it all depends on how the MSP categorizes their shop.

Check your badges - make sure that you didn't receive a different category badge, and if you think your shop is incorrectly categorized or not categorized at all, contact the MSP and let them know about it.

Cheers!

Hi guys,

I've created a new thread on the Forum regarding badges, explaining in more detail all I've managed to gather on the badges so far. I hope you find it helpful! :)

Here it is:

https://www.secretshopforum.com/thread/1/2/205/the-badge-system

Thanks for the advice folks!

Yeah, the MSP needs to set their shop in such a way that it rewards the right category badge. Do keep in mind that every shop can only grant one specialty badge, so for example, a price audit at a Gas Station might be categorized the "Gas Station/C-Store" specialty, and give that badge, not the "Price Audit" one - it all depends on how the MSP categorizes their shop. They can set their shop's specialty to any of their choosing, but they usually try to be "narrow" and specific about their badges categories, so as price audit shops are a bit more generic than shops at gas stations, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case and they decided to categorize it in such a way.

In any case, it's good to check your badges and make sure that you didn't receive a different category badge if you think some are missing, and if you think your shop is incorrectly categorized or not categorized at all, you do have every right to contact the MSP and let them know about it.

That's a very nice and healthy attitude to have David! :)

Hi Kylie,

When you go to the Available Shops page, you should be able to see all open shops in your immediate area that you can do.

If you want to see more shops, you can set the search distance filter (in the upper-left corner of the Available Shops page, above the map) to 50 or 100 miles, and click the search button (a small magnifying glass symbol in that same row) - that will show you the available shops in the wider area around you.

Also, there is the Telephone & Web Shops page, where you can find shops that can be done from anywhere.

If you are still not seeing any shops, I suggest opening a support ticket to iSecretShop to have them check your profile for shops in your area - there are some areas where there may not be any shops at some point, so it doesn't hurt to check.

Good luck with your shops, and welcome! :)

Thanks for sharing Steve!

I think that "So, if in doubt call first," and "When in doubt, check with the MSP :)" statements should be permanently engraved in the background of each and every shop page. :)

Cheers!