Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
Hi - New from Montreal

Hi Tina, welcome!


You can find a bunch of useful tips and tricks on this thread: https://www.secretshopforum.com/thread/1/2/94/pro-tips-for-those-who-want-to-be-the-best-shoppers


it can help you make the most out of your experience.


Cheers!

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
Assignments

Exactly like HeatherAnnie said - what you see is what is available for you to do, regardless of your badges or Reputation rank.


There are some shops that can be open in your area and not visible to you on the Available Shops page, but that is only in case you don't meet the basic demographic requirements, such as age, or gender.


Otherwise, yes, schedulers will sometimes contact shoppers with past experience in a specific shop type (or location), before the shops are officially posted, or shoppers who were recommended to them by other schedulers/editors as reliable and professional. This does not happen often, but is a little bit of a "perk" for experienced shoppers. Otherwise, what you see on the Available Shops is what is open. :)


Cheers!

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
New here and confused

Hi Florence,


When a shop is assigned to you, you can find it on your Assigned Shops page. When you click "Complete Shop", ity will take you to the shop page which contains detailed instructions and guidelines for completing the shop.


Here is how the system works in general:


-Once you log into iSecretShop, go to the "Available Shops" page, and browse the shops that are posted.

-When you see the one you are interested in, you click "View Details" and it will open a pop-up window with all the information on the shop.

-Then, you can either self-assign that shop, or click "Request shop" to submit a request for a specific date. The schedulers are frequently reviewing these requests, so it should be approved soon.


*If you are prompted to sign the iSecretShop Terms of Use or the Mystery Shopping Provider's contract first, you can do so on the "Provider Contracts and Policies" page.

*If you are prompted to enter your PayPal email address, you may do so on the "Update Extended Profile" page.


-Once you have a shop assigned to you, you can always view it on the "Assigned Shops" page - there you can see all shops you have assigned, and can click "Complete Shop" on any of them to see the full shop information, the shop instructions, the questions, or/and fill out the shop report.

-If you have any questions about a particular shop, you can always contact the MSP that posted it, and their schedulers/editors will be happy to help.

-When you are done filling out the shop report - you click "Finalize Shop" to submit it - it will be reviewed to editors and either approved, or returned to you for additional information (if so, it will appear back in your "Assigned Shops" page).

-After the shop is approved, you can communicate with the MSP regarding your payment for that shop.


I also advise going to iSSprep.com and doing courses like "iSS 101" and "iSS 102" - these will not only provide you with additional knowledge, but will also grant you shopper points, boosting your rank rather quickly. You can also click the Forum button on iSecretShop to go to the forum and look up various subjects and connect with the shopper community.


Also, you can go to this theread to find a lot of useful tips and advice to help get you started: https://www.secretshopforum.com/thread/1/2/94/pro-tips-for-those-who-want-to-be-the-best-shoppers

I hope this answers your question.


Cheers!

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
Declined shops

Hi David,


You can try using the following contact info to reach them:


Campus Feedback

Info@campusfeedback.com

603-223-0303


Keep in mind that for Web/Telephone shops there is always a very large demand (like a dozen or two dozen shoppers request each one within hours of them being posted).


Here's a couple of things you can do to increase your chances of having your requests approved:


-Request shops for the soonest available dates - if a shop is available for any day next week, requests for Monday will be the first ones the schedulers see, and the first ones they approve (as they want their shops done as soon as possible), so requesting for the earliest date increases your chances of getting a shop.

-Check the Available Shops regularly, and read the emails from the schedulers or the iSS system - A LOT of shops gets grabbed within hours of being posted, so it's good to be one of the first shoppers that requests them.

-Once you submit your request, then try emailing the MSP. Let them know you've requested the shops, and that you'd very much like a chance to do them, etc, etc. Can't hurt to try. :)


I hope this helps!

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
I forgot to add all my receipts to a shop.

I agree completely with everything you guys said! :)

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
App usage on iPhone

Hi Alison,


The first thing to try when having issues with the mobile app is to log out of it, then close the app (double tap home, and swipe up on the app icon to close it). Then open the app again, and login. This usually takes care of any cache issues that might occur.

If that doesn't work, you can try uninstalling and then re-installing the app from the App Store - this will ensure that you have the latest version of the app, and that any potential problems with the previous installation are gone.


If you still get the same issue, you should open a support ticket for iSecretShop, explain the issue in detail, list which device you're using, what have you tried to do to fix the issue, which exact shop and category are you trying to edit, and attach a screenshot or two - the developers can then look into it in more detail, and resolve the problem if they find a bug.


Cheers!

Ivan
6 years +3 Ivan 951
Party Man

OMG! That sounds like something you'd see in a Hangover movie, not on a shop :D

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
Weekly Points

That is indeed a lot.

The certification courses do give more points than shops (the iSS 101 and 1SS 102 give about 125 points combined), but can only be done once.


My theory is that the person just completed A LOT of same type shops.


For example, I know of a lady that completed 30 price audit shops in one day. There were 6 shops available per location (that can be done simultaneously, in one visit), 5 different locations, and she took them all on and drove from one location to the other, spending about an hour or so at each. That was an unusual case, as it was a combination of weekly price audit shops and monthly ones, posted at the same time, so there was a bunch to complete.

Some retail shops (like those for cellphone recommendations), or some Gas Station or Parking shops are also often posted in large numbers every week/month, and shoppers who are experienced with them (and comfortable with doing many) take on a dozen or two dozen at a time.


So, if we combine doing a bunch of similar shops a few times a week with maybe some telephone/web shops that can be done from home, and maybe some opinion polls, it is technically possible to rack up that many points, although it honestly still blows my mind that someone is that active and efficient.


Hats off to that person whoever they are, but keep in mind that every week is a story of it's own, and one of these weeks I'm sure I'll see that "#1 on the Leaderbord" badge next to your names :)

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
My first few shops

Wow Patrick, hats off to you for taking on a Lamps Plus shop so early on. It's one of the most challenging ones I've encountered - the scenario is very detailed, there's a lot of stuff to remember. I think other shops will be a breeze to you :)

Ivan
6 years 0 Ivan 951
Due dates

Great advice folks!


A lot of shops have the option of rescheduling them by yourself, and even those that don't can often be rescheduled for an earlier or later date - you just need to contact the schedulers and ask :)