I think every laptop has built-in speakers and microphone, so I don't think you have to have a headset - however, I do believe the sound quality will be much better if you do use it.

Hello,

Here is how the system works:

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.

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 gran you shopper points, boosting your rank rather quickly.

I hope this helps!

Hi everyone,

Yes, when MFJohnston said is true, although there are many other cases where a TEST shop is created - for example, whenever a new type of shop is created (for a new client or an existing one), before getting posted and made available for shoppers, the MSP first creates a test shop, and assigns it to one of their admins - they then test it out to see if the shop form looks and works exactly the way they intended. iSecretShop support team and developers also create TEST shops sometimes, whether to test out a new feature, or to replicate/troubleshoot an issue that someone reports.

These shops are almost always set up in such a way that they are hidden from shoppers, but sometimes they may want to test things like scheduling rules, demographic requirements, etc - so they briefly post the TEST shop publicly in order to be able to test if the requesting process works as planned, etc.

And I thought my job was good... :)

Hi Billie,

You can find a collection of some advice on the following thread of the Forum: https://www.secretshopforum.com/thread/1/2/94/pro-tips-for-those-who-want-to-be-the-best-shoppers#post528

I hope that helps :)

That's very well said!

Also, you can contact any of those companies whose shops you completed (or plan to complete) at any time and inquire about their payment policies.

That explains why I've never heard of such a thing happening - I can only speak about my experiences with the MSPs on the iSS platform, since I haven't really had any contact with the ones outside of it.

I Loren,

You can find a collection of tips and advice on the following thread, to help you make the most out of your experience: https://www.secretshopforum.com/thread/1/2/94/pro-tips-for-those-who-want-to-be-the-best-shoppers#post528

Hi Jeannette,

I'm sorry - I was not able to find any messages from you, or any posts older than 17 days - please feel free to send me a message if htere's anything I can help with, or post it here if you'd like us all to discuss.

Cheers!

Hi Sarah,

You can find certification courses on www.iSSprep.com - if a shop has a specific certification requirement, the shop description (visible in the details, when requesting the shop) will contain a certification code - when you enter that code in the search filed in iSSprep, you will be able to access that specific certification.

I hope this helps!