Welcome Johnetta.
Here's my two cents!
Don't take on too many different projects to start as it is easy to get the requirements mixed up.
As well, don't sign up for too many of one kind of shop until you know you like doing it. I once took on about 15 shops at different locations that sounded like shops I had done before but they were awful and I was stuck doing 15 of them.
Get back to your schedulers right away when they contact you, they will appreciate it and remember it. If you are unable to do a shop - let your scheduler know right away.
If you find there are details you have a hard time remembering, send yourself a text or write it down as soon as you are a reasonable distance from the shop so as not to get caught.
There is lots more but that's a start.
Welcome to both of you. You each have one of the best traits for being a great shopper - a positive attitude!
Check your guidelines and if in doubt, check with your scheduler. Each shop is different. Some let you bring children, some don't.
I like the fact that there are always new challenges. Just when you think you've done them all, a new type of shop will come out that is totally different. And then you can get into video which is a whole new world!
You should take one of the video courses, either through MSPA or IMSC. Then change your profile in the companies you work with to show you have done it and have the equipment. If they have any video shops, they will start to show up in your searches on the job boards.
Silver and Gold certifications are available on the MSPA website. They also have a number of other courses including:
Casual Dining Fine Dining Video Shopping I
Professional Responsibility & Ethics
Banking & Financial Institutions I Video Shopping II Professional Industry Writing
I have to say that I emphatically disagree with the last post about not paying for courses because you can get all the answers you need on a forum.
First, it shows the MSP that you are serious about what you do. If you are doing 40+ shops a week you want to stand out.
Secondly, some of the information you get on the forums may not be completely accurate. I am always surprised by the number of shoppers that think it is OK to post the name of a company that is being shopped. There are many reasons this is not OK and is addressed in the courses. For the MSPs, it alerts them to who is being shopped and it is much easier to steal a client than to try and educate a new one about mystery shopping. As well, many shoppers have other jobs and may see that their company is being shopped and alert their co-workers. And don't forget, schedulers scour these forums and they will see that you have posted and it could work against you.
Third, it is very energizing to take a course. It's stimulating even if you could answer all the questions without reading the material. It reminds you of the nuances of what we do and confirms what you are doing right. And even after doing thousands of shops, I still find new ways of approaching things.
Lastly, almost all the courses emphasize the importance of writing a good report. I have recruited several mystery shoppers and usually help them with their first shops. I am sometimes amazed at how badly they are written before editing.
I take all the courses I can, they are not very expensive and I feel I get a lot out of them.
MF Johnston - I guess you and I just have philosophical differences of opinion on spending money on our chosen craft. I agree - getting shops is not hard, there are plenty to go around but I want as much diversity as I can get. My path has led me to a couple of the conferences and the fact that I was gold certified and had business cards available helped me stand out. Because of that I am now in the process of working with two companies to expand their business into Canada and it's interesting to see that side of it. I've also been involved in several pilot projects for new clients and the MSC's gain credibility by telling their clients that these are our best shoppers -they are gold certified. And if you can help gain a new client, you will get a lot of the better jobs, many that don't reach the job boards. So it all depends on what you want from the industry. Each shopper will have to determine for themselves what direction they want to go. It's not necessarily the training that you get with these courses, the fact that you made the commitment to do it speaks volumes.
As I said, we have a fundamental philosophical difference of opinion. Most of the conference is geared around classes with a short networking session at the beginning. And as far as business cards go, they don't have to advertise secret shopping. Mine simply have a graphic, my name and contact information. It is given only to MSC representatives and sometimes to other shoppers. It is in itself a form of networking. I am not saying that everyone needs to go my route but I would also not discourage them from doing it or from going the way you did. I think it is more fair to offer alternatives to those just starting out or those who have been in the industry for many years rather than saying there is only one best way to proceed. This is not a career for me. I am retired and always looking for new challenges. For me personally, if I could not have expanded beyond just doing shops I probably would have moved on to something else. I want to have input into how things are done and understand it from the MSC point of view. I love what I do, have a diversity of projects and have new challenges all the time.