Hi Staci
If you live in rural area, then count the established shops around you, and then take 1% of that and you get to a rough gauge of how many shops assignments you may expect per year.
By the way This is highly unscientific and I just made it up.
But in reality, the truly only way to increase your shop assignment availablity is to sign up with a whole lot of MSPs and just make sure you keep track of who is hiring you and what time frame you will expect payments.
As far as I know if you fit the demographics of the assignment shop, then you can see that assignment shop, just like anyone else. The first independent contractor who sign up the assignment shop, that is the IC who gets it
So, the adage the early bird gets the worm, and feels good for the rest of the day, is so true here.
At times I get an assignment shop that has this phrase in it:
"you must call the store to verify the location and their hours"
And no where in the assignment guidelines do they list a phone number for the store.
OK, it's 2017 and one can always use the Internet to find information.
BUT, I feel like in addition to writing the report about the shop, and the workers at the shop, I have to do more work to update the client's store database.
If I can find out the phone number, then the client can do too?! They should have it on file or something like that?
If I gauge the time it takes me to complete the assignment, and the pay I am receiving for that assignment, then determine if it's worth it or not. But then additional work to find the phone number is needed, and now the pay becomes not worth it.
Also, we are held to strict guidelines, why is the MSP not doing the same?
I guess I think we have areas to improve our work environment. But when will be taken seriously?
Hey Staci
There are MANY reasons to become certified and join the MSPA.
1) You are taken seriously. If you take the time to get certified, you are dedicated to this work and care to learn how to do it PROPERLY.
2) As you may never meet the schedulers or editors that you work with, having a 3rd party vouche for you as a serious person is golden.
3) You are supporting the organization that supports you. If the IRS does reclassify the Independent Contactor status, who will lobby on your behalf? It's the MDPA.
4) You get to go to conferences and gatherings where you meet cool people.
I guess I made my point, but if you need more let me know.
cheeers!
Hey Sandy
Welcome to MS, and this forum.
I have not taken this particular test, BECAUSE it has a cost to it.
If you do so, please tell us if it's worth it or not.
Cheers!
Hi All,
The one thing I like about the app, is that it does not require you to save your work every 30 minutes. As long as you are working on a section, you can take your time to finish it, and not be bogged down in 30-minute increments.
The one thing I dislike about the app, is that each section is isolated from the rest of the survey report. I wish you could navigate from section to section without having to save the current section, then exit that section, and then go to the other section.
It also can be slow at times.
Useful FREE Software for Mystery Shopping:
Hello Fellow ICs
With the advent of Smart Devices like the iPhone or any Android device, I would like to introduce to you these (mostly free) Apps that might help you during your assignments. I do not derive any benefit from this other than the enjoyment of helping my fellow Secret Shoppers. If you have any App to add to this list, you are more than welcome to add, just follow the format of name of the app, how it helped you, what does it do, if it's free, and if a version is available for both iOS and Android platforms.
1) edited - removed
2) TimeStamp Camera app. This one is camera app that allows you to time stamp your videos and photos. You can also add GPS coordinates to prove that you took the photo at that GPS location. It is available on the iOS and Android version.
3) Speaking of GPS I think GeoVerify is another essential app. It gets you a code to the location you are at that you can use in your report to prove that you went to the right store location. The first time I used this app I was doing a circuit shop at San Francisco International Airport, with multiple locations in a close proximity to each other and most had the same name, just a different location at the airport. It gave me accurate location codes and I was happy to be able to prove that I did the circuit in the right order, and at the right location(s). Lately it was giving codes that are several hundred feet away, I got a code that said I was 0.2 miles away from the actual location on my iPhone 6S+, so I called on Tech. Support, but I have not heard from them so far. Make sure you are in a good outdoors location or close to a window when you get your code. You can also name the location and email the code so that if you are doing a circuit of shop assignments you can keep track of what you are doing. I am seeing many MSPs adding this to their report. It is available on the iOS and Android version.
4) Talon app. The "Poor" ICs Video app. If you do not want to spend that much money to buy a PV-500 L4, or an L3 if you can find them, camera outfit, Talon can help you save money by allowing you to take video assignments. My experience has shown me that a few MSPs look for Talon video shoppers, and most would like to have you use a PV-500, or similar option, but it is an option out there and can be a backup to the PV-500. Also with one of these running/jogging upper arm smartphone holders, it might give you footage of the subject while walking next to you. Now you still have the native camera app on your smartphone and that should do well. The Talon app turns your screen into a note taking app so if someone is looking at your phone the app is disguised as a note app. What I do not like about Talon is that if you turn your screen off, which you should do to preserve battery life, then the app stops recording, also your native camera will stop recording, at least on the iOS devices. I will check on the Android platform if this is the case and report back to you. It is available on the iOS and Android version.
5) DatesBetween app. This one is for me. When will be the 45th day since the date of my report submission and acceptance? In short, when do I get paid? This app calculates the days between two dates. It can give you days, weeks and days, months and days, and years, months, and days. This app is for iOS devices, and I do not know if there is an Andriod equivalent. There is a web site [www.timeanddate.com] that also gives you that information. The app works off line, so it gets the mention.
6) edited - removed
7) Sudo app. This app allows you up to 9 free phone numbers and identities that you can use to give while doing assignments. If you are supposed to give your real identity information well you must, but if you still want to be anonymous and give out a working phone number that will ring differently on your smartphone, then Sudo is the way to go. Check it out and let me know how it works for you. You can have phone numbers attached to your Sudo Spy Shopper persona, and it will have its own ring tone, so you will know to turn into that persona when the phone rings. It offers email addresses as well, but the domain name of the email is less than desirable. It is available on the iOS and Android version.
8) Mobee. Mobee pays (or earn rewards) to you shop and dine and provide feed back to the businesses you frequent. So, you have an assignment go with Mobee and get paid twice. Sometimes the assignments are so intriguing that you just have to do them. You will start the app, it will give you a map showing near by assignments, then you will look at the requirements and the points you get for a successful completion of the assignment. The work flow may need some enhancements such as telling you more about the assignments, and what photos are required. It is available on the iOS and Android version.
9) DropBox. You all should have an account because most MSPs require you to upload video files to them and emailing large files might not work. So Dropbox is the way to go. There are other alternatives, but it seems to me that DripBox is the standard for many MSPs. It is available on the iOS and Android version.
Here are 10 of my apps. Will you give your feedback and let us know what apps you use to make this work go smoother. Go ahead and add to this list. Yes I said 10 but listed only 9. Hum!!! Why is that?
Hi Joseph and Mariela
The reputation badge (aka rank) goes from 1 to 10, as opposed to all other badges that go from 1 to 5. As Mariela said the more successful assignment shops you complete the "better" reputation you will have.
I am so unlucky to have signed up for some assignments that turned out that I had shopped the target less than 6 months ago, thus had to decline the assignment. That gave me a ding because of the declination, even though it was not my fault.
So the moral here is that take these numbers with a grain of salt. Don't get too upset if things go sour.
Hi Susan
First, I am sorry you are having issues, perhaps you could share GENERAL information about the issues you are facing so possibility the forum community can help with some advice as to how to proceed.
To answer your original question, from the iSecretShop app, click on the MSP Agreements button, and there you can find the information you need, probably payment centric, because the majority ask about that topic. You can also click on the Payments button, and see if your report was accepted, and scheduled for payment. This maybe the first indication that you have done an admirable job and you will be paid for your efforts.
Hope this helps, if you need more let us know.
Hi k0d4k, Viviane, and Caroline
As Viviane stated, some assignments need to be approved for you. Now once you reach a certain level of reliability then you can start self-assign (up to 3 assignments at a time, or more) as you get your reputation as a good and reliable Independent Contractor (IC.)
The other side of this issue is demographics. At times an assignment requires a certain characteristic of the IC. For example you need to be underage to do a liquor age verification assignment. If you are 40, (or look older that the minimum age to consume alcohol), then you do not fit the assignment requirements. Granted this is less important for phone shops, but maybe they have plenty of females, and now they prefer males (or visa versa) so that they can balanced report.
Please be assured that being new or just starting may not be the whole story. If it was, none of us will ever start. But again the scheduler (most probably a shopper or ex-shopper themselves) will have to judge the complexity of the assignment and the readiness of the IC. I am sure you will be passed for a more seasoned IC for complex banking assignment.
My advice is keep at it, be sure and steady, build your reputation as a reliable IC, and then buy a big stick, because you will need it to beat them away. Trust me a good IC is like a gold nugget to a scheduler.
Hope I gave you what you need.
Hi Laurie
Something funny happened to me just a day or two ago. I earned a new badge and I could only see a white square. I contacted tech support and within a day the badge appeared. They did not have the artwork for that new badge.
So the moral here is that this forum is new (about 3 months old) and the platform itself has been revamped as well. Before the badges we had titles like field agent, and investigator. Now we have badges, and reputation rank.
All is good!!!