Hi there! I have two quick questions for all the seasoned shoppers out there: Does the number of available assignments increase by your reputation and/or badge amount? Or, is what you see really what’s out there? Thanks so much for helping out a newbie!!

Hi Sharon,

As you complete shops and gain in reputation more shops become available. The badges are a quick way for schedulers to see what experience you have and helps them decide who gets assigned to what shops. The number of shops you can self assign will increase with your reputation and number of successful shops. Also if you fill out your extended profile you will qualify for other shops as well as gain some reputation. And don't forget to do the ISS prep courses, you can gain one rep level if you complete them.

Hope that clears that up for you, and have fun out there...

What you see is what's out there. No matter how experienced or not you are, we can all see all of the available shops. It just makes a difference in whether or not you may get the shop if there are a lot of applications for the same assignment.

However, I do sometimes get emails/calls/texts offering me a shop before it is made publicly available on job boards. This has only happened when I have done that assignment in the past. It's usually for a larger project, or a bundle of locations all for the same client. Many assignments that you complete can turn into regular work :)

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!

I recently started and I can only sign up for two shops at a time. I took the two free prep classes but if I take the class that is $9.95, will the number of shops I am allowed increase?

Thanks!

Hi Dawn,

The number of shops you can have and do at any one time is virtually unlimited, even at level 1 Reputation badge. You can always request as many shops as you'd like, and schedulers can approve as many of those requests as they wish.

The number of shops you can self-assign (without having to request them) depends on the Reputation badge level - as that level increases (by doing shops and Opinion Polls and completing courses on iSSprep), so will your self-assign limit.

Passing the Mystery Shopping Fundamentals course would not directly increase the number of shops you can do, nor your chances of getting your requests approved, as it is not our attention to monetize on our shopper's ability to get shops. We believe that whether you choose to pay for such a course or not, you should have equal chances of getting and completing shops.

What it offers instead are 2 things:

First, and most importantly, it's there to give shoppers an introduction to (and an overview of) the fundamental concepts applicable to collecting business intelligence from the field, as it provides insights into the the Mystery Shopping concept, complements the knowledge gained in the iSS 101 test, and ultimately equips shoppers with the knowledge that can be helpful in understanding more about the industry itself.

It was designed as a way for the people at iSecretShop that have been in the industry for over a decade and worked with dozens of Mystery Shopping Providers, to share their knowledge and insights with shoppers who are really interested in fully understanding the entire concept, expanding their knowledge, and taking the "professional" approach to Mystery Shopping.

Secondly, completing it awards a one-time shopper points bonus, slightly larger that any other course on iSSprep, to serve as a bit of a "boost" to your shopper Reputation rank, and as a little reward for taking the time to complete the curse.

It is in no way a requirement for anything, nor promoted anywhere in particular, nor are the shoppers who take it favored over others - it's rather an optional "boost" to a shopper's knowledge, understanding of the industry itself, and their score, and can be handy for all shoppers that are eager to "dive into" the entire experience more and know more.

I hope this answers you question.

Cheers!

Ditto on that important above contribution from a seasoned veteran shopper and forum contributor! Thanks so much.