Hi I have been part of this for a while and have never taken on a job yet I guess I am a bit intimidated and nervous afraid I will forget something not do something right or just completely bomb the whole thing. Could anyone give me advice or anything to help Me calm down about tackling a new SS job. Thanks so much I'm advance and please no rude replies.

Hi Kendra, and welcome to the Forum, and the awesome world of secret shopping!

The best advice I can give you is to explore the iSecretShop system as much as you want first, and to always ask whenever you have questions. If you want to know something about the system itself and how stuff works in general, open a support ticket for iSecretShop. If you have questions about a specific shop, email the Mystery Shopping Provider company that posted it - they will tell you all about it.

You can also go to iSSprep.com and complete a couple of courses there - they give provide you with more knowledge about the system, and also with shopper points, to boost your score :)

Also, here is a thread with a bunch of tips and tricks when it comes to secret shopping, I hope it helps :) https://www.secretshopforum.com/thread/1/2/94/pro-tips-for-those-who-want-to-be-the-best-shoppers

Good luck!

I'm pretty new to the SS thing too. My advice would be to take on a really easy assignment. This usually means look for the low paying ones. Perhaps try a phone shop for the first one.

Kendra, Kendra, Kendra

Who among us did not have the gitters the first assignment we got! It’s part of being human.

Typically when you are assigned a shop assignment you will receive all the information you will need to successfully complete the assignment. Details about what is asked for, for example taking a photo of the front of the establishment, or ask a specific question, or order a specific food item, or visit the restroom.

I ALWAYS sit down and look these guidelines over, and over, and over again until I am so familiar with them that I can r site them by heart.

It is also helpful to view the questions you need to answer in the shop report. Having this will allow you to figure out what is the client looking for.

As to remembering what had happened during your visit, I have a trick that has served me well. I use a smartphone and before I arrive at the establishment I will turn on the voice recorder, and keep it on until I finish the assignment. Once I go home, I review the recording and get all the experience replayed back to me.

Now this is a bit “unlawful” in a few states. The 2 party states you are walking a fine line, but as long as you destroy the recording after the report has been accepted, and you ONLY use the recording for your own purposes and not share it with anyone else, you should be fine. I checked with an attorney on this one.

But the one most important thing that you need to complete a successful shop assignment is CONFIDENCE! You need to be calm and collected and act as a normal customer would act. This is essential for a true customer experience replication. I would suggest you ask a friend MSer to tag along. Make your own observations and DO NOT discuss any aspect of the assignment until you are 7 miles away from the establishment. Compare your findings, and you will see that you are not too off.

And now for the finale advice... Just Do It! Sorry Nike but just do it is the best advice I can offer you. It sounds like you are just shy of taking the plunge and if you mess up, All is well and you learned what NOT to do. And if you are successful well there you go! a check is coming your way.

I remember being nervous when I was new too! It gets easier really fast once you get out there, I promise.

I found a few things helpful when starting out... I took shops that did not require me to spend a bunch of money up front, just in case I messed up. I parked far away from the entrance and did a last minute review of the instructions on my phone before going inside.

I also frequently record audio using my smartphone. I do live in a 2 party state, but these conversations are recorded in public places. Also I think a lot of employees had to agree to being recorded when hired due to cameras in the locations and recorded phone lines? So I'm not a lawyer, but I'm not worried about it. It's just for my own notes in case I forget anything.

I am new to this and I have always wanted to be a secret shopper. I'm liking it. I have a ?. How to be a shopping scout?

Hello Kendra,

It's perfectly normal to have a few nerves in this industry. I shopped from 2010-2016 and now am back in the game.

If you are looking for advice, I would say look over the shops in your area. Start with a store that is BIG-like a Wal-Mart. If you have your shop directions on your phone, no one will think twice about you looking over the directions on your phone because everyone stares at their phones these days! You can review what you are expect to do while wandering all over the store!

I print out the directions for my shops as well. I wish they weren't so TEXT intensive but they are. With a highlighter, I mark areas that I need to focus on.

It's much easier to do shops with a phone but I still find having a printout gives me more confidence.

There are many compliance type shops too. Those are a bit less intimidating because you can just follow the directions and fill out the forms as you are in the store. You may have to snap some photos but the compliance shops are looking to see if the chain has all the signage needed.

If you'd like to have a quick chat with me on Zoom, let's find a time to meet. Otherwise, just remember, You are Annie the Actress, (acting like you need a product or service) David the Dectective (finding all the details) and Betty the Bookkeeper (filling out your forms) when you are a mystery shopper.

You got this!

Jody Bryant

Kendra @ Nov 13, 2017, 3:40:42 PM

Hi I have been part of this for a while and have never taken on a job yet I guess I am a bit intimidated and nervous afraid I will forget something not do something right or just completely bomb the whole thing. Could anyone give me advice or anything to help Me calm down about tackling a new SS job. Thanks so much I'm advance and please no rude replies.

So this was. 5 years ago have you done your first shop yet?

My advice is to only start with ONE shop; take your time to read the assignment Questionnare and Overview. Then, before your shop re-read the questionnaire for a memory refresh. I also will put points I may forget on the Notes app on my phone. As I'm shopping, I'll casually look at the notes to make sure I don't forget anything. Then, go in and have fun!

Also curious how its been 5 years later