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Application to Become a Mystery Shopper

This application consists of two parts:

  1. You must read a short description of mystery shopping and answer a few brief multiple choice questions.
  2. After passing the test, you will provide information about yourself; your name, address, date of birth, etc.
If you have any questions before applying to become a shopper, we recommend you read our Frequently Asked Questions for applicants.

Important Notes:

  1. Our site requires the use of a modern web browser with cookies and Javascript enabled. We strongly suggest Mozilla Firefox v1.5+ or Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.0+ on Windows 2000/XP+. These are the browsers with which we consistently test and can guarantee compatibility. Recent versions of Opera and Safari may work properly but are untested by us. Other browsers such as Netscape and WebTV as well as older versions of any supported browser will not work correctly with all of the site. Using an unsupported browser to interact with our site may cause unexpected results which we will be unable to support or troubleshoot. You may not be able to sign up for shops or, having signed up for a shop, may not be able to properly enter it in our system. In this unfortunate scenario, the shop would have to be canceled (so that it can be rescheduled to another shopper that can complete it) and you would not be reimbursed.
  2. Nevada Residents: Please note that mystery shopping is not allowed in the State of Nevada without a private investigator's license. We do not have shopping opportunities in Nevada. However, you may still sign up and we will accept your application. If the law changes in the future, we could then notify you of available shops.

Part One

Shoppers must be able to read and follow directions and fill out forms correctly. In order to demonstrate your potential ability as a shopper, please read the following and answer the questions below.

Aspects of Mystery Shopping

Anonymity
A good mystery shopper is always anonymous. A mystery shopper should be able to visit the same location a number of times without being detected by the staff. Mystery shoppers do not take forms on the premises with them and do not take notes when they are visible during their shopping time.
Reliability
A mystery shopper who does not reliably complete assignments is of no value to our company and will quickly be eliminated from our shopper pool. Of course, we realize that occasionally a situation arises that prevents a shopper from completing an assignment they have agreed to take. Reliable shoppers contact us immediately to inform us of the situation. Reliable shoppers submit their reports within the deadline after completing the shop.
Accuracy
Forms must be completed in detail. Areas cannot be left blank, questions cannot be overlooked. Your written observations must agree with the way you scored questions. If we have to contact you to ask for missing information or clarify what you have submitted, your payment may be reduced and your status as a shopper could be jeopardized.
Review
After you submit your shopping report (also called a Quality Audit), it is reviewed by an editor, who checks it for completeness, detail, accuracy and to be certain that it meets the high standards of Secret Shopper®. You must be accessible to an editor during daytime hours and available to discuss your report, if necessary.
Payment
We send checks for payment on the 20th of the month following the successful completion of the shop. For example, shops completed in May would be paid on the 20th of June.
Other
You must be at least 18 to shop. You cannot shop a store or company where you or any relatives or members of your household are employed.

Other important things to remember:

  1. Names are very important. Your report loses most of its value if it does not correctly identify the people involved. If you are unable to get a name, an accurate description is the only acceptable alternative. (When describing people, use factual items, such as gender, height, hair color and length, approximate age, glasses, etc. Please avoid descriptions that could be offensive to employees, such as "overweight", "chubby", "foreign", etc.)
  2. Follow the specific instructions and complete all areas of the audit form. If you fail to purchase the correct item, fail to visit a department, or don't fill in a section, your audit cannot be sent to the client and you risk not getting paid for the shop and losing future assignments. In rare cases you may be given the opportunity to repeat the shop.
  3. Some assignments call for you to write brief paragraphs about your experience. These are very important to the clients. When making written comments, the comments must agree with your scoring. When you score something as "no" or "below expectations", be sure to comment on why you scored it that way. Report your detailed factual observations and personal reactions, not what you feel others might think. Frame your comments as "I felt" or "I observed", rather than "They should have" or "customers like"

To complete your preliminary qualification, please answer these questions:

  1. A reliable shopper always:
    accepts the same number of assignments each month
    completes assignments or contacts us if there is a problem
    has a photographic memory
  2. A shop completed and submitted on October 3 would be paid:
    as soon as it is received
    October 31
    November 10
    November 20
  3. I would need to disqualify myself from a shop assignment if:
    I or someone in my household works for, or used to work for, the company I am shopping
    I don't usually shop at that store
    I shop for another mystery shopping company
  4. A mystery shopper remains anonymous:
    until completing the last item on the assignment
    until they can help improve service by revealing their identity
    at all times
  5. Which of these characteristics was the first one listed above?
    Accuracy
    Attention to detail
    Anonymity
    All 3 of them
  6. Which of the following words is misspelled?
    restaraunt
    independent
    separation
    associate
  7. If a shopper completes a shop, but misses one of the required items in the instructions, which of the following might occur:
    shop may need to be repeated
    shopper is not paid for erroneous shop
    future assignments may be restricted
    all of the above
  8. If a shopper writes the following comment:
    "It was hard to get the attention of the sales associate. She was busy talking to another employee",
    which would be the appropriate matching response to this question:

    — You were greeted by associate immediately upon entering department

Shopper Ethics and Conduct Agreement

By submitting this application, you agree to and accept the following terms:

  • I am an independent contractor with no employment relationship with Sights on Service. Any payments to me are conditional on submitting an appropriate, complete, on-time report, and complying with all of the guidelines of Secret Shopper®.
  • I agree to perform all shops to the best of my ability.
  • I agree to perform all shops with honesty and integrity.
  • I agree to perform all shops personally and not recruit others to fulfill my assignments.
  • I agree to submit all reports on or before the deadline.
  • I agree to give immediate notice if I cannot perform a shop for any reason.
  • I agree to return follow up calls or e-mails in a timely manner.
  • I agree to honor all confidentiality agreements.
  • I agree to keep paperwork, receipts and notes for at least 90 days in case questions arise by the client.
  • I will not perform a shop unless I have thoroughly read each question on the survey and the guidelines provided.
  • I will not falsify or misrepresent reports.
  • I will not share information with others on which clients are shopped by Secret Shopper®.
  • I will not share information with others on shopping fees and payments for specific clients.
  • I am not an employee, officer or consultant for any other mystery shopping company. (I may perform shops for other companies.)
  • I will not share the results of a shop with others in order to protect the client's confidentiality.
  • I will not perform any shops under the influence of illegal drugs, or prescription drugs that might impair my abilities.
  • I agree not to become inebriated or drink beyond the legal limits set forth in my state or perform any other activity that my cause harm to myself or others while mystery shopping.
  • I will not contact a client directly.
  • I will not disrupt the normal business flow of an operation in the process of performing a shop (do not cause a scene).
  • I will not announce myself as a mystery shopper to the business being shopped unless given specific instructions by Secret Shopper®.
  • To avoid any possibility of bias, I agree not to accept any assignment to shop a business that has employed myself, a member of my household or immediate family, or any close friends now or in the past 24 months.
  • I will not list Secret Shopper® as an "employer" on any forms (especially unemployment forms) because I am hired strictly as an independent contractor.
  • I understand that a valid email address is required to be registered as a mystery shopper. I agree that any emails sent to me about the availability of shop opportunities are part of the shop process and are not spam, and I will not report them as such.
  • I understand that some companies may utilize surveillance tapes from their stores and attempt to match shopping reports with taped interactions and that my shop behavior can be challenged if not reported correctly.
  • I understand that I must be 18 years of age or older to be a secret shopper.
  • I agree that I will not fill out an application for anyone other than myself. I understand that each person must fill out their own application to become a mystery shopper.

I agree that failure to abide by any of these ethical and conduct standards can result in my being dropped as a shopper and prevented from performing future shops and can also result in the forfeiture of any fees that may have been scheduled for any shops I have performed.

I agree to and accept each of the preceding terms.


©2009 Sights on Service, Inc.; 620 Mendelssohn Ave North Minneapolis, MN 55427
Secret Shopper® is the registered trademark for mystery shopping services provided by Sights on Service, Inc.