How do I update my profile (phone, address, e-mail changes, etc.)? 

If you are already signed up with Shoppers, Inc., NEVER create a new profile.  Instead, edit your existing profile.  Any changes you make must be done in 2 places:
1.  Log in and make changes to your SASSIE Profile Page. You must save your
changes by scrolling down and clicking on “Edit Shopper Profile”.
2.  Notify our office by completing our Profile Change form.

What does my Rating Scale mean?

Once you complete a shop for us, it will be rated. Please do not reply to the editor; refer to the guidelines below.  Please do not contact your Account Rep, as they have no control over ratings.  Obviously, those shoppers with the highest ratings will win more shops.  If you do not receive a “10”, the editor will put an explanation.

Get an excellent rating by reading your instructions every time.  Read the Account Rep comments in your shop log for specific details about each shop. Do your shop on time. LET US KNOW if you cannot meet a deadline so we have time to find someone else. Display good grammar, spelling and typing skills. Be accurate.

Due to the large number of reports we review each day, we are unable to correspond with you on each shop. We do not keep a log of errors and the editor will not remember your specific issues. However, your rating reflects the quality of your shopper report–how much editing had to be done, corrections, etc. Most shopper errors are spelling, grammar, punctuation and not using full sentences. Some shoppers do not put enough explanations or have conflicting comments/answers. Here is our basic scale:

10 – EXCELLENT: Minimal grammar/spelling corrections, minimal mismatched comments.  You did the shop on time and followed directions. You submitted the shop within 12 hours of your call/visit. Your comments matched the answers you selected, and you explained all “no” answers so the client is able to understand completely what occurred. You had minimal grammar/spelling corrections.

8/9 – GOOD: Slight mismatched comments with inconsistencies.  Most things from the 10 category above were done, but a few things could have been done better. Perhaps we had to correct spelling or grammar or you did not thoroughly explain something.

6/7 – AVERAGE: More comments/explanations needed; not enough information.  You answered the questions but didn’t provide adequate explanation of your “no” answers, or failed to explain something in the overview/comments. Perhaps you didn’t submit the shop quickly enough or we had to do quite a few corrections.

5 – Poor sentence structure and grammar/spelling errors, or you may have submitted the report late. Perhaps we had to do a lot of correcting on your report OR had to contact you to get more information, costing us time in getting this report to the client.

3/4 – Shop not completed as assigned but can use shop.  Errors on the shop quality or performance of assigned duties.

1/2 – Shop completed incorrectly; can’t use shop.  You did not follow directions, or possibly left out so much information we could not use the shop. We tried to contact you for details but you did not reply.

How can I expand my options and opportunities?

Click Here for Shoppers, Inc. Job Board and other options, including IC Pro.

What is the “Email Protected List”?

The Protected List allows shoppers to “protect” your e-mail addresses so that the “get shop offer emails” setting on your SASSIE accounts will not be automatically disabled if your internet service provider thinks that these emails are SPAM.  Also, “protected” email addresses go through our special “Clean Email Servers”, which are reserved for verified emails and have an extremely high success rate.  Click here for more information.

Do I have to pay a fee to shop for you?

No mystery shopper company should ever charge you a fee to work for them. There are some companies that charge fees to give your name to shopper companies, but that is up to you. Beware of disreputable firms. Shoppers, Inc. does not charge any fees and will not ask for your credit card information. Check with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association to determine whether or not the shopper company is legitimate.

How long will it be before I receive my first survey offer?

That is up to the Account Rep who contacts you. Most likely you will get an offer soon after being contacted.

What is a Survey Offer?

This is an e-mailed shop offer, explaining the available shop, what is required, the deadline, and other important information. ALWAYS READ THEM THOROUGHLY! YOUR PAYMENT IS AT STAKE! You must reply to either accept or refuse the offer.

How do I know what surveys to do?  When?  Where?

You will receive an offer by e-mail. Once the offer is assigned to you and posted on your shop log, you will be able to read the guidelines and comments. READ THOROUGHLY! It will tell you where, when, what to do/buy, and the deadline.  Following the guidelines and comments is required for payment.

How do I complete a survey?

READ the guidelines and comments very carefully – they will tell you what to do, when to go, where to go, what to ask about or buy, etc. Then, visit the location and ACT JUST LIKE A NORMAL CUSTOMER.  Do not stand out in any way.  Follow the guidelines provided and observe the location and the staff closely WITHOUT BEING OBVIOUS. Some things to remember:

1. NEVER take notes where employees can see you.
2. NEVER be rude, impatient or argumentative with the employees.
3. NEVER tell anyone you are a Contract Shopper.
4. NEVER do anything suspicious or unusual, that normal customers wouldn’t do.
5. NEVER order unusual combinations of food, if shopping a restaurant. Example, ordering a meal with unusual specifications or breakfast food for dinner, etc. might be remembered by the staff. You do not want to be remembered in any way.

What if I can’t get it done by the due date?

Contact the Account Rep shown on the Survey Offer by telephone or e-mail.  In many cases, a  short extension can be given, but you must notify your Account Rep.

Will I get a Survey Offer every month?

There is no guarantee, implied or otherwise, that you will get offers. However, there are things you can do to insure that our Account Reps will use you again AND refer you to others as a good Contract Shopper:

1. REPLY when asked, telling the Account Rep you either will or will not do the survey offered.
2. Complete the survey on time, and submit online accurately and on time.
3. Respond to the Account Rep’s questions, e-mails, and phone calls within 24 hours — if we do not hear back from you within a reasonable amount of time, we will assume you no longer want to do surveys and will replace you immediately.
4. Keep in touch with the Account Rep, letting him/her know you are available and where you can complete surveys.
5. Keep your online profile up to date with current address, phone numbers, e-mail address, etc.  Also notify our office of any changes.

Who is my Account Rep?

We have many different Account Reps for many different clients.  The e-mail containing your Survey Offer will tell you who the Account Rep is for a certain offer.  Account Reps all work part-time, so the best way to contact them is via e-mail or telephone.  All Account Reps can be reached at (first name)@ShopperJobs.com or (first.last name)@ShopperJobs.com, or 800-259-8551.  Leave a message if they are not in, making sure to provide your phone number(s) and the best time to reach you.  The operator may be able to help you with minor questions about a Survey Offer, at 918-251-0154 or 800-259-8551.

When do Survey Offers come out every month?

Normally, offers are e-mailed out around the end of the month, to be completed in the following month. However, this can vary by Account Rep and client guidelines. Sometimes we don’t receive our guidelines until after the first of the month.  Please check your e-mail daily for new offers.

What happens if I fail to complete a survey?

All Survey Offers have to be completed, either by you or another Contract Shopper.  If you give the Account Rep NOTICE that you cannot complete a survey offer, that gives him/her the time needed to arrange a replacement.  However, if you back out and do not tell your Account Rep (do not return phone calls or respond to e-mail), then you will be removed as a Contract Shopper IMMEDIATELY. All we ask is that you let us know… our clients are depending on us to provide the feedback, and we rely on you. If you accept an offer, we assume you are responsible and will complete it.  If something comes up preventing you from completing a survey, simply let us know right away, so we can make the necessary arrangements to replace you for the survey in question.

How can I get more Survey Offers?

Refer to “Will I get a Survey Offer every month?” above for tips on what makes a good Contract Shopper.  Also,  click here to view a list of opportunities.

Can I take children with me on a shop?

APARTMENT CONTRACT SHOPPERS MAY NOT TAKE CHILDREN. Otherwise, unless specified in the guidelines, you can take children IF the establishment you are evaluating is a place where real customers would take children. If you are doing a bar shop, for example, you would not take a child. HOWEVER, your children must behave and CANNOT be any kind of distraction or disruption to the normal flow of business. They must not distract YOU or store employees you are evaluating. Certainly, if your child interrupts and causes an employee to forget to give you a receipt or similar action, you should NOT count off on that skill for the employee. If your children MAY cause any kind of disruption, it is best not to take them with you.

How do I enter my completed survey online?

Log in at www.ShopperJobs.com to find the surveys assigned to you.  There you will find guidelines, comments, and the form to complete.

Tips for Entering Reports Accurately:

1. You are a professional Contract Shopper, so please be professional!  Type as if it is a formal letter. DO NOT type in all capital letters, and please use proper grammar and spelling.
2. Use correct punctuation.
3. Enter date and time formats correctly.
4. Comments Sections: Be very thorough and descriptive. If you need more space than the form allows, e-mail additional remarks to your Account Rep.
5. PLEASE be sure to look over the form one last time before you submit your shop.  At times, contract shoppers accidentally answer questions wrong, discrediting the entire shop – your answers must be consistent with your comments or our clients will request we not use you as a shopper. Also, many times, clients will use video surveillance to confirm what you say in your reports is accurate.  If any discrepancies are found, they will not pay for your shop, and thus you will not be paid.  They must be able to trust what you say is accurate in your reports.

How can I be sure a survey I entered online was accepted?

When you submit a survey you will see a confirmation on your screen. If you omitted any required information you will see OOPS! and will need to correct the problem(s).  Once you have corrected any problems shown, submit again.  Repeat steps until all errors are corrected and you receive a form confirmation.

How do I bill Shoppers, Inc. for completed surveys?

Your billing information is included in the online forms, so there is no need to bill us for completed work.  It is automatically submitted when you submit a survey.  However, receipts must be kept as they may be required or requested from clients at a later time.

How long will it take to receive payment once my survey is submitted?

Surveys that are submitted online by the 15th day of the month by midnight EST will be paid on the 28th of the same month.  Any surveys submitted online on the 16th or later will be paid the 28th of the following month.  (Example: a survey submitted online on January 15 by midnight EST will be paid on January 28th.  However a survey submitted at 12:01am on January 16th will be paid on February 28)

Payment is mailed on the 28th of each month.  If the 28th falls on Sunday, payment is mailed on Monday, the 29th.  Since payment is sent by U.S. Mail, we cannot tell you for sure when it will arrive.  Typically, payment is received 1-9 days after mailing, depending on weekends and holidays.

NOTE:  There is a $12 processing fee for checks not cashed/deposited within 90 days of the check date.

What if I don’t receive payment?

Please wait 10 days after the 28th.  If your payment does not arrive on the 10th day, contact us at Office@ShopperJobs.com or 800-259-8551, ext. 200.   We will insure that payment was mailed, and if so, place a stop-payment and issue a replacement at that time.  We ask that you wait 10 days because sometimes they do arrive later than normal.

What if my payment doesn’t have all my surveys listed?

Remember, your surveys must have been submitted online NO LATER than 11:59pm on the 15th.  Check your records and be sure that the surveys were entered on time.  You can log in to view your list of surveys and when they were submitted.

How much is earned for each survey?

Your guidelines will tell you the fee for each job.  If there is a purchase required, the guidelines will tell you what you can buy, as well as the maximum reimbursement amount.  Guidelines are posted online in your shop log.

Do you report my income to the IRS?

As required by law, we report your pay (and send you a 1099 form) ONLY if the fees you earn are $600 or more during the calendar year.  Reimbursement for purchases is not included in the calculation.  If you earn less than $600, nothing is reported to the IRS, and nothing is sent to you.

Why do you need my Social Security Number?

In complying with new guidelines, it is mandatory that all contract shoppers be verified before receiving an offer. All shoppers MUST register their SSN or EIN and be verified. Please log in to your profile on our secure website and update your information today.

How do I get an EIN (Employer Identification Number)?

Click Here for information from the IRS on the Employer Identification Number.