Posted by Leigh Trapp on Thu, May 06, 2010 @ 11:15 AM
The best Mystery Shopping Suppliers review their shop evaluations before submitting them to make sure all typos, grammatical issues and misspelled words have been eliminated. Although a good spellchecker will pick up any “shopping crats” that might have escaped your eagle eye, you should also be on the lookout for less common errors that many people don’t even realize are incorrect.
Just for fun, take this short quiz to see if you can spot the correct sentence in each pair: (Don't scroll down too far - the answers are below!!)
PAIR #1:
A. If I would have known about the party, I would have gone to it.
B. If I had known about the party, I would have gone to it.
PAIR #2:
A. He doesn’t care about me anymore.
B. He don’t care about me anymore.
PAIR #3:
A. When we go to the party on Saturday, let’s take a bottle of wine.
B. When we go to the party on Saturday, let’s bring a bottle of wine.
PAIR #4:
A. If you have ten items or less, you can use the express lane.
B. If you have ten items or fewer, you can use the express lane.
PAIR #5:
A. We were supposed to go to a dance last night, however, it was cancelled because of lack of interest.
B. We were supposed to go to a dance last night; however, it was cancelled because of lack of interest.
PAIR #6:
A. She could have had anything she wanted.
B. She could of had anything she wanted.
PAIR #7:
A. I’m not speaking to anybody in this class.
B. I’m not speaking to nobody in this class.
PAIR #8:
A. He has took the train.
B. He has taken the train.
PAIR #9:
A. I should have went to school yesterday.
B. I should have gone to school yesterday.
PAIR #10:
A. It’s going to be sunny tomorrow.
B. Its going to be sunny tomorrow.
Don't go down any further until you are done - the correct answers are below.
Here are the correct sentences:
1. B; 2. A; 3. A; 4. B; 5. B; 6. A; 7. A; 8. B; 9. B; 10. A B; 10.
Posted by Leigh Trapp on Tue, Apr 06, 2010 @ 01:37 AM
The best secret shoppers are constantly on the lookout for tools to help them perform their shops more efficiently. Did you know that one of your best resources is literally in the palm of your hand? That’s right…it’s your cell phone!
Mobile functionality has mushroomed over the years from simple communications devices to awesome, multi-featured technological marvels. Adding an extra service such as texting to your phone can enhance its usefulness to you as a shopper. But if your phone is equipped with texting, Internet access and a camera, the sky’s the limit!
Here’s a sample of some ways you can capitalize on your cell phone’s features to maximize your shopping experience:
· Phone-A-Friend – Even if all your phone does is allow you to make and receive calls, you can use this feature to your advantage. Keep your scheduler’s phone number handy (or program it into your phone’s directory) in case you encounter issues or need clarification before, during or after your shop.
· Smile for the Camera – Most later model cell phones contain a built-in camera you can use to covertly snap photos of things you’d like to remember when writing up your report (i.e., dirty dishes at a restaurant, unkempt landscaping, etc.). Many phones also have video/audio recording capabilities. Just make sure you don’t get caught!
· Note to Self – If your phone has built-in notepad capabilities, you can type in comments and notes to yourself to help you remember key facts. If you don’t have a notepad, you can use your texting feature to make notes. Here’s a link that shows you how: http://www.trap17.com/forums/Set-Notepad-Mobile-Phone-t52899.html
· Where Am I? – If you have Internet access on your phone, you can use Google Maps, MapQuest, Yahoo Maps, etc., to locate the address and find the best route to use.
· What Time is It? – Some projects require you to time certain portions of the shop. You can use your phone’s built-in timer to keep up with your time.
· Stay Connected – Many phones allow you to send instant messages and emails to your contacts. When phoning your scheduler might not be an option, you can IM or email her with your questions.
Got other ideas? We’d love to hear them!
Posted by Angie Hullett on Mon, Jul 06, 2009 @ 04:27 PM
Shoppers! You have to take a look at the IKEA trip that Paige Hall, CEO of AboutFace took recently. Armed with a video camera (and a few supplies) she took on the huge store of IKEA in search of bed. Click here to be taken to the Customer Service Vigilante page where the article and video are located. Trust me when I say - you will want to see this!!
Feel free to leave feedback for Ms. Hall while you are there - I know that she would love to hear what you think about her 'IKEA Experience'!
Posted by Angie Hullett on Tue, Mar 04, 2008 @ 03:23 PM
Beginning today, shoppers who completed shops for AboutFace™ since the beginning of 2008 can find out when they are due to be paid online and on-demand!
We are pleased to introduce our new shopper service, "When Will I Get Paid?" which was launched on our web site today. To view your shopper pay records online, all you need is your email address and zip code which are on file with AboutFace™.
In addition to the shop and location name, base pay and bonus information and the dates the shops were completed and published, an estimated pay date will be displayed as well. If your pay date is past due, it shows up in red and you can email the payables department about it right from the site.
Give it a spin today!
Posted by Leigh Trapp on Tue, Feb 05, 2008 @ 08:22 PM
It is simple to get a perfect score if you want to put the effort in. Mystery shopping for our company means more than just marking boxes either yes or no. We want explanations in each commentary box, and it has to be more than just repeating the wording from the question. Keep in mind many others are going to be reading your evaluation. Does it paint a clear picture for them so they get the feeling they were right there with you? Have you followed all directions perfectly – and this definitely includes sending in any required proof of visit or applicable quotes. If it is required as part of your shop and not sent, it WILL impact or reject your evaluation. Are details prevalent?
Did you use complete sentences? Detail is great, but if it is a choppy, incomplete sentence or one with no punctuation, it will not ensure a perfect score.
Were all questions answered? Every question must be answered, even the ones where we have a no answer. It may seem redundant to basically say something like, “He did not provide features and benefits,” but you can also provide detail on that. Maybe he just offered some features like heated side mirrors and nothing else. If that was all the associate did, let us know instead of not answering the question. It again is not merely to know answers but to know HOW, WHEN or WHY things were or were not done. Some questions also seem to be the same, but they are truly not – make sure you thoroughly read and respond to the questions asked.
Smiley University is also an excellent tool to learn how to write that perfect evaluation.