A Guide to Shopping for IntelliShop

As a scheduler at IntelliShop, I'm always happy to hear when a mystery shopper is willing to take on a shop assignment. However, our schedulers don't just need any shoppers willing to give an assignment a try; we need shoppers that can do the shops correctly! With that in mind, I offer this short guide on the preparation shoppers should put in before heading out and performing a mystery shop.

1) Confirm the shop. Besides enabling the "Guidelines" link, confirming a shop serves as an extra assurance that you will perform the shop. If you haven't confirmed a shop, your scheduler will know that you have not yet read the guidelines and will likely become concerned that you either 1) aren't planning on performing the shop, or 2) will not perform the shop correctly.

2) Read the guidelines, even if you've read them before. Reading the guidelines for a shop is clearly the most important step in correctly performing a shop. This is the case even if you've performed the same shop before, or at a different location. IntelliShop and our clients are constantly working to improve our mystery shopping programs, and thus often alter the rules for a given shop and the forms you fill out. To make sure your shops are acceptable and eligible for a "10" score, you should always make sure you know the most current rules for the shop. If you have confirmed the shop but the guidelines link isn't working, try refreshing your browser.

3) Read the "Comments". For each shop on your Shop Log, you will also see a "Comments"; link. For many shops, it is very important that you read this section as well. For example, in many car dealership shops, you will find the particular car model you are assigned in the shop comments.

4) Read the survey/form before the shop. Most shoppers read the guidelines and comments before performing a shop, but do not look at the form/survey itself. Of course, it always helps to know the specific questions you'll be asked in advance. We suggest that you read over the survey itself via the "View/Submit"; link on your Shop Log before performing the shop. However, if you look at the survey in advance, do not submit or save the report! This may confuse your scheduler, as it makes it appear in our system that you have already performed the shop. If you have read the guidelines but the "View/Submit" link isn't working, try refreshing your browser.

5) Double-check the location's address. Many shoppers see a shop and think, "I know that place!"; However, it's always important to double check the shop address and write it down. The particular store/location may have more than one location in the town, or may have moved. If you want to be very thorough, you can Google the location as well to double check the address we have in our system. We do our best to keep our location records very accurate, but occasionally a business changes locations without us knowing.

6) Fill out the survey immediately after the shop. Even shoppers with the best memories may forget some key details over the course of 12 or 24 hours. The best shoppers fill out their surveys as soon as they get home from the shop, while the memories are fresh in their minds.

I hope this guide helps you perform great shops! Do you have anything you do to prepare for a shop that you think should be shared with other shoppers? Let us know by leaving a comment!