Fitness facilities, gyms, and health clubs utilize Retail Compliance Auditor services for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, they are looking to measure their guest experience; specifically, their new membership procedure and the sales tactics used in that process. They are also looking for feedback on their facility and equipment cleanliness, guest services, and amenities among other things. If you haven’t yet done a shop for this type of client, below are some helpful guidelines and tips.

Multi Step Shop

These shops usually require both a phone call and a visit to the facility. The call and tour should occur on the same day. The call is often recorded so make sure you take thorough notes as the questionnaire will ask about the employee’s sales pitch and you will be asked to check off which points they hit during the conversation.

Straight Profit

            All of our fitness facility shops are straight profit shops, meaning, you aren’t required to spend any money on the visit. The payment ranges based on the shop, but the majority of these shops range from a $25 – $40 payment.

Photos

Almost every shop in this segment requires photos, most often of the exterior, interior lobby, and marketing material. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the form and requirements prior to going on your visit to ensure you have prepared yourself for what photos need to be taken and when during the visit you will obtain them.

Dressing the Part

When doing one of these visits, you should dress in workout attire. If you aren’t wearing clothing with an athletic aesthetic, you will stand out and you may be identified as a shopper. These gyms are looking for new members, so regardless of your current level of fitness, you are a qualified shopper.

Proof of Visit

As there is never a purchase required for these types of shops, you won’t have a receipt at the end of the visit. We still require proof that the visit occurred, so most often you will be required to obtain a brochure or business card from the facility. If they are unable to provide you with these items, a photo of the rate sheet will suffice.

Timing and Follow-Up

You may be asked to hold these shops for a period after the visit has occurred. Often, our clients are looking to see if the employee follows up within 24-48 hours of the visit as it’s a part of their sales process. It’s important that you fill out as much of the shop report as you can while in the holding period, so the scheduler knows you have completed the majority of the assignment.

Fitness facility shops are quick and easy, and best of all, a great way to make a little cash as you are never asked to put out any money on these shops. The forms are usually short and condensed and directed at very specific points of service. If you haven’t done one of these shops and are hesitant to pick one up, please let us know and we would be happy to answer any questions you have.

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Receipts:

Receipts are required for any shop that involves a purchase. The receipt area of a shop report will always require both an itemized copy as well as proof of tip and it’s important to capture the location address, and time and date stamp. The receipt question will always ask you to provide the total spent and the items purchased.

Photos:

Photos are becoming more and more common as visuals are a great way for our clients to view the product they are putting out, any cleanliness issues within their establishment, etc. We receive a lot of inquiries from shoppers regarding being weary of taking photos in a busy setting, but the reality is that in this day and age, it is very common for patrons to take photos of their food and post them to one of their socials. While a shopper may feel a little uncomfortable taking them, our clients understand the situation and still want and need the very valuable visuals these photos provide.

Audio:

While audio files aren’t as common, we do have a handful of clients that require audio as part of their shops. Audio is most often obtained using one’s phone, but any device that can capture a recorded conversation will suffice. You must make sure that your device is hidden, yet not covered to the point it muffles the sound. You should never be concerned about the legality of recording the conversation as our clients are aware that the burden is on them to ensure their employees understand there is a possibility they will be recorded.

Screenshots:

Screenshots are most often required within our phone and email inquiry shops. Clients are looking for proof that shoppers reached out when they say they did, so they can verify the date and time data within their internal systems. Each device captures screenshots in a different way and it’s important to make sure you are aware of how to do so; a simple Google search can usually provide you with an answer.

Helpful Tips:

Taking Photos: While the iSS app will allow you to take photos in real-time and attach them to your report, we do recommend using your phone’s camera feature to acquire the photos so that if there is a glitch in the iSS app, the photos will be impossible to retrieve. However, if you take them with your phone’s camera, they are easier to recover, should there be any issue.

Format: Photos should always be saved in JPEG format and audio files should always be saved in a WAV format.

Geo Tagging: Ensuring that you have location services turned on when taking photos and uploading them to your report will prevent any location errors from occurring.

We understand that attaching additional photos, files, etc. to your shop report can be challenging if you aren’t used to doing so, but it is usually a simple process regardless of the device you are using. Don’t hesitate to contact the Shopper Help Desk should you have any questions about this or anything else you may be unsure of regarding the successful completion and submission of your shop reports.

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What should I do if it’s unsafe to travel?

Don’t put yourself at risk! Simply log into your iSS account, click on the ‘reschedule’ button, and select a date when you feel comfortable completing the shop.

What if I am unable to reschedule?

If you are unable to reschedule, you can cancel the shop within your iSS account, or email the scheduler and they will take care of it. Our shopper help desk team works seven days a week to ensure all requests are being handled in a timely manner.

Will I lose points if I cancel a shop?

Every cancelation in our system results in a loss of points, however, if you are able to reschedule, no points will be removed from your account.

What if the location is closed due to weather conditions?

As with every shop in our system, the shopper is responsible for calling the location prior to going on their visit to ensure the location is open. If you attempt a shop, and the location is closed, you will not be compensated for the shop attempt. If the location is closed, you can reschedule the shop or inform your scheduler, and they will remove the shop without penalty.

Do I need to provide proof of the recent weather activity?

No, we don’t need photos of your iced-over driveway or a screenshot of the current temperature where you are located; we believe you! The weather varies across the country and is handled differently depending on where you are located; we encourage you to always use your best judgment.

While completing the shops you are committed to is important in keeping your shopper account in good standing, safety should always be the top priority.  You should never feel obligated to complete a shop if you feel that your safety will be compromised. We will do our best to work with you and ensure you are rescheduled in a timely manner. As always, please reach out to our Shopper Help Desk for any further clarification on weather-related concerns or any other questions that may arise.

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• When you sign up to do a shop, the date you schedule yourself for is the date you need to conduct the shop. If you are unable to make the shop on your scheduled date, you need to alert your scheduler as soon as possible. The majority of our clients operate on a month-to-month basis, meaning they expect a certain number of shops within a given calendar month. If a shopper is unable to complete a shop as scheduled, we need to know as soon as possible to give us time to get the shop back on the job board and find a new shopper before the month ends.
• Once you conduct a shop, you have 24 hours to complete your shop report. Shops not entered within 24 hours will be automatically removed. At times, we are able to make an exception and extend your deadline, but it’s vital that you communicate with your scheduler before the 24-hour deadline passes.
• When you are conducting a call or email shop that takes multiple days to complete, you need to make sure you understand the timeframe in which to hold your shop, follow up and submit. While the traditional shop has a 24-hour deadline, call and email shops all have different timelines that you need to be made aware of.
• Once you submit a shop report, our quality assurance team will review it and get back to you regarding any questions within 24 hours. It’s very important to check your emails and alerts within 24 hours of when you submit your report, to ensure you are replying in a timely manner. We have a commitment to our clients that we must adhere to, so it’s vital that you stay available, even after you submit your report.
• Once you submit your shop report and receive a confirmation email that the shop has been accepted, you will be paid within 20-25 days either through Venmo or PayPal, barring any issues with your iSecretShop account. If the payment remittance time goes past 25 days, you should reach out to the Shopper Help Desk.

While all of these guidelines are outlined in your signed shopper agreement, we understand that there is a lot to keep track of and remember. If you are ever unclear about any of these important deadlines, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Unfortunately, there are times when we are forced to decline a shop. When we decline a shop, it means that the data and feedback provided do not get sent to our client and no payment is issued for the shop. We do our best to avoid declines; essentially, we want to accept every shop that is submitted to us so that we can compensate shoppers for their time and so that we don’t have to spend time rescheduling the visit. However, there are some firm rules in place that we can’t make exceptions for, as we must always honor our client’s requests and requirements.

Below is a list of the most common reasons for shop declines, and how to avoid them:

*Purchase requirements aren’t met.

Each shop that requires a purchase lists specific items or item categories that must be met. If a shop requires two alcoholic drinks, an appetizer, and two entrees and you don’t drink alcohol, then you shouldn’t accept the shop.

*Clear and proper photos aren’t provided. 

            All of our shops that require food purchases also require a photo of the items purchased before any bites are consumed. We recommend always taking your photos with the camera function on your device, not through the iSS app should you have any technical difficulties or not be connected to Wi-Fi at that time.

*Shop submission deadline isn’t met.

            All shops done for Retail Audit Pro are required to be submitted within 24 hours of when the visit is completed unless otherwise stated in the instructions. We have a time commitment to our clients to submit reports within a specified timeframe, and we won’t make exceptions.

*A proper tip is not left.

            All dining and bar shops require at least a 15% tip. If this minimum is not met, your shop will be declined.

*Shop instructions aren’t followed.

Shop instructions vary by shop, and often change from time to time. If you accept a bar shop and choose to sit in the dining room, your shop will not be accepted. If the shop requires you to ask an employee a product knowledge question and you fail to do so, your shop will be declined. We will only accept a shop where all specific guidelines and instructions are followed.

Our clients are paying us for a specific type of shop and scenario, and we need to ensure we are honoring that commitment. It’s important that you are always reviewing exactly what is required of you prior to venturing out on your shop and as always, please direct any questions of unclarity to our shopper help desk.

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The reason for putting this specification into every shop is because we want to be able to accept your shop and pay you for the work that you do! While each shop has its own, unique instructions, we do have a set of standards and directives that are outlined in our Shopper Agreement, which apply to every shop you accept. It’s vital that you read and understand these points before proceeding with Retail Compliance Auditor for Retail Audit Pro. However, we realize that a lot of shoppers choose to sign the agreement, without actually reading it. We field a lot of questions each day through our Shopper Help Desk, and these questions can almost always be answered by reading through your signed shopper agreement.

Below are the most common questions we are asked, and all of these details are outlined in the agreement for further clarification.

When will I be paid?

            Our payment terms are 23-25 days; as long as you have completed a successful shop, and your account is properly set up, you will be paid within that timeframe.

Am I reimbursed on top of the fee listed on the shop?

            All of our reimbursements are flat rate meaning the amount listed on the shop is what you are paid, regardless of what you spend. If for whatever reason, there is a unique case and you are reimbursed for an additional amount, that will clearly be listed in the shop details.

When is my shop due?

            All shops are due within 24 hours of when the visit is complete; no exceptions.

Am I an employee of Retail Audit Pro?

            No, you are an Independent Contractor; you are responsible for managing and reporting your own taxes. We also recommend familiarizing yourself with Independent Contractor status so you are aware of stipulations and terms that fall under this employment status.

Do I have to do the shop on the date I am assigned?

            Shops must be completed on the date they are assigned; if you need to reschedule, you can do that through your iSS account or you can contact your scheduler, but the date change must be approved prior to completing the shop.

Can I set up multiple accounts?

            You are only allowed to have one account within the iSS system. Having more than one account is considered fraudulent, and in some cases, against the law.

In order to be eligible for a shop with our company, we require that you read and sign our shopper agreement. While it may appear to be long and too much to read through, we highly recommend that you do; it can be the difference between having a shop approved or having your shop declined. As always, please let us know if you need any clarification with the way that the guidelines are written both in the shopper agreement and in your specific shop instructions.

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*Have you filled out your entire shop report?

– If a question hasn’t been answered, there will be a red callout on the section, indicating that a question is missing an answer; clicking on the section will then tell you which question(s) need completing.

*Have all text fields been properly completed?

-Each text field has a character requirement; the minimum requirement must be met in order for the question to count as completed.

*Do the start and end times make sense?

-The end time must be later than the start time; check to ensure you have entered the AM/PM portion of the time correctly!

*Have you followed the question dependency instructions?

-Often on a shop form, there will be questions that are dependent on how other questions are answered. For example, some questions may only be relevant if you shopped at a specific location; when you mark yes/no to the location you shopped, it will either populate or hide other questions, related to the location. Ensure every question is answered accurately so that the proper questions populate on your shop form.

*Did you conduct the shop within the proper timeframe?

-Every shop conducted for Retail Audit Pro must occur on the date it is scheduled for in the system. If you schedule a shop for July 10^th and attempt to complete and submit the shop report on July 2^nd, the system will not allow you to finalize your report. Ensure you are always conducting shops on the scheduled date; if you need to reschedule, you must confirm the change with your scheduler prior to proceeding with the shop. Shops not completed on their scheduled date will be declined.

*Have you attached all photos and other required files and are they properly timestamped?

-All shops that require a purchase will always require a receipt to be attached. Some shops require additional photos; if you attempt to upload a photo that you took prior to the date of your shop, you will receive an error message. You must make sure the time and date settings within the camera setting on your device are properly set. We also recommend turning on location services when conducting a shop; this assists our quality assurance team as they go through the editing process and makes the photo verification process more efficient.

*Did you hit the finalize button?

-After filling out all questions, text fields, and attaching all required photos, the final step is hitting the finalize or submit button. On the app, there will be a yellow submit button that appears once the entire shop has been filled out and on the web version of iSecretShop, you will see a finalize button in the upper right corner. Once you successfully finalize and submit your shop, you will receive an email that your shop has been submitted. If you don’t receive this email within a few minutes, we recommend reaching out to your scheduler.

As a reminder, all shops conducted for Retail Audit Pro are required to be entered within 24 hours of when the shop is completed unless otherwise stated in the shop instructions. If you are having an issue with shop submission and you feel that you have checked all the areas noted above, please reach out and let us know. We are always here to help you with shop submission and any other questions you might have regarding your shops.

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We conduct web and phone shops for many clients, covering an array of different industries. We do these types of shops for universities, hotels, restaurants, and a variety of others. Our clients choose to conduct these types of shops to measure steps of service, phone presence, professionalism of email messaging, the timing of return calls and follow ups, and so that they can obtain an understanding of how their brand standards are being carried out through verbal and written communication.

Most often, these shops will include a scenario and/or a persona you must follow. For example, we do a lot of these shop types for colleges and universities, and most of those shops require you to have a background in a defined field of work with a specific undergraduate degree. While we don’t require you to have the background outlined in the shop requirements, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the persona and background as there is potential for a dialogue regarding the scenario outlined. For a web and phone shop in the hotel industry, the scenario is often something along the lines of calling to reserve a space or a block or rooms for an event. Having relevant information on hand such as the date of the event, number of people, and type of event are things you will want to decide on beforehand, so that you aren’t put on the spot and left unprepared when asked for this information.  It’s important to prepare yourself, regardless of the type of shop you are doing, but especially for that where fictitious background information is a part of the shop.

The biggest difference between web and phone shops and the traditional mystery shop is that most often, these shops will take multiple days to complete. They usually involve more complex instructions that involve waiting for communication from the recipient of an inquiry and this can take an indefinite amount of time. For every web and phone shop you conduct, it’s vital that you enter the initial information on the shop report as soon as you start the inquiry, whether it be by phone, email or outreach through a company’s website. If you don’t start the shop on the date you are scheduled, the system will understand it as you didn’t complete the shop and remove it from your account. These shops are extremely popular and get picked up very quickly so it’s very likely that once you realize the shop has been removed, it’s already been scheduled with another shopper.

As this type of shop is so popular, there are often multiple requests from shoppers to conduct these shops. If your request is declined, please remember that we assign on a first come, first served basis and that we reward shoppers who have proven themselves capable of completing this type of shop in a professional and skilled manner. We want these shops to occur as naturally as possible; as a lot of these shops are recorded, they need to sound genuine and unscripted, and this can only be achieved by preparing yourself beforehand using the outline provided to you in your shop instructions. If you are interested in learning more about these shops, and about how you can set yourself up to successfully complete the shops, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know.

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• When is it appropriate to tip?
• How much do I tip?
• Do I tip even if the service isn’t up to standard?

There are a lot of opinions regarding the appropriate etiquette to follow when it comes to gratuity and as the majority of the Retail Compliance Auditor we conduct for our clients involve situations where a service is performed, we want to be clear about Retail Audit Pro’s tipping policy.

For all dine-in and bar shops, a minimum of 15% is always required, while fine dining shops require a minimum of 20% tip. We do have some fine dining clients who add the gratuity to the check beforehand so it’s important to confirm that before adding an additional tip amount. You can tip on the pre-tax total of the bill, but the minimum must be hit for your specific shop type, or it won’t be accepted. Tipping can be done with cash or on a credit card, and shoppers are required to show proof of tip for each shop.

Regarding our non-hospitality shops, such as hair salons, massage parlors, or nail salons, for example, the standard tip for these shops is 20%. These shops will sometimes allow for tips through Venmo or other digital payment services. For some, they only allow for tips to be paid in cash, so make sure you have cash on hand to tip appropriately.

Two of the trickier shop types to navigate in regard to tipping are delivery and takeout shops. For delivery shops, you should tip a minimum of 15%. Delivery drivers are often categorized as independent contractors; thus, employers aren’t obligated to pay minimum wage and rely on tips to supplement their hourly pay. For take-out shops, tipping is not necessary for the majority of our clients. We have a few clients who require a tip for take-out shops, however, if this is the case, it will be clearly written in the shop instructions.

A good rule to follow when you are steering your way through the tipping process is that you should always tip people who are working for a service.  You must always tip regardless of the level of service received. It’s common practice in the restaurant industry specifically, for employees to pool tips and your entire experience isn’t always based on one server but on multiple people involved in the restaurant operations who are responsible for your experience.

The process of tipping can be challenging to figure out and it has become even more frustrating for consumers given the current landscape of new apps and technology that are now responsible for a lot of the services that we receive. However, we do have specific rules in place for our Retail Compliance Auditor to ensure we have created a standard guideline to adhere to which should clear up the majority of the uncertainty. If you are ever unsure of when to tip, or how much to tip on your Retail Compliance Auditor, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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