Join Our Independent Contractor Team of Evaluators

Independent Evaluators FAQ

Note: Any “steps” or “how-to” mentioned are referring to the website being used on a computer (not the phone app).

If you are having issues with the ISS phone app, please contact ISS . Make sure you provide them with full detail, including: a) What you are trying to do, b) a step by step of how you got to the area you are on the app, and c) what is occurring.

How and When do I get paid?

The client disburses by PayPal or Venmo (US only, currently).

As an MSC we value our shoppers and understand the importance of payment for services rendered. Here we will explain our payment procedures and what you, as an IC, can do to help us make sure your payment transactions run smoothly and on time.

Please note that a W9 form and IC Agreement are required. Payment is sent out 45 days from when the shop has been edited. Under special circumstances dictated by the client, reimbursements may be handled differently and sent out earlier than 45 days. In such cases, this will be noted in the shop notes.

To re-review the full payment policy please log into ISS, go to the “Provider Contracts & Policies”, and click the “View Contract” button for Mystery Shopper Services and Customer 1st . If you have any further “payment” questions, please contact Our Accounting Department.

Why does it take up to 45 days to receive payment?

1. Clients may not review your report for 30 days. When they get around to reading it, they may send it back stating what has been reported was not true, according to their video surveillance or after talking to the associate evaluated.
2. Unfortunately, in this industry, we do run across fraudulent individuals/activities. Meaning a person takes shops, then submits false information to try and get paid. These types of people are immediately banned and reported to all companies in the industry.
3. Anything that is not done correctly on a report, makes the report incomplete, which means the client will not disburse for it.

Due to the things mentioned above, the client does not disburse immediately.

Why does my payment show “Pending” or “Not Paid” next to it?

If it shows the word “Pending” or “Not Paid”, it simply means the client has not yet disbursed for the shop. If you’d like to read the payment policy, please follow the steps below:

1. Log in to isecretshop.com .
2. On the left-hand sidebar, scroll down, then click on “Provider Contracts & Policies”.
3. Scroll down the page to look for our company name (Mystery Shoppers Services or Customer 1st), then click on “View Contract”.
4. Scroll down on the document and you will see full detail under “Payment Policy”.

How do I check to see if my PayPal is in my profile? OR Where do I go on the site to update my PayPal?

1. Log in to isecretshop.com
2. On the left-hand sidebar, scroll down, then click on “update extended profile”.
3. There you can review or update your PayPal. If you do make any updates, please make sure to click save.

It’s not letting me sign the contract OR I’m trying to click on the form section and it’s not opening, what do I do now? (or any similar issues)

Our #1 suggestion is to first try a different browser: Google Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Internet Explorer, etc.

If using a different browser isn’t successful, please contact us.

I’ve completed my evaluation; how do I submit my shop?

1. Log in to isecretshop.com
2. Click on “Assigned Shops”
3. Click on “Complete Shop”
4. Scroll down and you will see each form section.
5. After filling each form section out, make sure to click “Finalize”. The Finalize button is something a lot of shoppers miss! For it to be viewable in our “Finalized” file, please make sure to press that.

If for any reason the site does not allow you to press the “Finalize” button it’s because something is missing in the shop and the system should notify you of what that is. If you need further help, please contact us.

How long does it take for somebody to review my shop?

If you filled it out and clicked “Finalize” successfully, your shop report will be reviewed within 72 Business Hours. Keep in mind our business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm PST.

For Example: If you turn in your report after 4:30 pm PST on a Friday, the 72 Business Hours would start on Monday.

Tips for an acceptable report.

To ensure an acceptable report, please keep the following tips in mind:

• Make sure your "yes" or "no" answers match your comments. If a "no" answer results in a reduction of points and can be explained in further detail, please provide that information in the comment section.
• For example, if the question asks, “Was the restaurant clean?”, and you answer “no”. Please provide specify which aspects of the restaurant you felt were not clean.
• It is important to refrain from mentioning physical characteristics such as weight, body type, race, or skin color when describing associates unless the form specifically requests that information. Instead, you can provide details such as gender, height, hair color and style, clothing worn (e.g. top, bottoms, shoes, accessories), and whether or not they wear glasses.
• Capitalize the beginning of your sentences and wherever else this applies. Do not use all caps.
• Do not abbreviate, full words should always be used.
• Use full words and periods at the end of your sentences.
• Make sure the Date and Time for “Shop Started” and “Shop Completed” are correct. Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Make sure there is the spacing between your words and sentences, they should not be scrunched together.
• All comments provided should be unique. Do not copy and paste the same information into multiple comment sections. If you have multiple shops, no reports should be the same.
• Never refer to previous visits or shops in the report. You should only be reporting on the current evaluation.
• Do not input conversations you have had with our team into your report. You should be reporting on the evaluation only.
• If your shop involved a purchase, make sure you input the correct amount and place the decimal in the correct place, so you are reimbursed correctly.
• The client should be able to read your report and get a clear picture of what took place from the beginning to the end of your evaluation.
• Always keep your wording professional. The clients and sometimes their employees (that you evaluated) will read these reports.
• Remain as objective as possible. Avoid subjective comments and very personal opinions. Stick to facts only.

Receipt and Photo submission:

• It is important to ensure that all photos submitted in connection with your shop report are original and taken by you. Submitting photos from the internet or that you did not take will result in immediate banning.
• You can use a scanner or take a photo of your receipt to submit.
• Photos should only be taken during the date and time your shop is assigned and should not be taken after the fact.
• Make sure all photos are clear and of good quality.
• All photos should be submitted in an upright orientation. If they are not, please rotate them before submitting. If the device you are using does not have a rotation option, please rotate the images in your photo library before uploading them to the report to ensure that they are upright.
• Do not attach the same photo more than once to your report. Each photo should only be submitted once, where specifically asked on the form.
• If your shop involved a purchase, make sure all information on the receipt is clearly visible, including date, time, purchase amount(s), and location address.
• Double-check that the location address on the receipt matches the location address tied to your shop.

How does one get restricted or banned?

Please be reminded that as an Independent Evaluator, you are not an employee of the company and the company reserves the right to place a restriction or a complete ban on your account at any time and without any prior notice or reason. Below are some common reasons for restrictions or bans:

• Using an inappropriate attitude, tone, foul language, making threats, or engaging in any other inappropriate behavior during a shop or with any of our team members will result in a complete ban.
• Failing to complete the shops that you have signed up for may result in a restriction or ban.
• Failing to submit your shops on time may result in a restriction or ban.
• Continuously submitting shops that are not acceptable and require corrections such as spelling, and grammar errors may result in a restriction or ban.