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Why are Mystery Shops Declined?

A declined shop report is a mystery shopper’s worst nightmare. Some potential shoppers never try mystery shopping for that reason, while some refrain from performing expensive shops thinking that they may not get reimbursed for their shops.

There are many ways to prepare for a mystery shop by going through the Mystery Shopping Checklist. However, where even the best mystery shoppers fail is not giving attention to the details before, during and after a shop.

Completing a report is where the shop’s success or failure is determined. Knowing what the client requires makes the shopping process simpler and eases the stress of completing the report. Shops often get declined because the mystery shopper fails to read the assignment description carefully. Reading the description and understanding the details is a big part of the job of a mystery shopper. Therefore, it’s important to take notes of what the client requires and has mentioned in their description. Performing a shop according to the assignment description is the best way to ensure a quality shop report will be submitted.

Attention to detail is a must have skill for all mystery shoppers. Shops are subject to being declined if the shopper is not descriptive about what took place in the shop they conducted. The shopper needs to focus on the requirements of the client and take notes, so they can later include those in their reports.

It’s always beneficial to add more detail for the client than not to avoid the risk of the shop report being declined. However, at the same time it’s important to stay relevant to the question that is being asked by the client and not just try to fill space.

Clients will always ask for a receipt at the end of the job and if the mystery shopper fails to upload a picture of the receipt, no matter how good the report is, it will be rejected.

Look ahead of time at what the report requires, such as pictures and recordings. Many shoppers fail to check where the pictures are to be uploaded, what format are, they to be and what limit the client has placed on them. It is a good idea for shoppers to do a dry run and try uploading documents to go through the logistics before conducting a shop.

Following these steps, you can comfortably perform a shop without the fear of it being declined. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up to become a mystery shopper now!