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Like Us on Facebook to get Exclusive Fans-Only Advance Notice of Upcoming Mystery Shops!
Greetings!
Welcome to the Confero Shopper Connector Newsletter! This publication offers news and information about Confero, Inc. and the mystery shopping industry. It is delivered free to your e-mail address. You are receiving this newsletter because you are currently registered as an independently contracted mystery shopper with Confero, Inc.
You may subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. However, if you choose to unsubscribe from this newsletter, you will automatically be unsubscribed from our mystery shopper database and will no longer be eligible to conduct mystery shops for Confero. This publication will be sent out once per quarter, only four times a year!
If you would like to unsubscribe from our email mystery shop postings, but still remain in our mystery shopper database, please log into your Confero Compass shop log and change your selections in your Shopper Profile. We encourage you to take a few moments and read through the articles in this newsletter. Things are constantly changing in the mystery shopping industry and we want to make sure you are up to date on all our latest information! If you have a suggestion for an article topic or a question you would like answered, please feel free to contact us! |
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Advance Notice for Facebook Fans-Only! Like Us on Facebook Now! Amusement Park, Airport, Restaurant Summer Shops Launch Soon!
 Confero is preparing for our busy summer and we are excited to start our upcoming mystery shopping projects! We have created an exclusive fans-only section on Facebook (www.facebook.com/confero) to announce when new mystery shops are going to be posted on the Compass Job Board. Confero will also have monthly fans-only contests and surveys for our fans to participate in and win prizes. Our fans-only section will also allow for more direct communication between our mystery shoppers and our scheduling team! Here are some of the types of mystery shopping projects we will have this summer; be sure to "Like Us" on Facebook to be the first to know when these mystery shops are posted! - Movie theater mystery shops
- Casual Dining mystery shops
- Amusement Park mystery shops
Read the full article here. |
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Top Six Mistakes to Avoid When Completing a Mystery Shop Report
 Here at Confero we get lots of questions from mystery shoppers asking how they can improve their shop ratings. One easy way to improve your shop rating is to make sure you are providing a clean, concise mystery shop report every time. Here is a list of the Top Six Mistakes to Avoid When Completing a Mystery Shop Report: - Copying and pasting shop information. Each mystery shop is unique, so each mystery shop report should be unique to each individual shop. Our clients do not accept reports with copied or "canned" comments, as they expect each unique mystery shop/audit visit's conversation to be reported individually. That's what they are paying for. Copied or canned comments imply that the mystery shopper did not make the required observations or give them full attention. For more details about this, see Cathy Stucker's blog about all the "Dangers of Copy and Paste."
Read the full article here. |
Audit Projects Increase
 Our mystery shoppers may have noticed that over the past year, Confero has seen a big increase in clients requesting audits of their location. Audits are usually used by large companies or corporations with multiple locations, often nationwide. Audits provide a simple way for companies to manage the image they are presenting to customers in all their locations.
Audits usually require auditors to visit the assigned location and do any of the following items:
- Take an inventory of particular products. Companies want to ensure that their shelves are properly stocked at all times. And sometimes, they are auditing their competitors, so they want to be able to compare what their competitors have in stock. In a recent program, one of our clients had auditors visit grocery stores to take inventory of particular brands of products. They wanted to know how must shelf space was designated for their product, as well as their competitors.
Read the full article here.
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Gold Certification DVD Winner Announced!
Congratulations to Ann F. from Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia! Ann's contest entry was randomly selected as the winner of our recent MSPA Gold Certification DVD contest. Here is Ann's winning entry: What type of mystery shops appeal to you and why? "I love mystery shops where I learn more about a particular product. I was not familiar with SmartPhone technology but after three cell phone mystery shops, I now know how to operate the SmartPhone and exactly which provider I will sign with. At the age of 63 mystery shops teach me and I get paid to learn!" We enjoyed reading all of the contest entries and have put together a list of some of our favorites: "The restaurant mystery shops are my favorite. We're going to eat out anyway so to have it reimbursed is great!" - Nancy W., Texas
"My favorite mystery shops are the instant prize-reveal reward shops. It always feels good to reveal the mystery shop to the manager when there is a positive outcome." - Tracy E., Ohio
Read the full article here.
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New Contest! MSPA Gold Certification DVD Giveaway!
This quarter we are giving away another MSPA Gold Certification DVD. To enter this contest, leave a comment on this blog post answering this question:
- Mystery shoppers observe and report on customer service every day. What is the one thing an employee or business can do to turn a negative customer service experience into a positive one?
Click here to for all contest details!
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How to Spot a Scam
 Unfortunately, scam artists have targeted unsuspecting consumers under the disguise of mystery shopping companies for several years now. Recently, there have been a couple of news stories involving a few of these scams. Last year, the wire transfer company, MoneyGram had to pay $18 million to settle charges with the Federal Trade Commission because it was found that "MoneyGram agents helped fraudulent telemarketers and other con artists who tricked U.S. consumers into wiring more than $84 million within the United States and to Canada." Also, in early April of this year, a man was sentenced to six years in prison for running a $6 million job scam.
Read the full article here.
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MSPA Gold Certification Workshop June 11th, 2011
Have you considered becoming a certified MSPA mystery shopper? The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) has scheduled a Gold Certification Workshop for June 11th, 2011 in Toledo, Ohio. Becoming a MSPA certified mystery shopper helps separate you from the pack. Many mystery shopping companies, including Confero, use shopper certification as a deciding factor when choosing one mystery shopper over another for a particular project. For example, if two mystery shoppers request the same shop and they both have the same shopper rating and history, if one shopper has a MSPA certification and the other does not, it makes it an easy decision. The mystery shopper that has gone the extra mile to become MSPA certified is usually viewed as the "safer bet" when it comes to scheduling. Schedulers are always looking for reliable mystery shoppers who they can be sure will get the shop done on time and in the correct manner. MSPA certified mystery shoppers have completed specific education requirements that cover all aspects of the mystery shopping industry. |
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Tweet, Tweet! Follow Us!
 Are you on Twitter? If so, be sure to follow us for up to the minute information! Our scheduling team tweets about upcoming mystery shops, special bonus locations, industry news, tips from our schedulers and more! Here are some of our tweets from last month: - Turn your vehicle into a moneymaker! Check our job board to see if there are any oil change mystery shops near you!
- Are you considering becoming a MSPA certified shopper? See what other shoppers have said about the certification program. http://bit.ly/jewkZv
- Luckily, for one consumer, this mystery shopping scam had a happy twist. http://bit.ly/iPU9kh
Follow us at www.twitter.com/conferoshoppers!
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Tips from Confero's Scheduling Team |
"If you have accepted a mystery shopping assignment, be sure to let us know ASAP if you cannot complete it. We work on tight deadlines and the more notice you give us, the more likely we will be able to find another mystery shopper to conduct the shop on time."
- Cindy C.
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"Be dependable. The more often you apply for a mystery shop and complete it on time, the more often we will assign you shops!"
- Shirley C.
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"If you are traveling, check the job board! Even if it is only a day trip! We may have a restaurant, convenience store or other type of shop either on your route or at your destination."
- Amy M.
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"Be sure you read the entire mystery shop posting. We put all the important details in these postings. Some client projects require certain age groups or technology like a cell phone or digital camera."
- Suzanne C.
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Confero Proudly Sponsored the Triangle Go Red For Women Luncheon on May 6th! |
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Did you know that heart disease is still the number one cause of death among women? Did you know that heart disease can affect women at any age?
Confero has made it our mission over the past few years to get involved in raising awareness about heart disease in women. Earlier this year, Confero staff members participated in National Wear Red Day by wearing red and attending a CPR information session.
On Friday, May 6th Confero sponsored the Triangle Go Red For Women Luncheon at the Sheraton in Raleigh, North Carolina. Our staff members spent time attending seminars on these topics: Heart Healthy Cooking, CPR Training and Know Your Heart Health.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for tips on how you can improve your heart health and how you can get involved with Go Red For Women!
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Shopper Connector Archive
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Mystery Shopper Frequently Asked Questions
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