Shopper FAQ's

How do you pay your shoppers?

We pay our shoppers by check after they have submitted a Service Invoice. Checks are issued bi-monthly and a check will usually be cut within 6 weeks of completing your assignment. We want to give our clients time to review your report before we pay you. Once the Invoice has been processed you should receive your check within 7-10 business days. All invoices must include the shop# or ID#, community name, target name, shopper mailing address, and who the check is to be made out to. Please email all invoices to shopperinvoices@remysteryshops.com.

Please NOTE! Our checks are delivered in a plain white envelope. They do not have the Remington Evaluations name on them. Often our new shoppers mistake them for junk mail and throw them away. Obviously this will delay the payment process. We have attached a sample payment envelope here for you to refer to....Envelope. 

Why do I have to submit an invoice to get paid when no one other mystery shopping company asks for one?

Actually the MSPA is urging all mystery shopping companies to solidify the shopper – mystery shopping company relationship as business-to-business. By sending an invoice, you are acknowledging that you are a contractor and your own business. You are providing a service to the mystery shopping company you are doing the shop for. Remington Evaluations is your client. Therefore, we need a service invoice from you in order to pay you for your work. SAMPLE INVOICE 

How are shoppers picked for assignments?

Some clients have specific profiles they want used. We first review your profile and then choose the shopper who can complete the shop the soonest. We also look at your experience with mystery shopping and apartment shopping.

How do the bonuses work?

We offer two bonuses – a $7 12-hour turnaround time bonus as well as a $5 MSPA GOLD shopper bonus. If you meet the bonus requirements, a shopper will add those bonus prices to their invoices. Bonuses are subject to change daily.

Why do you pay a bonus for GOLD shoppers and not SILVER?

As you know Gold shoppers pay over $100 just to get extra training needed for the mystery shopping industry. We see it as a value. We expect the GOLD shopper to be more knowledge and provide reports with almost no errors in it. We want to reward those shoppers who took the time to take their business to the next level by becoming MSPA GOLD certified.

When are your reports due?

Most of our reports are due within 24 hours of your onsite visit to the community or within 24 of completing the last step of the shopping process. For shoppers who want to earn the $7 bonus, their due date is cut in half. The report would be due within 12 hours.

I’ve never done an apartment shop before. How will I know what to do?

Well, first, our shop guidelines are very detailed and will help you understand what is needed. They may seem a bit overboard; but we guarantee they will help you. They cover everything you would ever want to know about apartment shopping. Secondly, we provide an orientation if needed. We can walk you through what to expect. This helps many shoppers. So if you want an orientation, just ask.

Why do your reports ask for so much more detail than other apartment shops I have done for other companies?

The clients who come to us want more information than what other mystery shopping companies currently provide. We are unique in that we tell our clients the whole story – not the cliff notes version. Our clients don’t want a shopper’s opinion. They are looking for the facts, as they happen. It is through your eyes and story telling the client is counting on understanding every aspect of the sales process their leasing consultant used when dealing with you. If we don’t share the whole story, how will the client know what specific issues there are that should be addressed?

Can any shopper do an apartment shop?

Well, perhaps for other companies but not necessarily for Remington Evaluations. The shoppers we use must have a great memory, be organized, be reliable, be excellent writers, must be able to type quickly, and must follow instructions. Each client is different; thus each shop may be slightly different. Because our reports are more lengthy than what some shoppers are used to, you have to be very organized and be a fast typer. Writing the story is the one part of the shop that will take you the longest. If you do not type quickly and you shopped someone who was excellent and spent 40 minutes with you during your visit to the community, it will take you a long time to get that story down when writing the report. You have to decide ahead of time if it is worth your time. This decision should be made prior to accepting any assignments. A phone shop normally takes between 3 to 5 minutes and an onsite shop could be from 20 to 40 minutes. It just depends on how good the consultant is that you are shopping. The better the consultant, the more there is to tell in your story. Thus, you will spend more time writing the story. If you want to be an apartment shopper, ask yourself the following questions: 1. Can I type at least 40 words a minute? 2. Do I have a good memory? 3. Am I able to write about what happened only and leave out my opinions? 4. Am I good with submitting reports within their deadline? If you answered YES to all 4 questions – then apply apply apply for the assignments you want. It will be well worth it.

I don’t have a scanner. Can I still do my shopping assignment?

Yes. You have to option to fax the marketing materials or mail them to us.

I don’t see any jobs listed in my area. When will you have jobs listed that I can do?

Clients call us all the time ordering shops. We service the entire USA. So even if there is no shop posted now, it does not mean there will not be one for you tomorrow. Sign up and wait. If we have a shop posted in your area, you will receive an email. You can also check our job board frequently for assignments.

I am interested in a job posted but I am not happy with the price. Can I negotiate a higher price?

From  time to time if it is a job that has been sitting on our job board for a while, we welcome bids from the shopper. If you can do the shop quickly for us, name your price and we will see if it works with the client’s budget. It never hurts to ask.