Anyone have any suggestions or tips for this company? I am a new mystery shopper(5 months). Greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks

I like ICCDS, they were the first company I shopped for. Quick replies if you have any questions, and the scheduler I contacted was pleasant.

No issues with payment (came almost exactly at the 30-day mark), and the reports are straight-forward and easy. The pay is reflected in the ease of reports, however, but they do add small bonuses near the deadlines.

Also, this company has some mass merchandise stores that allow you to take multiple departments as shops on the same day. You just have to be careful to do each shop separately going through different cash register lines (cannot be self-pay). Makes it easy on gas if you take your items to your car from the first one and walk back inside to do the second. The mass merchandise stores I am referring to are mostly in the midwest but I'm not sure if they have other stores in other areas that work the same way.

They have fast become a favorite company to shop for. I'm thrilled I found them- quite a find. They do a lot of convenience shops in my area, as well as a fun clothing store. My advice is to read all the guidelines, and sometimes they do change, so even if you have done several shops for them, refresh yourself so nothing is missed. Their schedulers are awesome, and after proving to be a good and reliable shopper- you can even self-assign.

As others have said, pay is fair and reliable.

One of the best and one of my favorites. I do lots of work for them. The schedulers are easy to work with and I can almost always get a small bonus on their shops by calling or emailing and asking. Just this year I have done 25 shops for them.

nothing at all in my area....used to have a lot

I completed my first two shops for them in the last few days and so far, I can say that I like doing assignments for them. I definitely look forward to completing more assignments for this MSC.

They do NOT like negative reports.... at all. If the employee fails they do not want to know.... Very biased company.

CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
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> They do NOT like negative reports.... at all. If
> the employee fails they do not want to know....
> Very biased company.


I'm curious what you're basing this on. In my personal experience, I report the facts, good or bad, and have always had my reports accepted and paid.

The only shops in my area are designer stores at the mall, and they are all purchase/return. I won't do them for $12.

ICCDS prides itself on supplying its clients with detailed and objective reports. If the shop was negative or positive it will be supplied to the client as long as the report contains factual information and all the details required by the shopper. Our head of QA has taken the time to write out a fantastic tool for all of our shoppers, The shopper resource guide. Please feel free to read this so you know what reports will be submitted to the clients, what reports may be sent back for more details and what reports will not be acceptable at all. ICCDS also has specific guidelines that need to be followed. Our clients have required these steps to be followed in a mystery shop and we cannot submit a report without the proper requirements.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions

ICC/DS Field Coordinator
Jolaine Snyder-Otey
Jsnyder@iccds.com

Fact- there was no bakery employee
Fact- asked for assistance in several other departments to find an employee to assist in bakery
Fact- two other employees tell me no one is working that shift right now (should that be happening-no but a fact)
Fact- shop denied

So how is a shopper to find an employee IF store says sorry no one can assist in that department.....
Should this ever happen in the grocery- NO but it DID happen

So facts are not really desired by ICCDS.

This is all irrelevant now as I removed myself with a friend now working in that store.
Strange- her reports she sees as a manager of a different department NEVER reflect negative she shared with me last week.
She commented that it was strange all shoppers saw 100% positive ALL the time. We both know that is statistically rare.

I have experienced is with other MSC's as well. They do not like negative reports, especially on restaurants. They are doing their clients a disservice. The clients hired them (and they in turn, hired us) to tell them which employee is doing well and which are not and therefore, need more training). That is what I want too if I am the manager of a business. I would not want to hire mystery shoppers just to get glowing reports to make me happy. However, this is what MSC's work though, even CHG. I got 3 perfect scores of 20 because my report had nothing negative about it. All the server, busser and hosts did what they were supposed to do, and my report was glowing. The ones that had negative comments got lower marks.

ICCDS is a good MSC, and one I have recommended to friends just starting in mystery shopping in my area. They were one of my first MSCs and I learned a lot working for them. The schedulers are great. I like that you can self-assign very much. However, the shops in my area are mostly the same every month, and don't pay much. I'd like to work more for ICCDS, but the $12 purchase and return shops (20 minutes after leaving the store) and $15 high end gym shops aren't worth the time they take to do when you factor in 45 minutes for the shops and an hour for the reports, plus travel time. 2.5 hours to do a gym shop makes it worth $6 an hour. Knock off $5 to get there and back via public transportation and it's only worth $4 an hour. I had to look for better MS opportunities because it was too depressing to make so little for my time. The end of month $2-5 bonuses don't sweeten the deal enough for me. I wish they'd pay more, because in every other way they're a fabulous MSC. I know MS is independent contractor work, but when the pay amounts to only around half what minimum wage is, it's as hard on my self-esteem as my wallet.

Regarding honest reporting, I am so happy when employees do their jobs correctly, as reporting negative encounters is never pleasant.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2014 06:01AM by nycrocks.

They're one of my favorites! Easy reports, fast payments, and responsive schedulers.

I have always enjoyed working for them but I've had trouble getting jobs since they switched
to Sassie. I've asked several times how I keep missing them. It seems like they are
being pre-assigned. Sometimes I hit an assignment date and it disappears before my eyes!

I've submitted my share of negative comments and have always been paid, though. (Maybe
that's why I'm not getting assignments! )

Two of my favorite shops are with this company, so I stalk the board when I expect them to show up, then I grab them as fast as I can. It's high stress.

Shop--It sure is! The scheduler for my area told me that shops are posted on _____ in the __,
but then I don't see them until 2 days later! She'll tell me when she expects another round,
but even when I happen to see them, they go as I'm picking! I think someone has a better
idea of when they get posted. I like their old platform better.

One shop, a while back, had a Mystery Shopping award posted on a pillar, in view, as I checked out. Regardless, I report em like I see em. Negative, postive. I have never had a question, and have no complaints.

JSnyder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ICCDS prides itself on supplying its clients with
> detailed and objective reports. If the shop was
> negative or positive it will be supplied to the
> client as long as the report contains factual
> information and all the details required by the
> shopper. Our head of QA has taken the time to
> write out a fantastic tool for all of our
> shoppers, The shopper resource guide. Please feel
> free to read this so you know what reports will be
> submitted to the clients, what reports may be sent
> back for more details and what reports will not be
> acceptable at all. ICCDS also has specific
> guidelines that need to be followed. Our clients
> have required these steps to be followed in a
> mystery shop and we cannot submit a report without
> the proper requirements.
> Please feel free to contact me with any questions
>
> ICC/DS Field Coordinator
> Jolaine Snyder-Otey
> Jsnyder@iccds.com

One of your reviewers just gave me 6/10 for a report I submitted on time. I gave all details of my transaction (which was a very quick compliance audit for which the employee did exactly what she was supposed to do) so I don't know why the reviewer scored me so low. I replied to the e-mail I just received but was wondering if you might be able to assist me with my inquiry as you are the one handling this particular group of shops?

ETA -- Never mind; my error. The reviewer stated that is the DATE (other MSCs never include the date and I'd see the score first, followed by the comments).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2014 06:34PM by MM1970.

I like them as well. I have submitted a few extremely negative reports and have always been paid.

I highly recommend them.

One of my favorite companies.

I like this company, particularly the grocery store ones. I no longer do the high-end purse shops, though. They reimburse you $12 for a purchase. The purses are usually $100+ and you're not allowed to buy a keychain. You can return the purchase but it's not worth it, IMO.

A great company, but with their rotation rules and only two projects in my area with a limit of two shops per project per period, it's impossible to do steady work for them. I've given up responding with applications because most of the time, I'm not eligible. Doing one shop in each project kicks me out for three months, so best possible scenario is eight shops per year. Not worth my attention.

Phoebe70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I like this company, particularly the grocery
> store ones. I no longer do the high-end purse
> shops, though. They reimburse you $12 for a
> purchase. The purses are usually $100+ and you're
> not allowed to buy a keychain. You can return the
> purchase but it's not worth it, IMO.

If you are talking about the shops whose client is named after regular airline fares (trying to be creative here), I've only seen $12 pay with end of the month bonuses of a few dollars. I've never seen reimbursement shops for this client. I've only seen that you can choose to return the item in 20 minutes or a later date or keep it. I only did one of these shops when I was new to MS. It was a good learning experience for a new shopper but I can't be bothered for another one. I was able to use cash and buy a wristlet for around $53 with tax. Cute as it was, I returned it.

While I don't think I'll do another of those "high-end" shops because it's not worth the pay to purchase and return- I'll never say never. If it paid more, say $30 or even $25 and I was in the mall doing shops anyway, I'd consider. It really wasn't all that bad, the shop portion, and the report was easy. Also, there is nothing you need to report on for the return- a serious bonus, IMO.

I did feel bad returning the item after i purchased it, and had to tell the salesgirl several times that I just couldn't afford it, sorry, then after she kept trying to sell me - here's my credit card, please process my refund, which was uncomfortable. The shop fee should seriously be increased. I've seen high end shops for $40 or more.

I did my first high end purse shop today. It was pretty easy and I needed a gift for a high school graduation present anyway. I got a beautiful wristlet that I wouldn't mind keeping . I figure the shop fee is like getting it on sale. It's not something I would do often but if I was going to buy something there anyway I'd pick up a shop.

Like the way they avoid a negative...... ?

Fact- there was no bakery employee
Fact- asked for assistance in several other departments to find an employee to assist in bakery
Fact- two other employees tell me no one is working that shift right now (should that be happening-no but a fact)
Fact- shop denied

My facts were correct.


ICC/DS Field Coordinator
Jolaine Snyder-Otey
Jsnyder@iccds.com waiting for a response....... you pride yourself on accurate reports to the clients?

Canadamommy-
I stand by what I said before that this company gives the client accurate and honest reports. A client has expectations and certain requirements that as a company we must adhere to. One of these being interactions. As a company we cannot send them a report without any information on this specific requirement. The point of a mystery shop is to assess the customer service of a store and its associates.
I have given you my work information to contact me personally. I will not go back and forth in a forum when I do not know what your report entailed. For example, if the time frame restrictions were followed. As I stated before you can always contact me personally. For this issue specifically you may want to call and speak to Marti who is the head of QA.

ICC/DS Field Coordinator
> Jolaine Snyder-Otey
> Jsnyder@iccds.com

I LOVE ICCDS. Quick payments, easy reports and fast responses when you need them.