I am not certified. I would like to be, I think...but, what really are the benefits?
If I become certified, then do I go into each MSC and update my profile?
Do you have to get re-certified or is it good forever?
Is one level "better" than another?

Been shopping full time for a year with roughly 1000 shops.


Any advice would be appreciated.

This has been much discussed.. We don't all agree. It is forever, and yes, you update your profiles. Do a search for çertifiçation, silver, and gold.....seleçtiñg "all dates" ........ and you can read more than you ever wanted to know about being certified.

The benefit is that it puts your money in the MSPA's pocket.

My own experience is that it doesn't matter one jot if you have a certificate or not. An available shop is an available shop. I've been a shopper 21 years now and don't have a MS'ing certification.

When I am looking for shoppers to fill my shops I contact the gold and silver certified shoppers first then the non certified shoppers.

However, the first person to respond gets the shop. Certified or not.

Some companies stated that they gave preference to certified shoppers. On the chance that they were telling the truth, I spent the $15 and got certified. It appeared to me that I started seeing higher-dollar shops after that. Coincidence? Possibly. But since we have no way of knowing what shops might be there that we're not able to see, who can say for sure?

I figured if it got me access to even one shop that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten, it was worth it. I suspect I have gotten access to far more than that.


If Sally says being certified lets me see the shop sooner than non-certified shoppers, to me, that's a tangible benefit. It's not a benefit I can usually take advantage of because I route shop and it takes me hours to plan a route to the point where I am ready to request the filler shops (I commit to the route when I find one shop that will cover the gas, then fill in the day with other shops in the area) so a fast non-certified shopper might get one I might otherwise have taken. But it's still a benefit worth having.

And I think for newbies, it shows MSC's that you are taking this seriously, not a hobbyist in it for the free dinners and movies. For people with 1000 shops under their belts, probably not so necessary.

Like I have said in the other threads, I am silver certified and it has helped me with leads to other companies and "first pick" of certain shops. I became certified within my first five months of MS'ing so I definitely recouped my $15.00 and then some.

dspeakes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some companies stated that they gave preference to
> certified shoppers. On the chance that they were
> telling the truth, I spent the $15 and got
> certified. It appeared to me that I started
> seeing higher-dollar shops after that.
> Coincidence? Possibly. But since we have no way
> of knowing what shops might be there that we're
> not able to see, who can say for sure?
>
> I figured if it got me access to even one shop
> that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten, it was
> worth it. I suspect I have gotten access to far
> more than that.
>
>
> If Sally says being certified lets me see the shop
> sooner than non-certified shoppers, to me, that's
> a tangible benefit. It's not a benefit I can
> usually take advantage of because I route shop and
> it takes me hours to plan a route to the point
> where I am ready to request the filler shops (I
> commit to the route when I find one shop that will
> cover the gas, then fill in the day with other
> shops in the area) so a fast non-certified shopper
> might get one I might otherwise have taken. But
> it's still a benefit worth having.
>
> And I think for newbies, it shows MSC's that you
> are taking this seriously, not a hobbyist in it
> for the free dinners and movies. For people with
> 1000 shops under their belts, probably not so
> necessary.

I'm sorry, I should be more clear. When I have to contact shoppers via phone or text to fill shops, I will look at my databases and if the shopper is certified I will contact them first. That is true with Sassie shops.

For prophet, I pull up shoppers via zip code and don't see if a shopper is certified. I don't take the time to look up the shopper profile.

I don't get it. Sally, why would you give, for example, a silver certified shopper preference, which, according to previous posts on this topic, is awarded to anyone who simply ponies up $20.00? To me, that only means the shopper has $20.00 to spare, not that they are any more qualified or any more reliable or can write any more professionally than someone who doesn't happen to have $20.00. Okay, I know you are only a representative of the MSCs, who happen to be strong advocates of certification. (Why they are, I don't understand, but I suspect it comes down to money.)

In the "real" world, wouldn't this be like corporate America encouraging applicants to get a college degree from one of those diploma mills, stating, "With that, we ensure you will be on the fast track."

I don't mean any disrespect to those who are proudly silver certified, however I've got to wonder, where is the logic? What important piece of information, which makes it all make sense, am I missing? Please, please enlighten me.

(heart)

PS
I have to admit that I am still struggling with, "For prophet, I pull up shoppers via zip code and don't see if a shopper is certified. I don't take the time to look up the shopper profile."

It's not just $20. There is a test to take, demonstrating understanding of the basics of mystery shopping. And if you don't pass it, you don't pass it. You have to keep trying until you get it right. And while it would be dead easy for an experienced shopper to pass it, it's not so easy for a newbie. I took it very early in my MS career and took about five tries before I got it right.

What she was saying about prophet is that prophet doesn't show her if you're certified or not so she would have to go digging in the profiles to find a certified shopper so she doesn't bother. Being silver certified, therefore, would be unlikely to make any difference to getting jobs with a company on the prophet platform. But on Sassie it is displayed so the scheduler can easily spot a certified shopper in the area where she needs the job done.

Bottom line, yes, it makes a difference, but not always.

Thank you dspeakes.

(heart)

I got it two years into my mystery shopping career and didn't notice a bit of difference.

I honestly do not recall ever paying anything to be silver certified. My thinking at the time I got it was since it's free, why not? I would never have paid to be certified.

I don't understand why this topic always seems to get so heated. Last time I checked, this is the United States of America where we are allowed to make choices. You can choose to become certified or you can choose not to become certified. You can choose to spend the $20.00 (I paid $15.00) or you can choose not to pay the $20.00. You can choose to test the test or you can choose not to take the test. Free will.

It can be controversial and certification carries no guarantees. For some companies I have been able to provide my video certification. If all they want is some indication I am trying to take this business seriously, how much more serious does it get than investing in video equipment and traveling three days for a seminar? This story has been told before, but a scheduler I know well was desperate to get some shops filled and excited to find a gold certified shopper willing to take them on. The result was a total cluster because the scheduler did not find out until after the fact the shopper had never completed one mystery shop.

While some shoppers are reporting more and higher paying work after certification, there are at least as many who see no difference than what is offered to their non-certified friends. It could depend on what type of shops someone is interested in and location. But isn't that the case with all things mystery shopping?

I think it also depends on how long you've been shopping. I think the earlier in your shopping career you get certified the bigger help it will be early in your shopping career. Someone who has been turning in great reports for 2 years probably has already proved themselves to any MSC they shop for. Someone who has only turned in 1 or 2 great reports for an MSC will get a bigger benefit by becoming certified.

I think there is practically no difference in a gold certified shopper who has been turning in great reports for 3 years and regular shopper who has been turning in great reports for 3 years.

I agree. I think if you have a reputation with the company, that will outweigh silver status. However, if I was a scheduler and looking at applications for a shop where no one had a history with the MSC and there was one that was silver certified and the others were not, I would likely offer it to the silver certified first.