AboutFace Video Experience

Shoppers! You have to take a look at the IKEA trip that Paige Hall, CEO of AboutFace took recently. Armed with a video camera (and a few supplies) she took on the huge store of IKEA in search of bed. Click here to be taken to the Customer Service Vigilante page where the article and video are located. Trust me when I say - you will want to see this!!

Feel free to leave feedback for Ms. Hall while you are there - I know that she would love to hear what you think about her 'IKEA Experience'!

Mystery Shopping Manual

Are you new to Mystery Shopping or maybe just looking for some guidance or fresh ideas? I was looking around the Internet and came upon this lady from Texas, Cathy Stucker. I searched a couple of her sites and found one I thought to be quite interesting. She has wrote a book, The Mystery Shoppers Manual. I personally have not bought it but her site says that it is recognized by the MSPA which I found to be impressive. This is what the MSPA had to say about her book:

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) recognizes that mystery shoppers and prospective mystery shoppers need a resource that will give them the ‘real story’ about mystery shopping. . .the opportunities, the realities, and how to perform at their peak. Cathy Stucker’s book, The Mystery Shopper’s Manual, provides solid information that offers the mystery shopper reliable information on how to obtain assignments, how to perform them well, and how to ensure that mystery shops are conducted in accord with the wishes of the mystery shopping company and its clients. The Mystery Shopper’s Manual provides a realistic approach to mystery shopping that addresses step-by-step processes for becoming a successful shopper.

The cost is $24.95 plus shipping and included in this fee is a down loadable link to mystery shopping companies and websites that she talks about in her book. If you are interested in ordering her book, click here to go straight to the order page. If you just want to read more about it and see what others had to say, click here.

I am curious, has anyone bought the book that you can give us some feedback on it? Is it worth the money?

Are you on Board?

Like to be the first to hear about shops in your area? Get on board with the newest ways to communicate in the secret shopping world – Twitter and Facebook!

With these state-of-the-art methods of communication, you can be get alerts about upcoming shops in real time. No more waiting for offers or logging in to check the job board. You don’t even have to be at home! Follow your favorite companies by becoming a fan or a follower. News is always at your fingertips!

Don't have a Twitter account? That's okay; it’s easy to get one, and it’s never too late to get started. Sign up today at www.twitter.com . Once you register, you control of how much or how little information you want to receive. And, you have the option to get alerts sent right to your phone! So no matter where you are, you’re in the know! Click here to go to the AboutFace™ Secret Shoppers Twitter page.

New to Facebook? Registering couldn't be easier. Just log in to www.facebook.com , click on “Sign Up,” answer a few simple questions and you’re in!! Once you’re a member, you can search for the companies that you want to follow and become a fan of their pages. Click here to go to the AboutFace™ Secret Shoppers Facebook Group’s page.

Twitter and Facebook are free and so simple to use, and they can put you ahead of the game. What are you waiting for?

Heads Up ~ Another Scam

Hello!

Thanks to one of our shoppers - we were made aware of the latest attempt to use AboutFace's name in a scam. The following email is being sent out and PLEASE do not respond to it. It IS a scam!! Anyone who receives the email below, something like this or just anything that has our name on it and seems "off", send it to me to and I will verify whether it is indeed from us or something fraudulent. My email address is Kelly.Pecot@aboutfacecorp.com.

Here is the email that they are sending - the email address that it is coming from is - aboutface.shopper1@rediffmail.com

AboutFace™ uses the frontline measurement tool secret or mystery shopping to help companies and teams reach their full potential. Our secret shopper programs effectively allow clients to hold a mirror up to their business urging them to look inward and discover all that is good and not so good about how they operate. Second, our services equip our clients with the tools, guidance and support to help them capitalize on their organization's strengths and minimize or eliminate their weaknesses.

There are many secret shopping companies out there that ask you to pay "a small fee" to become a shopper. Don't do it! At AboutFace™, you will never pay to shop! We pay you!

Mystery shopping is a great way to supplement your income. It is a fun and exciting opportunity, but it is not for everyone! Shoppers should have the following:

* Viable transportation
* Stable home office:
* Computer and ability to check e-mail often (the library or friend’s computer will not cut it)
* Fax, scanner, copier
* Telephone
* Great writing skills
* Super detail oriented
* Deadline driven

Your Identity would be kept confidential (Mystery shopper) you would be paid $300 for every duty you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance.

FULL NAME:
CONTACT ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP-CODE:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
MOBILE NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:
EMAIL:

NB: Your contact detail will be used in sending you a check payment that will consist of your $300 payment and the funds for the evaluation/shopping, so make sure you provide us with a valid data.

There are over 750 mystery shopping companies out there, and we strive to be the best. Year after year, we have been awarded top honors for the services we provide.

Human Resources Director
Bobby Blunt
206-337-1055
About Face Corp.

Thanks so much for being a loyal AboutFace shopper!!

Kelly Pecot
Logistics Team Director
AboutFace

Urgent Message from The MSPA - Please Act QUICKLY

Dear Mystery Shopper:


MSPA has some very important, and quite serious, information for you. There are some very serious legislative threats that could deny you the right to work as an independent contractor and threaten the mystery shopping industry. We urge you to contact your Senators and Members of Congress and implore them to oppose legislation that would undermine the legal recognition of independent-contractor status. We ask that you contact your Senators and your Congressional Representatives in three ways:

1. Call their Washington or home district offices.
2. Send them an email or submit a web-form message to them
3. Write and mail a letter to them (and copy us at the address on the bottom of this message or send a copy by fax or email)

The following are suggested points you should make in your communications:

• I am an independent contractor (I do mystery shopping on contract with companies) and I strongly urge you to oppose any proposals that would threaten my right to work as an independent contractor.

• New laws that increase the risks to companies that do business with independent contractors put legitimate self-employed service providers – like me – out of business, because our clients will be afraid to do business with us.
  
• Many companies that are clients of Independent Contractors qualify for Section 530 protection and need the certainty that Section 530 provides in order to continue doing business with independent contractors – like me.
  
• IRS data indicate that the federal tax compliance rate for independent contractors whose earnings are reported on Forms 1099 is 97%, which is only 2 percentage points lower than the 99% compliance rate for employees--that is, we are, as a group, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens.
  
• Now is an especially inappropriate time for the government to take any action that will depress economic activity, especially in the entrepreneurial sector.

If you have other "bullet-point" issues you think other MSPA shoppers might find useful in crafting their own messages, please send them to us via email to vikki@mysteryshop.org and we will add them to the list.

Thank you for your support in this very important effort.

Contacting Your Senators and Congressional Representatives

Click here for a complete list of Senators and their addresses and other contact information.

Click here for a complete list of Congressional Representatives and their addresses and other contact information.

To find who represents you in Congress (both Senate and House of Representatives), simply go to this link:http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.

You can find detailed contact information for your Congressional representative at: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.

You can find detailed contact information for your Senators at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Thank You!!

Researchers Identify Regional Personality Traits Across America

Here is an interesting story about personalities.

Based on more than 600,000 questionnaires and published in the journal 'Perspectives on Psychological Science', the study maps regional clusters of personality traits, then overlays state-by-state data on crime, health and economic development in search of correlations.

What state are you in ~ what are they saying about your personality? Are they right on or totally off? Here's the link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122211987961064719.html?mod=yhoofront

Mystery Shoppers Webinar

PremierShoppers.com is offering a webinar called Mystery Shopping 101 - Fact or Fiction. This is something new for Premier Shoppers and they are reporting they will offer 2 webinars a month and best of all they are FREE. Here is the date for the first webinar:

March 16, 2009 from 11:00 AM EST - 11:45 AM EST

What I know about PremierShoppers.com ~ they are a pay site which I have never really been an advocate of. I did visit their site when I came across this webinar and found that their membership prices are much less then some others that I have seen. A year subscription for them is $28.50- as compared to $99.99 that Shadow Shopper charges.

You can make the choice about the pay sites once you gather all your information BUT if you want to attend the webinars - they are all FREE to everyone.

Here is a link to the article that I found on the web. Maybe I will "see" you there!

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=76775&cat=15

Thanks!