Thank you for partnering with J. M. Ridgway (JMR herein) as a Mystery Shopper. Please read and adhere to all shopper guidelines and survey instructions to be assured payment for your mystery shops. Our shoppers and our clients are important to us. Each one of our surveys, are created in accordance with our clients’ needs and approval. If we do not fulfill our client’s needs, we do not get paid and in turn cannot pay for a shop that is not properly performed. We sincerely appreciate your efforts and professionalism. JMR has been in continuous operation since 1924. Our goal is to assist our clients in maintaining an excellent level of customer service through the development and/or maintenance of company policies and procedures.

It is important that our shoppers understand the need to pay attention to detail, follow our instructions, and be flexible in their schedules.

It is important to read all information regarding any assignment before performing the shop. This means that you must read the guidelines immediately prior to performing your shop and review the survey in its entirety so that you know exactly what is needed. You may need to make a list of what you need as we do not provide lists. Everything you need to perform the shop to the client’s specifications is within the guidelines and on the survey. Very Important!: Our client needs can change quickly, so it is imperative that you read the guidelines immediately prior to every shop.

You may be assigned specific dates and times to shop and you will be given a deadline date. Your failure to meet the deadline on a shop will be documented on your file in the form of a written citation. If you fail to meet two separate deadlines you will be deactivated. If you are late with a shop and we email you twice to submit that late shop and do not hear back from you, you do stand a good chance of being deactivated. The exception to this will be if the reason for missing your deadline is out of your control, family emergency, etc., etc., but if you use the same excuse more than once, you will likely be deactivated from performing further shops for us. Communication is vitally important in our line of work! Please contact your scheduler immediately if you:

• Need to cancel or re-schedule a shop
• Are having trouble with the reporting system or have any other questions regarding shop information
• Are in doubt about anything.

When completing your shopping reports, be sure to be objective. Keep your answers relevant to the shop. Include only the facts of the shop at hand! Do not compare the results of the shops to any previous visits you have made whether on your own or for us. Again stick to only the facts of the shop at hand. Don’t include personal opinions in your reporting unless the survey asks for it. ALERT as March 2018!!!! Many shoppers are not providing proper comments and summations and are just going thru the motions of doing the shop. You are the eyes and ears for the client. You must provide detailed comments and summations on the survey. We are not asking for you to write a book but to be clear and provide ‘meat’ for the client chew on.

It is important to remember to keep the “mystery” in mystery shopping at all times. After your shop, be sure to complete your report as soon as you can, but well away from the store you shopped. We do reserve the right to replace your shop with no pay to you if you are spotted writing your report out either in or to near to the store. This doesn’t happen often but has in the past. If you need to take notes during a shop, ask to use the bathroom.

COMPENSATION
We do not withhold income or social security taxes from your compensation. You are responsible as an independent contractor for any taxes due on your behalf to the federal, state, local or any other government. If your compensation from us exceeds $600 (six hundred) in a calendar year, we will need your social security number (s/s#) so that we can send you a 1099 form as mandated by federal law. We will not use your s/s# for anything other than providing you with a 1099.

We do not pay mileage or reimburse for fax, bridge tolls or other expenses without prior approval. All approved additional expenses do require an accompanying receipt.

Payments are made via check or deposits we make to Paypal accounts by the 30th day after of the date of your shop.

If you opt out of providing your Paypal info on your application in Sassie with us, you must send an email requesting payment by check to Frank at frank.k@jmridgway.com. You must include your full name, mailing address, name of location you shopped, city and state location in and the date you completed the shop.

If you opt to receive payments via deposit to your Paypal account, do not go by your shop log in your Sassie account for pay date. That is for our purposes only. We do not pay for all shops done at the same time for any given month when making your deposit. If you receive a deposit that is not for the total amount of money for all shops you did in any given month, do not be alarmed. You will be paid by the 30th day after the shop was completed. To know exactly what your deposit is for, simply keep track of your shops in date order and you will know exactly what the deposit you received is for.

Please do not email us asking where your payment is or when you will be paid until after the 30th day after shop date. If you do not receive your money the 30th day after your shop is completed, email the following information to Frank Kneisley at frank.k@jmridgway.com and please allow up to one business day for a reply:

Your full name / Name of store(s) where shop(s) were completed / City and State where shop(s) were completed / Date shop(s) were completed.

We also offer quick pay on a limited number of shops. Quick pays are generally offered within 3 business days or 7 business days of the date you send in the request for quick pay. Please do not send your request for quick pay until after you have submitted your completed shop survey. When emailing a request for quick pay, if your Paypal account email is different than the email you are sending your request from you must indicate that. If you do not indicate in your request which address to make your deposit to in Paypal, the deposit will be made to the email address you are sending your request from. If you are requesting pay for a quick pay shop via mailed check, please allow up to 5 business days to receive.

Please do not email us asking if your shop is on a quick pay. You will know this on the posting for the shop.

For complaints and any disputes regarding any compensation, email Frank Kneisley at frank.k@jmridgway.com with the following information and of course include what your dispute is. Your full name / Name of store(s) where shop(s) were completed / City and State where shop(s) were completed / Date shop(s) were completed.

Shopper Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) How do I apply for jobs?
For our New Shopper Application please first click here for our Fraud Alert, then review our Shopper Application Overview

2) Can I find opportunities on this site?
Yes, current JM Ridgway Shoppers can log in to their SASSIE acount, and new shoppers should begin the application process here.

3) How do I get paid?
Please refer back to ‘Compensation’ section on your shopper overview

4) What happens if I am approached by someone in a store I am shopping and am asked if I am a mystery shopper?
Always play it off and say you don’t know what the person is talking about. If your shop requires you to take pictures, you simply say I am taking a picture(s) to send to my friend, etc. so they can see the menu, product, your lay out, how cute your store is, etc. etc. etc.

5) Who should I contact if I have questions about my assignment?
Contact your assigner. Know who your assigner is. If you don’t know or don’t get a response within 1 business day, email Frank Kneisley at frank.k@jmridgway.com

6) What should I do if I miss my assigned shop date or can’t do an assignment?
Let your assigner know and include a date that you can complete the shop, if possible.

7) What happens if I show up and the store is closed?
Submit your report with date(s) and time(s) and you will be paid as long as you performed your shop within the date and time frame you were instructed. If you performed your shop outside the timeframe instructed, do not submit a report, and contact your assigner.

8) Can I take my husband, wife, child or friend on the shop?
You may take someone with you on the shop, however if your shop is affected in a negative manner because someone who accompanied you on the shop distracted you, ie: a child and our client disputes your reporting and ultimately decides not to pay us, you will not be paid. It is your responsibility to control this.

9) If I can’t do the shop can I have someone do the shop in my place?
Not without prior approval from your assigner. Contact your assigner.