How do I submit my reports and validation?

Step One, The Report:

v      Once your shop is complete, your survey should be submitted online the same day as your shop, and ALWAYS within 24 hours of the shop.

v      Use complete sentences with varied sentence structure.

v      Do not write your report in ALL-CAPS.

v      Be sure to be consistent in your spelling of employee names.

v      Be sure to complete all the questions on the survey that best depicts your shop.  Be accurate with the details of the shop- make sure you’re answering exactly the way that it happened. 

v      Avoid grammatical errors, spelling errors and typos.  Our system has spell check for your convenience. Proof-read your report! Capitalize proper nouns, the pronoun “I,” and trademarked items such as “Whopper,” “Coca-Cola,” etc.

v      Refrain from using slang, abbreviations, smiley faces or exclamation points.

v      When answering open-ended “comments” questions, many clients wish you to report on your overall experience during a shop, and to comment upon your interaction with certain employees.  Many times these brief narratives are more valuable to the client than your “yes/no” responses.  As a result, it is imperative that you pay particular attention to these responses.  Some reports require that you use a certain number of characters or sentences to detail your narrative: these values are not arbitrary, but serve rather as a minimum guideline for how much Confero expects you to write in a comprehensive account.  Spend time creating your responses and think about what is important for you to convey to the client.  Your comments should reflect upon (and not contradict) the questions that were asked in the report, without being a simple restatement of what you have already answered.  Do not disclose any personal information about yourself in these narratives, or refer to anyone else who accompanied you during the shop.

v      Check your entire report before you submit it for review; correct inconsistencies and make sure that you answered all questions fully.

v      After you’ve sent your documents, our validation department will send you a message to let you know if your documents have been received.  If there is a problem receiving your documents, you’ll receive that notice as well.

v      If you notice something unusual, be sure to make a note in your report.  For example, if you shopped at 7:15 p.m. and the receipt time says 10:15 a.m., make a note of it in the “Confero Comments” box.

Step Two, Uploading or Faxing Validation Documents:

We prefer that you upload your validation directly to your online survey.  Uploading images takes away your worry of whether we received your fax.  However, if you must fax, please be sure to use the fax number specific to your guidelines.

To Upload:

As you fill out your report, you should see a link that says “UPLOAD”.  You can attach your validation documents here.  For example, if you have a receipt, or business card that is your validation, you can scan the document and upload.  You could also take a picture of it with your digital camera and attach it.  The process is similar to when you send an attachment in an email.  You simply find the document in your files, click the upload button that will attach it to your survey, and then click send when your report is complete.  If uploading, you do not have to fax your documents.  Please be sure to wait while your document uploads.  This can take a few minutes.  If you don’t wait long enough, your upload will not be complete.  The upload procedure only accepts certain file types (.jpg, .tif, .gif, .bmp, .pdf).  Be sure to upload only the image file - do not paste the image into a MS Word document, as our program does not accept .doc files.  Once the file has uploaded, check to make sure that the ink is legible, i.e. not too light or blurred.  If you cannot read it, neither can we.  Please make sure to only send clear, legible images, and if necessary, trace over the information carefully with a pencil. 

To Fax:

Please be sure to use the correct fax number.  Each client has its own designated fax line. If you are doing a grocery store shop and an automotive shop, you cannot send both to the same fax number.  Send each separately, to the fax numbers given in each guideline specification. 

Many times we get fax messages that are blank pieces of paper.  Be sure you know which way your documents go into the machine prior to sending.

Your shop details are due by noon the day after your shop.  Because many shoppers submit documentation on a daily basis, the traffic for the fax lines may be congested.  Please keep trying the number until you can submit the documents.

After you have submitted your documents, our validation department will send you an email concerning receipt.  You will also receive an email if your validation has not been received, which puts you at risk for lowered grades and therefore a loss of future assignments.

**When sending these documents, please choose one method or the other.  Please do not send both a fax and an attachment.

Here are some common types of messages concerning validation of your work:

v      Validation documents have been received and verified. 

v      We have not received your validation documents for this assignment. Please fax ASAP so your report and payment can be processed.

v      Validation documents have been received; however, your survey questions have been answered in all capital letters and are unacceptable.  Your report cannot be sent to the client that way.  Please go back to your report and correct with proper grammar and punctuation. Please email me when this has been completed

v      I have just received a completely blank fax from you and am assuming it was supposed to be the validation documents for this assignment.  Please try again.

v      I have received your coversheet, however, for this assignment a receipt is also required. Please fax ASAP so we can process your payment.

v      I have received your faxed verification documents however the survey is not completed online as of yet.  Please go back into survey and answer all questions with the “Oops” next to them by clicking on “edit/view” in your shopper log to the left of the screen ASAP. 

v      We have not received your validation documents for this assignment. Please fax ASAP. This is just a reminder.

v      I have received your faxed validation documents however; the receipt is too light to read.  Please darken by making a copy or trace over with a pencil or pen and refax ASAP so your payment may be processed.

Step 3, Returning Prizes:

If you have prizes to return to Confero, please return them in the prepaid DHL envelope that Confero provided you.  It is mandatory that you return the prizes, or Confero will hold your payment for ALL shops until the prizes are received.  Please be sure to FILL OUT your return address on the return waybill.  If Confero cannot determine who the prizes are from, we cannot pay you for the shop

Important Reminders:
 

To help you become a more efficient and proficient shopper, here are a few details for you to remember:

ü      READ your guidelines and familiarize yourself with what you are supposed to do. 
 

ü      Know WHERE you are going—be sure of the location you are to visit. 
 

ü      Know WHEN you are going—some shops have specific hours and days on which to conduct your mystery shop.  Be sure you know when those are!
 

ü      Give a complete and thorough narrative on your report.  Use professional business language in your writing—no slang or abbreviations.
 

ü      Be sure to submit your receipt! Confero will not reimburse without a receipt! For some projects, the client does not require receipts, but this will always be very clearly noted in shop guidelines.
 

ü      Return your prizes! You won’t be paid for your shops until your prizes are returned to Confero.

If you have questions about your survey and are unsure how to answer a specific question, please contact your scheduler. Keep in mind that your survey is due to our client in a timely fashion.  There are deadlines for each shop and we depend on our shoppers to abide by the posted deadlines.