Issue 15 - Pinnacle Financial Strategies

Issue Fifteen
Pinnacle’s Shopper Bytes
Giving Thanks
The holiday season is upon us and what a wonderful time of year it is. The
festivities, the togetherness, the food! And of course the opportunity to
reflect on that for which we are thankful.
For Pinnacle Mystery Shopping it‟s of course our mystery shoppers, who top
that list. Without their work this industry simply could not exist and
customer service would likely be abysmal.
So, to our mystery shoppers; thank you for your diligence, enthusiasm,
preparedness, attention to detail, responsiveness, sense of adventure,
consistency, willingness to travel, collaboration, eloquence, objectivity,
thoroughness and dependability. Thank you for your assistance with editors‟
questions, schedulers‟ questions and clients‟ questions. Thank you for your
help with time-sensitive assignments, last minute assignments and far away
assignments. Thank you for your sense of humor, your unique point of view,
your perceptive insights, your creativity and your openness.
Mystery shopping is fun. But it‟s also hard work. So thank you for your
time and energy. Thank you for your enjoyment of an industry for which we
are so passionate. You are the dollop of sweet cream atop the pumpkin pie.
On the Job Board
The job board is updated throughout each day with mystery shops across America. Here is a small selection of the
many shops currently available to apply for directly at www.sassieshop.com/2proreview:
AL: Andalusia, Brewton, Monroeville, Northport.
MD: California, Edgewater, Potomac, Sandy Spring, Scaggsville.
MS: Brookhaven, Clarksdale, Greenville, Grenada, Hazlehurst, Indianola.
PA: Butler, Coudersport, Delmont, Dushore, Elkland, Knoxville, Mansfield, Saint Marys, Sayre, Troy, Wellsboro.
TX: Boerne, Center, Conroe, Crosby, Houston, Humble, Magnolia, Porter, Shenandoah, Spring, The Woodlands.
WY: Douglas.
We byte; but we don’t bite…
We hope that you enjoy this fifteenth issue of Shopper
Bytes. If you have great ideas of what we should include
or feature in the next issue, then please feel free to share
them with us. We love getting shopper feedback…
So byte back!
Sign up at sassieshop.com/2proreview
Email us at [email protected]
Call us at 800 741 7758
Like us at facebook.com/pinnaclemysteryshopping
Follow us at twitter.com/pinnaclemysshop
Out of Order
It‟s not even Thanksgiving yet and already Santa has made
his 2011 debut at shopping malls across America. It‟s like
putting the cart before the horse, isn‟t it? It‟s lucky that Santa
is not a mystery shopper, as it‟s important that steps are taken
in the right order when completing shops. He‟d likely also be
terrible at blending in!
Before you can complete a shop, you need to obtain one first.
So login to Pinnacle‟s website and select the job board to
browse for shops near you. If you‟re traveling for the
holidays (by car, plane or horse and carriage), check if there
are shops where you‟re heading. Apply for shops that interest
you, then keep an eye on your email inbox for notification of
„acceptance‟. This indicates the shop has been assigned to
you. Next login to your shop log to review the shop‟s details.
These include the start and due dates, branch address, pay,
guidelines and survey. Go through all of these carefully to be
fully prepared. Schedule the shop on your calendar, so you
don‟t lose track of your assignments. Try to plan it in before
the due date to allow yourself leeway. Next, complete the
shop. Afterward, take down notes away from the branch.
These notes will help you remember the visit until you get to
your computer to fill out the online survey. Remember to fax
or upload your proof of visit with your submission of the
survey. Keep an eye on your inbox in case there are any
questions. Finally, look forward to payment! And then…
maybe give Santa a hand with all that Christmas shopping.
Tip Top Top Tips
For many of us, this time of year is stressful as
well as festive. With family coming in or
traveling to do; Thanksgiving cooking and
Christmas shopping; the bitter cold and the…
Here are five tip top tips to help you survive the
season!
1. Plan ahead! This goes for travel
arrangements, recipes, table settings, etc.
2. Ask for help! Don‟t do it all alone, when
you can enlist friends and family to
participate in preparations.
3. Prioritize! Avoid getting caught up in
details, before you‟ve tackled the more
important tasks. Turkey shopping, before
dusting shelves, for instance.
4. Enjoy yourself! Thanksgiving is about
togetherness. So take time to relax and
enjoy your company.
5. Get away! If it turns out to all be too
much after all. Then pick up a mystery
shop or two, so you have an excuse to
get out for a bit!
www.sassieshop.com/2proreview
Profile Event Profile
Will you join us for our upcoming
event? On the first of December this
year, we‟d like to invite all of our
shoppers to check and update their
profiles on our website. In the hustle
and bustle of a move, it can be easy to
forget to update an online profile with
a new address. Or maybe you have
changed your email address recently,
or you have a new phone number. All
this information‟s accuracy is
pertinent on a shopper‟s profile, as it
allows Pinnacle‟s schedulers to reach
shoppers quickly and easily regarding
mystery shopping opportunities near
them. Let‟s start the new year fresh,
with perfect profiles and lots of
shops! Mark your calendars, for the
first of December is day of the:
“Keep Pinnacle in the Loop Event!”
Besides Christmas, it‟s the last big
event of the year! Find more
information on our Facebook page.
Shopper Spotlight
In each issue of Shopper Bytes a special shopper is chosen to be
featured. This is someone, who stands out for excellence. In this
issue that shopper is Vicki S.
Her story: “It was when my employer decided to close its doors
that I started looking around for something new. Employment was
tight at the time, just like it is now. I had heard about mystery
shopping before and decided to attend a one hour seminar
regarding the industry. I got a lot of information during this
educational class and even more when I investigated further by
myself with the help of Google. It didn’t take long before I was
applying for my first shops.
Now I mystery shop, complete audits and do merchandising as
well. I enjoy how diverse the work is and that I have the
opportunity to choose my own jobs and hours. I mystery shop
banks, restaurants, stores and services, and I like it all!
I have always taken pleasure in writing and I find that writing my
reports is a great challenge to my creativity. Finding new
descriptors and verbs is a fun exercise. It’s how I avoid the phrase
“she said” over and over again.
Mystery shopping has enabled me to spend more time with my
family. Especially my grandkids and dogs appreciate my
flexible schedule for this reason.”
From Pinnacle’s family to yours;
Happy Thanksgiving