What Reassign Status Means On Your Ellis Mystery Shops

As an Ellis mystery shopper, you might notice from time to time that some of your shops have fallen into Reassign status. Here’s what Reassign status means on your Ellis mystery shops and what to do to fix it.

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Basics of Being an Independent Contractor

As a mystery shopper, you are an independent contractor and not an employee of the mystery shopping companies you provide services to.  As an independent contractor, the companies you provide services to are not required to withhold taxes from your compensation.   They do not pay unemployment insurance, workers compensation insurance, or take social security withholdings on your earnings.  You are not eligible to receive any tax-free benefits from the company.

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Fair Housing from the Leasing Professional’s Perspective Part II: Family Time

In my last post, I discussed Fair Housing from the Leasing Professional’s Perspective when it comes to questions about safety.  Just like we discussed with the safety question,  leasing agents cringe when asked about the types of residents who live in their community.

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Fair Housing from the Leasing Professional’s Perspective Part I: Safety First

I was a leasing professional for several years before becoming a mystery shopper, and I’ll be completely honest. Dealing with Fair Housing questions is stressful.

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Sharpening Your Mystery Shopping Axe

As a mystery shopper, you have the responsibility to properly prepare for a shop contract before you begin.  Paying attention to the finer points of each shop and preparing diligently will greatly enhance the likelihood that your shopping experience is productive, enjoyable, and runs smoothly.  Continue reading “Sharpening Your Mystery Shopping Axe”

Fair Housing and Apartment Mystery Shopping

Dealing with Fair Housing questions is probably the toughest thing for a leasing agent to master, but it’s important for their management company to know how they are handling Fair Housing questions and situations on the property. Continue reading “Fair Housing and Apartment Mystery Shopping”

Four Ways to Keep Your Mystery Shopping Reports Fresh

So you’ve been shopping for a while now and you have several successful shops under your belt. You’re probably starting to see a pattern with your shops and your reports may be sort of… running together. What’s the best way to keep your mystery shopping reports fresh and unique? Continue reading “Four Ways to Keep Your Mystery Shopping Reports Fresh”

4 Ways to Avoid a Bad Mystery Shop

It has happened (or can happen) to the best of us. Things don’t go as planned on one of our mystery shop contracts. We certainly did not intend for anything with the shop to go wrong, even though at times it feels like the mystery shopping company believes we did. Continue reading “4 Ways to Avoid a Bad Mystery Shop”