BestMark, Inc.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2016/01/26) */
The mystery shop was performed at Best Buy and not Best Mart as indicated in the complaintThe very first instruction on the shopper instructions on which Mr*** signed off prior to performing the mystery shop was as follows:
"IMPORTANT NOTE: You will NOT be paid for this shop if you do not provide the ACCURATE name of the associate who assists you at the Store Pick Up counterIf the associate is not wearing a name tag, you must ask for his/her name at the END of your conversationBest Buy management will share the shop results with the associate named on the shop, and they will contact BestMark if the name is not recognized or if the associate does not remember interacting with you." In the body of the same instructions is the following: "Proceed to the Pickup CounterObtain the name of the associate who assists you at the pickup counterThe client requires the associate's name to be accurateIf you report an incorrect name on your survey form, your shop will not be acceptedIf the associate is not wearing a name tag or you are unable to read the associate's name tag, ask the associate directly for his/her name at the end of your interaction or discreetly ask another employee for the name of the associate who helped you at the Pick Up counter" as well as, "Avoid These Common Mistakes
Below are common mistakes shoppers have made that led to cancelled shopsCarefully review the shop requirements and each stage of the shop carefullyIf you have any questions, please contact BestMark right away so we can help you successfully complete your shop
Common Shopper Mistakes:
## Shopper did not obtain the accurate name of the Pickup Counter associate
Finally,the last instruction again reiterates, "What do I do if the associate at the Pickup counter is not wearing a name tag, or if I can't read the name on his/her name tag? The associate's name is requiredIn this case, you must ask the associate for his/her name."
It is unfortunate that Mr*** opted to ignore these critical instructionsWe perform in excess of of this particular shop type on a monthly basis and have had numerous shoppers who interacted with employees who were not wearing nametags and who successfully complied with the shop requirements (e.gWhat was your name? Thank you for your help, Susan.") and sexual harassment has NEVER been mentioned
While we understand that Mr*** did in fact perform the shop, he did not comply with the instruction that was reiterated in no less than areas of his shopper instructions and therefore, as he was advised in advance, the shop was considered invalidAnother shopper performed the shop correctly and was compensated in full
Part of the contract of mystery shopping is adhering to all shopper instructionsBy his own admission, he made the decision NOT to do so
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 10, 2016/01/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Who is Mr ***? Do you employ this person? Did you get his name? I will be contacting Best Buy to let them know Best Mark doesnt know who they employI will be paid $Best Buy Selinsgrove will be not be sexually harassed

I am rejecting this response because: The excuses have been made by this company, however the Chief in editor "Diana" never called me back for two weeks after deemed she would by Chris the Manager. This is pure negligence and unprofessional disrespect for her clients. I was never given a chance to edit the report, after Rachel said it looked good and offered no complaints that were not addressed. What type of company just cancels your account and doesnt pay for the labor involved. They had every opportunity to voice a concern about the shop. They obviously did not investigate this diligently due to the fact no phone call was ever returned to me. Chris neglected to talk to me or call me back. I doubt she even gave the information to the chief editor Diana The fact this company did not return this complaint led me to the Revdex.com. I have included the manager business card along with the fake business card that the business got away with giving me. I must stress again only after the shop was cancelled did anyone voice concerns about the honest shop comments that other secret shopper agencies appreciate. This company stole my transportation money, Time on the survey, and time on the phone with them I reiterate, the editor did not bring up any issues and they only made excuses after cancelling the shop. It isnt my fault the employee at chevrolet gave me a fake card. They should be rewarded for this. If this company did "extensive" research the chief and editor would have called me back. I never received any phone call. Every time I called I was given some excuse how "chris is in training", she isnt available An editor cant say the report was fine and submit it and then use the excuses about my report. The person being evaluated was one of two in the facility that day. These shops are typically done by other car companies and calling Chevrolet would provide nothing. They want to save money and scam me out of paying me for this shop. I would like other people to know that they will not communicate any problems, just cancel your account, make excuses they didnt tell you during the editing process, and then not pay you. Do not waste your time with themI will be taking the appropriate steps as this looks like it will not be solved here. This company cant even follow there own procedures. They did not investigate at allThey already told me they have "too many shops daily" to do that

Mr***'s summary of the circumstances is not accurate. He is correct that he performed a shop for BestMark on 2/19. The instructions for this shop were very clear that he was to interact with and evaluate DIFFERENT associates in DIFFERENT departments of a big box storeMr***
did not do so and his explanation was that he had to wait minutes for assistance in the first department and he did not want to wait again in the second department so he went back to the original associate request assistance again. The instructions for this shop were very clear and there is no possibility that there was only associate working in a big box store. Additionally, while a minimal purchase is required for validation purposed, Mr***'s decision to spend $was in no way required: Make a purchase to obtain a receipt for location validation purposesYour shop will NOT be accepted unless you make a purchase and upload an image of the receiptYou must upload the image of the receipt by 10:am CENTRAL TIME on the day following your assigned shop dateYou will NOT be reimbursed for the purchase you make. All Best Buy stores have items available for $or less, such as candy or water at the front of the store.Additionally, Mr*** was in no way coerced to perform a shop that was not in close proximity to him - he requested to be assigned this shop and at no point was gas money discussed or considered.Mr*** had every opportunity to perform the shop correctly (as did the shopper to whom we re-assigned the shop after Mr***'s shop was canceled), but opted not to do so. When contacted after performing the shop, he clearly communicated that he did not want to wait any longer for a different associate to assist him.Pertaining to the second shop referenced by Mr***, he was assigned to perform this shop on 3/4. As indicated in his shopper instructions, the completed survey was required to be submitted no later than 10am Central Time on 3/5. Mr*** neither confirmed completion of the shop nor did he submit the completed shop by the deadline (in fact he did not even access the shop survey prior to 10am Central Time) so the shop was canceled at 10:06am Central Time. Mr*** states he was getting ready to "upload confirmation" when the shop was canceledAgain, had Mr*** complied with the stated requirements of this shop on which he signed of prior to performing the shop, the shop would not have been canceled and assuming he performed the second shop to specification, he would have received compensation.It is very easy to complain after the fact about his treatment by BestMark. However, in addition to our commitment to our hundreds of thousands of mystery shoppers, we also have an obligation to our clients to ensure that the prescribed methodologies are followed and that deadlines are adhered to. Both of the shops to which Mr*** was assigned were subsequently assigned to different shoppers who received payment in full for their effortsFinally, please note, we do NOT pay for our rating with the Revdex.com. We have earned an A+ rating because we are fair and conscientious, and successfully partner with shoppers to perform thousands of shops every month for which they are compensated in full

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/27) */
Mr*** is correct that he performed a mystery shop for BestMark at a Chili's restaurantAs a part of the instructions on which he signed off PRIOR to performing the shop was the following pertinent excerpt:
WATCH FOR THE MANAGER IN
PROFESSIONAL DRESS AND NAMETAGS ON DUTY AND NOTE ACTIVITIES AND DEMEANOR DURING YOUR DINING EXPERIENCEPLEASE NOTE THAT MANAGERS MAY BE EITHER MALE OR FEMALEIf you have not identified a Manager by the end of your visit, you must request that a Manager come to your tableYou may ask Manager about bringing in a large party, catering capabilities, compliment him/her on service, etcIdentifying and evaluating the Manager is mandatoryIf you do NOT evaluate a Manager, your shop will be invalid
Mr*** neither identified a manager nor did he request the manager as requiredAccording to our automated contact log, the editor who handled this shop attempted to contact Mr*** by email (to the email address provided in Mr***'s shopper profile) in the evening of 7/and then again in the morning on 7/Mr*** did not respondThe editor then reached out again by phone on 7/and was able to connect to determine if he had followed the required methodologyHe confirmed that he had notThe editor indicated she would escalate the matter to the client manager who reiterated that the shop was not valid and would need to be reshopped by a different shopperIt was not a matter that could be rectified with a phone call to the location, as the purpose of identifying a manager was to evaluate him / her during the shopIt was also not a matter of accepting a reduced fee - the shop was simply not valid and could not be submitted to the clientOn 7/at 11:29am, the following cancellation notice was emailed to Mr***:
I am a Quality Editor at BestMark, and I have just completed reviewing
your recent reportThank you for taking the time to perform this shop
and complete the survey formUnfortunately, we are not able to use
your survey, and it has been cancelled
The reason(s) for cancellation is/are:
The shop required that you identify the manager and you did not do that
during your visit
For this reason, your shop was unusable
Thank you
LAUREN ***
Quality Assurance Editor
BestMark, Inc
We feel we performed our due diligence in this matter, both by reaching out to the shopper to give him the benefit of the doubt and then by notifying him that the shop had been canceledI understand that Mr*** is frustrated that he made an effort in good faith to fulfill the assignment, but cannot accept responsibility for the fact that he did not adhere to a requirement which he was clearly notified in advance would invalidate his shopRegarding the communication issue mentioned, either Mr*** has not provided an accurate email address, has blocked emails from BestMark or simply does not look at his emails as a total of emails were sent and recorded as sent
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Obviously, I do no accept the response from BestMarkI believe this so called quality editor should notify her supervisor of the situationSimply put, if I am not paid and Best Mark claims they did not submit the shop to the client I will notify Chilis district office to advise them of the situation to assure Best Mark;s honestlyIn addition, Best Mark, represented by this "quality assurance editor, has shown no honesty so far,as I have supplied a correct email address, it is they same one this company used to offer me the shop and has never changedI desire payment for this shop followed by deactivated by Best Mark as they have painfully shown themselves to be not a reputable company

Every effort was made to validate the information provided and the information was deemed inaccurate after complete research of the matter.  The shopper submitted the shop and much of the substantiating narrative was simply a statement that he did not have the time (or interest) in documenting the required information.  The fact that he felt that he completed the assignment by stating that he did not have enough time to do so does not warrant a second chance.  We at BestMark took time to do our due diligence to determine if the shop was indeed valid.  The shopper may continue submitting complaints, but it will not change the indisputable facts that the business card was not valid, there was no one at the dealership by the name or description submitted, the shopper made the determination on his own that he was not required to adhere to the shop requirements because he had overcommitted by taking too many shops in a short period of time, and he admitted that he was confused regarding the facts of the matter.  In reading his continuing complaint, it is clear that he is taking about the same amount of time and care in constructing his complaint as he did in writing up his mystery shop.  His shop was NOT accepted, he did NOT provide the substantiating narrative required, and his shop was NOT submitted to the client.  Another shopper was dispatched to perform the shop correctly and was paid in full, like thousands of others who have submitted quality shops.  He was removed from our system because he was clearly not a fit, nor did he give us any indication that we would want to work with him in the future.  Simply complaining repeatedly that something is unfair does not change the indisputable facts of the matter.

[redacted] successfully completed and was paid for two shops through BestMark; one on 1/18/2018 and the other on 2/19/2018. I believe the shop she is contesting was automatically canceled on 2/20/2018 because she did not confirm or sign off on the shop by 10AM CST, as clearly stated...

in the client requirements that she signed off on prior to completing the shop. However, after the shop was canceled due to her error, the shop was reinstated and she was provided with the opportunity to complete the survey form so she could be paid. BestMark is not required to reinstate shops that are not completed by the required deadline but we made an exception for [redacted]. We wish for her to remove the Revdex.com complaint, as BestMark has done nothing wrong in this case and actually went out of our way for this shopper to be paid. Thank you,

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/12/21) */
The shopper did NOT in fact comply with the shop instructions to a "T" and admitted this when BestMark staff spoke with her. We were required to contact our client to apologize and ask for special permission for the shopper to go back and...

perform the non-compliant sections of the shop at a later date. Ms. [redacted] stated that she was very grateful that we were able to make this arrangement for her, went back to the location and was paid for performing the shop.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 10, 2016/01/04) */

Ms. [redacted] is correct that she performed a mystery shop for BestMark on 3/11.  Her shop was assigned to an editor who attempted to contact Ms. [redacted] once on 3/13 and twice on 3/15 to obtain critical information without which the shop was invalid.  In the last email attempt on 3/15 (the...

only one that Ms. [redacted] references), she was given a deadline by which she needed to respond and provide the needed information.  She did not do so and the shop was canceled.  Ms. [redacted] did not reach out to BestMark to resolve this matter.  We are currently making a final attempt this morning to get ahold of Ms. [redacted] to obtain the information needed.  If we are successful, we will submit the shop to the client and Ms. [redacted] will be paid her $14 in full.Ms. [redacted] had ample opportunity to perform the shop correctly and adhere to the methodology when performing the shop.  When she did not do so, BestMark staff reached out in good faith to correct the situation so that Ms. [redacted] would receive credit for the shop.  Because Ms. [redacted] either did not notice or did not concern herself with these contacts, the shop was canceled and the matter became one of public record.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/11/24) */
While we believe the mystery shopper should have evaluated the correct restaurant based on the instructions she was given, we have resolved this with Ms. [redacted] and will be paying her in full for her shop due to the misunderstanding.
Initial...

Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 9, 2015/11/25) */

This gentleman performed a mystery shop for BestMark at an automobile dealership.  As stated in the shopper instructions, the shopper was required to obtain and upload a business card of the sales associate whom he evaluated.  The shopper uploaded a plumber's business card with a hand...

written name on it.  At BesMark, we make every effort to corroborate the information provided and to compensate shoppers for their efforts.  In this effort, a BestMark Quality Editor contacted the dealership in question and asked if they had an employee by the name written on the invalid card.  They indicated they did not.  The Editor then described the associate based on the information provided by the shopper, and again they confirmed they did not have an employee by that description.  The shopper also admitted to the editor that he did many shops that day and the day prior and he got confused. Furthermore, the report the shopper submitted was not usable without additional information. The shopper repeatedly began answering the survey questions in the narrative box but then would quickly write something such as, "When we first started the salesman asked appropriate probing questions. I do not feel the need to type this all out." Starting with Q730 on, the shopper did not provide details and kept stating that it was too much work. Q970: "He did a great job hitting all the major points. I have many forms to fill out I cant be typing all this out in every box." The editor originally contacted the shopper on 8/5 for the missing information. The shopper said he was on an airplane and to email him. The shopper was then emailed twice on 8/5, per the contact log. Then, when the editor emailed the shopper for the missing information, on 8/8, she did not get a response for more than 12 hours. The time this shopper spent performing and completing documents in the completion of this shop is inconsequential.  Mystery shoppers are compensated for performing shops in adherence to specific instructions.  Not only did he NOT adhere to the instructions, he felt it to be appropriate that he could submit a poorly written and inaccurate report because he was too busy to take the time required to do the job correctly. As a result, we scheduled a different shopper to perform the shop correctly and fully compensated that shopper.We will not be compensating this shopper for an assignment that was done poorly, inaccurately and incompletely simply because he feels it appropriate to air his complaint publicly.  Had he performed the shop according to the specifications (or any part of it for that matter) he would have been paid in full with no issue.