Company Overview: This is a small, privately held company specializing in the healthcare field. Started in 1998 by Kevin and Brooke Billingsley, this is a “national customer perception firm based in Indianapolis, Indiana specializing in healthcare mystery shopping and customer service improvements.”
More than 100,000 phone and on-site shops have been completed according to their website. A client list also appears on their website. Locations of clients are around the United States. No information is available about their payment method and schedule from the website. MSPA membership is maintained by this company. It also maintains a presence in social media. Accounts at Facebook, Twitter, LindedIn have information related to servicing their clients. Many of those posts are short videos by CEO Brooke Billingsley promoting better healthcare practices or their services. In addition, those videos are posted on YouTube.
How to Sign up & Get Assignments: One can access a list of metropolitan areas from which they are currently accepting shopper applications at their website, http://www.perstrat.com/.
At the time of this writing there are eighteen areas in different parts of the United States. If you choose to apply you will proceed through a two step process. The first is to supply the traditional information such as address, DOB, and the like. Step two is to complete a sample telephone shop. “Because our goal is to insure that our clients receive the highest quality mystery shops possible, we ask that your sample shop reflect your ability to write clearly and concisely and with as much detail as possible.”
They will then contact you if they wish to proceed.
What Others Have to Say: Discussion about Perception Strategies on the forum is sparse. It starts in 2011 with several posts soliciting shoppers. A shopper made three of these posts and Perception Strategies made another. The latter announced a need for more telephone shoppers.
Since then discussion has been extremely limited but essentially positive. In 2012 Perception Strategies responded to a post about difficulties using their website. More recent posts include two ringing endorsements that say fees are good, training for ongoing projects exists, and payments come like clockwork at the beginning of the month. Another complained of the two step application process. The BBB lists this company with an A+ rating.
Personal Experience: I am not in any of the listed areas from which they are accepting shoppers. Thus, I chose not to apply for this company. There are no indications of the website using Sassie or any other familiar platform. It appears they use their own platform.
Conclusion: Healthcare shopping is a niche field for both companies and shoppers. Perception Strategies fills that niche. It has 17 years of experience and is an MSPA member. Limited comments from shoppers on the forum are positive. With their list of metropolitan areas from which they are accepting shopper applications they make it easier than many companies to see if there are shops in your area. For those shoppers who have experience in healthcare shopping or are interested in expanding to this area, every indication is that this company is a fine option.
I am a 30 year retiree of state and local government, focus in healthcare. Are there any healthcare related shops opened in Raleigh, N.C.?