Company Overview: Some mystery shoppers have certain niches, or types of businesses, that they focus on more than others. To that end, they try to categorize mystery shopping companies when possible to assist them in their quest for certain assignments. If your focus is in the hospitality field, you might want to consider adding this mystery shopping company to your list.
Quality Assurance Consulting Inc., otherwise known as QACi, is solely focused on evaluations of businesses in the hospitality sector, mainly dining experiences and bartender integrity checks. QACi has been in business since 1990 and is headquartered in Arlington, Massachusetts.
Signing up with QACi is fairly easy. Getting activated as a shopper isn’t quite so easy.
To start the registration process, visit the QACi website at www.qaci.net. Click on “Become A Mystery Shopper”. After reviewing the Independent Contractor Agreement, or ICA, click on the link “Click Here To Sign Up”.
After completing the usual applicant information, you will be required to submit a writing sample.
All applications are placed in a database. After review by staff at QACi, you may or may not be chosen as a shopper. If you are, you will be contacted by phone or email about available assignments. If you are not, either your area has more than enough shoppers or your writing sample did not demonstrate the detail this company expects from its shoppers.
The downside to this system is that the applicant never knows if their application is still under review, if their area is saturated with shoppers, or if their writing sample wasn’t up to par. Once the application has been submitted there is no further feedback until and unless a shopper is activated by QACi.
QACi maintains a rating system for shoppers, as do most other mystery shopping companies. And like other MSCs, better ratings equal better jobs. Shoppers with consistently low ratings are deactivated.
Although QACi states that it does business all over the country, at the time of writing this article the MSC was specifically looking for shoppers in the following areas: New England, Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, and southern Florida areas.
The QACi website states that payments are made to shoppers within a 31 day pay period. Payment is made by check.
Although there isn’t a lot of discussion on www.mysteryshopforum about QACi, for the most part shoppers have stated that this is an excellent and reliable company that is great to work with.
However, there are detractors. One forum member posted that she was fined $5 for using an alternative spelling and was told this was done because she must be taught a lesson. Yet this very same shopper was also told that she had done a great job and should do more work for QACi.
There was also mention of one specific editor being somewhat challenging to work with.
Otherwise, shoppers consistently report on receiving accurately and timely pay. The assignments are pleasant. Nothing was posted about reporting being onerous in any manner.
Forum members have stated that although they enjoy accepting assignments from QACi, there are very few available.
Keep a lookout on the forum’s job board, as sometimes assignments are posted there by QACi. Occasionally a representative of QACi visits the forum to answer questions.
Personal Experience: This MSC has not had any assignments available in my area yet.