Company Overview: Founded in 1994 in Wisconsin by registered nurse Kristin Baird, this company specializes in the healthcare industry in the United States. For clients it “seeks to help transform your culture and shape the patient experience.” To improve the delivery of healthcare services it offers training and seminars in addition to mystery shopping.
Shops include phone calls and on-site visits in which the shopper will either do a walk through of the facility or pose as a patient with a predetermined scenario. The phone shops pay $8 while the on-site visits pay between $50 and $200.
The main website can be found here, http://baird-group.com/.
This MSPA member pays by PayPal on the 5th of the month following the shop. To apply, shoppers contact the company from the main website. A response email will then start the application process on the shopper portal, a ClientSmart platforum website. Three completed phone shops are required before shoppers can become certified for the on-site shops.
Personal Experience: After the initial request, I jumped through some hoops in the application process. The response email lead me to their ClientSmart website to provide basic information and start the phone certification process. The latter process involved viewing a video and taking a test. I saw shops available in Maryland and Wisconsin at that time. A later check showed shops in four different states. After qualifying for phone shops, I learned that they want shoppers to live within 90 miles of the clients and there were currently none in my area. They will notify me by email when that occurs.
I found their documents such as the shopper handbook very detailed and clear to understand. One example is guidance on how to spell medical terms. The word ‘x-ray’ needs spelled in the proceeding manner, not Xray or X-ray. They also provide significant feedback on shops, including my phone certification process that was set up like a shop in their system.
They emphasize communication as a means for success. Baird requires not only the facts from shoppers but also how the experience made the shopper feel. Yes, they want your impressions and opinions as if you were an actual patient. Additionally, they have a Shopper of the Month award. Winners receive a $20 amazon gift card and priority in awarding future shops.
What others have to say: Limited comments on the forum are mostly positive. Shoppers call this company very professional, great to work with, they pay quickly and as promised. Responsiveness is cited as quick and communication with shoppers is greatly encouraged. Feedback on shops is extensive. They project an atmosphere of teamwork. They want their shoppers to succeed.
The only negative is that the phone shops are quite demanding for the pay. One shopper said that with proper writing and good speed one could report the calls in 30-45 minutes. If clarifications are requested, time demands go up and pay is poor at a current $8 per phone shop.
Another shopper called the phone shops “the price of admission” for the more lucrative on-site shops. The latter type could require up to 150 photos, but in the experience of one shopper was done with about 30 photos. Additionally, a forum member nominated scheduler Sara Strohbusch in last year’s Scheduler of the Year contest.
Overall: Baird Group is a niche mystery shopping company that offers high paying on-site shops for medical facilities. It rates highly with shoppers for communications and feedback. If you are willing to shop medical facilities for high pay, write long narratives in a specific manner, receive and respond to extensive feedback, pay your dues with the low paying phone shops, and work with a company that encourages communication as a means to success, this could be a company for you. Alas, now to find shops in your area.
PS: When researching this article, I discovered I could sign up with ClientSmart to get notifications for shops on the platform in my area. Registration was quick, involving only an initial request that triggered an email. A response to the email allowed me to complete the registration with some basic information. If you wish to use the quicker sign up process for ClientSmart to receive notifications for Baird (and others), you may register here, https://shoppers.clientsmart.