Shopper Resource
WRITING REPORTS
Guidelines for writing accurate, objective, and professional mystery shop reports
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Narrative requirements:
- Narratives must be in paragraph form—do not use bullet points, movie scripts, or any other format
- Write in complete sentences with proper grammar and punctuation
- Paragraph your sections where appropriate, such as at the end of an interaction with an employee
- Proofread and spell-check your work before submitting
- Do not reference specific questions, i.e., “For question 26, the seating was…”
You must avoid:
- Acronyms – BBB for Bed Bath & Beyond; ME for Massage Envy
- Abbreviations – w/ instead of “with”; approx. instead of approximately
- Casual or flowery language – “The service was the bomb”; “The food melted in my mouth”
- Shortcuts – “thru” instead of “through”; “Cashier greeted me” instead of “The cashier greeted me”
- Emoticons and text jargon – ☺, LOL, etc.
- Excessive punctuation – ?! or !!!
- ALL CAPS – It looks like you are screaming
Approach each assignment as a professional observer. Your role is to document facts accurately and completely, not to judge or evaluate the experience based on personal preferences.
Before beginning your report, take a moment to organize your thoughts and notes. Consider the chronological flow of your visit and the key interactions that occurred. This mental preparation helps ensure your narrative is clear, complete, and logically structured.
Remember that real employees and business decisions are affected by your reports. Approach each assignment with the seriousness and attention it deserves.
Many of our projects are structured as blocks of questions followed by a narrative. The level of detail varies by project.
Narratives should be written from the point of view of a reporter describing what they viewed and experienced—without interjecting opinions or feelings.
Your narratives should never draw a conclusion; rather, they should allow the reader to visualize your experience without knowing your personal point of view.
The tone of your shop is very important. It is crucial that your shop be written in an objective and neutral manner so that the reader can visualize your experience without knowing your opinion.
The tone of your shop will be heavily impacted by your choice of words and the accuracy of your descriptions. You should not use words that convey emotion or attitude. Likewise, descriptions should be detailed, accurate statements—not vague or uncertain.
Before submitting: Save your work, then read the narrative sections. Look for phrases like “I believe”, “it seemed like”, “they should”, or “this was the best/worst experience”. These are key indicators of opinion and should not be included.
As you become more experienced, you may take on more shops, including shopping the same client for multiple rounds and/or locations. It is crucial that each report stand on its own.
Clients often have district or regional managers who review reports for multiple locations. They need confidence that each report reflects an individual experience. This means reports may not sound alike, even if the experiences were similar.
You cannot:
- Save narratives from one report and use them as a template for another
- Copy the sample comments we provide as training references
- Use AI to generate your narratives wholesale
Warning: If we discover you are copying sample comments or reusing comments across reports, those shops are subject to rejection—you would not be paid—and your shopper account may be deactivated.
Do not let personal opinions influence your report. For example, if tattoos and body piercings are not prohibited by the client’s grooming standard but you disapprove of them, your report should not contain commentary reflecting your feelings.
Objectivity also applies to descriptions of service, food, and beverages. Be familiar with the standards in the assignment guidelines before conducting your assignment.
You may only include your opinion if explicitly asked—typically in the last section of the form, titled “Your Impression,” “Voice of the Guest,” “In Your Opinion,” or similar.
Even in opinion sections, commentary should be constructive and professional. Consider the type of business, their target customer, and what’s customary for their segment. For example, don’t criticize drink prices at a hotel or fine dining restaurant—premium pricing is standard in that category. Unqualified comments may impact the credibility of your entire report.
Objectivity means reporting only what you directly observed or experienced—not what you assumed, interpreted, or felt about the situation.
Objective: “The server brought our drinks 12 minutes after we ordered.”
Subjective: “The server took forever to bring our drinks.”
Stick to facts: times, actions, words spoken, and observable conditions. Let the reader draw their own conclusions from your detailed, factual account.
You were approved as a shopper because you demonstrated commitment to quality and professionalism. These characteristics must be reflected in the work you submit.
The shop you submit should be Ready To Publish—able to be released to our client after a quick review by one of our editors.
Ready To Publish shops:
- Are submitted before the deadline
- Are written in complete, spell-checked, proofread sentences
- Have thorough and detailed narratives without opinions or conclusions
- Have answers consistent with the narratives
If your shop is submitted late, contains excessive grammar errors, includes opinion in narratives, or is poorly written, it may be subject to a fee deduction or rejected outright. Contact your scheduler with any questions before conducting or submitting your shop.
Report submission is very time sensitive. You should always submit your report as soon after your visit as possible. Each project has its own deadline—check your assignment instructions carefully.
Default deadline: Reports are due within 24 hours after the scheduled date and time of the visit.
If you need more time, you must request it before the deadline passes. Include your name, shopper number, project name, location, and visit date. Do not assume your request is approved until you receive a response.
Important:
- Reports not submitted by the deadline are subject to a late fee or full rejection
- Assignments canceled within 48 hours of the planned date are subject to a rescheduling fee
- You will receive a confirmation when your report is submitted—save it for your records
Need assistance? Contact your scheduler or email help@sentryinsights.com
If an issue arises where you cannot complete an assigned shop on the planned date, contact your scheduler and/or submit a support ticket as soon as possible. We will determine if the shop can be rescheduled or needs to be reassigned.
Do not complete the shop on a different date without confirmation from our staff that it has been rescheduled.
Because of the time-sensitive nature of our business, mystery shoppers who consistently reschedule assignments, submit reports late, or are unavailable after submission will find their opportunities with our company very limited.
On occasion, an invitation to take a survey or a printed comment card will accompany your bill, be mailed/emailed to you after your visit, or otherwise be offered to you.
You may not complete any survey related to a visit conducted as part of an assignment for our company.
Completing a survey resulting from a mystery shopping assignment will result in the forfeiture of your payment and your account being suspended.
The vast majority of our assignments require documentation as proof of visit (POV).
- Write the JOB ID on the receipt before uploading
- An itemized receipt is required for most purchases
- Photographs may be optional or required—always be discreet when taking photos
- All documentation must be attached in JPG format
- All images must be legible and upright so they can be reviewed without rotation
Your shop will be rejected if submitted without proper proof of visit.
