I have done BVs for Trendsource and another company (who does not pay double the fee, I'd also like to know who pays that). I tell them that I am an independent third party, that I don't write the questions, so if they seem redundant, I'm sorry. It usually puts them at ease. I have had some people want to do the verification over the phone, and have politely told them that I had to meet with them in person, and then they give me an attitude. I wish the credit agencies would explain more to their clients what the process really involves.

One time I had to go back to the same business three times, because each time I took the job it was for a different credit agency. I felt stupid, but we did have a chuckle about it by the third one that came around.

I often wonder what decides who gets verified. Most of the locations I've verified lately do not have customer files so the "where are your customer files stored" gets confusing for them. The last one I did was at a private school and the office I was assigned just handled worker's files, no sort of credit reports.

lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I often wonder what decides who gets verified.
> Most of the locations I've verified lately do not
> have customer files so the "where are your
> customer files stored" gets confusing for them.
> The last one I did was at a private school and the
> office I was assigned just handled worker's files,
> no sort of credit reports.


Exactly.

And then the problem is that it makes us look stupid when we get there when we are asking for their "customer files".

The bottom line is that there needs to be better communication all around. The client needs to do a better job communicating the process to the applicant and Trendsource needs to do a better job communicating information to us about each client. We should be told whether the contact is a new applicant or an existing customer. We should also be told exactly what type of files we should be looking for ... whether it be customer files with credit checks, or background checks, etc. Trendsource should also clearly communicate to their shoppers what the law and exact clause is that provides jurisdiction for these shops so we are better informed about the process and can answer questions when we are there.

They all get verified when they request access to credit reports. In the case of the school, more than likely they will be checking credit reports for potential employees as part of their overall background check. If it is a very high tuition school they *might* be running credit checks on parents of student applicants for the school, though I rather doubt it. I get around the 'customer files' question by asking how the credit reports will be stored. That usually gets me the volunteered information that they are going to be with the _____ files and those are stored ______. That then leads to the security of information questions, whether it is for employee applications, tenant applications, etc. I think most puzzling for most contacts is how they will be receiving the reports. Quite frankly most seem clueless. They can tell me how they got them with their previous supplier but just don't know whether they will be faxed to them, emailed or they will be given an access code after a request.

Edited to add: I NEVER feel stupid when I do these. I am a professional, they are professionals, we are doing what is required, whether it is by force of law or whim of the company from whom they are ordering services. I have never had one question why I am there because they have uniformly been told in advance that they will have an on site inspection. I never clue them in about specifically what I am looking for, but obviously the company servicing them has, directly or indirectly, as they often volunteer the locked file cabinets, shredders, etc. I have had concerns raised about how intrusive my 'few photographs' will be and I respond that, "Most of them are what any casual visitor to your office would see."

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2010 03:07PM by Flash.

lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I often wonder what decides who gets verified.
> Most of the locations I've verified lately do not
> have customer files so the "where are your
> customer files stored" gets confusing for them.
> The last one I did was at a private school and the
> office I was assigned just handled worker's files,
> no sort of credit reports.


The first one I did was a public charter school's cafeteria. They knew why they were being verified (I didn't.) If I recall correctly, it had to do with some credit application they had done. It was weird though, as it was only the cafeteria.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Edited to add: I NEVER feel stupid when I do
> these. I am a professional, they are
> professionals, we are doing what is required,
> whether it is by force of law or whim of the
> company from whom they are ordering services. I
> have never had one question why I am there because
> they have uniformly been told in advance that they
> will have an on site inspection.

I agree. I have had a good laugh with some of them that each of the three agencies on the report asked the same thing with their own sentence, though. :-)

dee shops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Flash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > Edited to add: I NEVER feel stupid when I do
> > these. I am a professional, they are
> > professionals, we are doing what is required,
> > whether it is by force of law or whim of the
> > company from whom they are ordering services.
> I
> > have never had one question why I am there
> because
> > they have uniformly been told in advance that
> they
> > will have an on site inspection.
>
> I agree. I have had a good laugh with some of
> them that each of the three agencies on the report
> asked the same thing with their own sentence,
> though. :-)


When I'm doing the verifications, I don't ask duplicate questions. If they've already answered the question once, I just mark it off. Is there some kind of requirement that we literally ask every numbered question on the forms, even if they're duplicates?

I'm probably reading too much into this.

If they are there, and are directed to the client, not my observation, I ask them. Maybe it's just me.

Yes, I usually go through the form and highlight those questions that are directly to the client. It actually is darn few and of course once you have eliminated some types of office arrangements, there is really little left to ask.

I'm having issues with receiving "Business Verification" jobs. Even when I receive them in my e-mail from you...received 5 minutes ago. I go to the website to accept the job; it goes through the process of approving my acceptance; next thing you know... it is already in back up position.


I can do 5 or more of these verifications per week! What can I do in order to receive the available "Business Verification" shops?

Cynthia, you need to successfully perform a certain number of shops for them within a 12 month period to be able to self assign shops (I think it is 5). Until that time your request goes to review and if a shopper who has self assign privileges wants it, they can yank it away from you. You might try to do 5 of the shops that languish on their board in order to get yourself into self assign. And please realize that this is a shopper forum, not a Trendsource or other company website. They have a "Contact Us" on their website as well as information about becoming a shopper who can self assign. And since this is a shopper website, we appreciate not spamming each other with links to sites that have nothing to do with legitimate mystery shopping.

Thanks for your reply. I have only done about 3 of those BV's. Do you know of other companies that have these same type of BV shops?

Please remove your link, Cynthia. It is considered spam.

I had no idea what you were talking about, in terms of spam. So you are saying that I need to delete my e-mail address, phone numbers, which I just did. I hope that is what your reply meant. Thank You.

A slew of BVs has been available over the past few months. With the exception of having to turn them around so quickly after assignment, I like them. My question though - during the appointment stage, a number of the contacts has asked for my phone number in the event they need to reschedule. I don't like giving it to them, and normally tell them I'll be glad to call back to confirm, the evening before my appointment. Still, some persist. Anyone else have this problem/concern?

I usually offer my phone number and invite them to call if they need to reschedule the visit. After all, in many cases I have had to leave a message for them anyway including a phone number. I do NOT give them my cell number but rather the house number and give a heads up to my significant other that "Donny Brooke" may call me back about setting up an appointment. I will even leave a note with him if I am going out that I am available Tuesday between 11AM and 3PM or Wednesday after 2PM. I don't mind at all a contact calling the house and having a male voice answer.

I am very careful to *67 before calling from my cell phone because I don't want to waste minutes talking to some of these air heads. I have only once had one contact call me back after they were turned down and it turned out he called me by mistake because he had written my number on his information about the credit report access and thought he was calling the company. He apologized for calling once he realized his mistake, told me he had been turned down and was just trying to figure out what all he needed to do before I visited again. I resisted the impulse to tell him "Get an office with a door." That information the client needed to share with him, not me. I politely played dumb and suggested he talk with the company, but that I certainly looked forward to visiting with him again once the kinks were worked out.

When visiting a private residence with a male contact I exercise a whole lot more caution--sometimes not even accepting the shop if it is not an area where a realtor or similar type professional might have a home office.

I give my cell phone number because that is the only phone that I use. In 5 years of doing BVs I have only had one person who was denied call me back. He seemed to think that I could change the result or explain why he had not passed. I think that Flash and I must have been to the same place, because, if I had been free to speculate about the reason for denial it would have been the fact that there was no door on his office. I called the MSC (not Trendesource, BTW) and they immediately stated that they would get him "sorted out." Never heard from him again.

I often have to leave messages for the contacts in order to get appointments. If I start having problems, I can always switch to giving out one of my Voicenation numbers that defaults to my email.

I certainly would have contacted the MSC if I felt the call after rejection was anything but a goof on his part. Nice enough guy so there was no feeling of threat. But the same level of disorganization that was having him call me was, I suspect, his standard way of life.

Wow, The BVs I do are much easier than some of you make it. Let me give a couple of people some insight from my perspective,

1. Getting the shops...Smart phones can monitor the MSC website. The person with the fastest internet connection can self schedule them within 1-3 seconds of the jobs being posted. So If you wait for the email, you can be a backup. There are so many in my market, that it easy to make a day of the assignments on $5.00 gas (5-10 assignments)

2. They are mandated by the FTC.

3. There are specific questions about this being a business with a foundation. If the business does not have "roots" that is to be reported and applicable photos taken and submitted. I call this the "Hinky Factor." A temporary office in an executive suite is a flag issue and the job instructions clearly inform the field agent as to what their course of action is.


4. Part of the process is to see if sensitive documents and reports are accessible to the public. Just because a location is a financial institution or a Government office does not insure that files are not left open on desks and work stations. I have seen a couple of locations where you could sit in the lobby and read sensitive information left open on a desk in the next room. Also lap tops that have the files on them are to be checked for securement to the desks. Laptops are stolen very often and if they are not secured or encrypted, sensitive information can walk out the door with them. The locking cabinets and files are basically the same issue. Can the janitor come in a get your identity and sell it or maybe go shopping on eBay with a credit card number?

5. Destruction of files is also verified. Recently a real estate broker in the Seattle area recycled 500+ complete mortgage files. A couple found them in a Public Recycling Bin and gave them to a local TV news Station. Google this and see the video clips. So part of the assignment is to verify that a shredder or locked and bonded shredder box is on the premises and being used.

6. Call back number. Has anyone heard of "Magic Jack?" It costs a whopping $20.00 per year; to have a call back number for all shops, audits and follow ups. It comes with email reported voice mail. I can listen to and forward any and all messages left on it via email. No transcribing needed. I can also make calls on it from my lap top in the field. No cell minutes used and no worry about having to talk to this person when I do not want to.

7. The know it all guys... I have encountered these people. Most of them know the drill and can walk a new agent through them. A different BV is required for every relationship a company or agency has. You will find the same BV for the same office for every lender they write mortgages for. So if Mortgage company A writes mortgage contracts for Banks B, C D & E then four separate BVs may occur at the same location. So why would the Company not know what to expect? This could easily be the tenth time a verification was conducted this year.
Sometimes I am amazed at the fear factor, I read on these posts. The MSCs that I do work for have training modules that explain exactly what to look for and what not to look at.
I read one post in this thread where the agent was exceeding the scope of their authority and clearly did not read the “Do Not’s” in the guidelines and instructions. If a QA call is made to the business and it is reported that you exceeded your authority you could be prosecuted and sued. Read the don’ts and restrictions before you post a statement like that in an Internet searchable public forum……my advice to that poster is to edit their post immediately and to think twice before bragging about violating your authority here.

I hope this clears up more questions than it generates.