Application

Membership Application

MSPA Membership Criteria

  1. Company has been in business, conducting mystery shopping for client companies, for at least two years (If your company has not been in business, conducting mystery shopping for client companies, for at least two years; please contact MSPA Europe to discuss the possibilities)
    2. , AND;
  2. Company has a reputation among its clients for conducting itself in a professional manner (which reputation shall be subject to verification through checking up to six client references who have done business with the company during the past year, the names and contact details for which shall be supplied by applicant to MSPA at MSPA's request), AND;
  3. Company attests that it has not, for at least the last two years, conducted itself in a manner contrary to the MSPA Code of Professional Ethics, AND;
  4. Company agrees to adhere to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association's Code of Professional Standards as follows:
    • Commit to the purposes of the association: improving service and promoting excellence in the mystery shopping industry;
    • Conduct mystery shopping services in an honest and ethical manner;
    • Conduct mystery shopping services according to industry procedures and regulations set forth and agreed to by MSPA members;
    • Instill confidence in mystery shopping and encourage public cooperation;
    • Instill confidence in the business community that mystery shopping is performed in a professional and fair manner;
    • Respect our clients, their employees, our employees, fellow MSPA members, and the general public, AND;
  5. Company agrees to abide by the Rules of Ethical Conduct, wherein it agrees that it will not:
    • falsify or misrepresent reports;
    • mislead shopper applicants about actual job opportunities regarding mystery shopping;
    • ask or encourage anyone to break confidentiality agreements with other firms for whom they conduct mystery shopping assignments;
    • use any MSPA media to publish complaints against shoppers, vendors, clients, or other mystery shopper providers;
    • refuse to pay, or make a deduction from a shopper's pay, for failure to perform any function which was not explicitly described in written instructions;
    • refuse to pay, or make a deduction from a shopper's pay, for failure to receive payment from a client for which a shopper has conducted one or more shops.
  6. The name of the Company and the Company's promotional materials do not reflect negatively on the reputation and image of the industry as an open and legitimate forum for measuring customer service against established standards of service as set forth by companies that engage mystery shopping companies. If the company is notified that MSPA believes the company name and/or the company's promotional materials would reflect negatively on the reputation and image of the industry, MSPA will inform the company; if the company opts to change its name and/or marketing materials to something that is not offensive to the industry, MSPA membership will be granted, provided all other criteria are met. MSPA reserves the right to refuse membership to any applicant that does not meet this criterion and that refuses to correct the issue to MSPA's satisfaction.
  7. Company will not charge individuals to become shoppers or to gain access to shopping opportunities.

Each member company will be asked to sign an ethics and standards agreement each year. This ethics and standards agreement will be developed by the Professional Ethics and Standards Committee. If you wish to have a second location or individual receive MSPA mailings and have a listing in the resource directory, please photocopy this application and complete it with the primary company's application. Primary application must be submitted with the additional application. Include an additional $100 with your payment.

This application is for mystery shopping companies to join MSPA; mystery shoppers are NOT to use this form. MSPA does not have a membership category for mystery shoppers.

Download the directions for membership application (pdf)

Annual Dues (January - December)

Membership Dues:
Regular Member, First Company Office: €495.00
Regular Member, Additional Office: €250.00
Membership in additional MSPA Region: €247.50
Affiliate Member: €495.00
Associate Member: €495.00

Options:
Additional Service Category Listings: €25.00 EACH
Additional Industry Category Listings: €25.00 EACH
Additional Country Listings: €25.00 EACH
Additional Company Representatives: €100.00 EACH
URL-link and expanded company information on MSPA web site: €100.00
Company logo AND expanded listing on MSPA web site: €175.00

I. Contact Information

Items with * are required

*Company:

*Address:

*City:

*State/Province:

*Zip/Postal Code:

Country:

Phone:

Fax:

Email:

Website:

Primary Contact Name:

Primary Contact Title:

Website:

Referred to MSPA by:

II. Member Information

Area of Operation:

# of Evaluators:

# of Employees:

# of Branches:

Branch Locations:

Special Licensing:

Member of other assoc.:

Operating Since: (Year)

Which of the following committes do you have an interest in serving?

Communications

Programs and Meetings

Technology

None

Professional Ethics and Standards

Membership

Government & Legislation
III. Member Type

Regular Members are mystery shopping provider companies that operate within the US and internationally.

Additional Member to a Regular Member Membership is an additional employee of the Regular member company wishing to receive membership mailings, information and have a listing in the Resource Guide during the membership period of the Regular Membership.

Associate Members (vendors who sell products or services to MSPA Mystery Shopping Company members).

Charter Members are mystery shopping provider companies that have been accepted for Charter membership prior to October 4, 1998.

Please indicate what member status you are seeking:

IV. Information For Member Directory:

Which of the following services does your company provide? (Three listings in directory provided as part of dues...additional listings are €25.00 each)

Audio Recorded Shops Telephone Performance Testing
Competitive Shops Video Recorded Mystery Shops
Consulting Customer Satisfaction Measurement
Incentive Based Shopping Programs Customer Service Training
Internet Surveys/Online Reporting Focus Groups
Integrity Evaluations (employee theft) Interviewing (On-site/telephone)
Internet Reporting (Reports online) Merchandising
Mystery Shopping, General Customer Svc Evaluations
Operational Audits Merchandise Audits
Price Audits & Merchandise Audits On-Site Interviewing
Questionnaire & Program Design Other (specify)


Which of the following industries does your company serve? (Three listings in directory provided as part of dues...additional listings are €25.00 each)

Automotive Home/Apartment
Banking/Finance Insurance
Business-to-Business Lodging (hotel/motel/inn/etc.)
Entertainment (theater, theme park) Restaurant (casual & fine dining)
Fast Food Retail, General
Gas Station/C-Store Shipping/Freight/Postal
Government Storage
Grocery Telephone
Health Care Transportation
  Other
V. Membership Agreement & Acceptance

All memberships subject to approval by the membership committee and acceptance by the board.

This application for membership into The Mystery Shopping Provider's Association (MSPA) is an agreement between the applicant and the MSPA that the applicant will adhere to the professional ethics and standards set forth by the association.