Company Overview: Founded in 1998 in Napierville, IL, Ann Michaels & Associates began serving businesses in the Midwest with reports being filed by mail and fax. As the technology changed because of the personal computer, AM&A changed with the times, obtaining a quicker turn around for reporting and being able to expand their service area.
AM&A serves a wide variety of industries, including liquor compliance, entertainment, medical, gambling, parking facilities, hair salons, spas, funeral parlors, financial, retail, education/child care, hotel, automotive, food & beverage, merchandising, and associations. Registration is via the Sassie system and their website is www.ishopforyou.com.
Personal Experience: I haven’t had the opportunity to do any shops for Ann Michaels yet. I have seen a shop they have in my area at an entertainment venue. For me, the cost of admission, plus meal, plus other required purchases and interactions is simply more than the reimbursement only shop is worth. I continue to receive emails from them on a regular basis.
What Others Have to Say: Discussion on www.mysteryshopforum.com is mixed. AM&C has a solid reputation for paying on time. However there are complaints about excessive narrative in some reports; some shoppers complain that they receive requests for clarifications for items that aren’t in the original reports.
Overall: As mentioned, the comments are mixed on mysteryshopforum.com. The complaints, although they are few, seem to be more than something that would be posted by a disgruntled shopper[s]. At the same time, there is a lot of support for Ann Michaels & Associates on the forum. It’s obvious that the extent of the report depends on the shop involved.
It is my opinion that the reporting required by Ann Michaels and Associates will not necessarily appeal to all shoppers. I do think that AM&A is a company that, because of their quality, and their on time payments, should be on every shopper’s list, with the shopper being selective in their choice of assignments.
I would rate this MSC A-.
Have thoughts or questions about this article? Send a message to the author: james@mysteryshoppermagazine.com