An editor is the mystery shopping firm staff member who checks your turned-in reports for truth, full detail, and rule-following before clearing payment. Editors give shopper ratings based on report quality, ask for fixes when needed, and turn down weak work. Your bond with editors plays a direct role in your mystery shopping success.
After you finish a shop and turn in your report, it enters a review line. An editor looks at all you sent in — your answers to yes/no questions, your write-up, your timestamps, and any uploaded receipts or photos.
Editors serve as the quality check between shoppers and clients. They make sure the data reaching clients is right, full, and usable. This gate-keeping role guards the value of mystery shopping programs.
How the Editor Review Process Works
When your report enters review, an editor reads through it and compares your answers to the shop guidelines. They check whether you hit all the must-do items, answered questions in a way that makes sense, and gave enough detail in write-up sections.
Editors look for gaps that might point to problems. If you said service was great but your write-up describes long waits and rude staff, that clash needs clearing up. If timestamps seem off given the setup, editors dig in.
Based on their review, editors take one of a few steps. They may approve the report right away, which starts the payment process. They may ask for fixes if info is missing or unclear. In cases of major problems, they may turn down the report in full.
Pro Tip: Editors review dozens of reports each day. Making their job easy by turning in clear, full, well-laid-out reports builds good will and often leads to higher ratings.
What Editors Look For
Full detail. Did you answer every question? Give all needed details? Include must-have uploads? Missing parts create fix requests.
Truth. Do your answers match what really happened? Are times real? Do receipt totals match what you bought?
Same story throughout. Does your write-up line up with your yes/no answers? Do different parts of your report tell the same tale?
Rule-following. Did you follow the setup right? Buy the needed items? Stay within time windows?
Writing quality. Is your write-up clear, detailed, and well-written? Can readers grasp what happened?
Sticking to facts. Did you report facts or add your own views? Stick to what you saw or guess at why things happened?
Editor vs. Scheduler: Know the Contrast
While schedulers handle job coordination — offering shops, answering pre-shop questions, granting more time — editors focus only on turned-in reports. Think of schedulers as your go-to before the shop and editors as your go-to after.
Some firms combine these roles, with the same person doing both tasks. Others split them up fully. Either way, the jobs stay distinct: schedulers manage shops while editors manage quality.
If you have questions about shop needs before doing the job, contact your scheduler. If you get fix requests or have questions about report feedback, you’re dealing with editors.
Common Editor Dealings
Fix requests. “Please clear up what the worker said when you asked about the warranty.” Respond fast and in full — editors like shoppers who give asked-for info quickly.
Rating feedback. Some firms share editor notes that explain your rating. “Strong write-up detail but timing part needed more precision.” Use this feedback to boost future reports.
Turn-down notices. “Report turned down due to shop done outside window.” Turn-downs sting, but knowing why helps stop repeats.
Approval notes. The best editor dealing is simple approval — your report met standards and moves to payment.
Pro Tips for Working With Editors
Turn in quality work the first time. Fix requests delay payment and eat up editor time. Full, right first drafts help all sides.
Respond to fix requests fast. Most firms expect answers within 24-48 hours. Quick replies show you’re a pro and keep your shop moving toward payment.
Be thorough in fixes. When editors ask you to clear something up, give full answers. Vague replies lead to more fix requests.
Stay polite. Even if you don’t agree with feedback, keep your tone kind. Editors are human and recall shoppers who are nice to work with.
Learn from patterns. If editors keep asking for the same type of extra info, adjust your report writing to include those details up front.
Common Questions
How long does editor review take?
Review time varies by firm and volume. Typical ranges are 1-5 work days. High-volume stretches like month-end may push review times out further.
Can I contact editors on my own?
Most contact happens through the shopper portal or main email lines. Rules vary by firm — some allow direct contact while others route all messages through support systems.
What if I don’t agree with an editor call?
Respond with poise through the right channels, explain your side, and back it with proof. Some firms have ways to push back on disputed reviews.
Do editor ratings affect my jobs?
Yes, with many firms. Higher-rated shoppers often get first pick of top jobs and may access premium shops that lower-rated shoppers can’t.
Learn to write better reports with our guide to write-ups.