You might come into contact with store staff or security guards during your checks, this is absolutely normal and they will occasionally ask you to identify yourself (and rightly so!).
Whatever happens, the most important thing is to stay calm and be very polite, remember that the person you’re speaking to is just doing their job. If the conversation gets challenging at any time, please do just walk away and contact Shepper via in-app chat.
Most of our clients notify their staff about our checks before we begin so identifying yourself will be fairly straightforward. Sometimes, you might have specific guidance provided to explain the reason why you’re there if the store has not yet been informed. For example in a Mystery Shopping job, this is a covert task where the aim is to remain discreet by behaving like a regular shopper. During these jobs, if you are approached by a store colleague you should follow the specific in-task guidance as requested by the client.
In jobs which aren't described as covert/Mystery Shopper jobs, simply follow these steps, in order to safely self-identify during a job:
1- Let them know you’re a Shepherd.
First off, make sure to explain that you’re completing an authorised check on behalf of Shepper. In most cases, the staff might have already been warned about us checking the premises and will allow you to finish your task.
2- Use your agent ID profile within the app to verify your ID.
For safety reasons, you might get asked to show your ID. If you haven’t already, make sure to upload a clear photo of your face to your Shepper app. You should be able to easily identify yourself by clicking on your profile section and showing the staff your Shepper ID and Photo, remember to tap on your photo in order to show your full digital ID.
3 - Show them the letter of authority (if available)
For some jobs, in the resources within the app you'll be able to see if a digital letter of authority has been supplied for you to show the staff, they explain that Shepper is authorised to check the premises.
4 - Contact Shepper
If the staff is still not happy with you completing the checks or you ever feel unsafe around them, make sure to contact us via the in-app chat. Our team is always there to help out and will make sure to guide you through any uncomfortable situations. We want you to be safe and comfortable with the checks you’re doing, always let us know if there's something wrong, we can help!
Remember, most importantly please stay safe, remain calm and be polite!