OVERVIEW: Harland Clarke specializes in financial institutions for Mystery Shopping. Requirements include a minimum of 3 months as a shopper with financial / banking shopper experience. Shoppers may fill out a registration form; however, generally, new shoppers are gained by recruitment from well-established current shoppers of Harland Clarke.

An application as a Shopper was sent via the shopper registration link on December 26, 2011 and an acceptance email was received on January 3, 2012. Along with the acceptance email the following PDF files were attached: Shopper Handbook, Shopper Contract, Training Manual, and W-9 form are sent back with the acceptance email. Shoppers are required to PRINT, SIGN, and DATE the Shopper Contract and W-9, save as a PDF file and then return to the Account Executive before completion of any shops.

Harland Clarke does not offer a “job board”. Available jobs are emailed to participants in a particular location on or about the 2^nd of the first two months of every quarter, ie: January and February (no March shops), or April and May (no June shops) . Emails will come from a shopper’s “Account Executive”. A shopper then emails back the Account Executive requesting particular shops. Within 48 hours, the shopper is emailed back with their assigned locations. In the assignment email, a new shopper is given the link for the report/job board website. When you log into the website, you create your own password and your username is your email address. The job board lists your assigned jobs. If you were assigned both a Teller and an SR2 (Service Representative/Banker), these surveys/jobs are listed individually. In other words – 2 assigned jobs will become 4 assigned surveys.

Surveys are simple with approximately 20 total questions, a detailed description of the Teller and/or Banker, and one extremely detailed narrative from the time you pulled into the parking lot (and observed the exterior, ATM area, landscaping, windows, drive-through – if applicable), to what materials are located in the lobby, to your wait times at the Teller Windows and to meet with a Banker, and the conversations with representatives of the Banks/Credit Unions. This Reviewer has a normal narrative of 750-1,000 words or 5-6 well detailed paragraphs PER SURVEY.

It is imperative that Shoppers review the guidelines and the specific scenarios before going on the shop. It is also REQUIRED that shoppers telephone the Mystery Shopping office BEFORE entering the financial institution to perform the shop. It is simply to find out if there is a Teller or Banker you should NOT shop and avoid as much as possible – in case another shopper has already shopped that employee. You are also then REQUIRED to call the Mystery Shopping office AFTER you complete the shop with a full description (height, gender, hair, glasses, race, age, and clothing) to let the Account Executive know – so she can let shoppers after you know who to avoid.

As a shopper who as performed a total of 20 shops for Harland Clarke since January 2012, I have found that this company is one of the best companies to become a shopper with. The staff always answers their phones during the hours they state. They email you back within 24 hours, answering questions, and helping you with narratives if you need it. They are friendly on the phone and do their best to treat shoppers with respect. They pay by check and they pay promptly. I did not list my mileage for one of the shops that I performed because I felt going back was a mistake of my own making. My Account Executive put the mileage down and they paid me for it. If I had to make a recommendation based on my personal experience, I would encourage new shoppers to get familiar with bank shops and then find someone who knows you to recommend you as a shopper for Harland Clarke.

SHOP TYPES: Banking, Credit Unions, Financial – Teller and Banker combined or separately. Shops are completed in person, and some are telephone calls. From all the guidelines available, shopper will need to be a member /account holder before making a telephone call.

PAY RANGE: $15.00 for a single (Teller or Banker) up to $35.00 for combined. Harland Clarke normally offers a $5.00 bonus if the jobs are completed, submitted and approved BEFORE the due date. Additionally, many shops will offer a .36 per mile reimbursement. This Reviewer has had to go back several times to meet with a banker and has still been paid both the “early bird” fee of $5.00 and mileage reimbursement for each round-trip.

PAY PERIOD: This Reviewer completed four (4) shops for Harland Clarke February 11-13^th, 2012 and was paid by check on March 5^th. Additionally shops were completed on April 12^th and paid by check on April 30^th, 2012. Seven (7) shops completed on May 2-8^th, 2012 have not been paid as of this review date, May 16^th, 2012. To receive your pay, you are required to submit an Invoice done in Excel. You are sent the template in an email when you are assigned jobs.

CONTACT: Harland Clarke Mystery Shop
(800) 291-6117 : Mon-Fri 7am to 4pm PST

SHOPPER SERVICES HEADQUARTERS: 1100 Arizona Street, Boulder City, NV 89005

COUNTRY: USA*

*Note: Harland Clarke has an indirect subsidiary known as Harland Financial Solutions. Harland Financial Solutions has offices in 16 offices throughout the USA as well as Dublin, Ireland, Trivandrum, India and Tel Aviv, Israel. There is no indication mystery shopping is done in these locations, but it does not hurt to inquire.

LINK: http://www.harland.com/mysteryshop

REGISTRATION: http://www.harlandeducation.com/shopperregistration.html