Mystery Shopping for Fun and Profit
by J. Stephen Pope What is a Mystery Shopper? Why the Need for Mystery Shoppers? How To Make Money as a Mystery Shopper. Variety is the Spice of Mystery Shopping.
How would you like to get paid to go shopping? That’s right! Get paid to shop for clothes, eat in restaurants, watch movies, play golf, travel, and so on.
You can have your cake and eat it too! Enjoy the best of both worlds. Make money and have fun at the same time as a mystery shopper.
What is a Mystery Shopper?
Sometimes known as a secret shopper, a mystery shopper looks like any other customer but is working undercover to perform market research or other tests on business establishments.
For example, a mystery shopper may check on the quality of service and products at a particular fast food outlet.
Were the staff friendly, courteous and helpful? Were the washrooms clean? Was the food hot and tasty? Did the staff attempt to upsell? Was the order filled accurately and quickly?
Why the Need for Mystery Shoppers?
Companies are concerned about the quality of your shopping experience. If there is a problem, they would like to know about it so that they can take corrective action and keep you as a customer.
For this reason, businesses hire mystery shoppers to check on their locations and report the results.
As well, comparison shopping can reveal pricing and service differences of the competition.
Mystery shoppers sometimes uncover safety or security concerns and other helpful information.
How To Make Money as a Mystery Shopper
You can make money as a freelance mystery shopper. Contact market research companies and other businesses to obtain clients.
As an independent contractor, you will invoice clients your fees for services rendered. As well, you will be reimbursed for any direct expenses incurred (such as the cost of store purchases).
It is also possible to run your own market research company and subcontract out the work. You would need to get business clients who are willing to pay for these secret shopping assignments. Then, find suitable people who are willing to perform those assignments for you.
Variety is the Spice of Mystery Shopping
Your assignments as a mystery shopper can be varied and interesting.
One time you may eat in a fast food restaurant. Another time you may be asked to see how long it takes to get service from a company by telephone.
Perhaps you may be asked to shop at a website to check out its user friendliness. Still another assignment may require you to rate the helpfulness of store staff.
So, if you would like to have fun while making money, consider becoming a mystery shopper.
Being a Mystery Shopper: How To Make Money Shopping
What is a Mystery shopper? Mystery shoppers are people hired to shop, and evaluate various aspects of the store they are shopping in. They might also be hired to check out the food and service at a restaurant or other service based business. An essential part of their job is to appear just like a regular customer. After they leave, they write a report or answer questions about their experience.
Why does a company hire a mystery shopper in the first place? It might seem odd to some people that a company would hire someone to go shopping in their store, but it can be an essential resource in finding out how the customer service is, how friendly and knowledgeable the employees are and how neat and tidy the store is.
You may even be asked to shop at competing stores and report on prices so that the company has an idea of whether it’s competing within an acceptable range.
Mystery shoppers are hired by a business in order to provide a completely objective view of the business they are visiting. Their whole purpose is to answer quality, quantity and customer service related questions and provide valuable information to businesses because they report their observations objectively.
In many ways, a mystery shopper provides a set of eyes and ears for a business owner who may have too many locations to look over personally. They rely on the shopper to tell them that their locations are up to standards, as well as observing whether the employees are following the codes of conduct and appearance that the company has set down for them.
The business owners can then use what the mystery shopper reports to evaluate company practices, management, employee conduct, and the condition of the store in general. In fact, many companies make use of mystery shoppers as one of the evaluation tools for employee yearly performance reviews, bonus pay for managers or promotions.
Another aspect of mystery shopping is to allow for inner company comparisons between stores and can be used to more accurately gauge the effects of changes in policies or conditions over a specified period of time.
Another added benefit is that all aspects of a store from employees to managers, from the security and safety regulations down to the cleanliness of the restrooms are affected when they know that the company employs mystery shoppers to help them evaluate the over all performance of the location.
With regard to a business like a restaurant, a mystery shopper might gauge the quality of the food, the friendliness of the staff, how quickly they were served, did the waiters offer him or her the special, offer desert, etc.
There are many aspects to being a mystery shopper and being one can be a fun and definitely rewarding and benefit filled job. You get to eat at nice places, usually reimbursed on top of your fee, as well as getting to keep the things you purchase.
What Are The 3 Biggest Mystery Shopping Myths?
What are the some myths about mystery shopping?
Most people believe that to become a mystery shopper they must either pay someone for a list of companies or jobs, have lots of time, money and skills, or have someone on the inside track.
You’ve heard the fantastic reports of people who are mystery shopping and getting paid to shop and dine at fancy stores and restaurants and you want to be a part of it too.
But how do you start… how do you enter this world of make believe shoppers, and get paid to do it? Is it some deep, dark secret with details provided only to a privileged few?
Myth 1 – You have to pay money to someone to become a secret shopper.
This is one of the myths that prevents many shoppers from even exploring and enjoying the opportunities to mystery shop.
There are companies out there who are charging fees for information which is readily available for free online, but it all comes down to this.
Is it worth it to you to pay for the information, saving yourself hours of searching, or with limited funds, would you rather spend a couple of hours on your own, with some guidance and get the same information for free.
Also, some of these companies charge a monthly fee, which is just another way of fattening their pockets, without providing any real, tangible benefits, and their promises of getting you mystery shopping assignments after paying their fees are usually empty promises.
Myth 2 – Mystery Shopping Takes lots of time – Time I just don’t have.
The 2nd myth that keeps folks out of the mystery shopping arena is the myth that mystery shopping takes a lot of time.
The truth is that you determine how much time you are willing to devote to your mystery shopping. It is possible to be a successful mystery shopper while being employed full time, it just takes some organization.
Remember, as a secret shopper, you are an independent contractor, and you decide who you will work for, when, and how money you will accept.
Many successful mystery shoppers combine their mystery shopping, but accepting assignments that fit their schedules, and shop either on their way to or from work, or on their days off.
Mystery shopping can be effectively done while you are completing tasks you would normally perform during your regular routine, such as grocery shopping, banking, or at restaurants.
So with just a little time and skill in managing your schedule, you can effectively mystery shop, perform your daily or routine tasks and get paid for completing those tasks.
You’ve got to eat, bank, put gas in your car, and occasionally shop for a new car, house, or apartment, so use these opportunities to mystery shop and obtain some valuable information so that when you are ready to make your purchases or investments, you are well informed, and best of all…you got paid for getting it.
Myth 3 – You have to be a Professional.
You do have to conduct your mystery shopping assignments in a professional manner, but you do not have to hold an executive position to do so.
Virtually any adult can be a secret shopper, and the greatest asset you can have as a secret shopper is to be dependable, accurate and submit your factual reports on time and in the manner specified by the mystery shopping company.
If you can follow directions and accurately report the facts, you can be a successful mystery shopper. Many shoppers are earning good money, even on a part time basis as well as enjoying themselves while dining and shopping in fancy establishments that they would normally not patronize.
If you can blend in to look like a typical shopper for that establishment, whether it be fancy or casual, you have the perfect opportunity to supplement your income and increase your fun factor as a mystery shopper.
Can I Be a Mystery Shopper If I’m Unemployed?
Yes, this might actually be the perfect opportunity for you to be a mystery shopper, since it gets you out of the house and interacting with people on a regular basis.
When job seeking, realize that job hunting is now your job and you must be as diligent about job seeking as you would be as an employee.
If you are unemployed and actively seeking employment, this might be an excellent source of meeting your new employer.
Mystery shopping gets you in the habit of getting out of the house and interacting with people on a daily basis, which is key in your job search.
You can organize and schedule your day to perform your regular job seeking tasks and interviews, and work your mystery shopping assignments in with your schedule.
It’s a fact that the more people you interact with, the better your chances of landing a job, and mystery gives you an opportunity to interact with as many or as few people as you like.
When you perform your mystery shopping assignments, be personable; engage those you come in contact with in conversation and let them know that you are a job seeker, and would welcome any help they can offer.
This is no time to be shy; tell people how great you are and show them how personable and qualified you are. Without the pressure of a structured job interview scenario, since you are more relaxed, the real you shines through.
It’s also a way to keep up with you people skills and stay sharp in your observation and reporting skills.
Use the people you come in contact with as a pretend interview and when the real interviews come, you will have had lots of practice, and will be more skilled, at ease and be able to promote yourself and you skills more effectively, showing them why you are the best person for the job.
People love to help other people and it’s amazing by just letting others know that you are in the job-seeking market how they may be able to help you.
Believe it or not, but most jobs are filled, not by classified ads or the internet, but by word of mouth, recommendations, and referrals, by a friend of a friend of a friend.
So get out there, get shopping and get noticed. In addition to having fun, shopping and dining for free, you just might land your new dream job.
Can I Shop if I’m Stay at Home Mom or Dad, I’m Disabled, or if I’m Retired?
The answer is a resounding yes, you can. In fact, most mystery shopping assignments are performed by shoppers on a part time basis and this is perfect scheduling for stay at home moms, dads, retired or disabled persons.
Mystery shopping can be done by almost any adult over 18 years old. Since businesses can be patronized by almost anyone, a mystery shopper who blends in with the typical shopper at that establishment is definitely an asset.
There are even mystery shops which require customers of a demographic segment, such as race, or children, seniors, or disabled customers.
The goal of mystery shopping is to see how the customer is treated by employees especially if they don’t fit the profile of the “typical” customer.
There are some assignments which require you to bring along children for authenticity sake, and if you organize your day and schedule, you can plan to complete the assignment with your well behaved children in tow.
There are also assignments where age requirements must be met, such as the purchase of tobacco products or alcohol, where the purchaser must be of legal age. Many students accept these types of assignments and earn good part time money with age requirement shopping assignments.
Have you ever walked into a retail establishment, or restaurant and the employee took one look at you, or not, and decided that you were not worthy of their best service? For whatever reason?
This is the basis for mystery shopping, which requires that all customers must be treated with dignity and courtesy, regardless of their background. The Mystery shopping tool enhances that commitment to treat all customers fairly and to assist businesses from avoiding bankruptcy through failure to observe and practice legal regulations, loss of customers or even lawsuits.
When you sign up to be an independent contractor with a mystery shopping company, they frequently ask you to identify your ethnicity, age or economic status for this very purpose and some mystery shops require shoppers who have limited financial resources or poor credit report.
There are even companies who specialize in disabled mystery shoppers since the Americans with Disability Association requires that establishments be accessible to disabled patrons and that reasonable accommodations be made for those with disabilities.
Remember, mystery shopping can be a rewarding experience where you get to interact with people from all walks of life. It can be a learning experience, and best of all, you get to make a valuable contribution to improve and enhance the customer service provided in your community.
Video Mystery Shopping – What You See is What You Get
Great news mystery shoppers! Have you had the opportunity yet to do a video mystery shop? If not, you are definitely in for a treat.
Traditional mystery shopping requires that you submit a detailed factual report of your experiences and depending on the mystery shopping company or assignment, can be quite detailed, requiring a lengthy narrative.
Enter… (drum roll, please), the video mystery shopping assignment.
You complete the assignment in the same manner as you do with traditional mystery shopping, but when you return to your home or office, instead of completing the report, you upload or download your video, according to instructions provided by the mystery shopping company, and with a short confirmation update to the mystery shopping company, you are done,
This is fantastic news for you since you now have at your disposal, the opportunity to make more money, since video shopping pays almost twice the fee of regular shopping.
In addition to less time spent on reports, and the fact that the employer can both see, and hear, exactly the interaction of the employee with the shopper. It is one thing for them to read what happened, but another thing entirely to see and hear the interaction.
Since many employees, when faced with a mystery shopper report which is less than satisfactory will dispute the report, this removes that element altogether, as the video and audio tells the complete story.
The mystery shopping company ships the equipment to you, with ample time for you to practice using it before you perform your assignment, and when you are done, you just return it to them in the postage paid envelopes they provide.
Video mystery shopping can be tricky however, as you must make sure that your video and audio equipment is well concealed, but still provide a clear video, which is focused on the employee you are mystery shopping. You need to position yourself in such a way that the employee is on camera for most of the interaction, and the audio can be clearly understood.
You only get one opportunity to make it right, so preparation before arriving at the location is crucial, and practice is essential.
Once you’ve got the mechanics of the video and audio equipment down and can operate them comfortably, while making sure they are concealed, you will definitely find that this is the wave of the future providing accurate, measurable feedback to the establishment, and increasing your shopper pay.
Now, how many more shops can you complete with the additional time you are not spending completing reports?… Check out video mystery shopping today.
Get Paid to Shop – It’s as Easy as 1, 2, 3
You’ve heard the stories of people getting paid to shop and you want to know how you can cash in without getting scammed or spending loads of cash. Right?
Here’s how to do it.
Take some time and get in front of your computer; set aside a few hours or so and scour the Internet.
Search for legitimate mystery companies who are accepting applications for mystery shoppers and apply to each one. You will be an independent contractor so there is no problem with applying to multiple companies.
Each company will have their own application and approval process, which is really quite simple.
Before you apply to any company and divulge your personal information (which is required to become a shopper in their database), make sure they are legitimate by doing your homework and checking them out with the better business bureau or similar organization.
Once you’ve applied and been accepted as a shopper, you will receive assignments in a couple of ways. Either the company emails or telephones you to offer you assignments in your area, based on your shopper profile, (not the usual method) or you commit to spend some time on the mystery shopping companies job boards or websites seeking assignments that you would be willing to complete, and that fall within the parameters you set for yourself.
Remember, you are an independent contractor, essentially in business for yourself, so you determine when you will accept assignments and what fee you will work for.
The assignments are usually quite simple, with detailed instructions on how to perform the scenario, as well as any specific questions you must ask.
Read and become familiar with the questionnaire you will need to submit your report on, and make sure that you understand exactly what is required.
After you accept the assignment and commit to complete it within the specified timeline, get out there, enjoy yourself as you shop and dine as if you were doing it for yourself.
Enjoy the experience while paying close attention to what is happening around you so you can submit detailed and factual reports.
The best part of all this is you get to make a difference in the quality of customer service received, as your factual reports are taken seriously by the management of the establishment you are assigned to shop, have fun, and get paid while doing it.
It doesn’t get any better than free food, free stuff and getting paid to do it, too.
Get Paid to Shop – How to Manage Your Time and Resources
How do you get a job without experience and how do you get experience without a job? That’s the age old question and it applies equally to mystery shopping.
If you’re broke, unemployed, or looking to make some extra money, getting paid to shop sounds like a dream true, and it can be, if you need to organize your time and resources.
I can hear you now, saying that you’ve got more time than money but is that really true?
We mistakenly say that we have more time than money, but no one knows when they will die, so how do we determine how much time we have?
I submit to you that you live every day as if it were your last, and enjoy life and all the joys that you are able to, and focus on your lifestyle, the money will follow.
Learn to value the time you have, especially in the mystery shopping business. There are many assignments where it causes you to wonder if the mystery shopping companies and schedulers are posting those assignments in their sleep.
However do you justify paying someone $3, for completing a valuable assignment. If the job is worth doing, then a decent fee for a job well done should be the norm, regardless of if it takes 5 minutes or half an hour.
The feedback from the mystery shopping assignment is valuable to the company or they wouldn’t be conducting the research You may reach the point where you refuse to accept any assignments which are not in the double digit pay, especially those which are very low paying assignments, and require a lengthy report to be submitted.
Value your time and your resources because even if it’s a low paying assignment, you still need to complete the valuable report, which is a tool for management to use to improve performance at that location.
Provide a valuable service, for a reasonable fee.
Get out of the mentality of thinking that you have more time than money and learn to value your time, and what value you bring to the marketplace.
Determine that you are providing a valuable service for a reasonable fee and watch your outlook and assignment log fill up with many jobs for equitable pay.
When completing assignments, try to schedule them all in the same part of town or on the same day to avoid backtracking, and wasting valuable time, energy and gas.
Mystery shopping offers a lot of flexibility where you can choose your assignments, and even how far you are willing to travel to complete them.
Keep an accurate log of the assignments you have applied for and accepted to make sure that you do not run into time or day conflicts.
If you learn to respect your time and make it work for you, you will find that mystery shopping becomes easier and less of a chore, which means you are able to relax and enjoy those shops, while getting paid.
Believe that your service is valuable, do the best job you can when on assignment, and know that your input does make a difference. It really does.
Become a Mystery Shopper
Become A Mystery Shopper
Mystery shoppers are required all over the world, by companies large and small, who will pay you to shop, eat in top restaurants, visit major theme parks, drive high-performance cars, enjoy all-expenses paid holidays and cruises, or simply shop for everyday items, make a few quick and easy telephone calls, analyze junk mail arriving through your letterbox every day, or just stay home and buy goods on the Internet, items you might buy anyway and which you get to keep totally FREE of CHARGE!
