Secret Shopper: What's In Store for You
Whoever the bloke that first thought of this must be a genius.
Imagine having to shop all you want, and then getting paid so
you can shop all over again. If this job was offered years ago,
our elders might be crooning, Fairy tale can come true... or
Heaven on earth...(with more heart to it) who knows, they might
even want to kiss this blokes hand - "Godfather" style. You have
that smug twitch on your brows? Ok, you may think this could be
stretching it a bit far?
But then again consider yourself getting into a store, shop a
little, pause a while, observe, have a little chit chat with the
clerk, being the friendly amiable you all the time, pick a
little more here - which can be reimbursed later anyway. Go to
the next store and shop and shop and shop...and then get paid.
Or go to a movie house or a spa or you can go to an assigned
restaurant have a little refreshment - which your employer will
be paying for anyway, pull out a newspaper, even the week old
ones will do it will not matter, play the detective like
listening, observing, taking mental notes on service,
orderliness, promptness, integrity, customers handling, or a
myriad other things that your employer tasked you to do...and
then get paid.
You go by many names. You are a secret shopper, a mystery
shopper a spotter. Nonetheless that is the job you do to earn
your living. Shop.
A secret shopper is a task assigned to people by companies and
firms that want to update themselves with what is actually being
carried out in their establishment from a customer's point of
view.
They get trained first on issues that the company wants to
validate or resolve to enable them to be and remain competitive
in their market. Training agendas are really simple but will
ultimately enable employers to evaluate their current position
in performance and competencies.
Training and assignment issues often include, divided further
into sub-classes: Efficiencies Customer service Cleanliness and
order Merchandising Courtesy and Integrity. Other issues on the
priority list by the principal.
The job of the secret shopper basically are: To observe To
evaluate To file reports
To become a secret shopper, an individual would register on one
or if preferred, several secret shopping companies or agencies.
Once hired, the secret shopper would be tasked to inspect
predetermined business establishments. Secret shoppers work like
costumer undercover to do two tasks, to evaluate and observe the
employees and to observe and evaluate the operation of the
store. The secret shopper will then fill up evaluation sheet and
file a report to be submitted to the principal.
What is in it for the mystery shopper?
Although the most common task assigned to a secret shopper is to
shop, they also dine at different restaurants, visit and use
fitness centers and spa, drink in different places, use gym,
stay at a hotel and get into movie houses - free of charge. The
money is good too. For instance, a simple task that could take
for about several minutes would pay you $8-$15. A more
sophisticated task would pay you $25. The more complicated the
task becomes, the higher the pay would be. If you already have a
direct contact with the company, you can even earn $100 and up.
Task would require simple skills. So long as can write a good
objective report (many principals prefer the not too critical
ones), you can qualify to become a secret shopper. So long as
you abide by the confidentiality clause, that's it.
Isn't that a hell more fun than having to burn hours in an
office cubicle coping with pressures and deadlines, finding
yourself lost in all those papers and "to do" lists five days a
week, so you can have money enough to go shopping?