Make Money While You Shop!
Mystery shopping has become a very lucrative home business for
some. With good reason - reasonable hourly pay, free
products/services and gas reimbursement! For those that are
serious about mystery shopping, there is good money to be
made.
As with all things though, some jobs are better than others. Not
all companies will pay you for everything I've outlined above.
However, you get to choose which jobs you'd like to do and which
ones you'd rather pass on. It's entirely in your hands how much
or how little you make.
What is Mystery Shopping?
Well, it's quite simple, really. Companies use mystery shoppers
to help them rate their customer service, overall appearance and
product placement. You are simply informing the company as to
whether they are meeting their customer's expectations.
Mystery shoppers apply to different companies and when a
placement is available for you area, you are contacted via
email, generally. Upon receiving the details of the job, you
decide whether or not to accept it.
Upon accepting a job, you print out the instructions for that
job. Generally, those instructions will pertain to the store's
overall appearance and cleanliness, the level of customer
service, the speed in which is required to make a purchase,
whether specific product displays are available, etc. All the
instructions are provided to you ahead of time. You simply make
mental notes while inside the store and afterwards fill out the
appropriate online reports.
Can I be a Mystery Shopper?
Different companies have different age requirements. However, if
you are over the age of 21 with a good grasp of the English
language, you can be a mystery shopper. With that said, you must
also be reliable, detail oriented, and dependable. Schedulers
(people that offer you the jobs) are much more likely to
continually provide you with the choice assignments if you are
someone they can rely on and someone who provides them with good
quality written reports in a timely manner.
I Thought Mystery Shopping is a Scam?
No, it isn't. You hear that from people who were not committed,
reliable, detail oriented or were otherwise just plain lazy. The
fact is that if you do not produce what is required of you - you
don't get paid. It's really that simple. Everything is laid out
for you ahead of time. You choose whether to commit to what is
required or not. If you work at a typical 9-5 job and don't
produce the work you know is required of you, you'll get fired.
Mystery shopping is no different.
Does it Cost Money to be a Mystery Shopper?
No. There are resources that you may or may not choose to
purchase. That is entirely up to you. However, there is no
up-front fee to become a mystery shopper.
You may also choose to become certified (which I suggest) for a
mere $15. You write a short test which determines your
understanding of the process. Once you pass that test, you are a
Silver Certified Mystery Shopper. Preference is often given to
certified shoppers when schedulers are offering assignments.
Why, you may ask? Because if someone was serious enough to dole
out $15, they're quite often serious enough about mystery
shopping to do a good job. You will make your fifteen dollars
back from the increased number and better quality assignments.
Where do I Sign up?
Check out Mystery
Shopping Providers Association and Volition to
begin with. They have great resources and fabulous message
boards/forums that will help answer all of your questions and
get you started as a mystery shopper. You can get certified with
Mystery Shopping Providers Association, if you wish.
Where Can I Find More Mystery Shopping Resources?
Check out the IFHB's Mystery Shopping Resources!
Also, make sure you have a dictionary and
thesaurus available to you while completing your reports.
Quite often a digital watch or one with a second hand is
required to time a purchase. Also, a small recorder is handy to
take notes on once you leave the establishment. Neither of these
are required unless otherwise instructed but they do come in
handy.
Good luck with your mystery shopping and enjoy the fabulous
perks!!!