Free Mystery Shopper Opportunities
Mystery shoppers visit establishments and pretend to be
customers. Businesses from auto dealers to fast food restaurants
hire mystery shoppers. These shoppers conduct assigned
transactions for the purpose of consumer research. They observe
such things as employee responsiveness, customer service,
product quality, and business cleanliness. Then they write a
report describing the experience in detail.
Businesses use these reports to pinpoint weaknesses and improve
them. They also use them to locate strengths and build on them.
Mystery shoppers are generally paid about $10 to $40 per shop.
In addition, they are reimbursed for assigned purchases. You
might occasionally be a "free mystery shopper" who does not get
paid in money. For example, if the assignment is to visit a
hotel, the shopper may only receive the free hotel room. To
become a mystery shopper, a person should be a good
communicator. They should be able to interact with employees of
the businesses they are shopping. Shoppers must also be adept at
written communication, as they must accurately relay the
transaction. Mystery shoppers should also be observant and
detail-oriented. They should also be fairly computer and
Internet savvy, as forms must be downloaded from the Internet.
Most reports are sent back via email.
For anyone considering becoming a mystery shopper, there is a
dizzying array of information available. Hundreds of websites
offer to sell you kits or access to databases. For anywhere from
$10 to $50 you can have a wealth of information at your
fingertips. They are all so reasonably priced it's difficult to
know which membership to buy. In a word: None.
Never pay a fee to a company for a list of mystery shopper jobs.
There is an abundance of free mystery shopper information
available. For example, the Mystery Shopping Providers
Association offers a searchable database of job listings and
companies who hire mystery shoppers. They also offer information
about training and certification for mystery shoppers.
Legitimate hiring companies will also give free mystery shopper
information.