Mystery Shopping - An Introduction

Mystery shopping is an excellent way to make extra money. In fact, some people make a full time living doing it with a little adventure :) If you want to know how to become a mystery shopper for a second income source or just for some additional cash in your pocket, you may need to read on further.

The stores and companies try out various ways of improving their customer services. They go out of their ways to find out where the drawback lies. For this reason, businesses hire mystery shoppers to check on their locations and report the results. A mystery shopping job is not a new idea. It began in the 1940’s as a way to measure the integrity of employees. Mystery shoppers sometimes uncover safety or security concerns and other helpful information.

Mystery shoppers are independent contractors for a mystery shopping company who agree to evaluate certain businesses before completing a findings report. This report will contain such information as customer service, employee courtesy, product selection, merchandising and more.

There are many mystery shopping companies that will pay you to shop. Mystery shopper is not limited to shops. They also go to restaurants, cruise liners, movie theaters, department store, casino, service centers, fitness centers or heath clubs, salons, banks, homebuilders, amusement centers and parks, and everything in the business area that are customer oriented.

A mystery shop consists of getting paid to go into a business without the employee's knowledge and reporting back to the mystery shopping company. After you do a mystery shop you answer some questions and file your report with the mystery shopping company. These reports are usually set up as a series of questions and often can be completed quickly.

There is an art to being a good mystery shopper. Basically you are like a reporter.

How to get started : Becoming a mystery shopper for a legitimate company doesn't’t cost anything. Search the Internet for mystery shopping companies that are accepting applications. Legitimate companies don’t charge an application fee. Many accept applications online.

Once you register with a mystery shopping company, you should receive an e-mail announcing available shops in your area. The company will give you the guidelines for the shop and all of the information they need you to obtain during the shop. Other companies do not send e-mails, but ask that you log in to a web site to check for potential shops.

When you go on an mystery shop you are not allowed to let anyone know that you are a mystery shopper. You must use your acting skills to perfection so that no one would even suspect you of being a mystery shopper. Mystery shopping companies want detailed oriented people who are keen observers. You also have to have sharp communication skills. Mystery shopping is a job.

Requirements to become a mystery shopper include : The requirement on how to become a mystery shopper varies depending on the company hiring you. Some may require only a minimum such as ability to make reports and proximity of the product or service to be reviewed.

1. Ability to make reports.
2. A high school diploma may help but is not necessary.
3. You need a computer with a reliable internet connection because you may have to fill out online forms regarding your shopping experience. Some companies require you to participate in an online training program; You will probably have to contiguously check the mystery shopping company's website, or your e-mail for existing shops. Fax machine may be required by some companies because of the necessity to reach you when they need to.
4. Some shops even require the use of a digital camera to capture product placement, signage, cleanliness or other focus points.
5. Ability to meet deadlines.

Qualities of a Mystery Shopper :

1. Keen Observational and Recall Skills : You must also have the ability to make observations and keep them in the memory because it is not always possible to note down what you have observed. Bear in mind too, that you will not have the luxury of walking around with a clipboard filling in your assessment questionnaire as you go along. Your recall skills should be sufficient for you to absorb the information needed and complete the assessment sheet once you have either returned home or to a quiet spot far enough away from the site you have assessed.

2. Honesty : Both your reputation as a mystery shopper and the reputation of the market research company you represent are at stake if you do not carry out each job with the utmost integrity. Never second guess at anything, and under no circumstances should you make up answers to any of the questions. If in doubt, go back and check.

3. Reliability : Do what you have agreed to do, when you agreed to do it- it is as simple as that. Unreliable mystery shoppers jeopardise projects, and those who prove consistently unreliable may no longer be invited to accept jobs.

4. Objectivity : Mystery shopping is not opinion research. Shoppers are not paid to give their opinions, they are paid to report their observations. For the main part, you need to be objective and report on facts, not opinions. Your job is to just answer the questions, report the facts and describe what actually happened during your shop. You never want to give your own recommendations. That is not why you are hired. All they want you to do is to answer questions with just the facts of your mystery shopping assignment.

Avoiding Mystery Shopping Scams : The legitimate mystery shopping companies in the industry never charge fees to the shopper. Training, tips for improvement, and shopping opportunities are provided free to registered shoppers. Mystery shoppers are either paid a pre-arranged fee for a particular shop, a reimbursement for a purchase or a combination of both.

You should beware of anyone asking for money to help you become a mystery shopper. The truth is that it is unnecessary to pay money to anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The shopping certification offered in advertising or unsolicited email is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free; and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are on the Internet for free. These scam preys on our desire/desperation to make some quick money. It also exploits a stay-at-home mom’s need to contribute to the family’s income.

Another red flag that you might be facing a mystery shopper scam is promises of riches. No one should promise that you could get wealthy being a mystery shopper. Mystery shopping itself will not make you rich. It is a quiet low-paying job. With careful research, it is possible to find paying jobs as a mystery shopper. While it probably will not make you rich, you just might make some extra money doing something you enjoy.

Mystery shopping may not become your next career, but it will provide you with some extra income, free goods, and maybe even a few adventures along the way!