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New Shopper
Also see More Information page
What is
mystery shopping?
A mystery shopper is someone who visits an establishment,
typically a retail store, bank, restaurant or other such places where the public
does business, for the purpose of observing and measuring customer service,
product quality and the environment of the establishment in general. Shoppers
are given details, by the mystery shopping company responsible for the shopping
program, about expectations for making specific observations during their visits
and they complete reports, often using an online form, after leaving the
establishment.
Mystery shoppers go to specified stores, restaurants, banks and apartments and
pose as typical customers. When they leave, they complete questionnaires or
other such instruments that have been custom-designed for the mystery shopping
company’s clients. Shopper's serve as the eyes and ears for those clients as
part of their efforts to enhance the quality of the customer’s experience.
Many times, the information collected during mystery shopping programs is used
to help mystery shopping company clients improve training programs, better
articulate expectations they have of their staff, and otherwise improve the ways
in the client serves its customers.
You must always work undetected. The staff
should not suspect that you are an evaluator or they would treat you
differently. Your job is not to spy on employees, or try to find things wrong or
right. Your job is simply to follow the script that comes with your assignment
and provide an impartial evaluation.
You are the link that keeps the Corporate Headquarters informed and they
need you to maintain yourself in a professional manner. For a
business to be successful, they must maintain
customer satisfaction. They can better please the customer if they
understand how the customer is being treated and if their product is being sold
as they intended.
You will have the benefit of working around
your schedule, which can be beneficial for a housewife, mother or part time
worker. Some places may want you to go to their establishment only
during certain hours, i.e. happy hour, early bird specials, moonlight madness
sales, etc. You may be able to request certain hours of the day that are
best for you, such as early mornings for mom’s with small children in
preschool or late afternoons - early evenings for those who already hold down a
part time job.
How long does it take and
what does it pay?
The length of time a mystery shop takes depends on the type of
assignment, but usually a shop is likely to take less than an hour. The fees
that a mystery shopper may earn from a specific shop vary just as greatly as the
time required, but often a shopper might expect between $12 and $20 for the
“typical” shopping scenario. In some cases the shopper might also receive
free meals, discounts and savings on merchandise, or other such benefits.
However, shoppers should be wary of promises of extraordinary “freebies”
that sound too good to be true…if that’s the way it sounds, it is probably
really too good to be true. In some cases, the shopper may be expected to purchase an
item (or a meal, theater ticket, etc.), in which cases the shopper is likely to
also be reimbursed for that item, within the stipulations given by the shopping
company when the shopper accepts an assignment. In every case, the shopper
should strive to ensure he or she fully understands the scope of the shop, the
anticipated time required, and the benefits, if any, that will result from doing
the shop.
Checklist For Beginning Shoppers
1.) Apply to as many companies as you can. Spend a
weekend going through the online applications. Also included for free is a copy
of my Excel database that allows you to keep track of what companies you sign up
for with places for your user name and password as well as notes for that
company.
2.) Wait for your first assignment. Watch your email, fax, and phone.
3.) Study the scenario carefully before you begin your shop so you will know which areas to closely evaluate while you are shopping.
4.) Have fun while you shop! Enjoy your meal. Save your receipts.
5.) As soon as you get to your car start writing down notes so you don't forget important details.
6.) Complete the evaluation as required. File it and your receipt within the deadline.
7.) Make a copies for your own files. This is extremely important! Sometimes a company will have additional questions or may not understand what you wrote and you will need to reference your material.
How do shoppers get
assignments?
Shoppers are given assignments directly by the mystery shopping company’s
scheduling staff or contract scheduling company. The way in which shoppers are
identified for assignments is for them to first contact the company and/or the
scheduler and to complete the appropriate application process. In almost every
case, the company will require the shopper to complete a separate application
for that company. It is important to understand that mystery shoppers DO NOT GET
ASSIGNMENTS DIRECTLY FROM MSLC. Rather, many shoppers review assignments listed on the
MSLC web site (www.mysteryshoplist.freeservers.com) to see what is
available, then apply directly to the company that is listed. MSLC does not control the placement of those assignments, nor does
MSLC get involved
in which shoppers are assigned specific shops. All assignments are matters of
interest ONLY to the mystery shopping company and the shopper and do not involve
MSLC in any way.
How often can I do shops and how
can I increase the frequency of doing shops?
The frequency with which you can conduct mystery shops depends,
in large part, on your availability, the needs of the mystery shopping
companies, the number of shops in your geographic area, and the number of
shoppers that mystery shopping companies deal with in your area. To increase the
likelihood that you will regularly receive assignments, sign up with several
mystery shopping companies and accept shops as often as you can…but be sure
that you do not accept shops that you cannot do. Reliability is a key factor in
companies’ selection of shoppers, so work to prove your reliability. If you
cannot accept a shop, let the company know…it is better to decline a shop than
to fail to deliver as you promise.
Can I count on doing mystery
shopping on a full-time basis?
It is a great possibility that you can make this a full time
job. Most people do only a few per month and use the money as extra cash
or for a free dinner/movie etc. It is unlikely, though a few people do
make this a full time job.
More likely, you might find yourself able to do a few per month. To build up a
large number of shops per month and to prove your reliability and to convince
the companies for which you do shops that you should be contacted before other
shoppers. If you want to work full-time as a mystery shopper, understand that
you must commit to make it your goal.
How do I sign up to be a mystery
shopper?
The best way to sign up is to visit the shopper area of the web
sites of our listed companies. Respond to shopper assignment listings, fill out
applications on member company web sites, and…be persistent. It may take quite
some time to be contacted about doing a shop, but once you start, you can expect
to be contacted again periodically so long as you do a good job and are
dependable. (I am contacted several times a day and I have about 10 companies
that I work for, this took me about 2 months to achieve and you can too!)