The Best Part-Time Job – What You Need To Know About Mystery Shopping
Many people have the false notion that mystery shopping is not a real job, and people cannot actually make money shopping. The truth is that thousands of people across the world make great side money working as a mystery shopper, and you can, too!
The Job Description
The misconception is that mystery shoppers walk into a mall and shop at their leisure. They may walk through the stores of their choice buying whatever items they want while getting reimbursed for their time and purchases. The truth is that mystery shoppers are given a very specific set of “shop requirements.” The requirements include a specific store location the mystery shopper must visit, a specific time when the store must be “shopped”, and specific departments to visit.
In most cases, a mystery shopper is given a set of tasks to complete while at the store. These tasks may including checking the cleanliness of the fitting room and restroom, interacting with sales staff, and trying on clothing. Often a small purchase must be made.
The mystery shopper may be required to return the purchase on a subsequent visit to verify how the sales staff handle returns. Or the mystery shopper may be reimbursed for the purchase if he is expected to keep the purchase.
Then, after the site visit is complete, the mystery shopper will file a report online about the
experience at the store. The mystery shopper may also be required to turn in receipts of the required purchase or a business card of the store associate to confirm the store was actually visited.
A mystery shopper may be requested to “shop” almost any location where a typical customer could make a purchase, including a restaurant, a movie theater, a retail store, a gas station, a car dealership, or even a gym or a bank.
The Perfect Mystery Shopper
A mystery shopper is hired to be the corporate office’s eyes and ears at the store. The corporate office wants to ensure the customer is receiving great service, as well as any number of other things the corporate office may have a concern about.
This may include ensuring the proper usage of sales techniques by the store’s staff, that food being served is of a proper quality and temperature at a restaurant, or even that the proper trailers are playing in the movie theater.
The ideal mystery shopper will have a keen eye for detail, as well as the ability to be non-judgmental and unbiased. The corporate office is not concerned about a mystery shopper’s opinions about the location, but rather the actual facts about the site visit.
A mystery shopper should also have excellent writing skills, as the shopper’s final report on the location is often the only communication between the shopper and the corporate office. A report that is well-written and unbiased ensures that the corporate office receives a clear and accurate accounting of the events that occurred during the site visit.
Often, the corporate office wants to check on certain members of the store’s staff or management team. So an assignment will include specific hours a mystery shopper must visit the store, when those employees are scheduled to be working. If a mystery shopper visits the store at a different time other than what is specified, the corporate office will not be able to check on the staff they have a concern about. Therefore, punctuality and responsibility are also key qualities of a mystery shopper.
Getting Started.
Mystery shopping is an easy business to get started in. First, check on the Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association website for a list of the hundreds of providers you can sign up to work with. A provider is a liaison between the mystery shopper and the corporate offices of businesses. The provider’s main function is to find mystery shoppers to fill requested assignments.
A mystery shopper can sign up to work with as many providers as they choose. However, to work with a provider, a mystery shopper needs to apply online at the provider’s website. The time required to complete an application may vary from perhaps ten minutes to over thirty minutes, so choose the providers you want to work with carefully to avoid wasting unnecessary time completing applications. Many mystery shoppers work with an average of 15 to 20 providers to get a decent amount of assignments.
The majority of mystery shoppers applying to work with a provider will be accepted, making this an easy business to get started in almost immediately. Once a mystery shopper is signed up to work with a provider, he or she can begin searching the provider’s online job board and requesting assignments immediately. It’s possible to pick up an assignment to complete in the first week!
The Benefits
Mystery shopping is a great side job for any number of people. Mystery shoppers have the ability to work as much or as little as they want, requesting as many or as few assignments as they can handle. They set their own schedules based on the assignments they request. This makes the job ideal for those with busy schedules or other commitments, such as college students, stay-at-home moms, busy professionals, and even retirees.
The typical pay for an assignment can range between $10 to $30. A standard assignment can take on average an hour to complete the on-site visit and the report, but this varies greatly and does not include travel time to and from the store location.
In addition to the pay for an assignment, a mystery shopper can get reimbursed for their purchases during the site visit as well as travel expenses. These purchase reimbursements may cover some of their normal day-to-day expenses, such as groceries and gas. Mystery shoppers can also get reimbursed for other items, such as movie tickets, clothing, and a meal at a restaurant. So in addition to the monetary compensation, a mystery shopper also gets great perks!
Mystery shopping is an exciting change of pace from your traditional part-time job, offering a unique work environment, great pay with extra perks, and a flexible work schedule.
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