Mystery Shopping - An excellent part time job or additional income source

Steve Pearce
Business Development for National Shopping Service
http://www.nationalshoppingservice.com



Though the name itself may seem a bit mysterious, the concept
of mystery shopping is actually straightforward. Also referred
to as secret shopping, performance evaluations, service checks
and frontline evaluations to name a few, mystery shopping allows
companies to obtain a “snapshot in time” by trained researchers
who know in advance what they are to evaluate. It provides
management a method to quickly yet efficiently evaluate their
business practices, deliverables, and employees from the
perspective of a non-biased consumer. Mystery shoppers visit
or call businesses posing as ordinary customers and provide
detailed evaluations of their experience using written reports
or questionnaires.

Mystery shopping is used in a wide variety of industries such as
retail, restaurants, financial institutions, convenience stores
and gas stations, service providers, manufacturers, department
stores, travel and entertainment, etc.

Though there is a certain level of responsibility and
professionalism required to be an effective mystery shopper,
you should never have to pay to get a job. There are dozens of
companies claiming that by paying them a registration fee they
will send you job opportunities and teach you the steps to
becoming a shopper. This may be true, but is also completely
unnecessary.

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. Though it is possible to make a living solely from
mystery shopping, it is not very common. Most shoppers view this
as a second income source or as a way to obtain fully reimbursed
meals, products, and services.

The registration process with leading mystery shopping companies
has improved over the years. Most provide a simple online form
that takes only a few minutes to complete. Once you have
registered with a company or two, they will start informing you
of shopping opportunities. Most of these are “first-come,
first-serve”, so be sure to provide the company with an email
address that you check regularly, and a phone number where you
can be easily reached.

Be willing to accept last minute assignments and treat
bottom-of-the-barrel assignments just like top-of-the-line
assignments. At first, take whatever you can get. This will
allow you to build a reputation with each company. The old
adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first
impression,” is exceptionally true in this industry. Make
sure you completely understand the instructions for the
particular shop, be impartial, and focus on accuracy. You may
be required to document employee names and descriptions, prices,
inventory evaluations, etc.

Go hi-tech. More and more mystery shopping companies are
requiring shoppers to have access to the Internet, email and
a fax machine. Some shops even require the use of a digital
camera to capture product placement, signage, cleanliness or
other focus points.

Complete all assignments on time. If you absolutely cannot
complete an assignment, contact the mystery shopping company
immediately so they can reschedule the assignment. Dependable
shoppers get the best assignments!

Assignments can be as basic as sitting in the parking lot of
a fast food restaurant for 20 minutes to document drive-thru
service times to taking an all-expense-paid trip to a resort
for 2 weeks to document your daily service experiences.

Now that you understand the mystery shopping industry a little
more clearly, the next step is to locate a few top mystery
shopping providers and register, remembering that even if a
firm doesn't have a client in your area today, they may next
month. Once registered with a company, it would not hurt to
call or send an email to express your willingness to shop and
to confirm your professionalism and attention to detail. Just
make sure that you do not send an email full of typos and
grammatical errors – definitely not the type of first
impression that you want to leave.

Another method for finding potential shopping opportunities and
to gather further industry knowledge is by monitoring online
mystery shopping message boards and forums. To locate a few,
type words like “mystery shopping message board” or “mystery
shopping forum” into your favorite browser.

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!



Resource Box:
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Steve Pearce is the Dir. of Business Development for National
Shopping Service. NSS has been a pioneer in the mystery
shopping industry since 1972, offering customizable solutions to
businesses that provide the information they need to understand
and affect their businesses at points of customer interaction.
http://www.nationalshoppingservice.com - 800-800-2704
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