How to become a mystery shopper?

Question

Ive always liked the idea of becoming one. Just because, Im big on customer service... and even though Im not yet a mystery shopper, I always think in my head what was good about it and what was bad and how they could improve. Strange, I know. But thats the wonderful story why i want to be a mystery shopper...

But my question is, how do i become one?

Do I apply online?

do i have to travel far? Or stay in my area?

What are the requirements for being one?

Answer 1

this should get your started

there a lot of mystery shopping out there that

are legit

here a start

http://www.volition.com/mysteryUSA1.html

this is a list of mystery shopping companies you

can apply for

then you usually go to their website and look for assigments or sometimes a scheduler might email or call you for a job

currentlly I'm doing mystery shopping for second-to-none

and they are very helpful and understanding

good luck

if yoiu have any questions email me

Answer 2

whatever you do never 'pay' anyone to become a mystery shopper.  no matter what you should always be the one getting paid.

if you go to the jack in the box website, contact them, if they are looking for shoppers in your area, they will let you know how to get started.

visit the website of places you visit a lot, ask a manager how to contact those responsible for hiring mystery shoppers

Answer 3

I have been a mystery shopper for a little over a year now. If you want to do this to make a lot of money, look for something else. If you primary purpose it to be reimbursed for dining or shopping places where you would not try otherwise or would go less often, this might work for you. Here's how I got started and what I have learned over the last year.

1.  Do not pay to become a mystery shopper. Companies that want money up front to shop for them are scams.

2.  There is a service that I signed up for that emails me every time a job is listed in my target area (you determine your target area and the types of shops you want to be notified for). This saves me going through every company that sends out mystery shoppers every day to see who might have an opening I am interested in. You can check out the sight I use at www.spiesindisguise.com.  I think it was about $30 a year for the email notification.

3.  Companies that send out mystery shoppers vary greatly in how rapidly they reimburse for expenses, what they will reimburse for and their rating systems. Make sure to carefully read the details before you sign up with a company. Some companies require tests that you take online before they will let you shop for them or for a specific client. You can rack up a lot of time taking tests for companies you will never shop for. Check out their assignments first if you can.

4.  Get a credit card for only your mystery shopping. I set a limit on how much $$ I am willing to have out of my budget at any one time and then asked for my limit to be set there.  Companies reimburse from 30-60 days from the time you file your completed report so make sure that you are not over-extending yourself if they pay late. Make sure, however, that you pay off the credit card with the reimbursements when they come in.

5.  Read the directions for every shop you are interested in before committing. Some have very specific hours, people you must shop or services you must purchase. You must follow the instructions, including filing your report on time, exactly to be reimbursed. I work with three secret shoppers. While I have never had a report refused or not been reimbursed, two of those I work with have. When that happens you are just SOL.

6.  Good mystery/secret shoppers are detail oriented and have good memories. Most mystery shopping assignments take at least an hour to complete and require that you have the names of every person you spoke with or were served by. You are not allowed to take notes while on the shop (unless in the rest room or something) so you need to be able to remember physical descriptions and names well.

7.  Most mystery shopping reports take about an hour to fill out online. Some take less time but most restaurant reviews take at least an hour to complete. Spa shops take about 2 hours to complete the report and the services are usually very restrictive if you want to stay within the assigned budget for the shop. Gas station shops take less time to complete if you are good at uploading photos and you have good notes. You must be good at written communication or your reports will not be scored well and you will not get the best assignments.

8.  Mystery shoppers are not called on to give their opinion usually. This surprised me. What clients are looking for is a step by step detailed account of what happened to you when you were in their business. They don't want your opinion unless they specifically ask for it. (as in the case of how a dish tastes or if a pair of jeans fits well)  Things like, "the server treated me rudely" will be refused or marked down. They want things like, "the server did not approach my table until I had been seated 5 minutes. She did not ask if I was ready to order or had any questions about the menu. She simply approached and said, "What are you having tonight."

9.  Keep a list of the companies you have signed up to shop for and your log in name and password. Not all companies will allow you to set your own password or user name. This will save you lots of time when you want to accept or find out more about an assignment.

10.  Keep good records. I keep a copy of the reports I have completed for 60 days after I have turned them in. This way, if there are any questions, I have exactly what I wrote to jog my memory. Certainly keep any receipts even after you have faxed or scanned them for reimbursement. I also keep a spreadsheet that shows which shops I have applied for, accepted and where I am in the process of completing them. I color coded my spread sheet so I can tell at a glance if I have shops out that I have not been reimbursed for or shops that need receipts scanned, etc.

Mystery shopping has allowed us to try a lot of places we would not have otherwise visited. It also allows us to be reimbursed for things we would otherwise have as expenses - like oil changes. As long as you do it for fun and don't expect to become rich or make a lot of supplemental money for your budget, keep good records and produce quality reports, it can be enjoyable and is a good way to impact service level and product decisions as a consumer.