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Is mystery shopping for real?
Mystery shopping is one of the few things out there in the sea of work-at-home junk that is legitimate. I wouldn't waste my time with it if it was not something I had a positive experience with and knew that others could too. However, it can either be the road to overworked and underpaid, or if you do it right, it can be quite lucrative for a work-at-home, legitimate, flexible job. I have learned how to do it the second way of course!
How do I know which companies are legitimate?
If you look at the different shopper boards, you'll see the same companies listed again and again. You will also see shoppers put up notes if someone is not paying or there are other problems--word gets around fast in this industry! Another way is to see if the company is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association at (www.mysteryshop.org), many of the larger ones are. A check can be with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) to see if any complaints have been registered against the company before you do work for them.
Most companies are legitimate. However, if anyone asks you for upfront money to register to do shops for them, you can pretty much assume it's a scam.
Note--there are a handful of companies out there who want you to pay a small registration fee to sign up on their site, or advertise in a directory to help subsidize their web site operations. I generally advise shoppers not to pay any money upfront simply for the possibility of work.
What are some of the advantages of being a mystery shopper?
Flexibility--make money when you want to on your terms, and don't when you have other things to do! The ability to be home-based (except when you are out in the field actually doing your research) is another great benefit.
Plus, while you can earn nice money on a regular basis, you can also get lots of things for free that you might otherwise have to pay for out of your own pocket. By doing mystery shopping, you can actually make your household budget go further, and possibly get to do things (like go out to a fancy restaurant), you would not otherwise get to do as often, with someone else footing the bill.
Finally, since mystery shoppers are typically independent contractors, this can have substantial tax advantages over being a W-2 employee--check with your tax advisor.
Who does mystery shopping?
Mystery shopping is for all kinds of people who want the freedom to be home-based without set working hours so they can make money when they want to, and not bother when they have other things to do--like living their life! There are mystery shopping seniors, stay-at-home Moms and Dads, college students, employment seekers and career changers, entrepreneurs looking for another income stream while they get their business launched and creative people (actors, writers, etc.).
What kind of experience do I need? Does previous work experience or education help me in any way?
You don't need any specific experience to be a mystery shopper. Since so much of it is on-line based, it is important to be good with e-mail and working with attachments, and have basic word processing and spreadsheet skills (data entry, not spreadsheet creation). You should also have good communication skills--both writing (although you don't have to be at the level of winning a Pulitzer), and the ability to carry on a conversation with employees of businesses you will be interacting with in doing your assignments. Personal qualities like being observant, reliable and having a good imagination are also very important to being a top mystery shopper.
That said, an initial plus (until you get actual mystery shopping experience) would be any prior work experience or education in retail, financial services or apartment leasing (since many shops fall into these industries), customer service or the field of market research. But if you don't have any prior "credits" in these areas, don't worry. It won't keep you from being a mystery shopper if you present yourself the right way.
Can I do mystery shopping if I have a baby or small children?
Here's a special note for stay-at-home Moms and Dads--this is actually a job where you can often bring along well-behaved kids (and if your kids are not well-behaved, keep that to yourself). While you can't bring the kids on every assignment, enough companies will allow it and for some shops like day care centers, gyms with babysitting or toy stores, it could be required. Every assignment always has specifics on what dates and times it can be completed, so you know before you accept or apply for the job if it is something you can do.
So what do mystery shoppers really do?
Basically, depending upon the type of shop or research assignment, a mystery shopper, secret shopper, researcher, or most commonly referred to as simply "shopper" will pretend in a believable fashion, without giving away the fact they are a shopper, to be an actual customer or potential customer of a business. In the process, the shopper will gather information and make observations that the client company wants to know about, and submit a report with their objective findings later on.
You may be asked to pretend you are looking for an apartment; interested in joining a gym; looking for a new bank to open a checking account; or even buying a piano. Your job may be to rent a video; bring your car in for repair; go out to lunch; go grocery shopping; etc. You could be asked to call a mail order house and evaluate its service, or even to check out a company's web site and see how easy you find it to use.
Almost any type of business--big or small, well-known chain or not, can use mystery shopping services. The types of shops you do can be as varied as you like, or you may decide to specialize only in certain kinds based upon your own personal preferences and the pay or work involved.
How much can I make for each assignment?
If you do higher-paying service category shops (such as apartments, home builders, car dealers, testing centers, gyms, oil changes, banks), you can typically make between $20 and $40 per assignment, or a dinner restaurant shop can pay $35-$100 in free food/drinks. Some of the newer technology-based shops that involve the use of hidden video equipment during the job can pay as much as $100! Retail assignments typically pay less ($7 to $15), although a "purchase and return shop" can get you up to $25. Fast food shops pay the least--often just free food and possibly a $5 report fee. Shop fees earned vary depending upon where you live, market demand and how urgent the job is.
An assignment can take as little as a half hour of your time including filling out a report, to two hours. The more you are asked to do, the more the assignment pays. If you focus on the highest-paying assignments, make the right connections and create a system where you get the jobs coming to you, you'll become a top-earning mystery shopper.
How much can I make a month?
Just like any self-employed person, you should expect your income will fluctuate from month-to-month. If there is a good demand for mystery shoppers in your area, and you have plenty of time available to you, it is entirely possible to make up to $1,000 in a month's time in actual cash and high-end freebies depending upon the types of assignments you do. Experienced shoppers who live in major market areas and also do audio and video shops, or get involved in complementary activities such as report editing or scheduling can make double or triple that amount. Many good mystery shoppers earn $300 to $600 extra per month. People who "dabble" in mystery shopping make $200 or less per month. But you don't want to be a dabbler, you want to be a top-earning mystery shopper!
If I live in a small town should I give up on the idea of being a mystery shopper?
Not at all! While it is true that the opportunities in your small town may be somewhat limited (although it depends by what you mean by small), if you live near a sizable city, you should be able to get assignments. Otherwise, you'll still get jobs, but not as many.
Your earnings as a mystery shopper are somewhat dictated by market demand for those services. However, it can also be a quality vs. quantity thing. I have seen some requests for mystery shoppers in smaller areas with much higher than normal pay or bonuses attached because there were assignments available and companies were having trouble finding a shopper to do them. So you might do very well even if you do less assignments than someone like me in a pretty major market like Southern California.
How do I get started in finding mystery shopping assignments in my city, state or country?
For starters, check out my Mystery Shopper Lead Resources. There you'll find some great leads to help you obtain your initial assignments. There's a lot more to being a professional, top-earning mystery shopper than just this, but it's a way for you to dabble and get a feel for what is possible. The key to earning top money as a mystery shopper is to work efficiently because time spent looking for work is time spent not working (and earning money)! You need to make the right connections and ultimately have jobs coming to you.
If you want to skip the "dabbling" part and get a jump-start on your mystery shopping earnings, get a copy of my book for newbies and beginners The Perfect Work-At-Home Job: Mystery Shopping or select one of my book/personal coaching combo packages. Make this small investment in yourself and your new professional mystery shopping career and give yourself the best possible chance to become a top-earning mystery shopper. And if you really want to maximize your income, a dual, flexible, home-based career that combines mystery shopping and merchandising simply can't be beat! Check out my newest book The Quick And Easy Guide To Making Money As A Merchandiser. For more information and FAQS about merchandising CLICK HERE
Also be sure to subscribe to my free monthly e-zine Perfect Work-At-Home Job Update for ongoing tips, resources and my popular "Ask The Coach" column. Subscribe by e-mail tomscoach@aweber.com
Copyright 2001 - 2008 Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing
