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Mystery Shopper
Being a mystery shopper (or secret shopper)
can be a fun and interesting form of self
employment. Many companies hire outside organizations
to obtain customer experience and impression
information because of the need to quickly
cover a large number of stores and/or collecting
information without the local employees realizing
they are being evaluated. Frequently, the
mystery shopper is given specific guidelines
of where to go, what to do or buy, and then
reimbursed for their expenses when they file
their written report.
Work assignments let you shop, eat, watch
movies, etc., at the company's expense in
addition to your compensation. Some assignments
can include doing display set-up work for
upcoming promotions. In general, mystery
shoppers can pick and choose their assignments
to fit their own interests, schedule, and
pay rate. However, choice assignments are
often taken quickly, so you must be aggressive
about watching for opportunities and then
develop a reputation for reliability and
quality work.
Before you sign up to be a mystery
shopper,
here are some areas that would
be helpful
to fully understand to avoid
any confusion
or disappointment in the future:
- Since most mystery shoppers are in large
cities and metropolitan areas, consider how
far and how expensive it would be to get
to the various businesses. If a sizeable
amount of time and money is needed, you may
not want to take a particular job. There
may be other reasons, such as being uncomfortable
with the specific behavior needed or going
to unfamiliar areas, that may cause you to
decline a job. It is helpful to know what
effect, if any, turning down a job will have
on future job assignments.
- Another area to fully understand is how and
how much you will be reimbursed for your
expenses. You can always return an article
of clothing and get your money back, but
if you have to eat a meal or get a beauty
treatment, who pays for that? Knowing ahead
of time will help you determine if you accept
the job or not.
- It is important to understand what the company
expects of you, what behavior is needed,
and what questions you need to ask when performing
the job, plus what specific information is
needed in the report to them. Detailed and
clear instructions about what is expected
with deadlines and payment schedules will
eliminate a report being rejected as incomplete,
inadequate or paid at a different rate. Companies
that offer a training session that answer
these and other questions before you start
to work for them are definitely worth considering,
but be very cautious about companies that
require you to pay a fee to get lists or
otherwise access opportunities: most credible
firms do not make this a requirement.
- One last area; know the state laws regarding
mystery shoppers in the state(s)
you will
be working in. Some states
require a private
investigator's license or have
other requirements/restrictions,
so it is best to be aware of
them to avoid
any possible legal problems.
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