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Have you ever wanted to become a Secret Mystery Shopper?
Have you seen ads telling you that they can tell you how to
become a shopper if only you would send them a bunch of money
just to send you info? Well, don’t believe those ads. You
do not have to pay to begin your new career in this exciting
field. With a few simple steps, you can start Mystery Shopping
today!
Steps
- Get organized. You will soon have many shopping assignments
and if you keep track of them from the very beginning, you
will do a better job, feel more in control and be able to
take on more assignments. Use whatever means that work for
you – computer, PDA or a simple notebook will do. Make it
a simple system but include columns for Company Name, Shopping
Assignment Name, Due Date, Shopper Fee and Paid Date.
- Understand the difference between Independent Contractor
vs. employee. Mystery Shoppers are Independent Contractors.
If an individual is an employee, then any costs of workers'
compensation, social security, and unemployment insurance,
as well as federal income tax withholding and state income
tax withholding are the responsibility of the employer.
If an individual is an independent contractor, these costs
and tax withholdings are the contractor's (i.e. YOUR) responsibility.
- Make sure you have the right equipment to get the job
done. You will undoubtedly need a reliable computer and
Internet Access. Most companies prefer you to have a high-speed
internet access account but it isn't absolutely necessary.
They are not paying your expenses, so use whatever you can
afford or are comfortable with. You will also need reliable
transportation to get to each assignment. Finally, you will
need to have the proper attire each assignment calls for.
Most are casual but some shops are in upscale restaurants,
apartments or retail outlets and you will need to dress
the part to blend in.
- Sign up with many different Mystery Shopping Companies.
Do a search for Mystery Shopping Companies and you will
find many you can apply to. Almost all of the mystery shopping
companies have applications on their website. Sign up with
just a few to start and then add more as you become more
comfortable with the process. Never pay to sign up. Mystery
shopping companies will not charge you to apply.
- Create a mystery shopping profile of yourself. Keep a
list of all the zip codes you are willing to shop. You can
then just copy and paste this info into the application.
Also, keep a sample of your writing in this file. Most companies
will want you to provide them with a paragraph or two describing
a recent shopping experience you have had. This is to make
sure you know how to write, spell properly and are proficient
at grammar and punctuation! Everything counts here, as it
is the only way you can show them that you can do the job.
When the time comes to fill out applications, you can just
copy and paste these paragraphs into the form.
- Create a Company List. This is a form or file on your
computer of all the Mystery Shopping Companies that you
have signed up with along with your user name and password.
Make a column for notes to keep track of anything out of
the ordinary that each company requires.
- Sit back and wait for the assignments. When the time comes
to begin your first assignment, record it into your log,
print out the instructions for the shop from the company’s
website and print the form that you will need to fill out
about your experience. You will actually fill out the form
online, but you will need to know the questions so you can
find the answers as you shop and not have to scramble for
information if you forgot to get it!
Tips
- Remember that you will spend much more time when you begin
Mystery Shopping than you will later when you are more experienced.
Take the time, do your assignments carefully, and don’t
worry about the time. You may feel that the money is not
worth the time but it will get better!
- Join Mystery Shopping message boards and websites. This
will give you an idea of who pays well and who pays on time
or who is slow to pay. Volition.com is one of the best sites
to check out. It has links to all of the Mystery Shopping
companies and gives a little info on each one. It also has
a daily checklist, which comes in handy to check for new
assignments.
- Take Mystery Shopping training to become Silver or Gold
Shopper. MSPA Shopper Certification does cost money but
can be rewarding. Although you do not need certification
to be a Mystery Shopper, if you are going to make this more
than a passing interest, it might be nice to get a professional
designation.
- Strive for perfection on each and every assignment. Check
spelling, punctuation and grammar. Schedulers like to work
with people they can trust to turn in a quality product
and you will get more assignments.
- Be punctual and reliable. Make sure your assignment is
in well before your deadline. If you miss your deadline,
some companies will delete you from their system automatically.
- Follow the directions of the assignment to the letter.
If the directions say, "purchase a small drink" do not order
a large or you may not be paid!
- Do not expect to get assignments where YOU want them.
It doesn't work that way. Although you will get assignment
for great places, they may be at places you don't usually
shop or eat at. It's a great time to try new places!
- Don't expect to get rich quick - especially in the beginning.
Most assignments pay between $6 and $15.00. Not a great
amount of money but remember: it's fun and $15.00 for about
an hour or so of your time is nothing to sneeze at!
- Before accepting any assignment be sure to consider your
cost of doing that particular shop versus the amount you
will be paid. Once you factor in variables such as gas,
paper and ink cost to print assignments (which can be several
pages long), plus any fax or postage costs, you may find
it not worth doing that shop. Some companies will pay extra
for gas mileage, while others do not. Choose carefully.
- Remember the most important tip of all is to have fun.
This is what you have wanted to do and now you have the
tools to do it.
Warnings
- Do not speak badly of any of the companies you work for.
You can certainly relate any experience you have had with
them but do so in a professional manner.
- Do not refer to how much you are paid for an assignment.
It is tempting to compare with other shoppers but it is
not professional conduct.
- Do not disclose any information about clients or shops
of any of the companies you work for. This is not only unprofessional,
it is most likely mentioned in the Independent Contractors
Agreement that you signed.
- Never tell anyone at the shop that you are a Mystery Shopper.
The key to a good Mystery Shopper is in their anonymity.
- If you receive a cashier's check in the mail claiming
to be part of a mystery shopping assignment, do not cash
it and wire the money. This is a scam. The check is not
valid, and you will be responsible to your bank for the
amount of the fraudulent check.
Article provided by wikiHow,
a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest,
highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and
find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How
to Become a Secret Shopper. All content on wikiHow can
be shared under a Creative
Commons license.
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