What is Mystery Shopping?

How Secret Shopping Works

What is Mystery Shopping?

Have you ever gone into an establishment and been met with horrible customer service?



Maybe the bathrooms were disgusting; maybe an employee was rude; maybe your food was not prepared correctly. Whatever the situation, have you ever decided to never return to that particular establishment based on your experience?

With the invention of the internet, companies are realizing that they need to focus on customer service in order to keep their customers in their stores.

No longer is there just one choice when it comes to practically any product or service; now we have multiple choices.

Establishments who fail in customer service can fail in business altogether.

This is the reason that there is so much interest these days in mystery shopping.

You see ads online and in newspapers, promising that hundreds of companies will PAY you to shop at their stores!

Is it true?

Well, sort of.

Companies do pay for secret shoppers to come into their stores and evaluate customer service.

This way the company has a report on their successes and shortcomings in this very important aspect of their business. It allows the company to improve performance and reward employees who are doing a good job.

Companies rarely hire a secret shopper directly. Instead, they hire a scheduling company to organize the shops for them. The scheduling company then finds and contracts with shoppers to do the secret shops. Shops generally pay $7-10 each.

Some do not pay any fee at all, but give you free merchandise or food. There are a select group of shops which compensate you with larger fees, $50-100.

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What Kinds of Companies Need Mystery Shoppers?

Every company does. From fast food restaurants to art museums, the market is unlimited. I personally have shopped at the following types of establishments:

Gas Stations
Hotels
Fast Food
Mall Kiosks
Mall Stores
Banks
Apartment Complexes
Post Offices
Drug Stores
Department Stores
New Housing Developments
Bus Stations
Restaurants
Museums
Loan Services
Cruise Lines
Theme Parks
Government Agencies
Big Box Retailers
Fine Dining
Car Dealerships
Grocery Stores
Furniture Stores
Tourist Attractions
Car Rentals
Insurance Agencies
Pet Stores
Credit Card Applications

I have literally done hundreds of shops, all over the country, in the past 7 years. The secret shopping industry is very large, and is growing every day, as is the number of shoppers.



It is important to realize that with rare exception, mystery shopping is an enjoyable hobby that can allow you to earn a little pocket change or get some terrific freebies. It is not a source of replaceable income.

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What Do You Need In Order to Start?

You need time, mainly.

Also, you need an internet accessible computer, printer, access to a fax machine (you can get that for free at efax.com) , usually a vehicle, and a watch with a second hand.

You also need a good memory, attention to detail, and good English grammar and spelling skills.

Most importantly you need to be dependable and able to follow instructions.

There is a funny rule in mystery shopping, that shoppers cannot disclose what scheduling company works with what retail company.

For example, I could say that I work with XYZ Mystery Shopping Company, or I can say that I have done Walt Disney World shops, but I could not tell you that XYZ Company handles the Walt Disney World shops.

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What is Involved in a Secret Shop?

To properly conduct a mystery shop, you will need to do the following:

--Apply to companies
--Apply for, or be offered, specific shops
--Accept shops
--Go through training pertaining to specific shop
--Shop!
--Follow directions and take extensive notes
--Return product(s) if necessary
--Write report
--Proofread report
--Submit report
--Submit receipts
--Rinse and Repeat!

To find out more on How to Become a Mystery Shopper please see this page.

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