First, let me just say that I am not getting paid in any way for this webpage. I decided to make these pages on mystery shopping because I came across this job by accident, and thought it was so cool, and have been having so much fun doing it, that I wanted to pass it on to all of you. If anything, by doing this, I am increasing my competition. I just felt that I needed to say this so that you don't read this page and think that I am trying to scam you in anyway, or that I am getting paid for you to visit the links below. I'm not.
The first question most people ask is: "Is Mystery Shopping Really For Real?"
Yes, it is for real. It is legitimate, ethical, and loads of fun! What it isn't, is a get rich scam. Most jobs pay between $8 and $20 per shop, plus reimbursements for any items, meals or entertainments you purchase. Others only reimburse you. Some pay for your gas and mileage, some don't (but this may be a tax deduction for you when you file your tax return). Some jobs reimburse only your meals or entrance fees and other's reimburse your whole family, or at least two adults. Mystery shopping is a great part-time job that you can do alone, or while you are still working a full-time job. Some shoppers even combine mystery shopping with merchandising to make this a full-time job.
So "What Is Mystery Shopping?" All companies rely on customer's to keep their business running. The only way a company can keep their customer's giving them their business is to make sure that the customer is satisfied. This is called Quality Customer Service or QCS. If QCS is poor, you will lose customer's. If QCS is good, or even excellent, you will keep customer's coming back for more. For most businesses, the actual owner of the business isn't onsite at all times and they need a way of checking up on their employees. They want to do it in a way that gives them a clear picture of what they are really like when the boss isn't around. Other companies, like Gillete, or Nabisco, want to make sure that stores are keeping their merchandise in stock, and in a way that the manufacturer specifies. They need to check up on this without the store employees knowing who they are. That's where mystery shopping comes in.
All over the world there are Mystery Shopping Companies that hire people like you and me to work for them. Each company has specific accounts with different corporations or stores that hire them to check up on their employees or their inventory. When the Mystery Shopping Company gets an assignment thier schedulers contact shoppers in the area that the shop is in and send them into the store to pose as a normal customer. The mystery shopper gets the details of the assignment, accepts the assignment and carries it out when the scheduler tells them to (usually a range of days to choose from). They go into the store posing as a regular customer, but the whole time they are paying very close attention to everything. They are looking around the store for cleanliness and organization, they are checking restrooms for cleanliness and that everything is in stock, they are checking shelves for inventory and they are evaluating how the employees are treating them and whether or not they are doing their jobs, or goofing off. Each assignment spells out in specific detail exactly what you are looking for. You must get all of this information without ever letting on to the employees that you are a mystery shopper. They must only see you as a regular customer.
A good mystery shopper always remains anonymous, is very detail oriented, has a good memory (or a really good voice recorder to record things they can't remember) and is efficient and on time. They must be able to follow directions to the letter. You may not bring your paperwork into the store with you, so you must be able to read your instructions ahead of time and remember everything you are suppposed to be checking.
Most companies allow you to bring your children along, and some actually require it for certain jobs. Most restaurant or fast food shops require you to purchase two meals, so a friend is always welcome to join you. How many jobs do you know that allow you to bring your kids, (or a friend), pay you to shop, go to a movie, stay at a hotel, or eat out, and pay for your meals, purchases, hotel stays, etc.? This job is great for Stay-at-Home-Mom's who want to be able to get out of the house, but are on a tight budget, but also for corporate employees who just want to help do their part in ensuring that their favorite restaurants continue to do their job. It is fun, but work. Most jobs require you to have access to a computer and the internet so that you can file your reports online. You will get assignments sent to you via email, phone, regular mail, and websites. You will file reports by mail, phone, regular mail and websites. Some companies require you to send in your receipts and others just require you to hold on to them for a certain amount of time. Most require you to file your report within 12 hours of the job. For all jobs with purchases, you will be required to pay for the purchase and then the company will reimburse you up to the amount that they tell you in the assignment instructions. Each company has a different pay scale, but you can usually expect to receive your checks by the end of the month that comes after the month you did your shop. (i.e. you do a shop on April 18th, you will get your check by May 31st.)
Most companies require you to fill out applications online, and other's require you to print out the application and send it in. You are not an employee of any of these companies. You are an independent contractor. Because of this, you will not receive W2's at the end of the year. If you make more than $600 for a company during the year, the company will send you a 1099. You are responsible for filing your own taxes. Below is a link to a great article on taxes for mystery shopping, but be sure to check with your own state for filing state taxes.
Below is a list of links that you may find helpful. Some of the links are to websites that also explain mystery shopping and are very helpful. There is also a link to a list of mystery shops that I currently am signed up with. Each day I join new companies, so I will be constantly updating this list. You will want to sign up with as many companies as you can because not every company will have jobs in your area every week, or month. Most companies rotate their shoppers for different stores so that the same shopper doesn't keep going into the same store, risking being marked as a mystery shopper by the employees. Once you are marked as a mystery shopper, you can not return to that store. There are also links below to online groups or forums for fellow mystery shoppers. That is where you can ask questions, share ideas, and get support. I will also be adding a link to an excel spreadsheet that I use to keep track of my companies.
Just a quick note on merchandising. Some companies hire shoppers to go into stores and set up displays, demonstrate products, keep track of pamphlets in stock, and do audits on inventory. Some will hire you to go into movie theaters and count the number of movie patrons that are viewing their movies. In these cases you are not anonymous. The manager knows you are there and why. There are other jobs where you enter as a mystery shopper, but then sometime during your shop you let them know who you are. These are usually reward shops where you go in and make sure that the employee does exactly what they have been trained to do (like mention certain sale items, or try to get you to upgrade your purchase) and if they do, then you reward them with a gift certificate that you are provided with ahead of time. I will eventually be adding a link to some of these companies, but for now, Volition.com has a good list of merchandising companies.
When signing up with companies, you should never have to pay a fee to sign up, or get a list of companies. There are plenty of resources, most listed below, that will give you everything that you need to know. If they charge you a fee, beware of a scam. Please remember that this page is still under construction. Come back often. There will be plenty of fun things here for you to check out. Enjoy!
