Anyone can be a mystery shopper because there is no set type of qualifications that you need for mystery shopper jobs. You will find people from many different walks of life in this field, such as retired people looking to supplement their pension income and an opportunity to keep busy, college students, stay-at-home moms and dads, entrepreneurs looking for an additional stream of income.
If you have a background in finance, business, real estate, or education you will likely get hired before those with no background whatsoever. However, you do need to be proficient in using the computer for emails and attaching documents as well as in the use of spreadsheets. Once you complete the assignment, you will have to file a report, which means you should have a good grasp of the conventions of written English. In addition, you do have to be pretty observant on the job and reliable so that the company knows that it can depend on you to complete the assignment.
By working as a mystery shopper, you can basically work your own schedule. This means you don't have to hire a babysitter to look after the kids when you go to work. In many cases you can bring them along with you or you can wait until your partner comes home from work. There are specific dates by which the assignment has to be completed, but other than that you are able to choose when you want to work.
If you are not quite sure what a mystery shopper does, in this role, you are the same as every other shopper in the store and no one knows the real reason why you are there. By acting as a regular customer, you make observations and gather the information the client is looking for and then make your report based on your findings. For example, your assignment may be to find an apartment just to see what kind of service you get from a specific landlord or to compare the costs of rent in a particular area. Some of these kinds of jobs could include:
* Recording your experience in opening a checking or savings account at a bank
* Observing how waiters treat diners at a restaurant
* Ordering from a mail order company to determine how long it takes to receive th order and the condition of the product when you receive it.
You might be asked to log onto a company website and report on how user friendly it is for customers.
The amount of money that you can earn at such a job depends on the kind of service you provide. The higher paying jobs in this field are those in the high cost service industries, such as car dealerships, home construction, rentals, etc. These jobs may pay you up top $40 per assignment. In some other assignments you may not earn cash but gain free products or meals, such as in reviewing a restaurant where you get free food and drinks. Retail and fast food assignments are generally the lowest paid.
Mystery shoppers provide a great service to retailers and service businesses. By walking into a business as an unknown - the basic, average, every day customer - mystery shoppers relate their experiences to corporate headquarters. Why would a big corporation rely on people they don't know? Because their opinion counts! Mystery shoppers can get a more accurate look at the day to day operations of a business than a CEO can on a yearly visit. It's a known fact that employees put their best foot forward when their boss is in the building. Mystery shoppers are an effective way for corporate offices to learn about the service, employee attitudes, and cleanliness of a business. If a customer walks into a fast food restaurant and is "greeted" by an indifferent employee and the place is a mess, that customer will likely tell other people. Word of mouth from one unsatisfied customer can kill business. That's why mystery shoppers are so important.
There are many mystery shopper programs that enlist the help of average people every day. Some are scams and others are for real. How do you separate the two? Follow that old basic rule of thumb: If they ask you to pay to work for them, it's a scam.
A legitimate company will not expect you to pay them in order to work for them. You wouldn't expect to pay a doctor's office to let you be a receptionist or a convenience store for the opportunity to be a cashier. Mystery shopping is a job, so there is no difference.
There is a mystery shopping certification available. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association of North America offers such certification. With two certifications to choose from, potential shoppers may test online for certification that proves they have the basic skills needed to be a mystery shopper. A more expensive plan also covers some training for mystery shoppers. It is important to note that certification is not required to be a mystery shopper.
So, if you are looking for a way to make money part time, consider a career as a mystery shopper. Assignments might have you sampling yogurt, going to a movie, or eating out at a restaurant you might not normally go to!
Both Warren Wong & Dave Carter are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.