Find Real Mystery Shopping Jobs and Avoid Scams

Search for mystery shopping jobs on Google, and you’ll receive millions of results — more than you’ll ever make it through. Unfortunately, the results you’ll receive will also be a mixed bag. While some will be legitimate mystery shopping job opportunities at well-established companies, an unfortunately large portion will be scams masquerading as legit opportunities.

Here are three things you can do to ensure you’re applying to legitimate mystery shopping jobs:

1. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association
This is one of the best ways to ensure the jobs you’re applying for are legitimate. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (or MSPA) is one of the world’s largest and most respectable mystery shopping associations. Not only that, but the MSPA has a free job board! They also publishes a list of their member agencies — you can rest assured that any agency on this list is in compliance with the industry standards the MSPA works to uphold. There are a handful of other organizations, but beware: some of these other “organizations” are also scams. But you can trust the MSPA, because they work to keep the industry legitimate and free of scammers.

2. Research It
Before you so much as provide your email address to a company, Google it! Many times, those who have been scammed by a company will post their story online to warn others. Also, many unscrupulous companies will hire others to post glowing reviews about them, so dig deep. Sites like the BBB, ripoffreport.com, and scam.com are excellent resources for researching a company.

3. Get Information
If you’re replying to a job posting and no company name or information is provided or you’re instructed to apply to a personal email address (i.e. Gmail, Yahoo or AOL), be suspicious. Most legitimate companies will provide their employees with official company email addresses.

A good rule of thumb is that if something doesn’t seem right, walk away. More than likely your gut instinct is correct. If you do feel you’ve encountered a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission as well as your state Attorney General’s office.

Video Mystery Shopping Advice

Video mystery shopping is becoming an in-demand skill for mystery shoppers. Not only do video mystery shopping professionals qualify for more jobs, it’s an excellent way for seasoned professionals to use their industry experience to earn more money.

Because many companies prefer to hire seasoned mystery shoppers, you may need to spend some time doing traditional shops before moving on to the video shops. Once you’ve built up a reputation, you’ll have an easier time qualifying for prime jobs that pay more money.

When hiring new video mystery shopping contractors, many companies will ask the contractors to undergo training or do some test shops to get used to the equipment. If you’re serious about it, you may want to consider investing in your own undercover video equipment as this is a job requirement for some companies. Contractors who own their equipment tend to get more jobs than those who don’t, so the investment pays off quickly.

When you’re ready to embark on your first video shop, there are a few things you can do to ensure your first job goes off without a hitch.

1. Check Equipment

Before you head out, double check that your equipment is in good working order. Having equipment issues during a mystery shop can result in wasted time and money, and can potentially even blow your cover.

2. Recharge your Batteries

It’s best to get into the habit of recharging your batteries as soon as you get home as well as the night before you go on one. Nothing is worse than completing a shop and finding that your battery died halfway through.

3. Practice Using Equipment

Unlike traditional camcorders, video mystery shopping cameras can be a bit tricky. Practice using your equipment in everyday situations to get the hang of things. Once you head out to your first video mystery shop, you’ll be able to avoid any potential equipment issues.

Although video mystery shopping takes some extra work and investment, it will end up paying off for you in the long run.

Use Mystery Shopping for Multi-Family Dwellings

Mystery shopping for multi-family dwellings can help management understand what problems they may be having,and get a better idea of how potential tenants view them.

When a prospective tenant is searching for a new apartment, they generally have a laundry list of criteria for their new home. In addition to the obvious (affordability, design, size, etc.) most renters also look for a building that is well-run with friendly management and staff. A negative experience during a showing can leave prospective tenants feeling hesitant about renting from you.

Video mystery shopping is an excellent way for owners of multi-family dwellings to see how their property is being run on a day to day basis. Just as the name implies, video mystery shopping is a traditional secret shop with an added bonus – the entire transaction is caught on video and audio. Not only does video mystery shopping give property owners the ability to use videos as a means of getting valuable feedback, it also allows them to see first-hand what both current and potential tenants experience.

Generally speaking, most apartment complexes opt to have their video mystery shopping audit will follow the lifecycle of a prospective tenant. From setting the appointment to the actual showing and follow-up questions, the secret shopper will assess not only customer service practices, but also the rental agent’s knowledge about the property as well as safety and fair housing. They can also help you to discern whether or not your rental agents are following proper procedure with appointment follow-up.

Video mystery shopping can give owners of apartment buildings insight into the behavioral patterns of your personnel towards different categories of customers. Not only will you be able to see the impact a sales person’s presentation can make on a potential customer, you can also determine whether or not a sales representative is following the procedures and guidelines by your company. By learning about your personnel and fine-tuning training, you can develop your top level of customer service and gain an edge over your competitors.

Conduct Brand Audits With Mystery Shopping

Brand audits have become commonplace among large franchises as well as smaller companies that maintain several store locations. Brand audits are similar to traditional mystery shops in that an undercover professional visits a store and reports their findings back to the shopping provider.

Where the traditional mystery shop looks at customer service, product offerings, and store cleanliness, the brand audit is completed with a different goal. An audit is traditionally completed when a large chain of stores wants to ensure every location is in compliance with proper branding, signage, pricing and promotional guidelines that each store is expected to adhere to.

For example, although each Subway restaurant is individually owned and operated, each store must adhere to the brand guidelines that were set by the corporate office. It is important for each location to adhere to these guidelines in order to maintain brand recognition and continuity across all stores. If all guidelines are being properly met, a Subway in Tucson, Arizona should be almost identical to one in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Brand audits are especially crucial for brands that frequently add new products or change promotions. If a Subway franchise failed to post signage regarding a new product, not only could sales of the product decrease, but measurements associated with its success may also be hurt.

During a brand audit, Subway’s corporate office would send out a team of mystery shopping professionals to do brand audits on various Subway franchise locations. During these brand audits, the mystery shopper will check that the store’s signage, menu, etc. meet the guidelines set by the corporate office. Additionally, the brand auditor may check to ensure that all of the promotional signage reflects the most current sales, promotions or featured menu items.

Consistency in branding is crucial for any business that operates several locations, as brand recognition is an important factor in the success of chain stores. Brand audits can help companies uphold branding and operating standards and ensure that all promotions have proper follow through on the store level.

What Makes a Good Mystery Shopper

 

Being a mystery shopper is an excellent job for people in a wide variety of situations, especially those who need a job with a lot of flexibility. A mystery shopper is a contractor who is hired by agencies or organizations to discreetly visit companies and evaluate their products and service. Once the mystery shopping audit is complete, the mystery shopper will report their findings by answering specific questions.

Mystery shopping contractors should be dependable and able to perform basic computer skills. Mystery shopping jobs can generally be performed at any time, so long as they are completed by deadline. For that reason, mystery shopping is an ideal job for those that are looking for a flexible schedule.

Stay at home moms with children in school during the day, for example, make excellent mystery shoppers. Mystery shopping is also a good part-time job for college students who are seeking a flexible job that works with their class schedule. Retirees also find that secret shopping is an ideal job for them, as not only does it get them out of the house, but it is a fun, low stress and flexible way to earn some extra money.

A good mystery shopper must possess attention to detail. During a mystery shopping audit, the shopper must be aware of their surroundings and be able to pick up on things many others may not notice. Organization is another important trait that a shopper must possess, as a busy contractor will have to keep track of numerous jobs per week.

In addition, the ideal shopper will possess professionalism and some acting skills, as the ability to act naturally and interact with store employees in a professional and casual manner is important. Finally, they should have a knack for writing in a concise manner and ability to report facts in an unbiased way.

Being a good mystery shopper is harder than it sounds, but it’s not impossible. There’s plenty of work available, and you can do it whenever it fits your schedule and needs.

Creating a Customer Experience Management Program for Small Business

Creating a customer experience management program can seem daunting, especially for a smaller organization with limited resources. You might think that coming up with a strong program requires a full staff of marketing experts and unlimited resources. In reality, a simple customer experience management program can be created by asking yourself four simple questions:

1. Who is your customer?
2. What is important to them?
3. Where do they interact with you and your business?
4. How can you improve their experience?

One of the most important parts of the planning processes is identifying and profiling your customer base. There is not a one size fits all solution for a customer experience management plan. Whether it is convenience, old school customer service, relationships with staff, or just plain old low prices, different customer segments have different wants and needs. That’s why it’s so important to pinpoint what is most important to your customers. The best way to do this? Ask them.

Next, you will need to identify all of the channels your customers use to interact with your business. When it comes to creating a customer experience management plan, you will find that you likely have several channels of communication, including face-to-face transactions in the store, phone calls, your website, promotional mailers, e-mail marketing, social media, and more.

Finally, pare down your list to a few channels of communication. A traditional customer experience management plan for a large organization typically tackles most (if not all) channels. However, as a small business, you’ll want to start with one or two channels, depending on the time and resources you have available. As you grow on these channels, you can add another.

When creating your customer experience management plan for your small business, consider how your target customer’s top need can be better served via the channels of communication you chose. Remember: even the most simple CEM plan can go a long way in delighting and pleasing your customers.

Five Mystery Shopping Tips for QSR Restaurants

Mystery shopping is often a source of dread for every manager of a QSR restaurant, no matter how how well the organization is run, especially because the mystery shop may take place at any time without warning. If you want to do well on your next mystery shopping visit, here are five tips you can adhere to in order to make sure your store receives high marks.

1. Train employees to smile

No matter how short their visit is, your customers want to feel good about it. If employees look unhappy, they give the impression they dislike their work. By training employees to smile, you can ensure that any customers will feel more positive, whether they’re on a mystery shopping visit or not.

2. Keep the bathroom clean at all times

This should be a given, but it has to be said: always make sure your bathrooms are clean and sanitary. If your restaurant’s bathroom is dirty, your customers will wonder what your kitchen and food prep areas look like.

3. Keep the drinks area clean

Your restaurants self-serve drink area should be kept clean and free of garbage and spills at all times – especially because the person who’s mystery shopping your restaurant may drop in at any time. If your staff has a difficult time keeping the area clean, try using a timer to act as a reminder.

4. Managers should do table touches

While table touches are typically done in casual dining restaurants, we advise fast food restaurant managers to also adopt this practice. By checking in with the customers just a few times a day, you’ll get constant, invaluable insight into how your restaurant is performing.

5. Don’t stick to a mystery shopping schedule

If you schedule your mystery shopping audits on the same day every month, employees will take note and be on their best behavior for that particular day. Instead, stagger the visits – this will keep your employees on their toes and train them to continually perform at a higher level.

These five mystery shopping tips should be a regular practice, not just on mystery shop day. For one thing, it keeps the staff on their toes. But with the increase in online review sites, you’ll want to make sure your customers have a good time so they leave good reviews about you.

Start Video Mystery Shopping for Extra Income

Video mystery shopping is an excellent way for seasoned mystery shoppers to utilize their experience in order to earn extra income. With new advances in micro audio and video technology making it possible to discreetly record transactions, many companies are eager to hire contractors who are trained in the latest mystery shopping technology.

Video mystery shopping is done for a wide variety of businesses, including restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and even medical facilities. Unlike traditional mystery shopping that relies solely on written feedback, video mystery shopping allows companies to see and hear what their customers are experiencing firsthand. While a well-trained contractor will be able to provide valuable information within their written survey after completing a traditional audit, there is always the risk that the mystery shopper may forget some details when it comes time to recap the visit.

In video mystery shopping, shoppers will do many of the same things they do in a regular mystery shop, including asking questions of employees, engaging them in conversation and recording their responses. In addition, they are also sometimes asked to record images of the sales floor and customer service areas. Once the mystery shop is completed, the video will be returned to the corporate office so they can see and hear the level of customer service being provided.

To earn extra income with mystery shopping, one typically must have basic mystery shopping experience before they are qualified to take on video assignments. While it might seem easier, it is important to understand the fundamentals of a good mystery shop before using video. This is so the mystery shopping provider can establish a level of trust before entrusting shoppers with expensive audio and video equipment.

Mystery shopping providers will often require new contractors to undergo equipment training. Others may ask mystery shoppers to attempt some test shops to get used to the equipment. According to the video mystery shopping providers, the best way to learn is for contractors to do a sample mystery shop and then view the recording they made. This allows them to learn the best ways to capture quality video without the pressures of a real mystery shop.

While some agencies will provide contractors with the equipment needed for, those who are serious about obtaining frequent video mystery shopping work may want to invest in their own equipment. Contractors who own their own equipment can use that as a selling point when seeking out video mystery shopping gigs. In addition, they may be able to forgo training, allowing them to begin accepting assignments immediately.

While pursuing video mystery shopping gigs may require a bit of an initial investment in both time and money, the benefits are worth it. Qualified video mystery shopping pros can expect to earn much more than they have via traditional mystery shopping gigs, making it a great way to use industry experience to earn extra income.

Mystery Shopping for College Students to Earn Extra Cash

Mystery shopping is a good way for college students to earn some extra cash. Unfortunately, the busy life and unpredictable schedule of a college student make finding a steady job difficult.
Mystery shopping is an excellent side gig for college students looking to earn extra cash for books, food, or entertainment expenses. The flexible schedule makes it a great part time job for students with a busy, ever-changing schedule. This is because mystery shoppers do not have a set weekly schedule. They are allowed to select assignments that fit with their personal schedule.

What is mystery shopping?
As one may expect, mystery shoppers are hired by an agency or company to perform audits on behalf of businesses that have paid for the service. In other words, they are paid to visit businesses to see how things are running. After their visit, the shoppers give feedback about their visit via a report or questionnaire.
Companies use mystery shoppers to ensure their locations are adhering to rules, regulations, and processes. Mystery shopping is an excellent way for corporations to ensure that their stores are clean, well-organized, and their employees are performing their duties as expected.

What skills are needed to become a mystery shopper?
While almost anyone can become a secret shopper, certain skills make some shoppers stand out from the crowd. People who are good actors, organized, and observant make excellent mystery shoppers. Additionally, it is important that they have a knack for writing in a concise, unbiased, factual manner.

How to apply?
Those who are interested in becoming mystery shoppers should start by registering with a reputable agency that has been thoroughly researched. Note that there are many scam agencies that require registrants to pay a hefty sign-up fee in order to qualify for jobs. It is important to understand that no legitimate mystery shopping agency will ask applicants to pay a fee to qualify for mystery shopping jobs. Another red flag are agencies that make promises of massive earnings. While college students can earn up to a few hundred dollars per month with mystery shopping gigs, it is rarely a replacement for a full-time income.

Once registered with an agency, college students are free to select the mystery shopping jobs that fit best with their schedule. Although being a secret shopper can be a fun experience, it is important to remember that it is still a job and should be performed as such. Professionalism, completing jobs on time, as well as accuracy and promptness with follow-up reports are key to a mystery shopper’s success. Students who build a good reputation for themselves will find that mystery shopping is an excellent way to earn extra spending money while attending college.

How a Mystery Shopper Traveled to Omaha & Back Shopping

Being a mystery shopper is really only a part-time job. It pays part-time wages. And it’s rare to get that really big shop (in fact, we’ve never seen anyone get a cruise as a shopper). But we have seen someone travel to Omaha, Nebraska and back mystery shopping.

He may not be a millionaire, but the Frugal Miser — who calls himself “a 30-ish entrepreneur/landlord/mystery shopper in the relentless pursuit of a simple, frugal life” — may just prove us wrong about the part-time job thing.

In early May, I caught one of his posts about a road trip he took to see Warren Buffett speak at Berkshire Hathaway …subsidized almost entirely by being a mystery shopper.

He lives more than 1,000 miles from Omaha, where he planned to see Buffett, and he drove all the way there, making his way by completing hotel and gas station shops — which fueled his journey on a serious budget — using hotel reward points and doing a few random shops he picked up along the way. He had everything planned down to the minute, and every purchase accounted for before he even made it.

My favorite part of his trip: his ingenious plan to be reimbursed for 43 of the 50 gallons of gas he estimated he needed to make it to Omaha…with 15 gas station shops. Now that’s planning!

This type of scenario isn’t for the faint of heart — we’ve also mentioned before how time consuming and even exhausting this much mystery shopping can be — and it wouldn’t work for anyone who wasn’t incredibly organized and dedicated to playing the savings game to win. But for this mystery shopper and anyone willing to strategize to this extent, relentlessly pursuing the shops necessary to finance a trip like this, imagine the payoff!

Our mystery shopper got to road trip to see his frugality idol and while flexing his own frugality muscles. I love that he has a site dedicated to all the fun that can be had while being thrifty, especially when he highlights all the great experiences he’s had while earning extra money as a mystery shopper.

I definitely suggest you check out his blog and take notes. This guy’s a mystery shopper force to be reckoned with! Kudos to you, Frugal Miser.