Become A Mystery Shopper
Become A Mystery Shopper
Get paid to go shopping! How good does that sound? Become a mystery shopper and you really can.
Mystery shoppers are employed by a company to visit shops, banks, hotels, restaurants, travel on trains… anything really, and then write a report about it afterwards. The results are then fed back by the mystery shopping company to the business you have visited so that they can improve their service.
Mystery shopping can be a really good way to earn money, especially if you live near to a big town or city. And the best thing is that you can often take your children with you and get out and about with them, earning money at the same time. Obviously as a mystery shopper you need to look as ‘normal’ and inconspicuous as possible - so having a buggy with you would be quite legitimate and may even raise some interesting customer service issues.
Often mystery shopping companies will want people working for them in specific locations, and if you live near one of them you are onto a winner. Otherwise, jobs will come but it may take a little longer.
What’s the pay like?
In the UK you would usually get paid £6-£20 for an assignment. Obviously this varies on the work involved (you will be paid more if you have to buy something then return it because it involves two visits). You will also be paid expenses for food, drink and any items bought (and sometimes you will get to keep these too!)
You won’t become rich as a mystery shopper, but depeding on where you live and how many assignments you can do a week, you could make a healthy bit extra. As ever, people who prove themselves reliable and prompt with their reports etc will be given more and better assignments.
What qualities do I need to become a mystery shopper?
- A love for shopping / getting out and about
- Good powers of observation and an eye for detail.
- A good memory. You will need to remember what assistants say to you etc. in order to write your report afterwards. If you start taking notes in the shop the game will be up!
- A good command of the English language: your report will have to be accurate and easy to read and understand. If there is ambiguity there, your company will not be able to get a true result and they do not expect to have to contact you for clarification on what you have written.
How do I become a mystery shopper
If you decide to become a mystery shopper the first thing you must do is to investigate some legitimate mystery shopping companies. There are literally thousands on the internet. The legitimate mystery shopping companies will:-
- Ask you more questions when you sign up. Some mystery shopping companies I have looked at ask for name, address, age and sign you up. I have to admit to being slightly suspicious of those (although it is evidently the easier option!) I would prefer the more professional approach of a company who ask some more questions of me before I become a mystery shopper for them, and actually give a trial period and some practice assignments before taking me on board. It is a far more professional approach and I would imagine that indicates a more professional approach to my getting paid as well!!
- Do not ask you for money! You should not be paying them. They pay you!! You don’t become a mystery shopper to lose money - if they ask for a joining up fee it is probably going to be a scam, whatever they promise you in return.
- Will have good reviews in the forums. Google ‘mystery shopper forums’ for whatever country you live in and you should get a good idea of which companies are legit. and which companies pay well.
Don’t expect the really good jobs immediately!
As with most companies, you need to prove yourself first. So you are unlikely to start with weekends at five star hotels or meals at gourmet restaurants. You could work up to them, but there will be plenty of boring trips to garages, building societies and the ‘returns’ desk of you local department stores first!
If you are living in the UK and you want to become a mystery shopper, can I highly recommend the site below. Their materials offer a fantastic insight into the UK mystery shopping world and give you some great tips and resources to get you started. Really really well worth it!
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