It may sound too good to be true but you can get paid to go shopping! It’s Called Mystery Shopping.

So how does this work?

Well, there are employers who are willing to pay you to give a detailed evaluation of your shopping experience at their stores. The reason behind this is because one of the most important things a business needs to maintain is good quality customer service and gathering feedback from a cutomer’s point of view is vital to accomplishing this task.

5  Key Points That Employers Look for in Accessing Level of Quality Customer Service:

1. Look Professional. Employees are expected to dress in the store uniform or adhere to the store dress code.
2. Be Professional. Employees need to maintain a balance of being attentive to the needs of their customers as well as be focused on the routine tasks that needs to be completed during their  regular shifts.  Employees are also expect to communicate with other employees and customer using appropriate language and behave in a manner that is appropriate to the work environment.
3. Be Respectful and Helpful. The employees should be aware of the customers in their store and be willing and eager to approach customers and offer their assistance.
4. Be Knowledgeable. The employee is expected to be knowledgeable about the products and services that the store offers. This is where adequate training is key. Employers want to be sure they are giving their employees enough information and training to meet their customers needs. Mystery shopping helps to gauge how receptive employees are to the information they receive from employers.
5. Maintain the Store Front. Employees are expected to maintain an inviting, clean, well stocked store front.

Business owners, managers and supervisors will routinely do a walk through, monitor the store front and access the activity of their employees to look out for the 5 factors mentioned above. But usually employees tend to behave differently when they know they are being observed and evaluated.  What employees need is a more accurate gauge of the atmosphere in their stores when the employees think that no one is looking.  That’s where you come in.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to visit these stores and play out a scenario that the employers request that you follow. You are then required to take the feedback that you’ve gathered, fill out a survey and/or type out a very detailed report about what actually transpired during your visit.

Sounds easy? Well…

This is very fun but it definitely is not easy. I’ve been there, tried that and here is my personal experience in regards to this type of freelance work:

When I first became involved in Mystery shopping, I actually applied at about 50 different agencies that were looking for shoppers. 5 actually had some consistent work for me to do.  To tell you the truth, 5 was more than enough! The average pay per shop was about $20.00 per visit but there were some shops that required 2 or more visits to complete the scenario.  I probably dedicated about 2-3 h per shop from the time I received assignments and reviewed my scenarios to the time I gathered enough feedback to type up my report. So, I was probably making less then $7/h  for my work,  and where I live, that is less than minimum wage! For me, that works out to be almost 1/3 of my hourly wage at my regular job. 

So, why would anyone become a mystery shopper? Well, it allows individuals to make some money from doing something they would do regardless of whether they were getting paid.  2 of the assignements I took on required that I visit a Sunglasses Shop. I already needed a pair of sunglasses and so I was able to make $40.00 from my 2 visits(on the same day, time and in the same mall). That $40.00 went a long way in paying for a pair of sunglasses that cost $160.00.  On top of the $40.00 I received, I also got a discount of 10% on the glasses just for doing the assignement. So it was definitely worth it and all I had to do was fill out 2 surveys and  type up 2 report that only took me 2 hours to finish up.

What Kind of Stores are Looking for Mystery Shopper?

Clothing and Other Apparel Shops

Bath and Body Shops

Electronic Stores

Restaurants

Department stores

Various Kiosks

Vehicle Dealerships

Prescription Lenses Stores

Optometrists and Dentist Offices

Travel Agencies

Insurance Agencies

Video Rental Stores

Kitchen Ware and Appliances

Virtually Any Walk-in Store Front…

Do you want to be a Mystery Shopper? Here are some tips and tricks to make your shopping experience all the more fun and productive.

1. Do yourself and other shoppers in your area a favour and only do shops above $10.00. Mystery shopping is real serious business and you should be paid accordingly for your efforts. How insulting is it for an employer to expect people to devote 3h+ hours of their own time, gas, their own paper (you may need to print off your assignment and write notes), and printer ink  for as low as $3/visit. If I were to take public transit it could easily cost me $6 for a round trip, as well as spending at least 2 hours in transit. Plus, these employers expect me to reserve time in my planner to visit these stores on specific days and at specific times. So why would I waste my time? Even to fill out the evaluation takes time and that $3 isn’t even covering  that.  I don’t know how much you are in need to save money but my time is precious and I would rather work 1 extra hour at my regular job then to waste time for only a $3 savings.  Just don’t take on these assignments  out of principal. If you don’t take those low paying assignments the employer may have to raise their payout. I’ve seen assignements start at $10 and then turn into $150 dollars because there were no takers at the lower offers.
2. Take Mystery Shopping seriously. This isn’t a game.  It’s a real job opportunity. There are people making anywhere from $120-2400/mo doing this. So invest in a mini voice recorder, a good printer/scanner, review your assignment before you head out, complete your assignments on time, contact your Shopping Agency before the due date  if you cannot complete the assignment  or need an extension. Be professional. 
3. Spell Check is your friend. Do your best and make an effort to proof read and correct and spelling errors before you submit you report. Mystery Shopping Agencies will approve your assignments picks based on your past performances. The more experienced and better detailed you are in completing your assignments, the more opportunities you will get.  Mystery Shopping Agencies also need to report back to the employers on your behalf. So they will edit your report for grammatical/spelling errors and missing information. The less work you leave them to do, the more they will trust you to complete more important, higher paying tasks.
4. When typing out your evaluation of  your experience, try to keep it as detailed as possible. Provide the exact date and time you arrived and left the store. Provide a detailed discription of the employee that assisted you ( name [always ask the attending  employee his/her name or read their name tag], hair color, glasses, jewellery, hair color/style, exposed tattoos, piercings ( note the number of piercings, their placements on the body, the type of  piercing jewellery[small earring studs are usually appropriate for most jobs but dangly earrings or ear jewellery that stretches the piercing hole many not be appropriate for most work environments]. for example, a female employee with only 1 piercing in each ear is not worth noting in your report. But an employee with an ear full of jewllery, piercings on the lips, cheek, eyebrow or any other ackward locations may be noted. Keep in mind that you need to take into account if the piercing(s) or other apparel is appropriate for the store environment. For instance, if you are mystery shopping a Tattoo and Piercings Parlor then there is no point in making special note about piercings and tattoos except as a way to descriptively identify individuals for whom you do not know their name.) The more descriptive you are the more confidence you build in the employer who receives your  report.  Anyone can type up a report out of thin air while never stepping foot into the store. But an employer can be sure you were present at the store on the date and time they assigned if you provide details that are verifiable and only someone who was present would know.
5. Keep any receipts, flyers or brochures you received during your visit. You may be requires to scan or mail proof of your visit in order to receive payment and any compensation.
6. Invest in a mini digital voice recorder. You will need to be detailed in your report and recording your conversations with employees will help tremendously! I personally would tuck my mini recorder in-between my breasts and allowed it to be held in place by my bra strap. It’s important you keep the recorder as close to your mouth as possible but out of sight. Also be sure not to cover the mic in such a way to muffle or distort the recording. When no one was looking or if i were in a position where no one could hear what I was saying, I would verbally make notes into the microphone about the time I arrived/left the store, the name of the employer, quick description of the employee’s appearance, the overall appearance of the store front and any specific displays. I would sometimes start or finish my conversation with an employee by asking their name as subtle way to make a verbal note of the employee’s name rather risking being suspected as a Mystery Shopper by personally making a verbal note into the recorder. When I was with an employee, I would subtly describe any merchandise into my recorder that we were looking at so that I could recall the products when writing up my report.  If you are going to make subtle verbal notes while in the presence of the employee be sure to do so without leaving hints of your intentions.
7. READ YOUR ASSIGMENTS CAREFULLY before you volunteer to complete it. Also review your assignment just before you go into the store. Do not take your assignment print out or any paperwork pertaining to the assignment into the store  while completing the shop. Do not make written notes while in the store and expecially while you are with an employee. Do all your writing after you leave the store. If you forget any information and need to return to the store, be very weary about returning the same day. contact your Agent to see if its ok to redo your shop on another day. Many times Agencies do not want you returning to the same store twice to gather more information. So be sure to do a thorough job the first time. You may need to memorize or rehearse the things you will say and the questions you will ask before going to the store. Feel free to lie about yourself  if it may help you to build a character that the employee may believe. If you do not follow the assignment exactly as specified you may not receive payment or compensation for any expenses.  Be sure to follow the assignment exactly as required.  You may be required to do the assignement on a specific date and time,  approach a specific employee, and/or bring another person along. If you stray from your requirements, you may not be compensated and you may also leave a negative impression with your Mystery Shopping Agency. They may not pick you to complete any similar assignments in the future.
8. Be as natural as possible. Try to act like a typical, normal, everyday shopper. You don’t want to do anything to bring special attention to yourself but still be engaging with the employee(s). 
9. Number 9 may help you fulfill number 8. You can bring friends, family and children along for your shops.  You can also shop when the store is relatively busy(If the store is too busy, you may not get the best evaluation material to write about in detail because employees may be responsible for doing multiple tasks while assisting you. Trying to do a fair evaluation at these times will do little to help employers better access and train their employees in the future) But when there is a moderate amount of people in the store, this is the time when employees are less on guard because there so many thing happening at once. You become more  inconspicuous as you blend into with other shoppers. But be sure to adhere to your shopping assignment requirements. If you are required to shop alone, then shop alone. If you are required to bring a specific  number of people to the shop, then do so. Some assignments will require that you leave children under a certain age at home. Keep that in mind when accepting assignments.
10. Try to get more than one assignment that can be done on the same day, time and in roughly the same area. That way you can make one trip, save time, gas money and put more money in your pocket. Kill 2 birds with one stone, as they say. Personally, I try to get assignments at malls for this very reason. You can easily turn a assignement that would normally pay $10.00/visit into a $20.00/visit just by doubling up.  
11. Complete you report ASAP while the  details are fresh in your memory. If you wait several hours or days to write up the report, you may be forced to rely heavily on the voice recordings which will only provide verbal cues to help  refresh your memory but still lag in the area in providing visual details that are just as important as relaying back the conversation that took place. 
12. If you are going out of town or going away on vacation, see if you can pick up assignments in other cities and countries if you know that you will be in the area. 
13.  Pick assignments close to home. That way you save on travel expenses. 
14. Pick assignments for stores with products and services that you frequently purchase. For instance, when I need a new pair of prescription glasses, I’m almost always guaranteed to have an assignment  at both an optometrist  and a prescription eyewear store. Why volunteer for an assignment that offers products and services that don’t meet your needs or interest?  Some assignments will not pay you for the visit, but rather, offer a discount on products your purchase at the store. Keep that in mind when picking assignments.
15. Be organized. When assignments are available, they will have the date(s) and time for which the shop must take place and there will be a date for when the report will be due. Get a day planner, especially if you plan on doing multiple shops for different agencies, and  record when and where you need to be. Try to give yourself enough time to complete the shop and write up the report. Get your reportes completed on time. 
16.  Some agencies will pay in a currency that is outside your country. I’m Canadian and I’ve been paid in Euros, US dollars and British pounds for completed assignments. I don’t mind getting paid in these currencies but be sure to keep your eye on this fact as it can affect how much money you earn once the money is converted to your home currency.
17. Have fun! Need I say more?

Check out Violition for Agencies in your area

Check out MSPA for for more information, resources and opportunties in your area.

HAPPY SHOPPING !