Help Them Help You

When you choose to work from home as a mystery shopper, you have several important responsibilities. One job is to create a space for the leasing agents to show their best performance. To do this, you want to make sure you take the focus off yourself as much as possible and instead allow the agent to take the lead. You’ll want to be sure to present yourself as an open, pliable leasing prospect.

Here are three great ways you can conduct yourself to allow the agent the best opportunity to succeed: 

Listen 

The leasing agent should be doing more talking than you. Remember, your job is to respond, not lead the conversation. Of course, there may be some leasing agents who are more talkative than others, but that is okay; another part of your job is to be comfortable with silence.

The leasing agent should be aware of what his or her job consists of, so sit back and let them take the wheel and guide the conversation, both on the phone and on-site.  Be responsive and answer questions freely, but allow them to ask for the pieces of information they need. 

Smile 

The more comfortable the leasing agent feels with you, the more he or she will feel inclined to complete their job thoroughly. A smile, especially a genuine one, can go a long way to creating a scenario where the leasing agent believes they can succeed in closing an apartment lease with you. 

Act 

Act like you are a real prospective resident. This means you should allow the agent to sell you on the community. If you do not like something about the apartment, use it as your objection for the leasing agent to overcome. This will sound more natural and believable. However, keep in mind that you are not really leasing, so you do not have to press too aggressively about your objection.

Apartment mystery shopping will become easier the more relaxed you are on the job!

Maximizing Mystery Shop Volume

Mystery shopping is a great way to work from home!  You stand to make the most money when you are able to complete your shops quickly and efficiently. Here are three suggestions to help you cut out the excess and streamline your shopping process. 

Be Receptive 

Work to present yourself as open and receptive to what the leasing agent has to offer. If you are able to make them feel comfortable, the process will flow organically and it will encourage them to give their best presentation. Although most leasing agents receive similar training, each puts his or her own “flavor” on their sales technique, so it’s best if you can go with the flow and let them take the lead. 

Be Natural  

Excessive talking and over-explaining can cause a mystery shop to take more time than necessary.  Remember, your job is to evaluate the leasing agent’s performance in trying to convince you to lease. You will not actually be leasing the apartment you are being shown, so there is no risk in showing interest in a community or apartment you may not actually be interested in a real scenario. Be mindful not to over-explain your shopper story as this can tip the agent off that you are a shopper and could cause your shop to be invalid.

Let the Leasing Agent Shine 

Allow the leasing agent to lead the tour.  A good leasing agent will walk ahead of or near you during the apartment mystery shop tour. Along the way, he or she will ask you questions to determine your needs and wants in a new apartment home and will know what to say and how to respond to your needs. You will want to be sure to let the leasing agent lead the both phone call and the onsite apartment tour.

The more you can relax, the quicker your mystery shops will be over time, which will allow you to complete more shops each month.

Getting the Most Shops

There are a variety of reasons why you may not get more apartment mystery shops. Take time to make sure you are not making these mistakes, so you can maximize the number of shops you are assigned…and the amount of money you make! 

Late Reports 

If you are consistently late with submitting your apartment mystery shop reports, your account may be flagged. EPMS, just as every other mystery shopping company, will need you to submit your report on time so they can meet client deadlines.

Remember, you are required to upload your backup documents (such as business card, floor plan, pricing and fee sheets, audio and video recordings of your onsite shop if applicable) to the site within 24 hours and the online report should be submitted by the end of the day following the visit. The sooner you can submit the required items, the more you will remember from the mystery shop. This is especially important if you complete more than one apartment mystery shop in a day or if you are completing shops along a travel route. Can you say Kauai’s Na Pali Coast – who would not love to route shop in Hawaii?

Grammatical Errors  

Make sure to check your spelling and grammar before submitting your reports. The more difficult your shop reports are to edit, the less likely you will be able to select multiple shops. You should take time to proofread the sections of your report. If you are unsure, you can use Word or other similar software to help proofread. 

Not Checking the Site Often Enough  

Many apartment mystery shops are self-assigned, so remember to check the EPMS site often, especially around the first of the month. On the other hand, if you check for apartment mystery shops near the end of the month, you may have a chance to complete some mystery shops with bonuses available. In some areas – Nebraska, Minnesota, and West Texas, for instance – EPMS is always looking for shoppers, so be on the lookout for the potential to plan a route for shops.

Try to be aware of these pitfalls and you’ll have the best chance to complete the most shops each month. This will be a great way to work from home and make great money!

Planning Route Shops

Sometimes shoppers who are planning a road trip like to plan a string of “route shops”. This involves picking up shops along the route you plan to travel to complete while you are in those areas. To make route shops work, you’ll need to plan ahead and try to coordinate shop appointments to make sure the day runs smoothly. Below are a few steps you can take to help ensure your route is efficient and successful.

First of all, check to make sure all the shops you requested are actually assigned to you as the primary shopper. Sometimes shops show on your list, but you are listed as the backup shopper. Be careful when you apply as you may have applied to be a backup shopper. Since route shops are time sensitive, you’ll want to avoid being listed as the backup on shops outside your normal shopping area.

Next, plan your route to see which shops are nearer to each other and try to coordinate appointments that will make sense for the planned route. You would not want to travel back and forth from one area to another if you have shops to do in different areas of town. Put the addresses in your GPS and try the most efficient route to save time and gas.

Of course, you may have to juggle times with the agent’s schedule, but try to make it fit your schedule as much as possible. Some locations have limited office hours, so if you miss your appointment, you may lose your shop. Some companies will not give you the extra week to complete a shop.

After you have done all your planning, you are ready for your day of shopping. Pack a snack, water and a note pad and you can be off on a rewarding day of mystery shopping. Take lots of notes and keep track of your time. That way, you will have fun and you will make money in the meantime.