Author: lford

The key to keeping your calendar filled with mystery shops is planning and a little initial legwork. Remember there are a variety of mystery shops that you can complete on any given day. From hotels to apartment shops to restaurants.

A very cool perk, in the mystery shopping industry, is that you can choose the number of mystery shops you want to complete each month. You can decrease or increase this number from month to month without being penalized.

Mystery shopping is one of the best side jobs you could have. Not to mention, some people are able to make it their main contracting job. No matter what you decide, there are shops for you to complete.

Start by making a list of reputable mystery shopping companies that you can apply to work for as a mystery shopper. Don’t forget to mention any fabulous work history that may boost your application for being accepted. After you compile a list of mystery shopping companies, choose your top 5 and start the application process. You are usually approved rather quickly in this industry if you have a complete application.

After approval, you will usually receive a username and password to the online portal. This online portal houses available shops, training information and company contact information. You will select the number of shops you want to complete for that week. Do not forget to check back often or sign up for the email notification of mystery shop releases as you want to get the best shops available.

It can be that simple. Do not overthink it. Just start with step 1, making a list of reputable mystery shopping companies and take it from there.

During the holidays and the beginning of the year usually starts with family leaving from visiting over the holidays or coming in town to visit as they have set “see more family” as a New Year’s Resolution.

Whatever the case, they are here. You want to spend time with them and keep up with completing mystery shops.  Below you will see that you can do both!

You have a couple of options:
• You can either choose not to do mystery shops during their visit
• You could decrease the number of shops that (i.e. instead of 5 shops per month; 2 shops per month)
• You can choose mystery shops that take less time

Now, attempting to explain mystery shopping to your family will have to be another blog post.

If you decide to complete shops, you can choose shops in a busy side of town. This will allow you to drop your family off at a mall or shopping center while you complete the shop.

You can just share with them that you want to run a quick errand. Or you could always leave them at home and use the same excuse.

Overall, you do not need to stop mystery shopping just because visitors are in town. Start by decreasing the number of shops. If you typically complete four shops, complete 1-2 instead.

And do not feel guilty if you decide to take a break from mystery shopping to spend uninterrupted time with your family. It is completely up to you.

Either way, due to the flexibility of mystery shopping, you can pick up shops at any time.

So next time family is in town, if you decide to choose to mystery shop, use these tips and let us know how it goes!

Happy 2016!

You have made your New Year’s resolutions and you are ready to take over the world. Did you remember to add mystery shopping to this list? We hope so.  The best way to create a habit is to start doing it day by day. For example, if you want to complete three mystery shops per month. Start with mapping this out.

Steps to Planning a Mystery Shop

Step 1: Choose the Type of Shop You Want To Complete

There are so many types of mystery shops available. You can do restaurant, apartment, retail store, or amusement park shops. The more difficult shops to obtain, if you have no prior mystery shopping experience, may be hotel, cruise lines, etc.  Everyone starts somewhere!

Step 2: Choose the Mystery Shopping Companies

Of course, you want to choose the mystery shopping companies that offer the type of shops you chose in Step 1.  Start by searching Google for “restaurant mystery shops,” as just an example. There are also mystery shopping certification companies that will have a list of mystery shopping companies. This will ensure that you choose a reputable company.

Step 3: Decide How Many Shops You Can Complete

Take a look at your calendar and decide how much time you have to complete the mystery shops. The good thing is that most shops do not take more than an hour or two. Don’t forget to factor in driving time and report prep time after the shop is complete.

Step 4: Create an Account

If you do not have an account with the mystery shopping company of your choice, create an account. This is usually an easy process.  If you have any problems, you can always contact the company directly. This would allow you to see how responsive they are as well.

Step 5: Request Your Desired Shops
Once, you see shops that you want to complete, request them. The company will let you know, usually by email, if you were chosen to complete the shop.

That is it!

Another New Year is coming and if you perform mystery shopping, ensure you write down several resolutions for yourself to make next year’s jobs more effective. If your schedule interfered with adding more jobs during the year, think about how you can adjust your regular schedule to add more mystery shopping companies. Or, if you just needed more daily or weekly listings of job availability, search the Internet for more leads and sign up for other mystery shopping companies to add to your daily review.

Then review which mystery shopping jobs seem the most appealing to your needs and income. If you just spend a few minutes on your resolution of becoming a better shopper, and figure out the approximate amount of extra income you need each month, this could help you plan the number of jobs that you need to complete each month to meet your income quota.

If a job appears to have characteristics that are similar to some of your current assignments that you perform now, do not hesitate to apply for those jobs first. Otherwise, it might take some experimenting with new types of mystery shopping jobs before you find the right match for your skills and time you want to invest.

Do not be afraid to try a new type of mystery shopping job since you might be overlooking jobs that might fit perfectly with your new year’s resolution outline. With a little foresight and planning for mystery shopping, the New Year could be a prosperous and happy one!

You are all scheduled to complete your final mystery shopping portion and visit an apartment community to meet your target employee. What happens when you show up and discover that your targeted employee is missing from your appointment and someone else wants to assist you? Every now and then, the mystery of the missing target employee eludes a scheduled appointment. So how do you ensure you still get paid for the shop when the missing target employee is replaced by another staff member? There are a couple of rules that most mystery shopping companies follow that will help you still get paid for your visit even if the target is not at the scheduled appointment.

First, make sure you read the site requirements on what the shop requires for scheduling appointments and any waiting time periods for the target employee. Many companies understand that when an appointment is made, you may arrive and the targeted employee may be assisting other potential residents and may be temporarily away from the premises. As a general rule, do not demand that you wait for the target employee for more than 15 minutes unless the website rules state differently since you can be detected as a mystery shopper.

Also, ensure that you always ask for the target employee when you arrive at the community. If the target employee is with another client or away on a tour, tell the other staff member that you really enjoyed speaking to same person on the telephone and are willing to wait for that person for another 15 minutes.

If you are completing your first mystery shop, this can be a nervous and confusing time. You may be putting a lot of pressure on yourself to “get it right.” Well, here is some good news, there are actually steps you can take to make sure you feel comfortable during your mystery shop.

Following these steps allows you to survey or shop with confidence. When you feel comfortable, your agent will as well.

Step 1: Know What You Are Looking For

Take the time to review the documents and notes ahead of time. This helps you to assess your level of understanding of what the mystery shopping company expects of you, as a mystery shopper. You can find this information in the main area of your mystery shopping company shopper portal.

 Step 2: Ask Questions

Once you have reviewed all of the documents pertaining to the shop, write down all of your questions. The best way to reach more mystery shopping company staff is through e-mail. Once you have made your list of questions, send the mystery shopper company staff an e-mail. They will appreciate you asking a question rather than guessing and jeopardizing a shop.  Then allow at least 24 hours for a response. Many mystery shopper companies do not have large staff.

 Step 3: Breathe

Remember that you are only human. If this is your first mystery shop, simply focus on the details that the company wants you to access and collect.

A Pro Tip: Complete your assessment or mystery shop report within 1-2 hours of the actual shop. This ensures that details are fresh on your mind.

 Step 4: Review Documents Prior to Completing the Shop

Overall, if you follow the above steps, you will be successful. If you forget information or make a mistake, let the mystery shopping company know as soon as possible. They can direct you on what to do from there.

So have fun with your first or next mystery shop!

You are ready to be a mystery shopper right now. If you have made it this far in life, I am sure you are ready. Anything worth doing will take practice.

Take the time to shift your thinking from perfection to learning the skills necessary. Being a mystery shopper is not unlike any other trade or job. You have to learn the ropes. Give yourself the time and space to do this.

There are a variety of mystery shops waiting for someone like you to complete them. If you are looking for an apartment or want to try a new restaurant, then mystery shopping is the way to go. Mystery shopping also allows for you to provide invaluable objective feedback to those who can actually make the changes. Therefore, if you are a customer service geek, like me, this makes the icing on the cake.

There are plenty of blogs written here to help you on your journey. And remember you can always ask questions. There are no silly questions just silly people who think that asking questions are silly.

The goal of the mystery shopping company is to complete a successful assessment for a company. It is in their best interest to ensure that you can do this. Just follow their lead and read anything that the company states that you read, no matter how simple.

I would also suggest always checking shop details the day of the shop completion as well as right when it is assigned to you. Why, you might be thinking? To make sure there were no last minute changes to the shop notes.  Just trust the process. The mystery shopping company has trained many shoppers prior to you, they know what they are doing. When in doubt, e-mail a question to the staff.

The goal of any mystery shop is to assess how well the leasing agent is doing his or her job. The leasing agent, if you are completing apartment secret shops, is trained to market the apartments in a certain way.

Know the Goal of the Shop
Take the time to look at the shop notes and specifics. This should be listed in your mystery shopping account panel. If you are not sure where to find this, reach out to the staff and ask. Do not be shy. In order to complete a successful shop, you will have questions, especially earlier in your mystery shopping career.

Know Your Role
Remember that you are creating a win-win situation here. You must know what the mystery shopping company expects of you prior to the shop. Imagine that this is a friend or loved one that is being assessed. This is the same care and opportunity you want to give to the leasing agent.

Know What the Report Needs
Take a look at the shop notes and actual shop report. This will allow you to know what details you need to be mindful of during the shop. With that said, you should keep cellphone use to a minimum as it may look suspicious. If you need to take notes, one-time request to go to the restroom would be sufficient. It would not be suggested to ask for more than this as it may trigger suspicion with the leasing agent.

Overall, your goal, in completing a successful secret shop, is to allow the leasing agent to do their best. They are trained to cover certain details with you, as a potential apartment resident. By allowing them this opportunity, they will be able to be properly rated on their skills not their mistakes.

So stay calm and allow the leasing agent to work his or her magic!