Category: Tips for Mystery Shopping

A rejected shop is no reason to quit mystery shopping altogether.  Most companies will not just outright reject a shop.  They will ask for clarification on your responses and, possibly, some tidying up of your narratives.   If you lied on a report, and there is video evidence at the location shopped, you may be in danger of a flat out rejection.  Other than that, most companies will give you a chance to revise and resubmit your work.

A rejected shop is not the end of the world, and not even the end for conducting shops for that particular company. You can contact the editors and/or schedulers to get specifics about why the shop was rejected and how you can improve the chances of your next submission being accepted with no questions asked.

Companies are in need of good, reliable shoppers and are usually eager to groom new shoppers into who they want conducting shops for them regularly. The most common reason for a mystery shop being rejected is not following the guidelines and instructions given for conducting the shop.  This is why it is so important to read over all directions, guidelines, and report forms before you do the shop.  If you have any questions, contact your scheduler before you complete the shop.

If you shop outside the prescribed time-frame, your shop will be rejected.  That includes time of day, as well as actual day or date shopped.  If you fail to shop the correct department or correct person, your shop will very likely be denied.  With a target shop, sometimes things come up when on-site that make the target unavailable.  Ask your scheduler what to do in these instances before you conduct the shop.

Rarely are poor reporting skills used for rejecting shops entirely.  The option is given to work on the narrative, or the shop may be accepted and you will receive a lower rating with that company.  If you receive a low rating, contact the editor and ask for helpful hints and ideas on how to improve your rating.  Again, they are usually quite willing to help you do a better job as it makes their job easier also.

Everyone likes to take a trip, a vacation, or just a break to get a little R & R. And everyone needs some time to relax. Most of the time the biggest issue with taking a vacation is that it requires extra money. Many mystery shoppers are doing shopping to supplement their income from a full-time job; it is not out of the question to figure that money can be tight. So how do you take that much earned vacation? Use your mystery shopping!

I don’t just mean to use the money you earn from mystery shopping. While that is a great idea, and can certainly help, I mean to take vacations that are mystery shops. There are companies out there that offer reimbursement for lodging and some meals, possibly even a visit to the on-site bar or lounge. Some companies offer reimbursement for cruises leaving from various ports. Make note of the word “reimbursement.” Most companies will not pay you up front. So be aware of that going in, and have the money to spend on the vacation upfront.

Believe it or not, some companies have mystery shops for golf courses, resorts and spas as well. Do your research and you can take a great vacation and get paid to take it! Step things up a notch by using multiple companies to score various attraction tickets, meals from local restaurants and fast food establishments, and even gas shops.

The downside of all this is that you will have to take the time for mystery shopping, make notes, and enter the shops in a quality manner. Just like any other shops you do, you need to allow time to enter honest, well-written reports. Take this into consideration when you are planning your trip. You might want to take a couple extra days of vacation to allow a little more relaxation time, depending on how many shops you plan to do. Be careful not to overbook yourself for shops on a vacation. If it isn’t worth the pay and the distraction from your time off, do not commit to it. And be aware that any company planning to pay you for lodging and possibly travel reimbursement (limited airfare, gas cost) expects high quality reporting that is very well written.

Fast food shops seem to be some of the most common mystery shops available. They are a consistent and easy shops that give you experience. The pay usually includes reimbursement for your food and a little extra. So is it really worth your time?

If you are just getting started in mystery shopping, there is no better way to start than with some simple fast food shops. Most of them are quick and simple with easy reports that require maybe fifteen minutes of your time to complete. There are typically minimal narrative responses with a selection of answers similar to multiple choice questions. You learn how to time things and take quality notes inconspicuously. In addition, the experience provides a little sustenance and some extra cash. One thing is for certain, you probably won’t get rich on fast food shops, although you may become obese.

Once you become a more experienced mystery shopper you can be more selective about the shops you take. The goal is to make a profit, not break even, and certainly not lose money. Waiting to pick up fast food shops late in the month that have bonuses attached because they have fast approaching deadlines is a good strategy. You can also pick up shops that were dropped last minute by another shopper. You may choose to do these shops even without a bonus, simply to build a rapport with the company as a dependable shopper. That is another role of the fast food shop; you can earn the trust of schedulers and get a better shot at higher paying shops in the future.

If you are a college student just looking to eat on a regular basis, fast food shops can be the way to go. You provide the money upfront the first month for shops, and then when you get paid the next month, you use those payments to do more shops. So you are just reinvesting your profits back into the business. This is great for anyone who has hit a rough patch and needs money for food.

When do you say no to a fast food mystery shop? If the pay does not cover the cost of gas to get to the shop and back, decline it. If you cannot keep the commitment, decline it. If the reports are too taxing, requiring multiple narratives just for a burger and fries, decline it. The headache should never outweigh the payoff.

When doing a mystery shop you may need to keep accurate times and most likely remember names and descriptions of individuals. Moreover, you may need to keep accurate records of what the individuals you encounter wore and types of clothing.

Keeping all this information in your head can be overwhelming, but there are some tips to keep an accurate commentary.

First of all, when you go on your shop keep your cell phone with you. The easiest way to keep track of all the information is to look for an app that lets your record. So, on your shop you could say things such as: “That is a nice blouse, I like that color red” Or “I like your pants. Those are the same style I wear at work” and “Your shoes look really comfortable”. When you leave the shop you simply review your recordings when you are away from the shop location.

If you don’t have a smart phone and have a regular phone. You can remember certain things such as dress and times by excusing yourself to use the restroom. Once there make sure no one is around and call your message in to another answer machine or write it in a text you save for yourself. Again you keep notes and then wait until you leave your shop location to enter the information in when you have privacy.

Clear and accurate record keeping is a skill all mystery shoppers should have. Those shoppers who have the ability to keep an accurate account will be offered more shops those who do not.

As you perform mystery shopping assignments, you will discover that spelling and grammar are important when you submit a final report to the company. Many jobs are given to shoppers who submit well written reports that do not contain spelling or grammatical errors. You want your company representative to remember you when jobs are released each month so you get first choice at the well paying assignments.  Ensure that you have found a good spell and grammar check program, download it to your computer, and use it each time to check each report before it is submitted to the company.

Unfortunately, the computer spell check system does not always catch inappropriate word usage or missing words and a personal read through on each report is mandatory. I often re-read my reports at least twice and it is amazing how many times I find an error on the second reading that I missed on my first review.

Most spell check programs are free downloads, so search the Internet for free ones or find the least expensive and most effective spell and check system for your written documents. If you do not have another person available to read your text, a spell check program is invaluable for the mystery shopper to check each document. After you spell check, remember to read your text and then double check and re-read your written report.

This check and double check method will help you to ensure that your submission of your mystery shopping form will always appear professional, accurate, well written, and will help to always have representatives eager to offer you more jobs.

When you have been mystery shopping for a while, you will need to stay organized. Being organized means you are able to find files with ease and you have receipts for tax season. If you have a spare bedroom or a den then you have the room to get a filing cabinet and even a larger desk.

However, if space is a premium you can still have well-organized files to maximize your tax refund and have the ability to find all the files you may need. First of all you will need a filing system. So think of what would be easier for you to remember the places and companies you have been mystery shopping for. You could label them alphabetical or by name or date.

Next you will need a set of folders and a method of labeling. Handwritten is fine provided you can write clearly. If needed you could use a label system you can print from your computer. Label each file and put in what corresponds to each file and each mystery shopping job.

Plastic file boxes are easier to transport as they usually have a handle. Plastic file boxes are better than cardboard also because they will not get wet if something liquid is spilled on it. The newer boxes can hold up to 50 files and you can even get a separator so you can have your personal files as well as you mystery shopping files. Over all, your cost for these materials should run under fifty dollars and you will find you are better off than you were before after you made this small investment.