Month: July 2023

Time Zones- How Important Are They?

  July 15, 2023

  Posted by: lford

  

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Everyone wants to have a successful mystery shop the first time they attempt it. One of the key items to look for to ensure your shop is successful, is making sure you are shopping the property during their business hours as well as the times that the customer has outlined.

It is easy to pick up a phone or virtual tour mystery shop and think oh it says, “Anytime”. However, “Anytime” does not mean “anytime”. It means any time that the property is open for business and/or during the hours specified by the customer. You MUST be mindful of the time zones. If you do NOT call during the property’s business hours, your shop call will be considered invalid. For example, if you live in California and your shop is in Florida, that is a difference of 3 hours (3 times zones). If you wait to call at 3PM California (PST) time to call Florida (EST), it will be 6PM in Florida and it may be past the property’s open hours for business.

One helpful practice is to print out or save a time zone map of the US on your phone and/or computer. Another option would be to Google in the search bar the name of the city (e.g., “What time is Chicago, IL” ) and then Google will tell you what time it is in Chicago, IL.

There are apartment mystery shops available throughout the US – including Alaska and Hawaii! If you pick up a mystery shop and realize the time zone difference will not work with your schedule, you can decline the shop f you do so quickly so another shopper can accept it. If you pick up a shop and can’t determine what the time zone is, feel free to reach out for assistance.

Last thoughts on how to have a successful apartment mystery shop based on time: Make sure in addition to contacting during the property’s business hours that you also look at the specific instructions to see if there are specific times you are not supposed to be calling. For example, “Do NOT call between 12 and 2” or “Best time to call is between 2P and 6P”. These are time requirements from the customer. Again, if you have any questions about the specifics for a shop, you should ask instead of assuming.

Time zones are very important! Following the time zones will help you:

  • to fulfill the customer’s requirements
  • to be successful with reaching a targeted leasing professional
  • to reduce the number of attempts made to reach an on-site leasing professional
  • get your shop accepted and get you PAID!!!

California (and a little mystery shopping), Here I Come!

  July 10, 2023

  Posted by: lford

  

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Where are you traveling this summer?  California always ranks among the top states for vacation travel in the country, but this summer it is better than ever!  Always known for its sunny days, the state has also received lots of much-needed rain in recent months.  This has led to cooler temperatures in most of the state.  The rainfall has also improved the scenery in many of the state’s natural recreation areas by raising the water level in lakes and rivers.  Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park is famous as one of the tallest waterfalls in the world.  Recent rainfall and unusually high snow melt in the spring means the falls are flowing at near record levels and are perfect for sightseeing.  The rain has been a healing touch to King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, which were recovering from the wildfires of recent years.

Toward the southern part of the state, you will find some of the most scenic coastline in the country.  Santa Barbara is known as America’s Riviera.  With summer temperatures often in the 70’s, it is a sunny oasis offering fun for everyone.  Southern California is home to Universal Studios and Disneyland.   There are plenty of natural and man-made attractions to interest everyone.  On a walk through Hollywood, you are sure to spot some celebrities – or at least you can find their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With all these places to visit, there are also many apartments available to be mystery shopped!

Why not take a little bit of your time to do a few mystery shops?  EPMS has lots of shops available throughout the state of Callifornia.  You might like to spend the morning doing a couple of shops, then spend the rest of the day sightseeing.  You could easily earn enough to pay for a few meals or a tank of gas with just a couple of shops.  Our apartment mystery shops can be a great way to get a feel for the area as a local, rather than just as a visitor. You never know, a road trip may turn into an ideal location to move to. Plus, you could have the benefit of knowing exactly where you want to live based on your mystery shopping!

If you live in California, a road trip to a different part of the state could be a great adventure!  You can plot out a few shops along your route and they may take you to parts of the state you have not visited before.  If you are planning a short day trip, doing one shop would not take much time and would make your short adventure much more cost-effective. 

If you would like assistance in plotting a route of shops, please email [email protected]  Our team will be happy to add shops to your to-do list and may be able to suggest areas you would like to travel where we have even more opportunities.