MARKETING MYSTIQUE

Your Mystery Shopping Resource 

Guide to Getting Started

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Read our First Mystery Shopping Newsletter

Its true. You can be paid for doing something you already love to do and have been doing anyways.  Shopping!  Mystery Shopping has become vary popular, and the market is now filled with shoppers world-wide.

• A Mystery Shopper acts as a regular customer that goes under-cover to assigned establishments (Retail Department Stores, Restaurants, Dealerships, etc.) to evaluate Customer Service.  MS gathers useful information about the business and reports results back to the MS Company. 
• The Marketing Company uses the reports to analyze the performance of the business, and give suggestions/recommendations to employers on what to do to improve their business and customer satisfaction.
• Employers want feedback on their staff and work environment. They have set standards and want to ensure they are being met.

• Mystery Shoppers are paid anywhere from $5 for a Fast Food and/or SuperMarket Shop to  $100 for a more involved shop such as Opening a Bank Account or Evaluating the Airport Ticket Counter Service.  Shoppers can make their own hours and can work as much or as little as you want. 

• You won't get rich Mystery Shopping, but you will add hundreds of extra dollars to your income each month! 
• Just about any type of business you can think of can benefit from Mystery Shopping. Mystery Shopping has grown to be a 500 Million Dollar Industry.   Some additional examples of shops are listed below:

Example of a Restaurant Shop:

• A Mystery Shopper would evaluate the Cleanliness, Quality, taste of 

2.) Merchandising:

• Performing light/medium work stocking, and arranging clothing, accessories, mark-downs, some assignments require working with plan-o-grams but not all do. Back-to-School and X-Mas time are Desirable times for this type of work as you get to work more hours! Generally pays $10/HR.

3.) Exit Interviews:

• Standing outside of a restaurant, and asking customers if they would answer a few questions about their dining experience as they walk out.
• Ask Customers to Rate Questions from 1-10 which takes less than 5 minutes.
• You would typically stay until 20 interviews are completed.

4.) Audits:

• You could have an assignment at a Department store where you have to check pricing vs. what appears in the registers. This type of assignment pays $10/$12 per hour and usually takes an Hour and a half to complete. You will need to bring a calculator with you. For this shop, you walk around the store with someone from Management and pick out clothing/merchandise items from different departments to price check. You would write the SKU's down and the Sale Sign Price/Percentages. You would proceed to the registers where the Manager price checks these items. You have to document whether they are an overchange/undercharge and figure the percentage. You subtract the errors from the total amount to determine the percentage.

***Shopping, Making Money, Plus free merchandise, and meals can mean endless opportunity for you!

CHAPTER 2:

WHAT DO MYSTERY SHOPPING COMPANIES LOOK FOR IN POTENTIAL SHOPPERS?

• Anyone can become a Mystery Shopper.  You will not have to learn new skills to be a MS.  If you can get around to visit various stores, and speak/write English and are of average intelligence, honest and dependable, you should be all set.  To give you an idea of other qualities that are desireable, they are listed below:

   

• Keen Eye and attention to detail
• Ability to be reliable and impartial
• Good memory is essential as you may not be able to take notes on assignments
• Someone who is outgoing, and able to interact/communicate with all parties involved. 
• Being on-time for assignments and returning evaluations within the time-frames allotted are KEY factors in an Agency asking you back.
•  Other desirable attributes are being professional, committed, detailed, and unbiased.

• Get yourself some coffee. Sit down, and apply to as many companies as you can. Most MS Companies operate almost entirely over the Internet now. In fact, it wouldn't hurt to spend part of the weekend going through online applications.   Be Proactive!

• Online applications are truly the quickest way for you to get started receiving assignments within the first few days.  The majority of MS Agencies have online registratiosn, and everything can be submitted via the internet.  Although, you may be asked to mail/fax your application and the Independent Contractor Agreement.

• You can go online and do a search for "mystery shopping companies, and you would be pleasantly surprised at how many different companies appear.

• To make it easier for you to get busy shopping faster, I have included 280+ Mystery Shopping Company Contacts for you including website addresses, e-mails, street addresses, and phone numbers.
• I highly recommend that you apply to as many companies that you can, which will increase the number of assignments you will get.

• Please be aware, that you must fill in all required fields when filling out the applications. You want to increase your chances as much as possible, of being selected. ( I.E. Have you Drivers License Number handy as some require it )
• Free Programs such as Gator and Keyboard Express will fill in the files for you on applications.  You can access them online for free.  

• Its also helpful to prepare a one-paragraph summary of why you want to Mystery Shop and/or of the types of shops you enjoy ( just as a writing sample ) and why are are qualified.  You can just do this in MS Word and copy/paste it into your applications.
• If you want to apply via mail and/or send follow-up notes here are a couple examples of some notes you can send that I've created.

Sample Cover Letter

Sample Follow-up Letter

• Some companies require that you provide your Social Security number (for tax purposes which I will explain later) but most websites now a days are secure so I wouldn't worry about it too much. I personally have never had a problem. If this concerns you, you may want to call the company directly.

• You can also apply by snail mail as I have provided addresses, or call the companies to inquire about applications/assignments but I highly recommend doing it online, as it yields the best results. You can always use the computer at your local library to apply to MS companies.

• Follow up to the applications: Be Persistent! Typically you can expect to hear back from the Mystery Shopping companies within a couple days as to what your User ID and Password are ( if not instantly provided, and/or picked out by you ). If you haven't heard back, I suggest sending a follow-up e-mail (example provided for you) and/or phoning the company to follow-up on your application.

• Time Frame for Online Applications = 1 week
• Letters of Interest via Snail Mail = 2 Weeks
• Phone Call = 2 Business Days
• Responding to an E-mail Inquiry = 1 Day

After your initial contact ( once you've applied to a MS company and/or sent a letter of Interest the company may respond in several different ways as listed below:

• Send you an official Application 
  • Most likely to include your Drivers License & Photo ( send this back promptly )
• Other Companies may require written references (I have not had this happen yet)
• Send you an E-mail, User ID/Password
  • If this happens, you can immediately log onto their site and search for assignments
• Call you with available Assignments. RARE but you should be prepared to accept.

• Once you receive your User ID and Password, you can start searching for assignments. ( some sites don't always require a User ID/Password for searching assignments )

• Its a good idea to use the spaces on the MS Company Contact list for keeping track of the DATE APPLIED, USER ID, and PASSWORD.

• Although it appears that everything revolves around being on-line, not all assignments are posted. My phone still rings off the hook for assignments that need to be filled by companies trying to schedule in last minute shops. Either something came up unexpected from the client, or a shopper backed out at the last minute. Either way, it doesn't hurt to call a MS company directly to inquire on any unfilled shops available!

• Don't get discouraged if you don't find any at the moment when searching online. You must be proactive, as they appear at various times of the day. Sometimes companies advise when they post their upcoming assignments.\

• Okay. Here's the fun part. You see an assignment available in your area. You can either request it online, or call the company to indicate your interest.
• You can also view the details of the assignment so you can decide whether or not this is something that interests you. You can always send an e-mail asking any questions you may have regarding the shop.
• Remember you must act fast if you are interested in an assignment as they don't last long! There are deadlines for both the shoppers and the MS companies for reporting back to their client(s).

• Don't Overbook Yourself!!
  • Don't feel pressured into a job.  It will bel held against you if you are unable or unwilling to complete a particular assignment. Some things will  just not appeal to you.

   

• Please be aware, of the time and date that you must complete an assignment by. 

• You need to follow the shopping directions exactly as they indicate. Each company will specify what they are looking for. Some examples to follow include cleanliness of the store, name of person that greeted you, the number of seconds/minutes until someone did greet you, what were they wearing, did they have a nametag on, did they try to up-sell you, did they offer you other choices, were they courteous, did they say thank-you, were there comment cards available, were sale signs up, etc. You must read the directions before you go out on each assignment as they all tend to be evaluating different things.
• Evaluation forms vary from company-to-company . Some are simple yes/no answers.  Others want more specifics, or an overall summary of your experience.  Important! Only answer the questions asked.  Don't offer your opinion or any recommendations, unless asked.

• There are usually timeframes to submit report, and some shops require you to fax a copy of the receipt, or a business card as proof you completed the shop, etc.

• Reports typically need to be submitted anywhere from 12-24 hours after you've completed the assignment, which is average. Reports are submitted online, fax, and/or mail depending on the MS company. Its crucial that they know you completed the shop, so they know whether or not to schedule someone else to do it. If you do not complete an assignment, they may not request your services again.

• I've heard that Schedulers have a shared List of Bad Shoppers that flake out on assignments so they know which shoppers are and are not reliable.

CHAPTER 7:

RECORDS, RECORDS, RECORDS:

• You must always keep copies of your reports. You never know when a company will call you with a question to clarify something before they send the report to their client. Its even more important for you to be able to refer back if you don't receive a check in the mail. At least you have something documented, so you can ensure you are paid for the assignment if something is lost.

• I recommend filing your assignments until you get paid, and then moving them to another file once you have received your payment. I personally keep assignments arranged by company in a plastic file container with a handle so I can easily tote it with me if I want to file my instructions and tracking documents while in my car. Once I'm paid, I staple the payment stub to the assignment and file it in a longer term storage area.

CHAPTER 8:

• It's up to you when you feel ready to consider yourself an Experienced Mystery Shopper. Some people claim to be "experienced" after ONE Mystery Shop. I felt like I was "experienced" after doing one of each type of Mystery Shop. That's when you REALLY know what to expect and what to say differently, etc. for things to run a lot smoother.

• Some companies may only want Experienced Mystery Shoppers, but you can indicate you are after completing one assignment.

• Sometimes companies are looking for NEW Mystery Shoppers. I think they do this to fill rotational shops and need new faces.

• Taking Notes - Keep the report forms in your car so you can fill in some information when you get to your car. Of course you are going to want to drive to a nearby lot to jot down as much information that you can remember about your shop.

• One tip/trick is to jot down information while in the store in your checkbook ( just a few key discreet items ) Noone would ever guess what you were really doing! Also, you could always go to a bathroom to job down information while in the restroom stall. Its your duty however, to make sure you are not identified as a Mystery Shopper.

• You will find that you must play a role in some types of situations for example: leasing and apartment or looking to buy a new car. It takes some preparation beforehand to decide how you are going to play the role to come across as truly seeking these things, for the following xyz reasons. You are testing the salesperson's selling ability. So, you need to give them an opportunity to do just that.

• I have found that things run much more smoothly if you stick with one preconceived scenerio for each type of assignment. You do get better with time!

CHAPTER 10:

• Most Mystery Shopping Companies ask you sign an Independent Contractor Agreement. Or agree to if online. They generally are very similar from company to company and want you to understand that you must agree to confidentiality, and that you understand taxes will not be with-held from your pay. 
• You are responsible for reporting your own earnings to the IRS. You are also agreeing to be honest, and not to disclose which client the MS Company has as their customer. You can say you did a Retail Clothing shop through Bestmark ( but never disclose which Dept. Store on your applications )

• You should print this agreement, and file it away for each MS company you work for. You may want to check into this further but its my understanding unless you make $600 or more from a particular MS company, they won't send you a 1099 form.

CHAPTER 11:

• There are many benefits to owning your own business. You can start a business by just doing the Mystery Shopping in itself, as a Sole Proprietor. This means, you don't have to have employees, and or clients to be able to run your own business. Taking Mystery Shopping Assignments, in itself is your own business.

• The tax advantages are really worth thinking about. You can deduct mileage and/or gas, along with portions of your insurance, utilities, phone and cable, internet access. The rules for being able to deduct expense for your own home office as described above are very specific.
• Article coming soon..

• The disadvantages are that you must keep good records and tracking documents which I have provided for you. You have to document odometer readings ( mapquest helps me out a lot ), keep copies of your bills, bank statements, and keep track of shops that you've done with payments received.
• I have not hired an Accountant/or Business consultant but it is a good idea to look into this.

CHAPTER 12:

CHECKLIST

1.) Make Sure this is what you want to do.  This is not a Road to Riches, but an awesome source to supplemental income each month. I personally find ways to bring in on average $400/month doing this in addition to my other work.  Some months are better/worse than others. 

2.)Apply to as many companies as you can.  Once you've completed a few Mystery Shops, create a resume or an updated paragraph explaining why you are qualified to MS.

3.) Follow-up to your applications, and be persistent. You may receive notice of your assignments via E-mail and by Phone.

4.) Study Scenerios...

5.) Have Fun, Enjoy and remember the details.  Save receipts for tracking and submitting later.

6.) Take Notes either when you get to your car, and drive to a nearby lot or discretely write the details of your Shop in your Checkbook.

7.) Complete the Evaluation, File it and Fax or Mail in any receipts from the shop.

8.) File your reports after you have faxed them. Make any applicable copies for your records if necessary.

Tracking Documents  (Very Helpful for Tracking your assignments, fees, expenses, and mileage)

www.mysteryshops.org

More Links Coming Soon. I'm sure you have enough to get you started for now!

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