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Mystery Shopping An
Excellent Way To Make Extra Money |
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Mystery shopping (sometimes called secret shopping) is an excellent way to make
extra money. It is very easy to do; you need no previous
experience, no special knowledge and no expensive equipment.
Mystery shopping can be performed by anyone who is simply able to
go shopping. The mystery shopping companies employ men and women
of all ages and descriptions as secret shoppers in order to obtain
feedback from a wide range of different people on a wide range of
services. Some mystery shopping assignments have to be undertaken
by people who are accompanied by children in order to report back
on specific facilities in places such as theme parks or family
restaurants (If you're kids are grown, don't worry: you are
allowed to borrow them from relatives or friends.) If you enjoy
shopping, mystery shopping will be a fun way for you to make extra
money.
Mystery shopping consists of getting paid to go into a business
(e.g. a shop or restaurant) without the employees knowing that you
are anything other than an ordinary shopper, and reporting back to
the mystery shopping company.
The reason mystery shopping companies exist is to provide
companies with impartial feedback on their employees, products and
services. That way they can see where there might be problems and
make the necessary changes to improve things.
Mystery shopping companies will pay you to shop, eat at
restaurants, have a drink at a bar, visit the cinema, take
a trip and take part in focus groups. If you are sent out
to do mystery shopping, you might be required to visit a
particular shop and just make enquiries about an article
to test the staff's customer service level but, if you are
instructed to make a purchase, you are allowed to keep the
articles and will be reimbursed for the cost. If you are
sent to do mystery shopping at a restaurant or bar, you
will be given a budget figure to spend on your food and
drink and that money will be reimbursed to you by the
mystery shopping company on top of your fee for the
assignment. You might be asked to sample new products and
these items will be sent to you free of charge. As part of
your mystery shopping, you might find yourself receiving
free samples to test of anything from detergent to
chocolate.
After you do a mystery shopping assignment you
will answer some questions on a form provided by the mystery
shopping company and file your report with them. These reports are
usually set up as a series of questions with a box for you to add
any relevant details the company might request. The reports can
usually be completed very quickly. and it is best to complete your
report immediately after you finish your mystery shopping so that
you don't forget any detail. Some mystery shopping companies
require you to report to them by phone directly after you have
completed the mystery shopping assignment, but generally, the
companies expect you to submit a written report by post or email.
The way to approach mystery shopping is to remember that basically
you are the same as a reporter. You must never add your feelings
or recommendations to a mystery shopping report. Your job is to
just answer the questions, report the facts and describe what
actually happened during your mystery shopping expedition.
When you start doing mystery shopping, make sure you accept all
suitable assignments including last minute jobs and any less than
glamorous assignments you might be offered. The top class
assignments will be offered to reliable mystery shoppers so you
will need to prove yourself and build up a good reputation by
doing good job with the lower quality assignments and getting your
report in on time. At the start, you might find yourself being
asked to do mystery shopping a the local fast food outlet or
department store. Once you build up a reputation as a reliable
mystery shopper you can look forward to assignments where
you are paid to visit expensive restaurants and designer shops.
You might even be lucky enough to get a free trip and hotel
accommodation as a mystery shopper.
Always keep in mind that, although mystery shopping is a fun and
easy way for your to make extra money, it is a business and you
need to behave in a businesslike manner when carrying out your
mystery shopping assignments and reporting the results to the
mystery shopping company. Your mystery shopping reports will be
helping to shape the future of the businesses you visit, and you
have the chance to make a positive impact on decisions relating to
improvements to services and facilities which will be of benefit
to you.
To get started as mystery shopper, visit the
forums www.mysteryshopforum.com
and http://www.mystiqueshopper.com/forum
for advice, tips, job postings and to meet other mystery
shoppers. And below are some reputable companies that hire
mystery shoppers:
Anonymous Insights - www.a-insights.com
At Your Service Marketing - www.aysm.com
Beyond Marketing Group - www.beyondmarketinggroup.com
Focus on Service - www.focusonservice.com/
Secret Shopping Company - www.secretshoppercompany.com
SG Marketing - www.sgmarketing.com
Service Evaluation Concepts - www.serviceevaluation.com/
Secret Shopping Services - www.secretshoppingservices.com/
~by Elaine Curry
The Work at Home Gazette
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