How to Become a Paid Undercover Shopper

Mystery Shopper

Have you ever thought about becoming a Mystery Shopper? Mystery shopping is one of the most intriguing jobs that has ever been created. It's the type of work that you can do either part-time or full-time, and requires no resume; no job interview; no salary negotiations; and more importantly it requires no boss. You can do it during the day, in the evenings, or on weekends. It's great for college students, retirees, supplemental income seekers, and stay-at-home moms. It's fun and easy work that serves a great purpose in society. Also, mystery shoppers are in demand all over the globe. Businesses rely on mystery shoppers to help increase services and profits, and are valued highly by some of the most recognizable companies in the world.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet access
• Pen or pencil
• Note pad
• Cellphone

Instructions

1. 

   Mystery Shopper Defined - So, what exactly is a mystery shopper, and what do mystery shoppers do? A mystery shopper is an "undercover customer' who is hired by businesses to secretly collect, evaluate and provide customer feedback data to their owners. The purpose of the data is to provide these owners with a blueprint on how well their businesses relate to their customers. Mystery shopping began in the 1940s as a way to measure employee integrity and customer care. Mystery perform normal tasks such as browsing the aisles, seeking customer assistance, requesting over-the-counter products, asking product and service-related questions, waiting on check-out lines, making purchases, and returning merchandise. Mystery shoppers also observe customer greetings by staff, employee conduct, and store cleanliness issues. Mystery shopping is generally conducted in retail stores, movie theaters, restaurants, fast food chains, banks, service stations, apartment complexes, car dealerships, health clubs, and health care facilities. It can take place at any time of the day, and at any day of the week; and can be done near one's home or several hundred miles away while on vacation. Mystery shoppers are not employees, but instead are independent contractors.

2. 

   Find Mystery Shop Companies - Mystery shopping is open to anyone who is interest in this type of work and loves to shop. The only requirements is providing proof of residence and meeting the minimum age requirement (you must be 18 or older). To begin, you will need to locate companies that provide this type of service to businesses. As a rule, businesses do not have their own employees work as mystery shoppers due to conflict of interest. Therefore, businesses employ mystery shop companies. You can find many of them on the web. As a word of caution, you must be very careful when seeking out these companies. Although, many of them are completely legitimate, there yet are few that scams. The one method in detecting whether or not a company is legitimate is to learn about its entry requirements. For example, many very good companies will allow you to register for free. The scams will generally ask for upfront payment. The safest place to locate legitimate companies is through the MSPA (Mystery Shopping Providers Association). Companies that belong to the MSPA go through a rigorous approval process, and are contractually obligated to uphold the ethical standards set by the MSPA. For more information, visit www.MysteryShop.org.

3. 

   Sign Up With Tons of Companies - There are hundreds if not thousands of mystery shop companies worldwide. Assuming that you visit MSPA, you will find loads of them. You should apply online with as many of them as possible. Most professional mystery shoppers sign up with anywhere between 50 and 100. There is normally a short waiting period before you received your email approval notice. Many shops will pay anywhere between $8 - $100 depending on the shop's instructions and specific requirements. Many of the higher paying shops may require specialized knowledge or a lengthy time period for completion. As a mystery shopper you can earn literally hundreds or thousands of dollars per month, but this is mostly related to your workload. The more shops you do, the more you will make. However, it is best to start slow in the beginning with a few small ones, and then work your way up to the bigger ones once you've gained some experience. Stay away from companies that promise to pay you $50, $100, or $200 per hour. This is fraudulent information. True mystery shop companies will never make such an assertion.

4. 

   Get Certified - Mystery shopping does not require that you become certified in order to receive assignments. However, many experienced mystery shoppers have stated that by becoming mystery shop certified, they have increased their workload significantly. When shop companies look to fill shop requests, they normally look for those shoppers who they believe will be the most reliable, and will submit all completed work on time. Past experiences with mystery shopping will usually help them decide who should get the job. However, in addition, more and more shop companies are now interested in shoppers who take the time to earn certification. MSPA has two types of certificates. The first is the Silver Certification. All that is required to obtain it is to pay a $15 certification fee, which is then followed by a very easy online test. The second is the Gold Certification, which entails a one-day seminar followed by a more detailed test based on information from the seminar. The cost of the seminar is $100 which includes the seminar, lunch, and the test. The test is distributed via email and can be taken online at any time. You're given three chances to pass. The exam is very easy, and is usually passed by most shoppers on their first attempt. Mystery shopping does not create millionaires, but it's fun and pays reasonably for those who love to shop.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit MSPA.

• Sign up with lots of shop companies.

• Start with the easy shops.

• Earn shop certification.

• Beware of mystery shop scam.

• Don't bit off more than you can chew in the beginning.

Resources

• Mystery Shopping Providers Association