How to Become a Mystery Shopper in Canada
Mystery shopping is a growing business in Canada. Businesses vying for scarce consumer dollars pay for an impartial view of the pluses and minuses of shopping at their store to give them an edge over the competition.
Mystery shoppers are independent contractors who accept market research jobs, submit their work and are paid on a piecemeal basis. They may test food temperatures or record to how quickly they were greeted at the door but taking notes is a giveaway, so they need to be observant, precise and remember details.
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Instructions
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Becoming a Mystery Shopper
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Research the 40 or so mystery shopping companies in Canada to see which suits your situation. Check them with the BBB to weed out scams. Choose ones with assignments you can reach. Select on site visits if you have transportation or work at home as a web mystery shopper.
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2
Submit an application. Provide an email address so the company can contact you. Register with large mystery shopping companies like Calgary-based Service Intelligence have more than 50,000 shoppers in their data base. Answer questions on your basic contact information as well as your shopping routines, criminal history, availability, willingness to travel and where, work experience, education and references. (reference 1) Choose Sensors Quality Management if your have a high school education, experience in customer service and are detail oriented with a good memory and can follow instructions. (reference 2)
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Decide which assignments you want to claim. Check out the job opportunity boards at the companies you register with. These list the amount of pay, how much they you will be reimbursed if you need to buy anything, details of the business you will visit and the deadline for the assignment. Choose15 minute buying trips, an hour to eat a meal or overnight hotel stays or plane trips, with pay from $7 to $150 plus reimbursement for a portion of items you buy and keep. Get money to buy the meals or items first, before being reimbursed.
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Take additional training to broaden your assignment choices. Register for SQM's training programs that move shoppers from basic fast food evaluations up nine levels to overnight hotel stays.
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Tips & Warnings
Possession of a watch and reliable transportation are assets.
Be wary of unsolicited emails, postcards or flyers saying you can get paid to shop. Legitimate companies post openings on their websites or in the classifieds. Check out the company with the Better Business Bureau. Avoid companies that ask you to pay a fee or buy a manual to work for them. Legitimate companies pay through PayPal or by check.
References
- Photo Credit shopping image by hannahfelicity from Fotolia.com
