There’s always something new to learn when it comes to mystery shopping and hopefully these hints will go towards helping you out. The advice below should also help you increase how efficient you are while out and about.
1. Job Proximity
Ensure there are enough shopping assignments close by because it’s probably not worth it if you have to travel too far afield. You will be forced to travel further and spend more on your journey than someone who lives close to the assignment so there isn’t really much point.
2. Minimize Expenses
You need to ensure that you are earning more than your travel expenses each day. It can sometimes cost more to travel than the fees you will earn from assignments especially if you live out in the sticks.
3. Combine Assignments
Furthermore, it is ideal for you to find a cluster of assignments within the same area so that you can complete them all in one day. The reasoning behind this is so that you can save time, increase efficiency and heighten your earnings.
4. Seek Higher Pay
As a matter of fact, the highest paying jobs are for locations that the average person doesn’t visit that often. These can be places such as service stations, hotels and airports. Watch out for these ones as they can be gold mines if you are in the right place at the right time.
5. Hide Your Identity
Try to keep your mystery shopper status under your hat. If you get found out then the effectiveness of the assignment could be compromised.
In a lot of ways it’s better that the staff doesn’t know who you are because that way they won’t give you special treatment or try to impress you. You want to catch them on their normal behavior.
6. Stay Calm
Certain participants may be nervous about masquerading as a regular customer when deep down they know that they’re not. Don’t worry you’re not doing anything wrong. Customers come and go everyday for most business so don’t panic about being found out.
7. Commuting
This is ideal for people who commute through a city to and from their day job. It’s convenient to do this on a part-time basis because they can supplement their income without going out of their way too much.
8. Dodge Scams
Like many online jobs, mystery shopping is an industry that is ripe for internet scams. Use your common sense and if it sounds too good to be true then don’t jump in. You can always do your research and see what other people have to say before you make a move.
9. Study Your Brief
Read and then read it again so you know exactly what you’re doing. You don’t want to fail because you forgot to do a certain task. It’s smart to take these notes with you on the assignment so that you have it at hand to glance at.
10. Pay Attention
Being observant and having a strong memory is really useful for this line of work so that you don’t forget anything you’ve experience.
11. Take Notes
If you take a notepad and pen with you then you can always jot stuff down. You won’t be forced to remember anything by heart either.
12. Contradictions
Don’t say one thing in your report and then later on claim the opposite. The client doesn’t want to be confused, they want things to be clear and simple. It also makes your work look insincere and inauthentic. Avoid contradicting yourself at all times and stay coherent.
13. Correct Store
Businesses have lots of different outlets, sometimes multiple stores within the same city. For this reason, it is vitally important that you visit the correct store and not mistake it for another store of the same company that might be nearby. The repercussions for this could be non-payment and you clearly don’t want that.
14. Keep Receipts
Make sure that you store your receipts and/or receipt numbers in a safe place as you may need them later on as further documentation for analysis. You never know when you or the client might need them. It also proves that you did what you were supposed to be doing.
15. Professionalism
Try to remain professional when writing your report and not resort to slang or inappropriate language. You want to put out a positive message to whoever you’re working for. It could benefit you if they see consistently good standards of work from you.
16. Perfectionist
If you see small things that you believe are insignificant then take note of them anyway. You can never provide too much information as it will all most likely be valuable. It’s always better to share too much rather than not enough.
17. Be Objective
You need to be unbiased in your observation and report on things objectively as they are, not based on your personal beliefs. The client doesn’t want potentially overly one-sided opinions disrupting the findings.
I wish you all the best and trust that these tips will improve your performance, and help you become one of the top mystery shoppers. Please don’t forget to share this with your friends and comment below. Thanks for reading!
How Mystery Shopping Pays You & Gives You Free Stuff Too!
