Mystery Shopping 101

I take a deep breath, square my shoulders and step through the front door and into the store. I saunter oh so casually over to an employee and ask for some help. The employee answers my witty, urbane questions and helps me make my purchase. I store all the data about my shopping experience in my razor sharp mind, including employee names and the number of minutes I spent waiting in line. Less than a half hour later, I’m typing up a top secret report with one hand and making my cocktail James Bond style with the other. Sound fun?

Well, it wasn’t quite that exciting. I didn’t ask witty, urbane questions. I think I asked for a gasket. And I actually typed up my report with both hands, pausing for a cup of tea. Still, mystery shopping can be a fun and easy way to add a bit of cash to your coffers or to enjoy a meal out without breaking open the piggy bank.

Before I go any further, I want to give you a really big warning. Don’t EVER pay for the opportunity to be a mystery shopper. There are a lot of scams where people think they have to pay for a list of mystery shopping companies. I never paid a dime for a contact and I never paid for training, either.

The folks at Market Force have given me some great information on starting out as a mystery shopper. I also interviewed a few of their mystery shoppers and will be posting interviews with the shoppers over the next few days.

What is mystery shopping?

I’m glad you asked! According to Market Force, "Mystery shopping is the practice of using experienced independent contractors to anonymously evaluate customer service, operations, merchandising, product quality and other elements of the consumer’s in-store experience." The company emphasizes that mystery shoppers are giving information based on facts, not opinions. (I do remember that there were places to give my opinion at the end of most of the forms I filled out when I did mystery shopping a few years ago.)

What’s in it for me?

When I did mystery shops, I took jobs that were things I wanted to do anyway and got all or part of the errand reimbursed. For example, I took a shop at a local hardware store and got a reimbursement for up to $5 of my purchase and a $20 payment after I sent in my report. I paid for a part I needed for a house repair that was a bit under $5, got reimbursed and got another $20 to boot. I needed a gift for my sister, took a shop at a local clothing store in the mall, got $5 back from purchasing a cute t-shirt and got an additional $15 for my report. (I think the t-shirt was $14 or $15, so that means I got paid to buy a gift.)

So what’s in it for you is the chance to get paid to run some of your errands or to be able to head out for a restaurant meal or a movie when money is too tight for you to afford a date night with your spouse.

How can I be a mystery shopper?

Do you have your secret shopper decoder ring, your pen/laser gun/cell phone and your emergency cocktail shaker/spy computer? No? Me neither. To be a mystery shopper, you simply need to sign up. You can sign up at individual company web sites, like www.marketforce.com. To find a list of companies, you can head to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s web site.

Who makes a good mystery shopper?

Not everyone makes a great mystery shopper. Some people absolutely hate remembering all the details. Others are just uncomfortable "spying" on sales staff. Still others are too unorganized to juggle all the deadlines they need to meet when they sign up for five or six shops in a single week.

A good mystery shopper is:

• Any age over 18. Sometimes, an adult and a teen or an entire family is needed for a specific type of shop. (For example, tobacco sale compliance shops.)
• Extremely reliable. The mystery shopping companies depend on shoppers to meet deadlines so they can present the information that was gathered to the company that hired them in a timely fashion.
• Detail oriented. You can’t sit there jotting down information when you’re in the store. It looks odd and may blow your cover.
• A good writer. A rambling, misspelled report won’t help anyone.
• Not afraid of computers. Some computer ability is a must, since you’ll need to sign up for jobs and fill out reports online.

How can I avoid falling for mystery shopping scams?

I mentioned it earlier in the post and Market Force says the same thing -"NEVER pay to be a shopper. Mystery shopping companies will not charge you to complete an application. " A few other scam tip offs Market Force wants to point out are:

§    Only out-of-pocket cash outlays or small purchases associated with the shop (e.g. buying a burger) should be reimbursed.
§    Although some shopper fees can be higher (e.g. banking shops, higher-end dining, etc.), the typical shopper fee is $10-20 per shop…be cautious of larger amounts.
§    Be wary of unsolicited requests to become a mystery shopper sent through the mail or via e-mail.
§    Avoid companies that require shoppers to be certified – it generally involves a fee, which is bad.
§    Avoid the promise of keeping expensive merchandise.
§    Avoid the guarantee of getting jobs — although there are lots of projects, there are no guarantees.
§    Be wary of the promise it will only take a few minutes.

Who uses mystery shoppers?

Many different industries use secret shoppers, including retail stores, hardware stores, restaurants, drug stores, supermarkets, gas stations, banks, apartment complexes and movie theatres.

Photo by Martin BOULANGER