What’s It Like to be a Mystery Shopper?
Have you ever considered becoming a mystery shopper? There are many benefits to doing so – you get to visit businesses and produce reports on them, and can have your expenses covered alongside one off payments. While there are downsides to being a mystery shopper, which can include having to work unsociable hours if you pick up a lot of work, as a part-time job it can offer a different perspective on the places that you regularly shop. When looking for mystery shopper positions, it’s important to work with reputable agencies such as Tern to ensure that your experience is going to be a positive one.
It’s worth remembering that with mystery shopping, you
need to be able to make mental notes while going through a set of motions laid out by a brief; this means checking everything from the general layout and tidiness of a store, through to working through different customer service interactions. You might also have to ask staff members difficult questions without giving away why you’re there.
Mystery shopping jobs tend to be infrequent, and shouldn’t be relied upon as a form of full-time income. By signing up to a mystery shopper agency, you can list your preferences for the sorts of places that you’d like to visit, as well as what kinds of locations you can realistically visit. It’s possible to increase your chances of being selected for a job by noting your expertise in a particular area, and being willing to take on jobs that might not be as glamorous as others.
You’ll also need to be able to balance out the expenses and costs of being a mystery shopper, and especially if you have to take time off from your normal job. When working on a mystery shopper assignment, you should keep detailed records of your mileage and any public transport costs. To make the most of a job and to avoid being out of pocket, you have to be as accurate as possible in your reports, and capable of meeting tough deadlines.
When it works, mystery shopping can represent a good way to supplement your monthly income, and can enable you to carry out assignments on a flexible basis, depending on your time constraints. The more assignments you carry out, the more practiced you’ll become at acting professionally and not giving away that you’re a mystery shopper. Some agencies might provide you with training before you complete your first assignment.
Make sure that you only work with reputable mystery shopping agencies to get work; no agency should charge you for joining their database, and any company that does should be avoided. It’s also worth looking for mystery shopper agencies online, and checking through their website terms and conditions, rather than exploring offers sent to you by email or in the post, as these are more likely to ask for direct payments to become a shopper.
Author Bio: Sophie Wiggins has enjoyed working as a mystery shopper in the past. She recommends going with Tern if you want a good mystery shopping agency. Her mystery shopping experience has covered everything from restaurants to high street shops.
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Category: Business
