Mystery Shopping

There are many opportunities out there for those who want to shop, eat and get paid for it. This is what is known as mystery shopping. Did you ever wonder who evaluates the customer service in restaurants? Or who takes note of the cleanliness or uncleaniness of facilities? Mystery shoppers are paid to find out these things.

This organization is the largest association dedicated to mystery shopping. The shops that I previewed ranged from earning $10 to $100 per shop. I actually know someone who has done quite a few of these 'shops' and they ranged from checking on the customer service at a campus bookstore to monitoring parking lots to eating at several restaurant chains. What's good is that any money that the shopper pays out of pocket the company reimburses.

Now, you must be wondering what is the catch? Well, yes, there is one. First, you must do your homework. There are many companies that are out to scam and may have shoppers put money up front and actually take on an assignment and not get paid for it. There are a multitude of organizations out there and it is best to verify with the MSPA or even the Better Business Bureau on the legitimacy of the organization.

The second thing to be mindful of is that to apply to get the first 'shop' one must go through so much paperwork that one may get frustrated and say to heck with it. My friend filled out so many forms and had to wait a while before being sent out on an assignment.

The third thing is that a mystery shopper's job is not just to eat and shop for the money. A report must be written up explaining how one was treated upon entering a facility. Were the people cordial and attentive? These stores/restaurants of course have no idea that they are being evaluated but it is the shopper's job to find out the store clerk's name or the waiter/waitress' name and evaluate that person as well.

These shops are valuable in that they offer a different way that customer service can be monitored and evaluated. They can also prove useful for management to show where improvement can occur along the lines of their business and point to areas that the business is doing well. The goal is that these businesses will take the comments and evaluation seriously and implement them in the day to day operations.