For some people, it’s a dream to get paid to shop. It’s even better to get paid to shop and get to keep what you buy.
There is a way to get paid to shop. It’s called mystery shopping. “Shopping” is usually more than just going to department stores and other retail stores and buying whatever you want. You have work to do.
What is Mystery Shopping?
When you’re a mystery shopper, you will be offered an assignment. You will have to go to a place of business and rate their services. This could be a bank, hotel, restaurant, cruise, spa, sporting event, or other business.
When you’re there, you have to rate your experience. You’ll be given a checklist of things to complete such as:
- Did the clerk greet you in a friendly manner?
- Did they offer X, Y and Z?
- Was the establishment clean?
These are just a few possible questions you may need to answer. The list will vary depending on the mystery shopping company and the company you’re doing a job for.
If you’ve ever worked in any of these types of establishments, you might already be familiar with these “mystery people”. The business employees don’t know when they are coming and don’t know who they are when they get there, but they often can guess who they are based on the questions they ask and how they present themselves.
The purpose of mystery shopping is so that businesses can see how their employees are running the front end of their business. It keeps employees on their toes when they know that someone can come in at any time to rate their service without them knowing.
As a mystery shopper, you will either get paid, get free stuff or both. Some companies will pay for jobs done at banks and similar establishments, but they might not pay for mystery shopping at a restaurant, hotel or movie theater. In that case, getting a free meal or hotel stay is your payment. Sometimes you will get paid and get to keep what you buy or order no charge. With reputable companies, you’ll never have to pay anything out of pocket without at least being reimbursed.
Can it Be a Full Time Job?
The problem with making mystery shopping as full time job is that you can’t guarantee jobs. If there are no jobs, you have no work. Plus, these jobs don’t usually pay a lot and you can’t visit the same establishment more than once. Some don’t pay at all, you just get free stuff. Others pay only $5 to $40 a job. If the job will allow you to do something you would do anyway or enjoy, go for it. If you’ve always wanted to visit a spa, go for free and make $5 to $40.
Ultimately, it’s a great way to enjoy luxuries for free that you otherwise couldn’t afford while also making a few bucks, too.
How to Start Mystery Shopping
Start mystery shopping by weeding out the scams and finding a few companies to sign up with. Here are a few of the best mystery shopping companies to work with:
Don’t sign up with any company that asks you to pay a fee, and always look up reviews on every company you choose to make sure it is legitimate.
Visit MSPA North America and Volition to find more companies for mystery shopping opportunities and more information.
You will need some tools including transportation, a computer with internet access, a phone, a camera, a watch, a credit or debit card, a PayPal account, spreadsheets, etc. These tools may be required for an assignment and are good to have.
How to Succeed as a Mystery Shopper
While you probably won’t make a full time income, you can have a lot of fun and make some nice change on the side. To be successful, take as many jobs as you can. More experience will make consecutive jobs easier and more enjoyable.
Get a copy of How to Become a Mystery Shopper, The Only Book You’ll Ever Need to learn more about mystery shopping and to learn how to succeed. You can pick up a copy here: