If you are new to mystery shopping, you may be wondering just what the “perfect” mystery shopper looks like. Some people think that there is an image that mystery shopping providers are looking for in their mystery shoppers, and others think that a mystery shopper should have some ideal set of qualities or traits to be good at the job. You may be wondering how you stack up and if you would be an ideal mystery shopper.
What Providers Are Looking For. When it comes to mystery shopping, you should be aware that there is no ideal image that mystery shopping providers are looking for. Most providers offer a wide range of assignments, and so they need shoppers of all ages, backgrounds, and so forth to work for them. On some assignments, a provider may ask for mystery shoppers to fall inside a certain age limit or meet income requirements. Some may even ask that you have a bank account at a certain institution or that you drive a certain kind of car. Just know that you won’t fit the bill for all assignments, but as a consumer you are generally qualified to be a mystery shopper for at least some assignments.
Your Personal Qualities. While some things like your age, your car, and your income bracket would be pretty difficult (or impossible) to change, other factors do indeed affect your ability to earn a living as a mystery shopper. In general, a great mystery shopper is one who is able to work in a new location each day and fulfill a laundry list of requirements without calling attention to himself or herself. He or she will have a strong eye for detail and will work efficiently. Punctuality is key, too, as you do need to complete most assignments within a certain time frame. Because some writing is required for the reports, a mystery shopper generally should have decent writing skills, too.
Are You Right For the Job? You may have been wondering if you are right for a job as a mystery shopper. From reading this, you will be able to determine if you would be a good fit for this job. Keep in mind that some things like your ability to write well and your ability to pay attention to detail are qualities that you can develop and work on over time, so if you have some weaknesses here and there, you may still make a great mystery shopper. You will just need to be willing to make that extra effort to improve your skills as you work in this line of work.
After you have read what it takes to be great mystery shopper, you likely will want to get signed up to work in this job. You can sign up to work with multiple mystery shopping providers with relative ease. You simply have to visit their websites and follow the application instructions. With many providers, you can get started working on assignments in a matter of days. So if you have dreams of working as a mystery shopper, there is no better time than the present to get started applying to work for a provider or two!
I agree with the Maven. It always has good advice. The only thing I would say is that some of the responses to some of the questions are pretty long-winded and can take longer than the personal appearance at the shop itself. If you don’t
respond in sufficient quantity, you will get reprimanded by the person who critiques the evaluator. Also, in this department, be sure to do the automatic spell check. I’m a pretty good speller but am poor at typing, so I make some number of typos which appears to affect my spelling.
Hello Maven: Once again your advice is priceless to us shoppers. I especially appreciate your comment that says “You simply have to visit their websites and follow the application instructions. What can be easier to understand than that?
Thanks for your insite.
I have been doing this for 3 years now and you were the first one that got me started after I depleted my unemployment benefits. I can’t thank you enough. I thoroughly enjoy all of the different roles I present on jobs I fulfill. I must agree spelling is the key word with evaluators, I have gone from a 5 rating beginning,now to 9 & 10 on almost alll of my shops. It is a full time venture because there is alot more detail than you realize but it will get you known with Schedulers because they will fill jobs with many different Mystery Shopping Companies. Afterall you will learn they can be your best friend. That’s all for now, hope these tips will help someone!