When you’re just starting out as a mystery shopper, the mystery shopping world can seem confusing, mysterious, and even solitary. Each assignment you complete seems far different than the previous assignments you’ve done. You run into issues with schedulers, questions on reports, and even issues on site that could have been handled far differently for a better outcome. Yet as a new mystery shopper, you have a steep learning curve and very few sources of outside information to learn from.
Even seasoned mystery shoppers find that each assignment brings new circumstances and challenges. Whether you are a new mystery shopper or an experienced mystery shopper, you can benefit in a number of ways from communicating with other mystery shoppers in on-line communities or forums as well as help out other mystery shoppers.
There Are No Bad Questions. Whether you have a question about how to properly answer a report question given certain circumstances or how to handle a difficult scheduler, you can find dozens or even hundreds of unique answers to your questions, often representing decades of combined experience in the industry.
What’s more, when you post a question, you give other mystery shoppers the advice and insight into handling that same issue if they run into it on their assignments. Even if other mystery shoppers haven’t yet experienced that challenge, if and when that issue arises on their assignment, they will recall your post on the forum and be better able to handle the issue. Participating in forums helps everyone involved.
Banding Together. Unlike many industries, mystery shoppers don’t have a union that looks out for their interests, pay, and so forth. The only real way to effect change in mystery shopping is for mystery shoppers to band together. With the industry so loosely tied together and mystery shoppers largely working on their own for each assignment, the main method for mystery shoppers to communicate about key industry issues is on forums.
Mystery shopping forums have been used to let other mystery shoppers know about poor-performing mystery shopping providers, such as those that reduce pay for little to now reason, those that pay far slower than normal, and those that are difficult to deal with. Forums have also been used to discuss specific retailers that mystery shoppers have had a difficult time working with, such as those retailers with incredibly difficult requirements or excessively long reports. Mystery shoppers have banded together against low pay to effect a higher overall pay scale. (This effort unfortunately has largely unwound due to the recession and the need for many mystery shoppers to pick up any cash they can, even lower paying assignments. However, as the economy picks back up, you can expect mystery shoppers to once again unite against low-paying assignments.)
At the very least, you can grow as a mystery shopper by reading the forum postings regularly. You will get even more out of forums by actively participating in mystery shopping forums by posting your own questions and responding to other mystery shopper’s posts. So dedicate some time each work to spend time with your fellow mystery shoppers on the industry forums!
Suggested forum:
Be part of Forums was a very helpful for me, I learn from other shoppers opinions a lot. Thank you.
Mystery Shop Maven has been a fabulous forum for learning the industry and for self expression! This in fact, is how I’ve gotten my feet wet! there is nothing like personal experience. Other shoppers’ comments about problems and solutions have been so helpful. It does lend to solidarity. The reading articles have also been invaluable tools helping us accomplish this unique business.
Mystery Shop Maven has been a fabulous forum for learning the industry and for self expression! This in fact, is how I’ve gotten my feet wet! there is nothing like personal experience. Other shoppers’ comments about problems and solutions have been so helpful. It does lend to solidarity. The reading articles have also been invaluable tools helping us accomplish this unique business.
What are some of the best mystery shops that pay at least @20.00 for less than one hour.
Martimart:
I have done some cash advance shops that reimburse the $20 fee the Cash store charges and pays $20 for the report. Plus you get your $100 advance. But I have not found many that are that EZ. But I will keep checking to see what other responses you get, I would like to know too!
Yeah to the Maven!!! I found a merchandising job also through the Shadow Shopper site that I really enjoy,, so that is an option also for a regular paycheck.
I absolutely agree that these forums are a big help. I have found much useful information in the posts. As Polly said, merchandising is a great way to pick good extra cash, and many of the assignments are recurring. Check out Certified Marketing Services if you are interested in merchandising. I have made good money with them for over a year. I had to give up a lot of my work with them, as I just had more than I could handle. Good luck to everyone and may God Bless.
Greetings Everyone! I too have gathered quite a lot of knowledge and info using this forum as well as a couple of others. This one has more of a feel for me because a lot of the others have ratings w/MSPA and feel like they are above those that don’t. I can’t believe there is even a pecking order in Mystery Shopping~ Ha! Ha! But I have been doing a whole lot of banking shops w/ my fave group ATH-Powers and if they get the kinks out of payment options I wold even LOVE EM! So much for the sentiments though, I have worked w/Gamefilms and they pay you pretty darn fast through PayPal which is a blessing waiting for my faves checks to hit home! But you guys keep posting and I will keep reading and learning more about this craft~ Happy Shopping!!!