Whether you are new to mystery shopping or you’ve been a mystery shopper for years, the question still remains – how do you go about finding easy mystery shopping assignments? Sure, there are plenty of difficult or time-consuming assignments around, some paying well and others that hardly pay enough to cover your gas money to the job site. Many mystery shoppers shy away from the more complex assignments, even when the pay is good, and opt for easier assignments. If you are looking for ways to find a few more easier assignments to work on (and who isn’t?), here’s what you need to do:
Know Your Source. In the mystery shopping world, schedulers are the metaphoric “hand that feeds you.” While there are some self-assign jobs where the assignments or doled out on a first come, first serve basis, the large majority of assignments must be requested by the mystery shopper and than ultimately decided on by the scheduler. As you work with your mystery shopping providers, you will come to realize that there are typically just a handful of schedulers at each provider that you will work with. With these select few individuals deciding who works on assignments and who does not, you can see that it pays to get in the good graces of your schedulers.
You don’t have to be a scheduler’s best friend. Simply be professional, polite, and friendly with each interaction you have with the scheduler. Make sure that each report you file is accurate, complete, and your best quality work. When your report is sub-par, you create more work for your scheduler by requiring the scheduler to work with you to fill in any holes and clear up discrepancies. The last thing your scheduler wants to do is assign the next job to someone who creates more work for them to do!
Check The Job Boards Often. In the mystery shopping world, the saying, “The early bird gets the worm” rings all too true. On self-assign jobs, the first mystery shopper to request the assignment gets the job. Even on assignments that you must request, the scheduler will often hand the assignment over to the first qualified mystery shopper that comes along, provided that mystery shopper is good to work with.
With the vast majority of providers, an email is sent out to mystery shoppers when new jobs are posted in your area. So even if you don’t have time to check each and every provider’s job board several times a day, be sure to check your email as often as you can so you can get first dibs on the plum assignments!
Keep Tabs. As you take on more and more assignments, you will soon see that most providers run the same series of assignments from the same companies. So if you find a few providers that offer the easy assignments you are looking for, be sure to frequent their job boards more frequently. When you know where to look for the easy assignments, you will have a better shot at being the first one to see them posted on-line and request them!
It is not always easy to find the easy mystery shopping assignments, but when you have the right contacts and you know where to look for the assignments, you will find yourself doing more of the easier assignments that you prefer working on.
Dear Mystery Maven – I really appreciate your articles – have done some work in the past – but clue me in on how to restart – are you a scheduler or can you suggest one that is reliable and even in the Ohio area ? – Thanx for your info – Tom
Dear Tom,MysteryShopForum is a good place to start___http://www.mysteryshopforum.com/read/6/348
Other forums and the MSPA website is another good option to check out. A general online search can be fruitful. Also you can follow the links on the Mystery Shop Maven.
There is no one quick easy answer. This is ‘work’ remember? 🙂
It takes some time to establish a good reputation with anyone. Of course schedulers will want to work with shoppers who save them extra work!
With gas prices rising and the distance that some require, if I do not get enough money it isn<t worth it to me. since I have done a lot of shoppping over the years, I like more skilled paying assignments.
With gas prices rising and the distance that some require, if I do not get enough money it isn<t worth it to me. since I have done a lot of shoppping over the years, I like more skilled paying assignments.
Thank you for help getting start an were to look
hello folks these articles have been a heaven-sent from the M Maven I have been a shopper for about two years now and have amassed a great deal of info from this lady who has given the best practical info to a industry that gets little or no recognition or best selling books to get you started. She has in essence taken up our lack of information and forged a help line if you will geared to give you topics that one cannot find anywhere but here! Thank you once again Maven for your timely articles. PS: I am currently a return student and a shopper, I manage to scout around an get the plum jobs assigned by my schedulers one key ingredient is consistency and punctuality, that with good writing skills will enable you to get through this recession with money and your sanity~LOL!
I would love to become a Mystery Shopper! How can I actually physically accomodate that to happen?
Jenesis, all you have to do is find the providers’ sites and fill out the application to shop for them. Some applications are very easy and you will be registered in minutes, and others require writing samples and a copy of your car insurance, etc. Check out http://www.mysteryshoponline.com. This site is run by Jacob Jans, and he has a great amount of info for the shopper, including a list of 219 mystery shopping providers that you can register with. It takes a little time and research to find the provider’s that have assignments in your area, but his site is a lot of help. Good luck, happy shopping, and God Bless!
Hello,
I am interested in your company for mystery shopping.Please provide me with further information on the next step that I need to take to get started.
Thanks,
Ruth