Picking up a mystery shopping assignment at the airport is a fun way to add some excitement to your travels, as well as to pick up some extra cash. With most mid to larger sized airports offering a full range of retail stores and restaurants for travelers to enjoy as they pass through, there are a wide variety of assignments you can complete while you are traveling. But as with any type of assignment, there are some things to keep in mind:
Adding Adventure To Your Journey. Airport assignments are not for the frazzled traveler. If you are typically the person making the mad dash from through the terminal to make your flight, an airport assignment is likely not for you. On the other hand, if you usually arrive at the airport well ahead of time and leave ample time between connecting flights to complete an assignment, mystery shopping at the airport is a great way to make extra cash while you are killing time.
Before you accept the assignment, make sure you are aware of what is required of the assignment. Is the location inside the terminal, in a location where you would need a boarding pass to access it? Or perhaps the assignment requires you to check something beyond the terminal, such as the airport parking garage. For a parking garage assignment, will you have access to your car or will you be renting a car? If you are looking at an assignment at a layover location, you may not have access to a car at all.
Also, ensure you have allotted enough time to complete the assignment in your travel plans. For a simple retail store assignment, you may only need twenty minutes or so. But for a restaurant assignment at a sit-down eatery, you may need significantly longer than this. Avoid the temptation to schedule your travel plans down to the minute. With so many things that can cause delays while you are traveling, be sure to factor in some extra time to be on the safe side.
Be Prepared. As with any mystery shopping assignment, you should be prepared to complete the assignment when you arrive at the airport. When you travel, you are already juggling a half dozen different items, from carry-on luggage and magazines to boarding passes and passports. When you complete a mystery shopping assignment at the airport, you likely will want to break the golden rule of mystery shopping and bring your assignment guidelines with you. If you do this, be sure you tuck your guidelines into a separate compartment of your carry on or other baggage than you keep your cash. The last thing you want is for your paperwork to fall out in front of store staff while you are making a required purchase.
If your assignment requires photos to be taken or a purchase made with cash, ensure you have a camera or cash on-hand. Also, bring along a notepad, wrist watch or stop watch, or anything else you may need to complete the assignment. These are items you many not typically travel with, or that may be stored away in your luggage and not accessible. When you pack your luggage, plan ahead and ensure you have the items you need to complete the assignment on-hand.
Reporting Far From Home. When you complete an airport assignment, you often will find yourself needing to complete the report for the assignment far from home, such as at a relative’s home or in a hotel. Before you accept the assignment, ensure you will have access to all of the equipment and technology you need to complete the report, such as a laptop, internet access, and a scanner or fax machine for receipts.
Then tie a string around your finger after you’ve completed the assignment to remind yourself to actually complete the report once you’ve arrived at your destination. You may be so excited to see your Great Aunt Millie or to finally be at the beach resort you’ve been looking forward to that your airport assignment at your layover point completely slips your mind. Make a point to get your work done within the required time frame, and then enjoy yourself on your trip!
Mystery shopping while you are traveling is a great way to make the most of your travel time and pick up some extra cash!
taking trip May 6 2009