Some mystery shoppers work full-time hours on mystery shopping assignments while others use their mystery shopping assignments as a source of part-time income. Regardless of the number of hours a mystery shopper is able to devote to the job, however, most mystery shoppers want to find a way to earn more money for their efforts. So how can you earn more money as a mystery shopper without working more?
Improve Time Management Strategies
If you are like most mystery shoppers, you work on as many mystery shopping assignments as your current schedule will allow. There simply isn’t time available in your schedule to pick up additional assignments. If this statement rings true for you, you may want to consider how improved time management strategies could benefit you. Many mystery shoppers have their own unique time drains throughout their day. Some make several trips out to various assignments over the course of a day rather than trying to complete all assignments in a single trip. Some like to spend more time than necessary on assignments shopping around and browsing merchandise. Some are not efficient at preparing reports. Consider what your own time drains are, and then make an effort to work on these errors and improve efficiency.
Maximize Expense Reimbursements
It is easy to consider the base pay and bonus pay of assignments as your only source of mystery shopping income. However, the fact is that expense reimbursements are a source of income as well. Expense reimbursements provide you with the opportunity to get reimbursed for your purchases, and how you put these reimbursements to use matters. For instance, consider how a $10 reimbursement at a grocery store may benefit you as compared to a $10 reimbursement at a coffee shop. Certainly getting reimbursed on a cup of coffee and a croissant is nice, but it doesn’t affect your personal budget at all. However, a $10 reimbursement on necessary purchases like groceries or gas for the car provide direct savings to your personal expenses. You didn’t have to buy a cup of coffee and a croissant, but you have to buy groceries and gas. By picking assignments with reimbursements that can be applied to your required expenses, you can maximize the benefit those assignments provide to you.
Request More Money
It sounds too simply, but it really does work. If you want more money on an assignment, just ask for it. Of course, a mystery shopping provider will not grant your request for additional money on an assignment without just cause and proper motivation. Asking for money on a coffee shop assignment that was just recently posted on the job boards and that is located in the middle of a major urban center likely won’t yield results. However, asking for money on a retail shop assignment that has been on the job boards for a week or two and that is located in a rather rural town may yield better results for you.
With mystery shopping, you generally have a finite amount of time to work on assignments as well as a finite number of assignments to choose from. Consider how you can put some of these tips into practice today in order to make more money without working more hours.
I have employed all of the strategies you have suggested. One problem in laying out a trip where you never double back and go on one route is that shops pop up often to throw the whole route off. then you spend time trying to figure out how to make it work, is it worth it, etc. You can’t afford to use time on such things. You have to try to get the shop asap before another shopper gets it.
I’m 64 and I don’t shop anymore. I did it for about 4 years, but found it stressful and hectic; and it is a large amount of time spent working while getting little in return per hour. When I broke it down, and subtracted gas, I was making well under minimum wage.
I’m glad to be out of the game. It is nice yo feel free of worry, stress, time crunches, and than being slapped in the face by a sceduler who didn’t take enought time to read your report and wants more details that are right there in front of her face. Doing apartment jobs for one agency was a nightmare. The people reading those reports are insane!
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents worth of comment.
You do a great service with your articles!
Dear Maven:
You do a great service with your articles. Keep em’ coming. Thank you for all of your excellent advice.
I always look forward to your articles. Sometimes I learn something new to try or consider; others, I am reinforced because I am already doing the “right” thing! Please keep them coming!