Absolutely! We as mystery shoppers are professionals, and need our hard work and our valuable time compensated in a just manner. There is nothing to feel but insulted and angry when assignments are posted on the job boards for $3 and $5 assignments. These assignments, even if completed within a thirty minute time frame, hardly make it worth our while. Let’s face it, we could make more money flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant or working at another job that requires unskilled labor than we’d make completing assignments such as this. And the fact is, mystery shoppers are skilled and valuable working professionals.
So then why is it that these incredibly low paying assignments are being snatched up by mystery shoppers rather than sitting on the job boards for days and days with no takers?
The Economy. The fact of the matter is that the economy is still in a rough state right now. If your household hasn’t felt the crunch of the economic downturn in the past two years, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. While in an ideal world, mystery shoppers would unite together and turn up their noses at offensive job offers that pay peanuts for a job well-done, the bottom line is that many mystery shoppers are struggling to make ends meet. Assignments are getting scarcer in many areas as retailers tighten their belts, and many mystery shoppers are forced to take what they can get because they just flat out need the money. For many mystery shoppers, it is better to to spend their time making a few bucks than to not make anything at all if no other jobs are available on that day and time.
Making These Assignments Work. There are certain situations when these low paying assignments will cost you money to complete. With the travel expense and required purchase necessary to complete the assignment, it won’t be hard to end up in the hole on a $3 or $5 assignment. However, keep in mind that you can write off your travel expenses, and that many assignments will provide an expense reimbursement up to a certain dollar amount. With a large enough expense reimbursement, you may be able to get a good chunk of change back on an expense your family really needs, such as fuel for your car. Plus, if you can pick up that low paying assignment in an area where you normally visit, such as en route to or from your normal job, you won’t really be wasting any travel time or expense by making a little side visit on the way home from work one day.
Ask For More. If you have weighed the pros and cons for doing the assignment, and it still isn’t making financial sense, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask the provider for a little more cash to do it. While your first inclination may be to be indignant and relay how insulted you are for the low pay, it may be better to explain the situation in a more roundabout way, relaying your travel time, personal expenses involved, and so on. Then lead into the amount of money you would need to earn on the assignment to make it profitable for you to complete.
The bottom line is that every mystery shopper would really like to work for more money than these low paying assignments provide. But there are times and circumstances where it makes sense for individuals to consider these assignments. As long as mystery shoppers are working on low paying assignments, mystery shopping companies will likely continue to post them on the job boards.
I’m lucky that my area has very few shoppers, and lots of assignments. While some are posted at low starting rates, waiting them out until the last few weeks of the month raise the prices so that it is worth a busy week. I’ve noticed that in some areas, the college schedules make a huge impact. When the students are in, the jobs are snatched up quick, but during the breaks, the jobs pay really well. For new shoppers who don’t want to work for $3- $5 a shop, keep looking at the boards. Give every shop you pick up your best effort, even if it doesn’t pay what you wanted. You may find yourself on the call list, for shops that need completion, with higher pay, due to deadlines. Make sure your information is always up to date. I had a grocery store chain that I had completed some shops for during the summer months, when December hit, I wasn’t actively shopping, but was called and offered more than enough to help complete those christmas time shops. The other big key is to look outside of your normal routes. A few weeks ago I noticed a gas station shop going for $33, right next to another one for $16, they were a thirty minute drive from where I was already heading. So it is definately worth knowing the little towns nearby. And as always, sign up for many companies. You never know when the dud company that only has shops in 5 states over will open a new account in yours. If you’ve been on thier books, you’ll get the emails and calls. Just keep track of your sites, and login information.
When I first began mystery shopping, I picked up the low paying jobs so that I could get my foot in the door. However, after two years of being a seasoned shopper, I will not even consider the smaller paying jobs. Honestly I would pick them up, but the paperwork on the majority of them is just too much.
I do find that if we wait long enough the price does go up to 6 or 7 dollars. The problem with that though is that they are all picked up right a way. You might be on the road and miss the close shops and have to settle for the bottom of the barrle
Picking up a low paying job on a route of a couple of higher paying one works, just like the article says. I don’t mind squeezing in a $3 job on my way to a $10 or $15 job or two. Sometimes it’s all about the daily dollar total. 😉
I agree. I wait until the low fees are increased or bonused.
Some shops seem to be consistently low paying. It sometimes is worthwhile to do a few, especially if they can be scheduled together or can be fit in among other necessary, important activities or shops. Low paying companies rarely allow for travel, although small bonuses are offered by some. These factors along with the economy the way it is, can be an impetus to actively search for other companies, other schedulers and types of shops for a fresh take on mystery shopping.
Companies and schedulers would be high and dry without the shoppers in the field. It seems however to be the nature of things, that the most valuable persons are the least valued, especially financially. Mystery shoppers nonetheless must deliver skilled, quality work regardless of the pay. The only power is in deciding whether or not to accept an assignment. I have chosen to not work with one particular company not simply because of the low pay, but because of the pay in conjunction with a lot of hassle, required redundancy and insufficient communication. Hence there are different currencies to consider. Every person has their own currency.
I have taken one of those low paying jobs, it was like $4.12 of which they charge .30 to pay me on my paypal account. I have noticed on this site that the same job 15 miles away is 7, 8 or 9 dollars for the same type of shop but the time to do the survey, the time to drive to and from the shop its not worth my time. I just take online surveys when I can’t find a decent paying job. I make as much as I would have made without out all the overhead. If you can’t beat them go around them.
I started working as a Mystery Shopper in 1997. The best thing I can advise any new shoppers is if a company will not pay you at least $12 do not take it. If we all do that they won’t be able to find shoppers. To me 13yrs. later it is an insult, to see pay go down instead of up. I took a few years off and when I decided to start up again I found companies had changed as well as pay. So just for kicks I did a $6 + 1gal. gas shop. When the company actually got so desperate they called me, to do a job that use to pay $15.00 + $4.00 worth of gas. No pix, just an average shop. I told them to call me when they felt like paying me $20 and we will talk. They are now begging for shoppers paying $28. For them insulting me with $6 I will not even work for them any more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I work in a very depressed area. There were 7 of the $3 shops listed in my area. So I could of made $21 for 7 shops. Big deal. I waited them out and they got up to $6.36 and someone took 6 of them. It must of been and out of towner or they would of known that the one they didn’t take was less then 1/2 mile from one they did take.
that one got up to $8.75 so I took it. If you wait them out sometimes it works. $3 isn’t worth climing in my truck.
I only want to work with legit company’s that do not charge a fee or subscription and seriously want to hire a mystery shopper in my area.
Please do NOT respond if other.
it is not woth your gas for less than 10.00
I agree about not picking up $3-$5 jobs. If you consider gas money, travel time both ways and reporting time and add up everything together, you probably spend more than you receive. I usually request a bonus very nicely and try to bargain. Many a times they go along with me and they appreciate my efforts. Communication helps a lot in getting more jobs and bonus money.
I’ve been a shopper for 10 yrs. now and I rarely do $3-$5 jobs unless it’s nearby a higher paying job that I’m going to do or there’s at least 3 or 4 of them close together that I can do. Most times I get asked to do these jobs when they are desperate and willing to double the payment.
I shopped for a while then my computer got stolen so I was off for almost 2 years. I take good meal shops even without a shoppers fee because I like the restaurants. One company is still offering $5 from three years ago. My car gets lousy gas mileage so I take that into consideration. It takes me anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours to do the surveys on line and I usually get a 9 or 10. One company is offering $25 reimbursement for food and drink which does not include the tip and no shopper’s fee. That is insulting. At the beginning, I did a lot of jobs regardless of the pay for the experience. Now, I’m very choosy. I’m still not in the 21st century with uploading pictures for some of the surveys.
I agree with Stacey and Gloria. I will not work for $4 or $6.00. It is reall an insult. Plus the Reports are long and you spend all of that time filling those things out and if they do not like it sthey will not pay you so you would be “FOOL” to work for nothing because that is what you get. When I started MS it was fun and you mae a decent amount of money. I will not work for pennies and use my gas and precious time for $4.00 or what ever low pay they want to give you. MS Companies try not to pay you as it is they are hard on shoppers as far as puncation is concerned and they tsry to get you on details and what ever they could think of and they laugh at you for working for nothing. I feel so bad for people who take those jobs because they are very desperate and I do not care how desperate I am I could not degrade myself into working for nothing you may as well say you do it for free because you or no one else can tell me that you smile and take it in stride. I just cannot work for nothing and that is what they are asking you to do.
I do not care if the companies do not like what you say because it is the truth and if some of you want to do it be my guest.
I only take these lower paying assignments, when there are several in the same area. This way it makes it worth your time and energy. For example, I just completed some assignments that had to be completed April 12-18. The company allowed one individual to assign themselves up to 40 jobs. I was able to complete a good number of them in that time frame. They were $4.
I do not like to take low paying ones I have contracting from the same company for 3 years and they still try to pay me low. They took a job away because they decided they did not want to pay me 10.00 anymore they thought they would try to get someone and pay them 5.50, and get this they did not even tell me yesterday I had it as a Permanent assignment and today I do not so I sent an email asking whats up!!
Insulting it is, but something is better than nothing!! Like many, I choose and pick, and really after factoring in the time for posting photos, and entering the reports, there is no profit whatsoever!! A scheduler, upset because I asked for more time to finish a report, claimed to have shoppers who did 20 – 30 shops per day, and entered the reports on time! I wished those alleged shoppers would give a seminar, and share clues on how they do what they do!! A shop with narratives, takes me a minimum of an hour, and if there’s pictures to transfer from my camera, label, and upload(??), add more time!! I must be doing something wrong; I always get high marks for my reports, but the speed police would issue citations constantly, for being too slow!! The most shops I’ve ever done in one day, was eleven, and I was well into the next day, before all the reports were finished!! Low pay is an insult, but none of us are forced to accept it! Thank you for the article, and for sharing the insightful commentary!
I believe that the low pay assignments continue to be offered because mystery shoppers are accepting them for whatever reason. I occasionally accept such shops due to my personal finances because the pay adds up to an amount I can use to pay a bill with but I still believe that the compensation is an insult especially when reports require extensive and carefully written narratives.
It is very insulting when they post a job that pays $4.00 when gas is $3.00 dollars a gallon. I know you don’t have to take the assignments, but if everyone turns them down soon they will have raise the pay.