Tough economic times are upon us. If you listen to the news reports, we’re all in store for even tougher times in the coming months and possibly years. If you haven’t felt the impact of the economic climate yourself, you likely have friends or family that are getting squeezed financially. As a mystery shopper, you have the ability to control your income to a degree by taking on new assignments. If you need extra cash to help you through tough times, you can pick up a few extra assignments. Seasoned mystery shoppers also have another trick up their sleeves that may help you get some extra cash in your pocket.
Help A Scheduler Out. Mystery shoppers use online forums to exchange ideas, get help with problems, discuss which providers are good to work with, and many other things. Schedulers can and do frequent the mystery shopping forums, reading our posts, and even commenting on them from time to time with helpful suggestions. Schedulers, like mystery shoppers, also visit forums to get their own problems solved.
No doubt you have seen emails from schedulers hit your inbox one after another asking you to take on an assignment. That assignment may be difficult, low paying, or in a rural area. For whatever reason, the mystery shoppers who are receiving that job request are not accepting the assignment, leaving the scheduler in a rut. So schedulers will often post assignments they are having trouble filling on the forums.
The scheduler’s email request only went out to mystery shoppers signed up to work with that provider. Whereas when the assignment is posted on a forum, any mystery shopper can see the assignment, whether they are signed up to work with that provider yet or not. So schedulers can reach a larger number of mystery shoppers by posting hard-to-fill assignments on forums.
What’s In It For You? By the time a scheduler posts a job assignment on the forum, they are likely getting fairly anxious and possibly even desperate to fill the job. After sending out a number of email requests, there’s a good likelihood that the completion date deadline is looming near. The provider may also be feeling as though no mystery shopper will accept the assignment.
To entice a mystery shopper into completing the assignment, there most likely will be some additional pay involved, possibly with a travel bonus or additional reimbursement on a required purchase. Often, a mystery shopper has some negotiating room to get additional pay on the assignment even if it is not offered initially by the scheduler.
In addition to getting extra pay for completing an assignment, helping a scheduler out in this way is a great way to begin a profitable working relationship with a new scheduler and possibly even a new provider. Getting new assignments on forums not only puts extra money in your pocket now, but likely will put some cash in your pocket later as your relationship with this new contact grows.
The next time you want to pick up some extra assignments or start working with a new provider, check out the mystery shopping forums, such as MysteryShopForum.com, to gain some quick cash and get a jump start on creating a valuable relationship with a scheduler.
I have only been doing mystery shopping a couple months but, I have done a variety of assignments.I never would have thoght to look at forum as a way to find more jobs in my immediate area.I live about an hour an a half away from Atlanta and between a full time job a two teenagers a home I don’t have a lot of time to look for those extra job , Thanks for all the helpfull hints and advice. They make my life a bit easier.
Thank you so much for the information. I am certified and just getting started in the business. This will help me find the jobs in my area.
This is so true!
I happened upon a company through a forum and now have regular shops at one of those big shopping clubs. You have to use every available avenue.
Sometimes helping out a scheduler with a dud doesn’t mean anything extra on that job but leads to them offering you a really plum job next time. My only problem is my favorite forum went away. How about an article on what forums are out there?
Forums are good but not as good as establishing a great rapport with a great scheduler. Some of the best are:
Jenn at Goodwin.
Jason at Kern Scheduling.
Jennifer at About Face.
These guys are on top of their game and most of all are trustworthy which in a scheduler means a lot.
Hi Kim ,
I am a interested shopper candidate, but I would first like to clarify some very important details concerning mystery shopping. In the interest of becoming a shadow. Let’s look first at the legal realm of the action.
Question 1. Is a shadow shopper also a stalker
2. What is the difference between a shadow shopper and a stalker.
3. What will happen if I am caught being a shadow shopper.
4.Do I need to obtain an attorney before considering this type of employment.
Thanks
Carla
Car;a: This is free legal advice. You are legal doing mystery shops. The store that you are shopping has ordered the work or the parent store has ordered the work. You are not a stalker. If you feel that you need to hire an attorney first, they will be happy to take your money.I am not an attorney but just happened to graduate from law school. You can never be “caught” as you are not doing anything malicious, perverted or harmful. In fact, you are doing a greater good as a good employee will be rewarded by your efforts and a bad one will get more training. Paranoia is out of bounds for shoppers.
As a scheduler I can also provide some tips.
Be Flexible.
Clients cancel on us occasionally and that means we have to cancel on you. If you throw a fit it is unlikely that you will be scheduled for much in the future, as unfortunately this is the nature of the business.
Check the boards often. We have lots of cancellations and you are more likely to get a more lucrative or fun shop if we need to fill it last minute, especially at the end of the month when we are struggling to get evaluations in.
Jess