Many mystery shoppers enter the business in large part due to the ability to control their own schedules. Mystery shoppers are able to set their own work hours, working as much or as little as they want. At first glance, your income as a mystery shopper may seem unlimited. However, there are only so many hours in the day to complete assignments, not to mention take care of all of the other obligations in your life! Many mystery shoppers struggle to find more hours in the day to complete assignments and make more money as a mystery shopper.
We unfortunately cannot create a 25 or 26 hour day, so the only other feasible solution for mystery shoppers with already busy schedules to make more many is to become more efficient. Here are a few helpful hints to becoming a more efficient (and profitable) mystery shopper:
Stick To The Requirements. In order to get paid on each assignment, there are certain requirements that must be met. In most cases, the assignment requirements are strict and very clearly outlined. Many mystery shoppers, however, will deviate from the set requirements. Perhaps mystery shoppers spend some extra time browsing the merchandise to appear to be less suspicious, or perhaps they are truly interested in the new line-up of spring apparel. Regardless, if you find yourself window shopping when the requirements don’t say to do this, you are effectively wasting time.
There is one part of mystery shopping that should be fun, and you should allow yourself some time to window shop and enjoy your assignments. However, if your goal is cram as many assignments as possible into a day, spending an extra 20 or 30 minutes during each assignment to shop is wasting time and costing you money.
The Devil Is In The Details. If you find yourself on an outing completing two, three, or more mystery shopping assignments, you are going to have a lot of details to keep straight once you get home and sit down to complete the reports for all of these assignments. As the details jumble around in your head, you may find yourself having trouble recalling details or second-guessing yourself. This boils down to valuable time being wasted.
If you have multiple assignments to complete all at one time, be sure to take notes after each assignment is complete in the privacy of your car. Or, if the assignment allows, you can take notes on-site – such as on a grocery list or tucked away in the stall of a changing or restroom. Then, once you sit down to complete your reports, you will be able to quickly and accurately complete the reports.
Use A Calendar. Busy mystery shoppers make full use of calendars to keep track of all of their obligations. Everything from mystery shopping assignments to personal obligations are outlined on their calendar. With a quick look back at the calendar from time to time, you will easily be able to see if you have time to take on an additional assignment on any given day. You can also use the calendar to ensure you complete all of the assignments scheduled for a specific day. Whether you use the old-school wall calendar or you choose a more high tech version on a hand-held device, the use of a calendar by busy mystery shoppers is a “must”!
Give yourself the extra time boost you’ve been looking for by following these tips to free up more time to complete additional assignments!