If you are like so many other mystery shoppers, you quickly browse through the mystery shopping job boards and select the assignments that you feel are premium assignments. These may be great assignments because of their location, their compensation or other related factors. Likewise, there may be at least a few assignments that you notice are sitting on the boards day after day. Like you, nobody else seems to want to jump on those assignments either. Perhaps they are located off-the-beaten-path, have low compensation or just altogether seem undesirable. While it is easy to continue to pass over these assignments day after day, there are a few reasons why you may want to give them a second look.
The Real Benefits
While some assignments truly have nothing beneficial to offer you, some may actually not be quite as bad as you first thought. Why not spend a few minutes reading through the assignment one more time? Consider crunching the numbers to see how long it would actually take you to travel to that location and complete the site visit. While you’re taking a closer look at it, consider what you may buy with the expense reimbursement. Then, consider what it is about the assignment that is truly not appealing to you. With many seemingly dud assignments, the fact is that there truly isn’t anything wrong with them at all.
The Possibility of a Bonus
On the other hand, some assignments may have something that is legitimately turning you off about them. For example, the drive to the venue may take you over an hour to complete, or perhaps the shopping date or time doesn’t jive with your schedule. The fact is that if the assignment has been posted for more than a week or two, you actually can consider approaching your provider and asking for a bonus. Consider how much money it would take to make that assignment worthwhile for you. In some cases, you may get travel compensation and a general bonus to really sweeten the deal.
On the Provider’s Good Side
Of course, you should also consider the fact that you may just get on the provider’s good side when you pick up an assignment that has been outstanding for a while. This is especially true if the provider has sent out a few emails already asking for someone to step up to the plate and complete the assignment. This can help you to be considered for other assignments in the future, and it can pay off significantly over the long term. If the assignment truly is not financially worthwhile, however, be sure to step up and request suitable compensation before you say that you will do it.
Some assignments truly should be passed over. They will take up far too much of your time or are far too detailed to be worth the compensation. However, many assignments actually do have a silver lining, so it is worth your time to take a closer look at those assignments that everyone else is passing over.