If you are like most people, you are probably thinking about ways you can improve yourself in the new year. As a mystery shopper, you’ve likely had your share of issues and challenges with mystery shopping over the last year. So making some changes and improvements to your mystery shopping skills is likely high on your list of things to accomplish in the new year. Here are just a few ways you can improve your mystery shopping skills:
Pay Attention! If you have completed even a handful of mystery shopping assignments, you know that mystery shopping requires a great deal of attention to detail. If your attention is divided when you are reviewing your assignment guidelines, doing the on-site visit, or completing the report, you likely are going to miss something vital to the assignment.
Be sure when you are reviewing your assignment requirements that you fully understand what it is that you need to accomplish during the on-site visit. It often helps to visualize yourself doing the on-site visit and completing each of the requirements. Then when you are on-site, give the assignment your undivided attention and get fully immersed in your job. Make the mental notes you need to, based on the assignment requirements.
Reporting For Duty! Your report is vital to your mystery shop assignment. If you completed the assignment to the letter of the requirements, it really doesn’t mean anything if you can’t relay the details of your assignment in the written report. Spend some time reviewing the report and ensuring that you understand the specific questions being asked. Then make sure that your answers clearly answer the question that was being asked. As always, check for typos and make sure your written word is legible and understandable. Make it a point to never submit your report without proofreading your report at least once.
De-Clutter to De-Stress! Think about the issues you may have had over the last year with mystery shopping. Perhaps you got the date or time of an assignment incorrect, or you may have lost a receipt on an assignment that required a purchase. Perhaps you had trouble receiving payment from a provider but could not locate the paperwork from the assignment.
Many of the issues and challenges mystery shoppers have stem from a poorly organized or even an all-out messy, cluttered work space. If you don’t already have a space in your home committed to your mystery shopping job, make it your first priority to create some space for mystery shopping in your life and home. This may be an area as large as a completely separate home office, or it may be as small as a hanging folder in a file cabinet.
Then spend some time creating a file system both on your computer and in your workspace to neatly store your paperwork and files related to mystery shopping. Of course the most important part of any filing system is actually using it. So as the year progresses, be sure to file the papers and documents away in the correct spot. If you take a few minutes today to organize yourself, the rest of your year will be de-cluttered and more organized, giving you happier mystery shopping days throughout the year.
If you are already proficiently strong in these aspects of your mystery shopping life, take a look at where you seem to be having the most challenges with mystery shopping and spend some time making adjustments to improve your life as a mystery shopper!
I have a file system and a spreadsheet in Excel. The file system is manilla folders arranged in alphabetical order. The tabs have the name of the shop such as “Dan’s Flooring” and the date done. I got in a habit of placing each job’s information prior to going into a folder. That helps with organization in the car and is filing ready once it is done. In Excel, I have a separate workpage for each of the following ;gas receipts, tolls, shop receipts, shopping companies, shops in progress, shop payments, and miscellaneous expenses. On each page, I have columns according to the information needed. This helps me stay organized. I know who has paid and when, what shops are coming due, what expenses I have incurred, and am ready for the end of year. I hope this helps.
I like Dan’s system, however I use Yahoo Notes, with a folder for requested jobs, assigned jobs, completed jobs, and paid jobs.
Each job title is preceded by the name of scheduling company, the shop, rate, due date, and ID numbers. Once I apply for a job, it’s corresponding file begins in the requested file, and progresses from that point on. In Yahoo, changing or moving a file, is but a mouse click. Concurrent with this, I use Google Calendar, which has a feature wherein I can print an itinerary based upon what’s on my calendar, for any day, week, or whatever. I may use Excel to track mileage, and expense/revenue, but the who, what, where, when, and how, is managed nicely with Yahoo and Google. I have a hunch that Google Documents may have some benefits, but I’ve yet to take time and explore. Anyone having experience with Google Documents is invited to kindly share! Thanks for the article(^_^(*
I also use a Excel spreadsheet to keep track of my assignments and payments. Each year I reaccess my form and tweak it to make sure I am including pertain info. This spreadsheet goes directly to the accountant along with any expenses in a nice neat format. Organization will either make you money or the lack there of will take it away. Deal with the filing and documentation within 24 hours or less. I would suggest for anyone relying solely on electronic recording to keep some kind of manual one…. my computer crashed and I lost everything two years ago. Make room in your garage for all your annual paperwork. We have to keep our supporting documents for the same timeframe as all other tax filers. Good Luck.