Some mystery shoppers are currently busier than they ever have been, taking on more and more mystery shopping assignments and racking up the bucks with each paycheck. Others, however, seem to be just barely scraping by and are not making nearly the amount of money they would like to from this job. Whether mystery shopping is your side gig or you are trying to make it as a full-time mystery shopper, there are some things that you can do to enjoy a busier work scheduler. Here are some tips:
Review Your Providers. You should start by taking a closer look at your providers. Are your providers offering you a great selection of assignments? Some providers only offer a a small number of assignments in a certain location, so unless you are willing to travel, you may need to expand your horizons a bit. Some providers are great about offering you a great selection, but if you are outside the main area where they do business, you may find that the selection is limited.
Expand Your Providers. Whether your provider just offers fewer assignments in general or they offer fewer assignments in your unique location, it truly can pay off in big ways to expand the number of providers you work with. Many mystery shoppers don’t just work with one or two providers, but rather five or ten. There is a balance here, though, as you don’t want to get buried under mounds of assignment requirements and spend your time going through job boards. Instead, you want to find that balance that allows you to find a great selection of possible assignments so that you can get out in the field making money.
Expand Your Horizons. Sometimes the problem with being to slow doesn’t have anything to do with the providers, but rather it has to do with you as a mystery shopper. Many mystery shoppers get lured into the job with the dream of performing assignments at luxury resorts, fine dining restaurants, and even cruise ships. Of course, these assignments are few and far behind, and you likely will never see these if you don’t work on other assignments between now and then. This is because often the mystery shoppers for those assignments are hand-picked based on your experience working with a provider. So in the meantime, get your hands on a variety of assignments and stay busy doing the more mundane assignments like working at grocery stores, restaurants, and movie theaters.
It can really be difficult for some mystery shoppers to fill up their schedules with paying assignments. Sometimes the problem is the providers you choose to work with, and sometimes the problem rests with you. Either way, once you identify the problem, you can then make some adjustments and move on with a busier and more profitable schedule. Take time today to identify just what problems are keeping you from being as busy as you would like to me, and then make the adjustments necessary to book your schedule right up!
Am looking forward to being part of the team. I have done thi in the past and it was great and I can’t wait to get started again.
With the cost of gas, some assignments seems to not be profitable at all, however, with careful checking with the different suppliers you use, you can schedule several shops each day and wind up making a tidy paycheck. I only work with suppliers that have direct deposit. This limits me some but it help me keep better track of the money that I make. I wish all suppliers of jobs would use Paypal or some form of direct deposit for now because it costs as much to get the checks to the bank as it takes to do 2 or three shops most days.
I’m a senior citizens and this part-time “job” helps me keep pace with the ever increasing cost of everying from food to utility bills. I’m 71 and although in good health haven’t been able to find a part-time or full-time job that needs my skills. Even the largest of the retail stores employs greeters, which I know I could do as I enjoy walking around and greeting people, it seems that my age may be a barrier.
What this all means is that being a mystery shopper, except for very few jobs doesn’t have an age limit and I can zip around from assignment to assignment and have extra cash that I need to keep my budget in line. Thanks for writing this article, it inspired me and I’ve been at this 3 plus years now and have enjoyed every minutes…..and work the house and days I want to work!
When signing up with various companies and even getting confirmation, it is good to check back to update your profile or extended profile because many companies will not email shop availability or even allow you to view the job board until this has been done.
This article didn’t really help me any,it is hard to schedule enough jobs in my area without spending my pay on gas.I would like for the companies to post the districts they service before I fill out the applications.This is only a waste of time for me when I could be finding actual jobs.I have been doing mystery shopping for the past 5 years and it would be hard to make a full time salary out of it.I have never been able to locate the big money shops which everyone writes about. Where are the shops for cruises and vacation shops?
Also the reports are so detailed and expect such perfect feedback that it hardly makes it worth my time when a shop is to last 30 minutes in store and answer 50 questions on line.However I do continue to shop because I enjoy it and still have the belief that one day I will find a company that time invested and pay is equal to the work.