The Mystery Shopper’s Manual

The first 2008 dates for the Mystery Shopping Providers Association Gold Certification have been announced. There will be more, but here are the first four:

February 16, 2008 – Austin, TX

February 23, 2008 – Orlando, FL

March 1, 2008 – San Diego, CA

March 8, 2008 – Phoenix, AZ

Exact locations have not been determined for all of these, but you can get learn more and register for a workshop at the MSPA web site: http://www.MysteryShop.org/shoppers/gold.php

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Although you will not get rich through mystery shopping alone, there are strategies you can follow to turn your mystery shopping income into a fortune. No, it is not a trick, it is not illegal, and it will not happen overnight. However, the money you make as a secret shopper can make you wealthy. Here is how . . .
…continue reading Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Mystery Shopper?

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We have all seen emails and mystery shop postings where some of the requirements seem, well, insulting. The job description and overall tone seem condescending and even rude. They include things such as: …continue reading Insulting Emails from Mystery Shopping Companies

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One way to get more mystery shopping assignments is to apply to more companies. Schedule an hour or two every week, or a few minutes every day, to get your information in the shopper data bases of more mystery shopping companies. The company to which you apply today may be the source of a great mystery shop tomorrow.

This can be true even if the company does not have assignments available in your area today. You never know when they will get a new client with locations near you, and if you are already in their data base you will be among the first to know about them.

I have added a list of nearly 200 mystery shopping and scheduling companies to this site. Visit my list of legitimate mystery shopping companies that do not charge application fees to find more places to apply.

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The deadline for incurring expenses that can be deducted on your 2007 tax return is December 31, 2007. But before you rush out to buy that new computer, cell phone or other item that you think you have to have, consider if it is best to buy it now or wait for 2008. Here are some of the factors that should influence your decision. …continue reading Last-Minute Tax Deductions

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I love to mystery shop restaurants. Getting paid to eat seems like the best job ever! ;o) Here is a follow up to my article on mystery shopping restaurants with more tips to make your restaurant shops easier and your reports better: …continue reading More Restaurant Mystery Shopping Tips

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You just spent more than an hour writing a detailed narrative report. You are almost finished when you click on what you think is the spellcheck button and . . . BAM! your report is gone, lost in cyberspace.

Has this (or something like it) ever happened to you? …continue reading Defeating the Mystery Shopping Computer Demons

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There are times when mystery shopping that you will use a name other than your own. In this article, we will consider when you should do this, when you should not, if there are any legal or ethical issues, and points to remember when using a name other than your own. …continue reading Secret Shopping with a Fake Name

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What do you say when friends and relatives ask about how they can get in on this cool job? It seems that everyone wants to become a mystery shopper, and they want you to take them by the hand and show them exactly what to do. Should you help them? Do you want to encourage someone who could suddenly be competing with you for the same assignments? If you do help them, how can you do so without violating your confidentiality agreements? And what if you know they just aren’t cut out for secret shopping?

…continue reading “How Can I Become a Secret Shopper?”

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