The Mystery Shopper’s Manual

A mystery shopper asks:

I got several gift cards as Christmas gifts, and including some for stores and restaurants I sometimes visit as a secret shopper. May I use these gift cards on mystery shops, instead of paying with my own money? What about gift cards that are issued by the credit card companies (e.g., Visa, American Express), not the store or restaurant? May I use those on mystery shops?

Generally, you should be able to use gift cards on mystery shopping assignments. However, there are a few exceptions. …continue reading May I Use Gift Cards on Mystery Shopper Jobs?

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Impact Marketing is a mystery shopping company based in Dallas, Texas. They have performed video mystery shopping for new home builders all over the United States since 1999.

Shana Cyr, VP of Sales for Impact Marketing, recently answered some questions about mystery shopping for them. Here is what she had to say: …continue reading Impact Marketing Mystery Shopping Company

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I got started in mystery shopping back in the “old days,” before the Internet. When reports were mailed, there was not a big rush to get the report submitted within hours of completing the shop visit. Of course, smart mystery shoppers did their reports soon after the shop so that all of the details were still fresh in their minds; however, that didn’t have to mean staying up all night to get the final report completed within six hours of leaving the client location.

These days, report deadlines are very short. Many reports must be submitted within 24 hours of completing the shop, but others may have to be done within six hours, or within twelve hours, by midnight, 10:00 a.m. or noon the following day.

The deadlines have gotten shorter for us because mystery shopper reports have more value when they are fresh, so clients want the reports as soon as they can get them. They may expect to have a report 24 or 48 hours after the shop visit. Remember that the report has to be reviewed by an editor before it can be released, so that means we have to submit the report within several hours after the visit to meet the client deadline. And if the editor has questions about your report, you need to be available to answer them quickly, so the report can be finalized and released.

What can you do to make sure you produce quality reports by the deadline? Here are some tips. …continue reading Mystery Shopper Report Deadlines

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As independent contractors, mystery shoppers get to deduct reasonable and necessary business expenses. That can mean anything from pens and notepads to ink and toner, cell phones, computers and other supplies and equipment. Tax deductions can also include educational expenses, such as books and courses.

You should never purchase something just because the expense can be deducted. Deductions reduce your taxable income, and therefore you pay less in tax, but it is not a one-for-one deduction. That means if you spend $100, you do not pay $100 less in taxes. Your “savings” may be about $25 – $50, depending on your overall income level. It is a nice savings for those necessary expenses, but buying something you do not need just to get a tax deduction doesn’t make sense.

It does make sense, however, to time your purchases to make the best use of tax deductions. If you want to reduce your taxable income for this year, you still have some time to buy things you need. For example, if you had more independent contractor income than expected this year, and want to reduce your tax bill, now is the time to stock up on some supplies, or make a purchase you have been considering, such as a laptop computer or mystery shopper certification. …continue reading Last-Minute Tax Deductions for Secret Shoppers

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In 2009, the Obama administration decided to try to stimulate the economy by giving people more money in their paychecks. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) adjusted the schedules employers use to withhold taxes from employee pay. The idea was that with more money in their paychecks, people would spend more and that would help get the economy back on track.

Unfortunately, many of the people who got more money in their paychecks this year may find Uncle Sam waiting with his hand out when they file their taxes next year. Some may even find that they will have to pay a penalty for the underwithholding, in addition to the tax they owe.

It is estimated that 15.4 million taxpayers had too little tax withheld and will owe money to the government. So who are these taxpayers?
…continue reading Will You Owe Money to the IRS?

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BestMark has been the leader in Mystery Shopping since 1986 and is currently accepting applicants for opportunities ranging from casual & fine dining to electronics retailers, amusement parks, and automotive establishments.

There are thousands of opportunities throughout the country, and all you have to do is fill out a free application to be considered! BestMark is hiring right now for these opportunities and more, so visit:

http://www.bestmark.com/become_a_shopper.htm

Tell them Cathy Stucker sent you!

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As mystery shoppers, we are often asked to present a specific scenario, and we may have to “act” the part of a customer much different from ourselves. However, the mystery shoppers described in a recent story in the New York Times seem to have taken this to new levels.

De Gelderse Roos is a psychiatric complex in the Netherlands, about 40 miles from Amsterdam. They hired a consulting firm to provide feedback on conditions in a locked ward in the facility, by placing mystery shoppers posing as patients in the hospital. The “undercover patients” were psychiatric nurses who were given detailed back stories and extensive training before being admitted to the facility. And just in case things got out of hand, they even had a “safe word” to use when communicating with the actors playing their family members.

Although the typical mystery shopper would never be asked to do such a potentially dangerous assignment, it is interesting to learn about the ways mystery shopping is being used to make conditions better in all kinds of places.

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