The information in your profile may be used to determine whether or not you receive a particular shop offer, so it is important that it is current and correct. Make sure you update your profile when:

You move. Shop offers may be based on your area code or zip code, and you want to receive offers for your area. Of course, you are wondering, “If they use the information in my profile to send shop notices, why did I just get a notice for a shop that is 500 miles from my home?” Although most companies start by offering assignments to shoppers who are nearby, if no one claims the shop they will notify shoppers in a larger radius of the location. That means that at times they send to shoppers who are a long way from a shop location. They are desperate and hope that one of the shoppers they send the notice to can do the shop or refer someone who can. Another important reason to update your address is that some companies still pay by check, and if they do not have your correct address your payment will be delayed in reaching you.

Your email address changes. If you change Internet service providers or get a new email address for other reasons, make sure the mystery shopping companies know, or you may not receive shop offers. Be sure to update your PayPal account, too. Many companies use PayPal to pay mystery shoppers, and if the address on your PayPal account does not match the address the mystery shopping company has for you, you will not be paid in a timely way.

Your MSPA certification status changes. Notify MSPA member companies when you get Silver or Gold Certification from MSPA. MSPA does not notify the companies, you must do so. (And if your email address changes, be sure to get a new certification code and update your profiles with both your new email address and the new certification code.)

Your family situation changes. Many profiles ask for your marital status, number of children, family income and other information.

You obtain new equipment. If you get a digital camera, video camera, digital voice recorder or scanner, some companies will want that information.

You learn a new language. There are mystery shopper jobs that require the ability to speak a language other than English.

You may also want to check and update your profiles when your employment situation changes, you get a new brand of car, start wearing glasses, etc. If a company pays by direct deposit, you will need to let them know of any changes to your banking information.

The first three changes on this list are critical. Update all of your profiles as soon as you possibly can if you experience one of these changes. The others can be updated as you visit each company’s site to check the job board, download guidelines or fill out a report.

Keeping your profiles current will help you get more notices of appropriate mystery shopping assignments.

They are on the right track knowing that they should not pay to sign up with a company. Legitimate mystery shopping companies do not charge you to register.

The companies that charge may be providing a service (which you do not need) or they may just be out-and-out scams. In either case, you should never pay a fee to any company claiming to offer mystery shopper jobs.

So how can you find the legitimate mystery shopper companies that do not charge?

There are several ways. The easy way is to click on this link to my free list of 200 legitimate mystery shopper companies.

Another source of legitimate companies is the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. Companies must meet eligibility criteria, provide references and be approved by the MSPA board of directors in order to join. Companies must sign an ethics agreement which states, among other things, that member companies may not, “charge individuals to become shoppers or to gain access to shopping opportunities.”

There are legitimate companies that are not on my list or members of the MSPA. To find even more mystery shopper companies, you can do a search using your favorite search engine, such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. A few cautions when searching for companies:

Search for terms such as “mystery shopping company” or “mystery shopping companies.” Use the quotation marks in your search term to narrow the search. (With quotation marks, results will include pages that have the entire phrase contained within the quotation marks, giving you better results.)

Some of the listings that will be returned in your search are paid listings. That means the company paid to have their ad shown when someone searched for a particular term, such as “mystery shopping” or “secret shopper jobs.” Some of the ads are from legitimate mystery shopping companies, but many are not.

Beware of any ad or listing that says they are a “mystery shopper review site,” or similar language. They want to refer you to a program that charges so they can get a commission. Do not pay to join any site or company.

Legitimate mystery shopping companies ask for a lot of information on their applications, but they will not charge you and they will not ask for your credit card number. Never pay to shop.

There isn’t just one answer, so let’s take a look at a few possible scenarios.

If you are preparing a resume that will be submitted to mystery shopping companies, you should definitely include any secret shopping experience you have. (Most companies do not require a resume, but a few may.) Never mention the names of clients, as that would violate confidentiality agreements with the mystery shopping companies.

You generally may mention the names of mystery shopping companies for which you have worked, although it is not necessary. For example, when mystery shopper applications ask about my shopper experience, I say something along the lines of, “I have been a mystery shopper since 1995, and I have performed assignments for many companies including…” and there I name a few of the mystery shopping companies I have worked with most often or most recently.

If you are employed full-time and looking for a new job in your field, you may not want to include your mystery shopper jobs. One reason is that the fewer people who know you are a mystery shopper, the better. Also, some employers might be concerned about your attentions being divided or may not really understand mystery shopping.

If you are applying for a job in a field where mystery shopping is commonly used, however,  it may be a plus that tells the prospective employer you understand the importance of quality customer service. In that case, go ahead and let them know that you are a mystery shopper.

If you have been out of work (e.g., laid off or an at-home mom) for an extended period, including your mystery shopping experience can help fill in employment gaps.

How to Include Mystery Shopping on Your Resume

First of all, remember that you are an independent contractor and not an employee of the secret shopping companies. Do not say you were “Employed by” or “An employee of” the mystery shopping providers.

As a contractor, you probably have worked with several companies. Rather than listing all of them, you could simply say something such as, “Worked as an independent evaluator, assessing the customer experience of a variety of businesses in the retail, banking and hospitality fields.” (Your list of industries should include those in which you have worked, so it might include those I listed as well as housing, senior living, online retail, etc.) Just as mentioned above, do not disclose the names of the clients you have shopped. If the prospective employer asks, let them know that you signed confidentiality agreements that do not allow you to discuss specific clients. Honorable people will respect that you are behaving honorably.

Should You Use the Title “Mystery Shopper”?

You could, but I would probably say something such as Independent Auditor, Service Evaluator, etc. Get your thesaurus out and you will come up with lots of great titles!

In summary, mentioning your secret shopper experience can help fill in gaps in your full-time employment history, and can show that you are knowledgeable about customer service issues. However, if you do not need to mention it for those reasons, you may want to pass. Consider that if you are not hired by the business to which you are applying, you may mystery shop them one day. It’s best that they not know about your undercover activities.

Question from a secret shopper:

I want to become a mystery shopper. When I search for information, I get a lot of sites that want me to join. Some of them seem to offer free mystery shops, but others charge a monthly fee. Before I start running up a bunch of charges, I need to know if I can make money as a mystery shopper, and which site I should join. Do I need to join more than one? Help!

First of all, yes, you can make money as a mystery shopper. But you do not need to pay anyone to become a mystery shopper or get mystery shopper jobs. Legitimate mystery shopping companies will not charge you to apply to them.

The “mystery shopping sites” that want to charge you range from sites that provide a service (such as notifying you of job postings) to out-and-out scams. Even most of the sites that provide a service, however, are unnecessary and redundant. Just sign up with a few companies and you will soon have lots of notices of mystery shopper jobs in your area.

Start by applying to some of the companies on this list of nearly 200 legitimate mystery shopping companies. You don’t need to apply to all 200, of course. Start by applying to 10 or so, then apply to a few more as you can. There is no magic number of companies you should apply to. Many shoppers have registered with 50, 100 or more mystery shopping companies. Don’t forget to apply to mystery shop scheduling companies. They work with many secret shopping companies and can offer a wide variety of shops. (Just as with legitimate secret shopping companies, mystery shopper schedulers do not charge you to apply to them, either.) This post on how to become a mystery shopper (and the quick start plan in The Mystery Shopper’s Manual) can help you jump start your mystery shopper career. Good luck!

Well, no, I can’t. The companies that I think are the best might be useless to you. Here are some of the things to consider when deciding which mystery shopping companies are the best for you.

What types of industries do they mystery shop? Most companies say on their websites what industries they serve. Some work with a broad range of industries, while others are more specialized. If you don’t like to do bank shops, a company that specializes in the financial industry is not a good match.

Where do they have assignments? You can not always tell from looking at the website where a company’s clients are located, but there may be clues. Some will say where they have a pressing need for new shoppers, and some may say where their clients are concentrated. Of course, they could land a new national client tomorrow, and all of that changes. Tip: Sometimes companies have more clients in the city or state where they are headquartered. Although I have worked with companies all over the country, you might start by applying to companies located near you.

What do other shoppers say about them? Although confidentiality agreements prohibit us from talking about client-specific issues, we may share information about our experiences with mystery shopping companies. Check out forums (such as Volition or MSPA) to see what other shoppers are saying about mystery shopping companies. If one shopper complains, I would take it with a grain of salt; however, if many have the same issue, there is likely a problem there.

Do they belong to the MSPA? Although there are many good companies that have chosen not to join MSPA, knowing that a company is a member makes me comfortable with them.

So how do you know which companies are “best”? Short answer: It is not always easy to tell, until you start to work with them. Even then, you may not know about some really amazing clients they have, because you will not know about those mystery shopper jobs until you have successfully completed several assignments with the mystery shopping provider.

The course of action I recommend is to apply to as many companies as you can, start picking up assignments here and there and see how it goes. Many shoppers end up do assignments for a few of the same companies nearly every month, with assignments from other companies sprinkled in now and then. If you find that a company never offers shops that are interesting to you, or doesn’t have anything in your area, you can deactivate yourself, stop their emails, or just ignore them.

For great advice on a process that makes applying to mystery shopping providers fast and easy, see the Quick Start Action Plan in The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

First of all, only apply to legitimate mystery shopping companies. That means you should not apply to companies that charge you a fee or require you to sign up for “offers.” Refer to this list of nearly 200 legitimate mystery shopping companies: http://MysteryShoppersManual.com/mystery-shopping-companies

I recommend that secret shoppers sign up with as many companies as they can. You never know which company will come through with the most assignments for you, or even that dream assignment to mystery shop a resort or spa.

But your time is limited, right? So when do you stop applying and start mystery shopping?

One way to get started is by searching for companies with job postings in your area at http://www.Jobslinger.com/. Although the assignments you find will probably not be your dream jobs (those often get offered in private emails, rather than public job postings) you can see which companies are actively seeking shoppers near you.

Apply to a few companies at a time. If you are a new mystery shopper, you may not be getting many assignments yet. Spend the time you have available applying to more companies to increase your opportunities.

Once you start mystery shopping more frequently, you may have less time to make applications. That’s good—it means you are busy earning money! However, it can be a good idea to take time now and them to submit a few more applications.

I find that when I complete several applications in a row, I get into a rhythm that makes the process go faster. Be prepared (Read this post on how to become a mystery shopper for tips.) and it could take just a few minutes to complete the typical mystery shopper application.

When you apply to lots of mystery shopping companies, you may find that the amount of email you get is overwhelming. You can deal with that a few ways.

• Use a unique email address for mystery shopping, and only check it when you are looking for assignments.
• Filter or label incoming emails to identify those from your favorite companies.
• Go “no mail.” Some systems have the option of turning off email notifications. You can still view the job board and apply for assignments, but you will not get emails from them.
• Deactivate yourself from a company’s shopper data base. If a company never has mystery shopping assignments you want, that might be appropriate.

So how many applications is too many? There really is no upper limit. As long as you are finding good companies to which you can apply, why not do so?

I am going to move to another state in about six months. Should I start applying to mystery shopping companies now, and take assignments in my present location, or should I wait until after I move to get started? Would applying now be a waste of time?

There isn’t one correct answer to this question. It depends on you and your situation. Here are some of the things you will want to consider.

Will you have time to mystery shop over the next six months, or will you be busy preparing to move? If you will not be able to accept any assignments, then whether you apply now or later really doesn’t matter.

Applying now can get you in to the data bases and allow you to start getting some experience. That may help you to hit the ground running once you have moved and are ready for more work.

On the other hand, you may find that some of the companies and schedulers who have assignments where you are now will have few or no assignments in your new location. That means that you might want to focus on applying to some of the large national companies. One way to find companies with clients in both your present and future locations is to search for jobs on Jobslinger, using both zip codes.

Another option is to apply to the mystery shopping scheduling companies that work with a variety of companies. They may have clients across the country, making it easy to get assignments now and later.

Remember that you will have to update all of your profiles with your new information after you move, so you may not want to apply to a large number of companies before the move.

This could also be a good time to lay the groundwork for becoming a successful shopper. You might think about completing your Silver and/or Gold Certification now, if that is something you wish to do.

You have to make your own decision about when to apply and to how many companies, but here is what I would do:

• If your email address will change when you move, get one that won’t change, such as through Gmail.
• Get certified. Complete at least your MSPA Silver Certification. It really can help get those first assignments.
• Apply to mystery shopping scheduling companies.
• Choose a few national companies and apply to them.
• Take a few assignments, when you can. Always do a great job. They do not want to hear that you forgot to do the job because you were showing your house, or packing for the move.
• Once you move, update your profiles with the secret shopping companies as soon as you can. If you have established relationships with a few schedulers, send them each an email to let them know about your new location, and that you are eager to continue performing mystery shops for them.

I want to be a mystery shopper, but I am concerned because I hear about a lot of scams associated with secret shopping. How do I find legitimate companies, and how can I tell if a company is legitimate or not?

I get this question a lot. Many people write that every company they find wants to charge them to apply. Not only are those not legitimate mystery shopping companies, they are probably not mystery shopping companies at all. If they ask you to pay, do not apply.

A simple Internet search will turn up lots of legitimate companies, as well as several companies that are less than trustworthy. Many of the companies that rank well in the search engines are established, quality companies, but not all are. Search engine placement is not enough to go on.

You can access my free list of nearly 200 legitimate mystery shopping companies here. None of those companies charge.

Companies that belong to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association go through a screening process. Violations of the ethics and standards established by the MSPA can result in membership being revoked. If a company belongs to the MSPA, they are legitimate. Although many MSPA member companies (including mine) display the MSPA logo on their sites, do not assume that a logo means the company is a member. If they are scammers, they would have no problem in lying about MSPA membership. You can verify MSPA membership at the MSPA web site. (FYI–my company’s name is Special Interests.)

See what other shoppers are saying about them. Many forums have feedback about mystery shopping companies. Visit the mystery shopper forum at Volition.com and search for the company name. If there is no feedback on the company, ask. It is generally not a violation of confidentiality agreements to factually state your experience with a company. If you find that one or two shoppers had bad experiences, but most like working for them, you can assume that the bad experiences are not typical. However, if you see a lot of shoppers complaining about the company, you would be wise to avoid them.

Does something just not seem right? The mystery shopper check scam is a good example of this. Why would a company you do not have a contract with send you a check for $3000, tell you to wire most of it to Canada, and keep $300? So many things about this should cause you to question it. (Why do you have to wire so much money? Why are they paying you $300 for something they say takes about an hour? Why would they send you a valid check with no contract?) Trust your instincts.

If you have any doubts, move on to the next company. There are hundreds of legitimate mystery shopping providers, so there is no reason to take a chance on any company that is at all questionable.

Have questions? I’ve got answers. Submit your mystery shopping questions to me at cathy (at) idealady (dot) com. 

EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. You might think of it as the equivalent of a Social Security Number for businesses. Mystery shoppers are not required to obtain EINs, however, many choose to do so. With all the concerns about online privacy and identity theft, mystery shoppers are more likely than ever to want to protect their Social Security Numbers. Having an EIN is one way to do that. Here is what you need to know about what an EIN is, why you might want one, and how to go about getting one. (It’s faster and easier than you may think.)

EINs are issued to businesses by the Internal Revenue Service. They are required for companies with employees and certain other types of businesses. Most mystery shoppers are sole proprietors who work as independent contractors. That means that we are not required to have EINs, but we are eligible.

Why would you want an EIN? Many mystery shoppers are uncomfortable about giving out their Social Security Numbers (SSN) online each time they register with a mystery shopping company. Protecting your SSN is a good idea, because scammers can use it to steal your identity.

Although most companies have secure web sites (I would NEVER enter my Social Security Number or other sensitive data on a site that is not secure.) that is no such thing as data being 100% safe and secure. That is true whether we are talking about applying for mystery shopper jobs online, buying something with a credit card at a local restaurant, or any other way personal data may be used.

When you have an EIN, you may use it in place of your SSN in your business dealings. Most mystery shopping companies will have no problem with you entering an EIN rather than a SSN. You may also use your EIN in other business-related activities such as opening a business bank account and filing your income tax return. Do not use your EIN in non-business circumstances where a SSN is requested, or when applying for a job where you would be classified as an employee. The EIN is only for your business dealings.

EINs are free, and it is easier than ever to get one. In fact, you can apply for an EIN online and have your number in minutes.

Even though using an EIN in place of your SSN provides a measure of protection, if you are concerned about identity theft, you may wish to use a service such as LifeLock. I signed up a while back, and I like the peace of mind they provide.

We have noticed a substantial increase in the number of evaluations we must return to shoppers because they are incomplete, have poor explanations, or just don’t make sense. I think in most cases we pay well, but we can’t seem to figure out why the quality has gone down – other than the influence of text messaging.

Do you think this is an exaggeration? Judging by the email I sometimes receive, I do not believe that it is.

Because my company belongs to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, I get emails from people who want to be mystery shoppers and think I may be able to hire them. (Note: Regular MSPA membership is limited to companies actively providing mystery shopping services to clients. I am an Associate Member, because I provide services to the MSPA and member companies. Mystery shoppers are not currently eligible for MSPA membership.) Although many of these emails are written in proper business English, others are loaded with errors and are very difficult to read and understand.

Here is one email I received, in full, exactly as written:

I HAVE A VAST PAST EXPERIENCE IN THE RETAIL BUSINESS AND KNOW THE IMPROTANCE OF HAVE RETURNING CUSTOMERS AND MYSTERY SHOPPERS IS THE TOOL TO PROVIDE TO THE COMPANIES THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU AS THE OWNER OR OPERATORE OF THE COMPNAY NEED TO DO TO GET SALES UP AND CUSTOMERS HAPPY.

Let’s see . . . could this use any improvement? Aside from the three spelling errors, the fact that it is one run-on sentence, and the poor grammar—oh yeah, it is written in ALL CAPS.

I have honestly been impressed with the quality of the comments I receive on this blog. They are not only thoughtful, but well-written. I know there are lots of mystery shoppers with excellent writing skills. However, you might be surprised by the number of emails I get that look like the one above.

Another common writing error is using sentence fragments:

“Any help you can provide. Would be appreciated.”

We all make writing errors from time to time. Yes, that means me, too. I hear the complaint that mystery shopping companies expect us to write well, but emails from schedulers often contain errors. That is not the point. Emails from schedulers to shoppers are not the same as reports we shoppers are submitting that will go to clients. And if you think I am too picky about errors such as the sentence fragment in the last example, you should know that an email that includes errors such as that one typically has several other errors, too.

Keep in mind that many of the errors I see are in emails where someone is asking me to hire them. I don’t know about you, but when I am seeking a job I try to put my best foot forward. That means wearing a nice, clean outfit to the interview, arriving on time, being responsive to the interviewer’s questions, and thanking them for considering me. If all the hiring company knows about me is what is on my application or in an email I sent, I will always make it my best work. People who are careless in writing an application are not going to be better writers when it is time to do a mystery shop report.

What is the reason for all of this bad writing? Well, the rise of texting and emailing is probably a factor. These casual forms of communication encourage speed and immediacy, not quality writing. Have educational standards declined? It has been said that we are graduating students who are unable to read their diplomas. If true, that is tragic.

Some people maintain that the language is evolving, and people who insist on proper spelling, grammar and sentence structure are behind the times. Language does evolve, and you can find proof by reading something that was written in American English 100 years ago. However, the standards for business writing have not yet evolved to, “C U L8R.” Or perhaps I should have said “devolved,” as I do not see text-speak as a forward progression.

If you believe your writing skills may not be up to par, take action to improve. Sign up for a business writing class at your community college. Take a one-day grammar workshop. Read books on grammar and writing.

Learning proper writing does not have to be deadly-dull. Listen to the Grammar Girl podcast for short, entertaining lessons that will make you a better speaker and writer. Or pick up one of the books listed below to laugh out loud while you learn about grammar, spelling and punctuation.