When we do get together with other people, we have to watch what we say so we don’t violate our confidentiality agreements. But it doesn’t really matter, because even if we could talk about what we do, they wouldn’t really understand. Getting paid to shop? That sounds like a pretty cushy gig to most people.

Wouldn’t it be great to get together with a bunch of other shoppers once in a while? Sharing a meal, talking about mystery shopping, exchanging tips and leads about your favorite companies, or just talking about the stuff cube dwellers discuss around the water cooler sounds like fun, right? Expanding your network and learning from other mystery shoppers can also make you a better, more successful shopper.

One easy way to meet and network with other shoppers is through a meetup group. There are several groups already in existence around the country, but if there isn’t one in your area, you can start one. Here are some ideas.

A simple way to hook up with other shoppers interested in meeting is at http://mysteryshoppers.meetup.com/. You can see the existing groups, and also find others who are looking for a group. If there isn’t one in your area, why not start one? Using the web site to manage your group requires payment of a small monthly fee, but they provide tools to help you manage and communicate with the group.

You can also find other shoppers and spread the word on forums and message boards such as http://forum.volition.com/ or in the shopper area at http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers. Simply post that you want to get together with other shoppers and you will probably find several who are interested.

Your meetings can be informal get-togethers where everyone just chats and enjoys the company of other shoppers, or you can have programs where shoppers and others share information and tips to help everyone become better shoppers. For example, a shopper might demonstrate how she uses a piece of equipment on mystery shops, or you might have an accountant talk about tax issues, or someone present some grammar and writing tips to improve everyone’s reports.

IMPORTANT: Even though you are all mystery shoppers, you still need to keep confidential information confidential. That means no talking about specific clients or shops.

Having a network of shoppers in your area can be helpful when you have an emergency. You should avoid canceling a shop unless you absolutely have no choice; however, if you must cancel, being able to suggest another shopper who could fill in for you can help to save the day (and your reputation with the scheduler).

Because we do not have co-workers, building our own groups of co-workers through meetup groups can make mystery shopping more satisfying and keep us from feeling isolated. Why not make some new mystery shopping friends today?

MSPA has more than 150 member companies worldwide. There are currently three chapters–North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific–with a South America chapter planned for the near future. In order to join the MSPA, companies must have been in business providing mystery shopping services for at least two years, agree to adhere to the MSPA’s Code of Professional Standards, have a reputation for conducting business in a professional manner, and provide client references.

Companies that provide services to the secret shopping industry, such as companies that provide computer systems and other services to mystery shopping companies, may apply for Associate Membership.

The MSPA provides educational and promotional opportunities to members, and they also promote the industry as a whole. For example, the MSPA conducts an active public relations campaign to inform businesses and the public about the value of mystery shopping and to educate prospective shoppers about secret shopping and avoiding scams. The MSPA has worked with law enforcement authorities to identify and prosecute those who may be running a secret shopper scam.

As a secret shopper, what does the MSPA do for you? First of all, because the MSPA establishes and maintains standards for member companies, shoppers can feel comfortable contracting with companies that belong to the MSPA. Many of the prospective mystery shoppers who contact me are confused about how to know which firms are legitimate mystery shopping companies and which are not. One simple way to spot a legitimate company is if they belong to the MSPA. There are, of course, legitimate companies that do not belong to the MSPA; however, if they are MSPA members you can be sure that they are legitimate.

The MSPA promotes education for shoppers through the Silver and Gold Certification programs, as well as the annual Shopper Educational Conference. Although Certification is not a requirement to become a secret shopper, many MSPA member companies give first access to shops, or other benefits, to shoppers who have completed certification. The annual conference provides an opportunity to network with other shoppers as well as representatives from many mystery shopping companies.

You will find resources for secret shoppers in the shopper area of the MSPA web site, including a forum, job board and more. Certified shoppers can also print business cards and participate in live chats in the shopper resource center.

Check out the Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s web site at http://www.MysteryShop.org/ to learn more about how the MSPA serves the mystery shopping industry.

As mystery shoppers, we are independent contractors. That means that we are responsible for marketing our services to mystery shopping companies. When you have business cards, mystery shopping companies see it as evidence that you take your shopping career seriously and you treat it as a business. The most important reason to have business cards is so you can present them when dealing with mystery shopping companies.

You may have the opportunity to meet mystery shopping company representatives if you attend an MSPA certification workshop or the annual shopper educational conference. Being able to hand them a business card helps to make a great impression.

Back when I started mystery shopping (in 1995), most of the interaction with companies was through the mail. Although today most assignments are handled via the internet, there are still times when you mail something to a company, such as a signed Independent Contractor Agreement, receipt or other shop documentation. Attaching a business card is neater and more professional than scrawling your name and contact information on a slip of paper. You can also attach your business card to items you scan or fax to mystery shopping companies.

So what information should be on your card? At a minimum, your name, phone number(s) and email address. You should also indicate where you shop, such as a range of cities or a region. If you are MSPA certified, indicate your certification status. You may include your mailing address. If you have a lot of experience, mention how many years you have mystery shopped.

Although a title is not necessary, you could say you are a mystery shopper, or you could say customer service evaluator, retail auditor or some other euphemism. If you also do merchandising and demos, you may mention that, too.

Your business cards should be polished and professional. Order them from a professional printer (see the links on this page) or print them on your computer printer, but make them look good.

Once you have them, use them! Business cards will not do you any good sitting in a desk drawer.

Cathy Stucker is the author of The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

There is no reason to pay for access to mystery shopper job listings, and that is the idea behind Jobslinger.com. Jobslinger is sponsored and maintained by SurfMerchants, the folks who bring you SASSIE. John Hsu of SurfMerchants (pictured here) is the diabolical genius behind Jobslinger, and partners in Jobslinger include the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), Volition, SASSIE and Demozilla. John and his team gave a presentation demonstrating the awesome power of this new mystery shopper job board at the MSPA Shopper Educational Conference last month. Here is what you need to know about putting Jobslinger to work for you.

The first step is to set up an account (for free, of course). Then you can start searching for mystery shops.

One of the features I like a lot is MyTarget. It allows me to specify what kinds of assignments I want: location, class (mystery shops, demos, exit interviews, etc.), category (banks, casual dining, etc.), and even a minimum pay rate, as well as other options. Now, when I log in, all I have to do is click on MyTarget and I am instantly shown all of the current postings matching the criteria I have selected. How cool is that?

Of course, you can also perform searches through the Quick Job Search (just plug in a zip code) or Advanced Search, where you can specify several criteria for the search.

Assignments are gathered from job boards at MSPA, Voltion, Demozilla and SASSIE, so there are lots of great jobs available. And, unlike some job boards, the jobs are fresh and unfilled. That is because all of the listings on Jobslinger are authorized by the schedulers who will assign the jobs. Some of the job boards out there (we won’t name names here) “scrape” listings off mystery shopping sites without permission. Bad karma for them, and wasted time for you, as the listings are usually not kept current.

In doing a search today, I found some interesting assignments offered by companies for which I had not registered. That inspired me to sign up with those companies. Not only will I be eligible for the jobs they currently have posted, being in their data bases means that I will receive notices of future shops. And I already know they have assignments in my area.

For those of you who do routes (where you set up a batch of shops to be completed in one trip), or if you like to do shops while you are traveling, Jobslinger makes it easy to locate shops in places outside of the small area right around where you live. Just plug in the zip codes or cities where you want to find assignments.

Give Jobslinger a try and see how it can help you get more mystery shopping jobs.

Cathy Stucker is the author of The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association has a free mystery shopping message board in the shopper area of their Web site at http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers

When posting to a public message board, please keep in mind that as mystery shoppers we agree to maintain the confidentiality of proprietary information. Proprietary information includes the names of mystery shopping clients, fees, questions on report forms, etc. That means you should not post questions such as, “Who shops Olive Garden?,” or “How much does Mystery Shopping Company X pay for their high end restaurant mystery shop?” And you do not want to answer questions such as these, either.

You can look for other shoppers in your area by posting questions such as, “Is anyone else mystery shopping in Hawaii?” Or ask, “What is it like to do video mystery shopping?”

Of course, keep in mind that not everything you read will be completely accurate. One shopper complaining about a company does not mean the company is unreliable. However, dozens of shoppers with similar complaints should alert you to the fact there may be a problem.

Even if you never post to a message board, searching and reading a mystery shopping message board can educate you about the mystery shopping industry and help you network with others.

Confidentiality and mystery shopper forums are covered in The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.

With the price of gas what it is these days, one way to reduce expenses is to set up an efficient route to complete your shops with as little driving as possible.

A great tool to help you do this is Microsoft Streets & Trips. With this software, you can enter a list of addresses, then have the software optimize your route to cover it most efficiently.

The free online mapping sites (such as Yahoo Maps) can help you with maps and directions from one point to another. You can even enter multiple destinations and map out the entire trip; however, they do not automatically calculate the best route for covering multiple stops. All Yahoo Maps and other free sites do is map out the locations in the order in which you entered them. Streets & Trips makes the planning process simple by ordering the stops for you to reduce driving time and distance.

The software comes in two versions: A basic edition and one that includes a GPS locator you can plug into the USB port on your laptop. That makes it easy to check your route while you are on the road, and even make changes on the fly.

Investing in tools, such as Microsoft Streets & Trips, can save time and money and make your mystery shopping more profitable.

In this interview, Sherry tells how she came to create the Mystery Shopping Bible and shares some tips for successful mystery shopping.

How long have you been a mystery shopper?

I have been shopping since 2003, so 3 years now.

What is the Mystery Shopping Bible?

The Mystery Shopping Bible is an “all-inclusive” tracking system for mystery shopping. It is a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet that combines a list of mystery shopping companies with their website links. This portion allows you to list your passwords, and the date you registered with each site, so you continue to register for as many mystery shopping companies as you choose to as not all companies issue passwords upon registration. Then there is a worksheet to lit all your various assignments with all the details on the shop which allows you to schedule your time better and see at a glance what you have scheduled with which companies. The payments worksheet allows you to track when you receive payment for each shop and the mileage associated with them. And an Independent Contractor, this was a must as each company processes payments in a different way. Some pay by PayPal, others by check, some a week after your shop is completed, and some between 30-90 days. Still others bulk 30 days of shops on 1 check, and others issue a separate payment for each assignment. In addition, there are various reports that allow you to see how your business is developing from “every angle.” You can view your shops by date (day, week, month and year breakdown) or by company and such. The Mystery Shopping Bible even includes templates for file folder labels (to help organize) and an invoice for the handful of companies that require you to invoice them for shops completed. The idea is that you can track everything related to your mystery shopping in one document, and the reports analyze your shopping to provide you with everything at your fingertips.

Why did you create it?

By trade, I am an Excel Analyst. When I got into mystery shopping the Mystery Shopping Bible was something I created for my own personal use. At that point mystery shopping was a whole new ball game for me, and I needed to be confident that I did not inadvertently overlook an assignment I had scheduled for myself. And knowing that I would have to file my taxes as an independent contractor I wanted to ensure that I had everything in order. Some shoppers and I were chatting in IMs and on the various forums. Shoppers are always looking for a better way to track their business since there is so much involved, so when I was asked about this, I mentioned that I created something for myself. A shopper begged me for a copy of my Mystery Shopping Bible so she could get organized, and said she would give me $5 if I would agree. The Mystery Shopping Bible was then available! I started getting emails from shoppers (shoppers DO talk about what they like and don’t like, and they are NOT shy about their opinions, of course). These shoppers immediately provided me with feedback. I then posted it to my website with screenshots so any shoppers that were potentially interested could see exactly what the Mystery Shopping Bible is and make a decision based on all the information. I believe in the Mystery Shopping Bible and that it is the most comprehensive way for a shopper to organize their mystery shopping business. That is why I offer the Mystery Shopping Bible for such a modest price, because really, no shopper should be without one. And because of the low price of the Mystery Shopping Bible, a shopper only need one “extra” shop to cover the cost of the Mystery Shopping Bible.

What do shoppers tell you they like best about the Mystery Shopping Bible?

Shoppers adore the automation of the Mystery Shopping Bible, and the customer support I offer. They enter the information on one sheet and through the formulas it shows up in other areas. There is no need to be redundant in your data entry. That will waste time, and cause errors. As for the customer support, well, that is part of the package. There are times that shoppers will accidentally delete formulas or have various questions or whatever. I fix the problems for them if they are complex, or talk them thru the easy ones. I even added a FAQ page to my site to help them with the common items that come up.

What is the biggest challenge mystery shoppers face in keeping organized?

Most don’t know HOW to organize for mystery shopping. Although being a shopper is great fun, more importantly it IS a business. Come tax time you should not have a worry in the world if you are organized. I am organized to a fault! The file label template within the Mystery Shopping Bible allow me to print a label for each shop I do (now how organized is that?). For certain shops and types of shops there is more information that for others. On some shops you will have detailed instructions you printed and reviewed. In addition, many shops you will receive information from the location(such as apartment shops, bank shops, etc..). I keep this information in the folder for the shop. I print one of my invoices (totally automated) and use it as a “cover sheet” in my folder for all the shop information.

Do you have any advice for someone trying to get started as a mystery shopper?

First of all, be aware that mystery shopping is a business. Sure it is fun, but like any business, it must be taken seriously. Keep accurate records on all your assignments. Always read your instructions thoroughly, and give each assignment 200%. Perform at your best, and you will succeed, but if you give any less than your best, you will fail. There are a ton of shoppers out there, and when assignments come available, you compete with all the people in your area that have applied for the same shop you have. Build your reputation, and take your assignments seriously. I recommend getting your MSPA Silver certification immediately. And when the MSPA has a Gold conference close to you, I highly recommend attending. Not only for experience and information, but for the relationship building and networking. The opportunity to meet the schedulers and principals from various mystery shopping companies, and of course all the shoppers you have spoken with in chat rooms, IM, and of course on all the forums. That is another thing that is essential, read the forums.

How can shoppers order the Mystery Shopping Bible?

The Mystery Shopping Bible can be purchased on my website. I accept PayPal of course and send the Mystery Shopping Bible within three days (remember I work a full-time job, and shop). The main address is at: http://www.yourwebness.com/msbible.htm and if you scroll down you will can access screen shots and details about each worksheet within the Mystery Shopping Bible before so you can decide if the Mystery Shopping Bible is something you need.