Most people know to use ‘a’ before a word beginning with a consonant and ‘an’ before a word beginning with a vowel:

The sandwich was served with a salad and an apple.

Simple, right? Most of the time. But here are some exceptions.

Use ‘an’ with words that begin with a silent ‘h.’ Words such as hour, honest, honor and (in American English) herb begin with an ‘h’ but the ‘h’ is not pronounced.

Incorrect: I waited a hour for the rental agent to arrive.
Correct: I waited an hour for the rental agent to arrive.

Use ‘a’ with words that begin with a ‘u’ that sounds like ‘you.’

Incorrect: An used towel was on the floor.
Correct: A used towel was on the floor.

Use ‘a’ with words that begin with an ‘o’ that sounds like ‘w.’

Incorrect: The hostess said there would be an one-hour wait.
Correct: The hostess said there would be a one-hour wait.

The bottom line? The choice of ‘a’ or ‘an’ is determined by the sound of the word, not the spelling. If the word begins with a consonant sound, use ‘a.’ If it begins with a vowel sound, use ‘an.’

If you are not into football, it may seem as though game time would be a good time to take care of a few mystery shopping assignments. But you might want to think again.

A few years ago, I decided to do a shop of a casual dining restaurant during the Super Bowl. I had just gotten back from out of town, and Sunday night seemed like a good time to do it. We arrived during the game and there was no one else in the restaurant. No one but a few employees, that is. In listening to them talk, I learned that only one other customer had been there the entire evening. Oops. Not exactly a typical experience, so perhaps not a good time to do a mystery shop.

What would you do in that situation? The shop wasn’t due for a few more days, so I had a few options. One, we could leave and do the shop another time. Two, we could have dinner but come back to do the shop another day. Three, we could have dinner, then I could turn in the shop report and hope it would be accepted. (There wouldn’t be time to ask the scheduler about the situation before the report would have to be turned in.)

I decided that we had to eat anyway, so we had our dinner and completed the mystery shop. I went ahead and submitted the report, but I also sent an email to my scheduler.

In the email, I told the scheduler what had happened and that I had been completely surprised by the emptiness of the restaurant (which was true). Because the due date of the shop was still a few days away, I offered to do a re-shop of the location and submit the new report before the deadline if they could not accept the report I had already done.

What did the company decide? The scheduler thanked me for my offer of the re-shop, but said they decided to accept the report. One reason was that even with the two of us being the only customers in the restaurant, they hadn’t managed to get a perfect score! (They did OK, but not great.)

I have since heard from other shoppers who had similar experiences when shopping during the Super Bowl. In some cases, they were the only people in the business. That can lead to strange shop reports.

So what did we learn from this, boys and girls? We learned not to do a mystery shop when a large percentage of the population will be at home watching television. If you have any shops due around the time of the Super Bowl, I recommend that you not do them during the game.

Here are some tips to get—and stay—organized.

Set up a calendar for your secret shopping assignments. When you are awarded a mystery shopper job, immediately put it on your calendar. This can be a paper calendar, or a calendar on your computer or smart phone.

Consult your calendar before accepting assignments. Does this assignment fit with others you have accepted? Are you scheduled to complete other shops in the same area that can be grouped with this new shop? Are you already overbooked for the date of this shop?

Immediately download and print the requirements for the mystery shop assignment. Read them now, and highlight any special requirements that require attention. Are their activities beyond the shop visit that must be entered on your calendar (e.g., a purchase and return shop, calling ahead for an appointment or reservation)?

Set up a filing system for pending and completed assignments. Keep all of the shop forms and guidelines for upcoming shops together by date. When a report is complete, keep the notes, receipt and other documentation on file. One way to do this is to have a set of hanging files and groups of folders numbered 1 – 31. Keep two months of files for the shops scheduled in the current and upcoming month, and three to six months of files containing completed shops.

Make it easy to log expenses. Keep a small notebook in your car to track milage. Or use a note feature or app on your phone to keep track. Put an envelope in the glove box or console and put all of your receipts and other documentation into the envelope immediately after the shop so nothing gets lost.

Save completed reports as PDFs or screen shots instead of printing them. You will save money on paper and ink, and not be buried in piles of paper.

Don’t forget to keep your computer files organized. Give the PDFs or screenshots of your completed reports meaningful names so you can easily find them if needed. Store all of the files in their own directory, separate from your other documents.

Get mystery shopper email under control. If you are not using a separate email address for mystery shopping, this could be a good time to start. Set up an email address that is only used for mystery shopping, then notify the companies with which you work of your new address. If you are MSPA certified, you need to get a new certification code as it will change with your new email address. Making a change to your email address can be time-consuming if you are registered with lots of companies, but it will make it much easier to manage your shopper email in the future.

Taking a little time now to organize your mystery shopping workflow can save you time and money.

What if mystery shoppers evaluated everyday people doing everyday things? Sensors Quality Management (SQM), a Canadian mystery shopping company, has created a series of videos called “Thankfully Only For Business” that show what might happen if mystery shoppers were turned loose to evaluate people in the shower, on a date, in the gym—even while they sleep!

The videos provide a tongue in cheek look at what we do as secret shoppers. SQM is releasing new videos every week for five weeks. Currently, there are two videos in their YouTube channel. Once all of the videos are available, viewers will be asked to vote to choose the top three. For more information, to watch the videos and to vote, go to http://www.sqm.ca/videoContest.jsp.

In that spirit, I offer some additional ideas of ways you can earn money to supplement your income—or even quit your “real” job—in 2010.

Merchandising and demos. There are marketing activities closely related to mystery shopping. Many of the companies for which we shop also offer this type of work. Merchandising may involve stocking a display, reordering inventory, or other tasks related to retail sales. Working demos may mean demonstrating a product, handing out samples or coupons, or other in-store activities where you would interact with customers. For more information, see http://NARMS.com/.

Writing online. You can set up your own website or blog, but an easier way to get started making money writing online is to write for one of the sites that will pay you to write. Some pay a flat fee for an article, but that is usually not the best deal. Instead of getting $5, $10 or $20 to write a few hundred words, you can make many times that in residuals. That means you write something once, and get paid again and again. There are writers making $500, $1000 or more every month, even in months they don’t write a word. I have done this and been pleasantly surprised at the results. Learn how to make money writing online.

Direct sales. There is a lot of money to be made in sales, and many people find working with a direct sales plan easy, even if they do not consider themselves to be sales persons. Direct sales companies include Mary Kay, Avon and Pampered Chef, but there are direct sales companies involved in just about every kind of product and service, from electricity to vitamins to golf equipment to lingerie. The best company to work with may be one that you already know as a customer. To be successful, you should be passionate about the products or services you sell.

Online surveys. You won’t make a lot of money with this, but if you want to make a bit of extra cash sitting at your computer, online surveys can work for you. Do not pay to register with anyone, and make sure you understand at the beginning what the rewards are. Some register you in a drawing for prizes, some give you points that may be redeemed for gift cards or other awards, and some pay good old fashioned cash. Learn more about paid online surveys.

What is your favorite way to make money?

Most mystery shoppers are not required to pay quarterly estimated taxes, because mystery shopping represents a small portion of their overall family income. However, if mystery shopping and other independent contractor or small business income makes up a significant part of your income, you should determine if you need to pay quarterly.

Not sure if you have to pay? You can figure it out by consulting the IRS web site at http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/ch02.html

Need to know more?

Here are some general rules about who has to pay estimated taxes:

If most of your income is from being an employee, and you have tax withheld from your paychecks at your primary job, you may not need to pay estimated taxes. (This could also apply if your spouse is the primary wage earner and s/he has taxes withheld from his or her check.)

You must pay estimated tax for 2009 if both of the following apply.

1. You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for 2009, after subtracting your withholding and credits.

2. You expect your withholding and credits to be less than the smaller of:
1. 90% of the tax to be shown on your 2009 tax return, or
2. 100% of the tax shown on your 2008 tax return. Your 2008 tax return must cover all 12 months.

Keep in mind that because of a change in the withholding schedules during 2009, the amount of income tax withheld from paychecks decreased. That means that many people who expect refunds will be surprised with a tax bill when they file.

You can download the 1040-ES form for paying your estimated income taxes, along with the instructions and more information about estimated taxes at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf

Is it legal to video record people without telling them?

Generally, no. However, most reputable video mystery shopping companies will require that the employer get employees to sign consent forms. These forms will say something to the effect that they understand they may be recorded in the course of performing their duties. So even though you will not announce that you are making a video recording when you enter the business, employees have been legally notified that they may be recorded and have given their consent.

How do I video tape someone without them seeing the camera?

The video cameras are so small they may be hidden in a button or a piece of jewelry. Many mystery shopping companies use “button cams.” The button camera replaces a regular button on a piece of clothing, and connects to a video camcorder concealed in a fanny pack, purse or pocket.

Do I have to buy the video equipment?

Maybe, but not immediately. Most companies will provide equipment for your first shops. Once you know that you are going to continue as a video mystery shopper, the mystery shopping company may require that you buy your own equipment or may offer the option of buying the equipment. Shoppers with their own video equipment may be paid more because the company does not have to buy and ship cameras to them.

Is video mystery shopping easier than traditional mystery shopping, or harder?

It is different. You usually do not have to complete written reports, so in that sense video mystery shopping is easier. However, it takes practice and skill to operate the equipment and get a good shop video. Because of that, most video mystery shops pay better than traditional shops.

The most important thing about doing a video mystery shops is to practice using the equipment before doing a shop. Know where to place the camera and how to stand in order to get the shots you need.

“Than” is used in comparisons:

• Carol is taller than Jane.
• The steak entree was more expensive than the chicken.

Use “than” when you are comparing one thing to another.

“Then” joins two clauses that are separated by time:

• Mario cleared our salad plates, then served the entrees.
• Read the guidelines, then complete the mystery shop visit.

Use “then” when you are saying that something happened after something else.

To summarize:

• When time is involved, use “then.” A trick to remember this is that “when” has to do with time and it rhymes with “then.”
• When you are comparing two things, use “than.” All other usage is “then.”

Dumb mistakes? Yeah, but every shopper has probably made a dumb mistake or two somewhere along the line. So what do you do now that you have really messed up on a shop?

Some mystery shopping companies have a “one strike and you’re out” rule, and if you make a major mistake that would cause the client to reject the shop report, they will deactivate your account. Others will consider your history with them and other factors. Even the companies that will automatically deactivate you may reconsider if you take the right approach.

When you realize you goofed up, fess up and apologize. I once missed doing a shop on the required day because I didn’t realize that location closed earlier than others, and I got there too late. Dumb mistake—I should have verified the hours when I was planning the shop. As soon as I got home, I emailed my scheduler and told her what had happened.

I didn’t know if there was any flexibility in the deadline, but I told the scheduler I would do the shop first thing the next day and immediately submit the report, if that was acceptable. She said that would be fine, and I was able to complete the shop and submit the report. Whew! No harm, no foul, as it turned out. Many times (but not always) the company has a little “fluff” built in to the deadline. Don’t count on it, but it could save you in case of an emergency or a dumb mistake.

Offer to do the shop on the day of their choosing. That may be the next day, or it may be another day if they are coordinating with other shopper visits. And what if that is not acceptable? Apologize again and ask what you can do to make up for your error. You caused the scheduler extra work, and may have caused lots of problems for the mystery shopping company. If you have a history with that company, remind them that you have always been reliable in the past, and this was a one-time occurrence. Many companies will not want to lose a good shopper over one mistake, even a big one.

What if you don’t have a history with them, or maybe with anyone? Impress upon them that you understand the seriousness of messing up a shop, and that it wasn’t because you took your assignment lightly. The fact is that there are a lot of shoppers who do not care about doing a good job—the “flake rate” for mystery shops averages about 25%—and you do not want to be lumped in with them.

If you are sincere in your dealings with the mystery shopping company, all may be forgiven. If not, well, there are lots of other companies out there. Just don’t make that mistake again! Once was enough for me to learn my lesson and make sure I verified all the location information before the shop. If you haven’t made one of these big mistakes, learn from my experience and don’t blow a shop–ever!

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.

Some shop guidelines specify a method of payment. If the guidelines say that you must use a credit card, you must use a credit card and not a gift card. Gift cards, even the ones issued by credit card companies, are not the same as credit cards and should not be used when the client wants you to pay with a credit card.

I would also recommend not using a gift card when the guidelines specify that you should pay with cash. Even though gift card purchases are, in many ways, like cash purchases, they are not the same. For example, the client may want you to pay with cash because they want you to make observations about how the cash was handled. There may be questions on the report about whether the cashier counted back your change, if the cash drawer was closed immediately after the transaction, etc. If you pay with a gift card, you would not be able to answer these questions.

Most shops do not specify that you use a particular payment method. In those cases, paying with a gift card would be fine. (Unless, of course, the guidelines say not to use a gift card; however, I have never seen that.)

There are clients who now provide mystery shop reimbursements in the form of gift cards. If you receive a gift card instead of cash from the client, there should be no problem using the gift card on a future secret shopping visit.