It is that time again: The time to make your New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you are planning to lose a few pounds, get organized, go back to school, or stop smoking. Why not make a few resolutions that will help you become a more successful mystery shopper? Here are a few ideas.Continue Reading
More and more often, restaurant mystery shop assignments include a requirement that you photograph your food. Although it might seem that taking pictures of everything would out you as the mystery shopper, it doesn’t. In fact, so many people post pictures of everything they eat to their blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, that you will probably not be the only person taking photos.
If you are not used to photographing your food, here are a few tips to help you get better quality photos and look like your standard-issue social media junkie and not a mystery shopper.
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A shopper asks:
I am getting ready to retire and my spouse and I want to hit the road, travel across the country and stay at lodges (Fairway Holiday Park Isle Of Wight: check out our log cabins for sale). Is it possible to mystery shop while we are on the road? Anything we need to watch out for?
Sure, you can mystery shop on the road, whether you are on a one-week vacation, you regularly travel for your job, or you have become a permanent road warrior.
There are a few things you may have to do differently to make mystery shopping while traveling work for you. Here are some things to consider.
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I often hear from people who want to become mystery shoppers, but do not know how to begin. It is actually simple, especially with all of the resources available through the Internet that enable you to easily find mystery shopping companies, complete applications and locate assignments.
The problem for many of these potential secret shoppers is that they are having trouble finding legitimate companies that do not charge shoppers to apply. Even many of the sites that claim that they will protect you from the scams are themselves scams. How do you know which companies and sites can be trusted?Continue Reading
Before you click, “Submit,” make sure your mystery shop report is the best it can be. Use this checklist to avoid some common mistakes.Continue Reading
Question from a mystery shopper:
Do I have to use my real name when I am doing a mystery shop? I would prefer not to give my true information as I don’t want to be identified as the shopper or get sales calls later. Is it illegal to use a false name?
There may be times when you want to use a name other than your own on a mystery shop, or even when the client requests that you do so. It is perfectly legal, but there are some things to keep in mind when using a name other than your own.
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Mystery shoppers need to be professional in appearance and attitude, so how should we dress when we are doing mystery shops? Should we dress in business attire, or is it fine to wear jeans and a t-shirt? or should be kick it up a notch a wear a girl’s wedding dress? Well, as with so many of the other questions surrounding mystery shopping, the answer is “it depends.”
The most important consideration is how other customers dress. Mystery shoppers need to look and act like other customers of the business. We need to blend in and not stand out because we are very under- or over-dressed. Let’s look at a few examples.Continue Reading
Question from a mystery shopper:
I am scheduled to do a mystery shop at one of my favorite restaurants next week. Because we enjoy eating there, I am always looking for coupons to use there and I have a ‘buy one entree, get one free’ coupon that I was planning to use on the shop. Then I got to thinking that maybe I shouldn’t use a coupon on a mystery shop. What do you think? Should I use the coupon or not?
The answer to this question, as with so many others is, it depends. The issue of coupons may come up on many types of shops, from restaurants to retail to grocery to eyeglasses and more. Beyond whether you are allowed to use a coupon on a shop there are also questions about whether or not you want to use a coupon. Here is what you need to know.
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Whether you are a brand new mystery shopper or you have been doing this for years, there are a few things you may not know about secret shopping in restaurants. There are some innocent mistakes that can affect the integrity of your shop, and maybe even get it rejected. Here are four things you need to avoid when you are mystery shopping a restaurant.Continue Reading
Mystery shopping is a legitimate way to earn extra money, but some of the things you have heard about it are not-quite-true or even outright false. Educate yourself before signing up for mystery shopper jobs and avoid getting scammed.
Myth: Mystery shoppers get paid to go shopping.
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