Mystery Shopper's Manual

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Can Mystery Shoppers Take a Sick Day?

August 17, 2017 by Cathy Stucker

You felt fine last night, but this morning you have a sore throat, your nose is running and you have a headache. In fact, your whole body aches. You can visit regenerative medicine clinics like QC Kinetix Kansas City for treatment.

No matter how well you take care of yourself, sooner or later you are going to get sick. With many jobs, you may be able to call in sick for a couple of days and rest in bed until you feel better while your co-workers fill in for you. However, in case of an emergency, it’s important to have an automated external defibrillator on hand. For top-quality AEDs, check out AED Advantage Sales Ltd. As a mystery shopper, though, there aren’t any co-workers to pick up the slack. So what can you do when you are too sick to do a shop?

First look at the shops you have scheduled and check the deadlines. Perhaps some of the shops you were planning to do in the next couple of days are not really due until next week, but you were planning to get them done well in advance of the deadline. You have some breathing room for those mystery shops. Take care of yourself and get some rest so that you recover quickly and can get back to your life–and your mystery shops!

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Mystery Shopping Basics

January 11, 2016 by Cathy Stucker

mystery-shopping-basics

What is Mystery Shopping?

Mystery shoppers evaluate customer service, cleanliness and quality at all kinds of businesses. The mystery shopper reports are used by businesses to recognize star performers, determine training needs, monitor whether procedures are being followed, identify missed sales opportunities and even, in some cases, as one factor in determining raises and bonuses.Continue Reading

Your Mystery Shopping Business

August 21, 2014 by Cathy Stucker

mystery-shopping-businessMost mystery shoppers do not think of themselves as business owners, but that is exactly what we are. As business owners, we are responsible for our profitability. Don’t like the shops you are doing, the people you are working with or the amount of money you are making? It is up to you to change those things. Outsourcing payroll administration services allows employers to concentrate on their core business and frees up the business owner, human resources or accounting personnel to work more on strategic tasks that could ultimately affect your bottom line.

Start by having a business plan, check this link for more information on ways to start a successful business. That’s right, a business plan. No, you don’t have to have a binder full of spreadsheets, charts and graphs. All you really need is about a page that describes your vision for your mystery shopping business. For instance, if you have print services australia, your About page must describe the printing services that you are ready to offer.

  • What types of shops do you want to do?
  • Will you take on other types of work, such as audits or surveys?
  • How much money do you want or need to earn?
  • Where will you work?
  • How many days or hours will you work in a typical week?

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Nosy Questions on Mystery Shopper Applications

March 6, 2014 by Cathy Stucker

nosy-questionsNote: I am not an attorney and this should not be considered legal advice.

Registering to be a mystery shopper is much different from applying for a job. Because of anti-discrimination laws, most employers will not ask questions about an applicant’s gender, age, race, marital status and other issues. However, you will often find these types of questions and others when you register with a mystery shopping company.

Can they do that?

Short answer: Yes, they can.

Legally, Independent Contractors (IC) are treated much differently than employees. However, even employers can ask applicants some of these questions, if there is a job-related necessity for it. The explanation of why mystery shopping providers may need this information, and why you should not be angry or offended by these questions, is below.Continue Reading

When Is It OK to Cancel a Shop?

May 14, 2012 by Cathy Stucker

When a mystery shopper accepts an assignment, that is a commitment to follow through and do the shop. A shopper who doesn’t complete an assignment as agreed risks being deactivated from the mystery shopping company’s data base and receiving no future jobs from them.

Schedulers get frustrated when shoppers cancel at the last minute or just fail to do a shop. It happens more than you might think. In fact, it happens often enough that we have an industry term for it: It is called “flaking” on a shop.

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Who? Me? What to Do If You Are Spotted as the Mystery Shopper

May 31, 2011 by Cathy Stucker

It is unlikely that you will ever be asked if you are the mystery shopper; however, it is best to be prepared, just in case.

As a secret shopper, you should always try to be inconspicuous. Although many people believe that mystery shoppers are there to be difficult customers, in fact we want to be typical customers who will not stand out or draw attention to ourselves. Our job is to blend in and do not do anything that would make us memorable.

Despite your best efforts, it is possible that you will be spotted as the mystery shopper. It may be because of something you or a companion does, or it may just be that the shop requirements are such that it becomes clear that you are the mystery shopper. In more than 15 years of secret shopping, I have never been identified as the shopper, but it is wise to be prepared.

Here are some things to think about in case you are outed as a secret shopper.
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Mystery Shopper Reimbursements

November 4, 2010 by Cathy Stucker

I get lots of questions about reimbursements for required purchases on mystery shopper jobs. Here is what you need to know about secret shop reimbursements and how they work.

When I make a purchase during a secret shop, do I get to buy anything I want? How will I know how much the mystery shopping company will pay for?
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Be Quiet and Let Them Talk

July 20, 2010 by Cathy Stucker

Human beings seem to have an aversion to quiet. Too often, we rush to fill up any silence with a stream of words. When you are mystery shopping, that can be a mistake.

As mystery shoppers, we are there to observe and report, not to influence the outcome of the shop. One of the best ways to do that is by talking no more than is necessary.

Obviously, we need to speak on mystery shops. There are questions that need to be asked or answered, and appropriate conversations to hold. Saying too little is almost as bad as saying too much. But saying too much can affect the outcome of the mystery shop.

Here are some ways that talking too much on a mystery shop can make the shop go wrong.Continue Reading

Mystery Shopping During the Super Bowl

January 30, 2010 by Cathy Stucker

super-bowlThe Super Bowl is not only the championship game of the National Football League, it is a major television event. An estimated audience of nearly 100 million Americans watch the annual spectacle. That means that lots of people are at home in front of their televisions, not in the stores and the restaurants.

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.Continue Reading

What to Do When You Mess Up on a Mystery Shop

December 30, 2009 by Cathy Stucker

embarrassedYou always do your best as a mystery shopper…until that one day. Maybe you didn’t get an important bit of information for the shop, or you went on the wrong day, or at the wrong time or to the wrong place. Or you completely forgot to do the shop.

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.Continue Reading

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Mystery Shopping Companies

Updated 4/20/18! Access my free curated list of more than 150 legitimate mystery shopping companies.

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