Find out all about Mystery Shopping. How do you become a Mystery Shopper? How much can you earn and what is involved? Find out more about Mystery Shopping and then you’ll be able to answer the question – Could you be a Mystery Shopper?
We are thrilled to be featured in this excellent article in The Sun. Seven ways to save money on your shopping. Now lots of you are keen to find out if you too can become a Mystery Shopper. Whether you want to earn some extra money around your current work or commitments, have a full time Mystery Shopping career or just try something new and fun. Can anyone do it? What do you have to do? Where do you start? How much can you earn? Read on to find out.
Lots of us Money Bloggers enjoy Mystery Shopping as a fun way to make extra money. I share my experience with Mystery Shopping and share the best articles from expert Money Bloggers.
Mystery Shopping – my experience
Mind over Money matters was created to share ways to maximise value and maximise joy in the money that you are spending everyday anyway. After a back problem meant our income suddenly dropped by half, we had to find ways to continue enjoying a full and happy life with the obvious financial and physical challenges.
Mystery Shopping was one of the flexible ways I found to make extra money, it allowed me the flexibility to work when I was physically able (unplannable good days and bad days!) and gave me a fab new hobby to learn and experience.
We’d been watching Undercover Boss USA – love that programme, and looked into how Companies would get the sort of ‘unfiltered’ feedback they needed to make positive changes to the Customer Experience, and how I could get involved.
How many times have you had really good, or really bad service in a shop, or over the phone? What do you do about it? Taz and I usually find a Manager and share positive feedback for excellent staff. But bad experiences? That’s just a sale lost.
Mystery Shopping Companies
Mystery Shopping Companies work with Shops and services mainly to ensure Customers like you and I are receiving the expected optimum Customer experience, and that correct procedures are being followed. Mystery Shoppers are given briefs to follow and report their findings back.
This sounded fun to me and even better that I got paid for it. I’d be carrying out a valuable service and help make the retail world a better place. I did take it a bit too seriously!
So I found a Mystery Shopping agency, completed my profile, did the required online course, passed a test, got my certificate and was ready to go. Don’t worry about the course and test. It’s all really interesting and useful information and the test can be done referring to the course materials.
Your profile is all about you, your strengths and circumstances and this is used to assess the assignments available to you. You will be asked lots of personal information, who do you bank with, do you drive, what car etc. You don’t have to answer all the questions, but the more you answer, the more jobs you will have to pick from.
One of the rules of being a Mystery Shopper is – You can’t tell anyone you are a Mystery Shopper. That made it even more fun – I was a certified Mystery Shopper, going out on secret assignments and wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. Fab.
Mystery Shopping assignments
The Mystery Shopping Agency lists all the assignments that are available. You chose the assignments you want to do. You can filter the assignments by location, distance from home, rate of pay, type and deadline. I’d pick ones at stores or offices walking distance from home, or telephone calls with a deadline no less than a week ahead, to be confident I would be able to complete them.
As you complete more assignments, and your Mystery Shopper status increases you have the opportunity to complete specialist training, and enhance your profile, allowing you to apply for higher paying, more involved assignments. For example I learnt how to carry out and upload covert recordings. And did some extra tests, opening up more options to earn.
The reality of being a Mystery Shopper
I really enjoyed the Mystery Shopping part of being a Mystery Shopper, I learned new things, had enjoyable experiences, got some freebies and earned a few pounds.
Initially I found it extremely difficult to carry out the briefs perfectly without feeling self conscious and like I had a big ‘I’m a Mystery Shopper’ sticker on my forehead. If you’re suppossed to get the staff members name from their name badge and they are not wearing one, obviously you have to ask their name. Who does that! And taking a photo to prove you’ve visited – again awkward. But with a bit of practice you soon overcome that feeling and your confidence builds.
However I did not enjoy the constraints and paperwork side of most of the assignments. The lack of natural flow when you are trying to get answers to the specific questions on your brief seems pointless. For example in a bed store I had to ask questions that led to you being shown a specific brand and the rest of the brief was related to the selling of that brand. Wasn’t happening, rep was not interested and kept wandering off. I went and found him 3 times. To me, much more useful feedback could have been reported but I had to stick to the brief.
When you look at the rate being paid for the assignments, as well as the visit or phone call, do take into account the amount of your time taken to read and learn the brief and prep, and to complete and submit your report with photos, recordings etc. I’m not very techy so this probably took me way longer than necessary, anyway it’s not a small amount of time.
I always look for the good, the praiseworthy and the #SmallJoy. The most difficult part of Mystery Shopping for me, and the reason I don’t do it anymore was having to write negative truths about the staff. In reality if the service is shocking or the staff are rude or unhelpful then I see it as a training issue, or maybe that person is having a tough day – who knows what issues people are wrestling with. I know it’s no excuse, however it is the Managers responsibility to train and oversee staff. I felt like I was going to get someone into trouble, out of context. But that’s just me!
Anyone can be a Mystery Shopper and you can earn decent money and work as much as you like. I’d definitely recommend giving it a go. Just remember you can’t tell anyone…..
Money Bloggers Mystery Shopping articles.
Here is some expert advice from experienced Mystery Shoppers, all the information you need from UK Money Bloggers. There are some excellent websites too, do have a look at their other articles.
- Lady Janey, the Queen of Customer Service. What skills do you need to be a Mystery Shopper and is it worth your while?’
- Money Saving Central. The Best UK Secret Shopping Companies 2022
- The Penny Pincher. Become A Mystery Shopper With The Penny Pincher
- Bee Money Savvy. How to earn money Mystery Shopping (5+ Market research Companies)
- Emma And 3. Debunking the Mystery in Mystery Shopping
- Funding Her Freedom. How to start Mystery Shopping in the UK
- She Does Money. How to make money Mystery Shopping in the UK
- Household Money Saving. MarketForce review. How to become a Mystery Shopper
- Strapos Thrifty life Hacks. Is it worth becoming a mystery diner with HGEM?
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Let us know if you decide to become a Mystery Shopper, and how you get on (I won’t tell anyone). Or if you have been a Mystery Shopper, we’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.
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You’ll find lots of information on ways to Spend Smarter and Travel Smarter, from making the most of freebies from loyalty cards to essential travel guidance and moneysaving information. And some fun and #SmallJoy to like The perfect weekend break, without going anywhere? Silly, fun, cheap and AWESOME.
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Interesting article. I guess as we get back closer to normal life after the pandemic, opportunities for mystery shoppers are likely to increase. Now is probably a very good time to get into this!
I was wondering what it takes to be a mystery shopper and how do you report back. I would find it strange to take a photo inside the store as well. Not to mention asking for names if they don’t wear a tag. That’s like screaming you are a mystery shopper, haha.