Mystery Shopping - Food and Retail

I've been doing Mystery Shopping since last summer but it was a slow start. I had one company that I got several assignments from in the fall but that was pretty much it. Now I'm finding that you need to put your information out in a lot of different areas and be available as much as you can when someone is needed.

Some key things to remember:

1. This is a job. It may not pay great but in order to be asked to return you need to be professional even by email. Most applications will ask for a writing sample. Use correct punctuation and grammar. 
2. Doing a Mystery Shop is about being just that - a Mystery Shopper. You are not supposed to look like you are checking things out or taking notes. This can be hard because reports ask for very specific details. Be sure to check the reports before the shop to know what you need to detail and figure out how you will capture the data.
3. Follow the directions. Turn in your information on time. Fill out the information completely. Most companies have an internal shopper rating system and if you don't fulfill their requirements you can negatively impact your rating which can impact your ability to pick up future assignments.

Here are some a few more companies to sign up with:

• Market Force Information
• Sinclair Customer Metrics
• Trendsource

I've done fast food and fast casual food shops for Market Force, nice retail store shops for Sinclair, and retail and grocery shops for Trendsource. Each shop takes no more than 30 minutes on site but does take some prep time and some additional time to fill out the report. The payoff is that I got Christmas presents for my mom and mother-in-law for free, my kids bathroom rug for free, kitchen knives for free and several trips to the grocery for - you guessed it - FREE. Well, they were free because I stayed within the reimbursable amount. These companies don't hand you a blank check. Part of the instructions will be the shopper pay and the reimbursable amount, if applicable. The smart thing to do is to stick to the Price is Right Rules - get as close to the cost without going over - that way as little comes out of your own pocket. And there you go. Some more very Cool Ideas for ways to get some cool stuff for free.