shopperpro

I have just finished catching up on the news for Black Friday. Sales for televisions and children’s toys are up. Although the crowds in the stores on Friday were comparative to what the crowds have been in recent years, sales overall are still down. It appears that there are many more lookers then buyers, a testament to the hard economic times we are all facing. However, those that are buying this year are reported to be much more aggressive than in previous years.

Among the incidents marring Black Friday the one that has to take precedence is the sad, avoidable death of a temporary worker for Wal Mart in Long Island, New York. Police were called in for crowd control for the Wal Mart at 3am that morning, but just before 5am they were nowhere to be found. Unruly crowds desperate for Black Friday bargains shattered the front doors to the Wal Mart and stampeded inside trampling over Jdimytai Damour, 34. Several other Wal Mart workers sustained minor injuries trying to help him, but to no avail as he was pronounced dead just an hour later.

I cannot fully express what a sad commentary on our times I find this. No matter how good the bargain, it’s still just a thing that cannot possibly compare to the love of your friends and family. As a mystery shopper who is scheduled to complete several mall shops this week myself, I cannot help but feel a little bit apprehensive on what I might find when conducting these shops. I surely do plan to take an extra large helping of patience with me.

No matter where you plan on shopping this holiday season please be safe and sensible.

So there I was this morning trying to figure out a route for the dozen shops I have scheduled for next week when it hit me. When I was listing the basic tools for shoppers I left out one of the most important - mapping software. If you can’t find it you can’t shop it - it’s as simple as that.

It doesn’t matter what you use as long as it gets you there. Obviously the best choice here is some form of in car navigation device. Since I do so few shops, usually anyway, it wasn’t really worth the expense for me to purchase one. I tend to go more on the Google Maps or Mapquest route. I do tend to favor Google Maps, well at least ever since Mapquest tried to send me the wrong way up a one-way street. Please keep in mind that whatever option you choose they are not infallible. I had a set of directions last week that took me on a half mile U-turn. Use your common sense. It should go without saying that you need to enter in the correct address.

Speaking of the correct address - you have your shop, and your shop information. The location name, address, and phone number should be listed somewhere near the top of your shop forms. When I am assigned to shop a new location the first thing I do is make a quick Google search to find that company’s website. By utilizing the ’store/location finder’ feature I can make sure the address I have received is the correct one. This happens more than you think. This way if there is a discrepancy I have plenty of time to contact my scheduler to verify the location instead of trying to do it all at the last minute.

Verifying your address is particularly important if the location you are assigned is in a mall. While malls tend to have only one Sears or Macy’s, what about Verizon dealers? Is it a Verizon store or a Circuit City that is a registered Verizon dealer? Make SURE you are shopping the correct location. While this is always important, I’ve found that any cell phone shop, particularly in a mall, can be a little troublesome. I was once assigned a cell phone shop in a mall. I called the location to get directions to it, and the directions I received led me to a strip of kiosks in the center of the mall that were all selling cell phones. So which one was the right one to shop? I ended up verifying the address, and more importantly the space number, with mall information.

Okay, now my address and location have been verified so what’s my next step? I head over to my little direction finder and enter in my addresses so it can plan a nice little route for me. Next week I have several shops that need to be completed. Since six of them are in close proximity I’ve already popped all of the addresses into Google and figured out that it will take me a total of 58 minutes just to travel a circle from home to shops to back home. So now I know it’s at least theoretically possible to get all of them done in the same day, while keeping me out of rush hour and leaving time to do the reports.

This is what shoppers mean by ‘bundling’ shops. A bundle of shops usually means a block or bunch of shops that are all different companies/locations, but contained within a relatively small geographic area. Bundling your shops makes good sense - the more shops you do the more money you earn and if they’re in a bundle travel time is less.

The end of the month is usually when you see shops that have bonuses offered. These are shops that are more than likely in a rural area. I see a shop that looks particularly attractive I’ll do a search to see what else is available in the area. Just one shop + bonus might not be worth it to drive out an hour and back, but if I can pick up two or three more shops in the same area, it might be a very profitable trip.

So I’ve found mystery shopping companies - now what? Check their home pages - you will see a link that says something like ’shoppers’, ’shopper sign up’, or something to that effect. The best motto here is apply, apply, apply. The applications themselves are simple enough. You will be required to fill out a form giving your contact information, perhaps your demographics, and whatever special equipment you possess such as a digital camera. You will more than likely be asked to sign your ICA at this time as well. ICA stands for Independent Contractor Agreement. Although ICA’s are different for every company they do tend to have a few things in common. This document states that you agree that you are not going to be an employee for the company, but rather understand that you will receive work on contracting basis. It also states that you agree to keep ALL of you assignment information confidential. Your shopper forms, clients they service, and any paperwork you receive will be confidential information. Read through the ICA before you sign it. If you don’t agree with what it states don’t sign it and move on to another company. It’s as simple as that.

There are also some freeware programs that offer some form of ‘form filler’ applications. Please be cautious before choosing to use one. Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it’s good. More than one has been discovered to contain a second program to blast you with annoying pop-ups, or capture all of your password information and other shady applications. You can read about one such as this here:
http://www.traffick.com/article.asp?aID=84.

At this time you will probably also be requested to submit a writing sample. The majority of shopping assignments do require that you write a few sentences describing your experience. Depending on the assignment you might just be required to write a LOT about the experience. The writing sample is usually 50-100 words and asks you to describe a recent/best/worst shopping experience. Take the time now to write out a few samples so when it comes time to submit them you can just copy and paste. I have mine saved in a Word file. What are the companies looking for? These samples are checked not so much for content in most cases, but rather to make sure that you write using complete sentences, know how to use a spellchecker, and use proper English and grammar. This is not the time to practice your new texting abbreviations and emoticons. Fragment sentences, misspelled words, and grammar are all things that would have to be fixed in the editing process. The less editing they have to do on your reports, the less time it takes them, and the happier they are with you as a shopper.

One note here - I know I keep using a lot of usually, most of the time, and often’s. I apologize for that, but really, every shopping company is different and has it’s own application processes and standards.

Most companies will send you an email with your login information after you have completed your application. If they offer self-assign shopping assignments you can start accepting them now. With other companies you won’t receive your welcome email until your application and writing sample has been reviewed. Just remember patience is a virtue.

Another small note - the majority of companies now pay by Paypal, or at least offer the option. If you don’t have one already, you can get a jump on this one and get your account now at www.paypal.com. I’ll have more to say on this later when I get more into shopping fees.

Yes, there are hundred’s of legitimate shopping companies out there, but how do you find them? Once you do find them how do you make sure that they are in fact legitimate? I am in the midst of sorting through all of the links I have found useful to make myself a little ‘links’ type page to help out new shoppers, theoretically this should be posted later in the week. In the meantime here’s a little preview. These are my top three sites to locate legitimate work:

www.Volition.com - This is the mystery shoppers Mecca. Here you can find an extensive shopping company list that is screened for validity. Now this is not to say that some of the bad companies don’t sometimes squeak through. A good rule of thumb is before you sign up with a mystery shopping company visit Volition’s massive forum and search the archives there. 99% of the time someone’s already asked the question and you can find all the feedback your little heart desires from shoppers who’ve worked for them already. There is also a job board you can utilize to see which companies are actively seeking shoppers in your area.

http://www.mysteryshop.org/ - This is the home of the MSPA website. What is MSPA? It stands for the Mystery Shopping Providers Association - kind of the professional association for mystery shopping. MSPA also has a comprehensive job board and also here is where you would take your certification tests. I’ll write more on certification in the future, well, unless you just can’t wait. Feel free to head over to MSPA and read all about it yourself.

http://www.jobslinger.com/js/exec - Jobslinger is an excellent resource for new shoppers. Not only do they have an extensive job board that pulls listings from Volition, MSPA, and other sites, they also have a series of excellent articles you can read to further your shopper education. Knowledge is never a bad thing. You do have to register to the site to be able to search there.

Frankly, no. You already possess your most powerful tools - your ears, eyes, and power of observation. It’s also quite helpful if you have good writing/typing skills. The fewer typos you make the less time you will spend entering your reports. Hopefully you already like to read because you’ll be doing a lot of it. Some other equipment that will come in handy for the novice that you may choose to purchase include:

- Printer - A good home printer is a good choice for the mystery shopper. If you are just planning to do a few shops here and there the fanciest model is not necessary. However, if you are planning to make mystery shopping your full-time occupation, an industrial type printer might be a smart choice because you will be doing a lot of printing. When shopping for a printer please keep in mind what those ink cartridges cost. When I was full time I could burn through one of those in less than a week and those costs can add up fast. Make sure you save your receipts though, that ink is part of your business and therefore tax deductible.

- Scanner - Most, if not all, mystery shops will require proof - most often a business card, receipt, or brochure. This proves that you went to the location, and shopped the right one. These proof items are usually scanned and attached to your shopping report. I currently have a printer/scanner/copier that was purchased at my local Wal Mart for $60.

- Digital Camera - There is no need to use this as an excuse to run out and splurge on the fanciest model you can find, well, unless you really want to. There are some shops that require you to take a photo as part of your assignment, or shops that only require you to take pictures of the signage at the location. The quality of the photo varies from assignment to assignment, but three mega pixels usually just fine. The higher the mega pixels, the larger the file that has to be uploaded and you may actually be requested to lower the quality on your image before uploading. If you lack a scanner you may also have the option of photographing your shopping proof and uploading a picture. Be careful here - you must be able to read all of the proof information. Check to see if your camera has a macro mode. This will help you take those close-ups!

- Clipboard - The lowest of the low-tech, I find that my clipboard is an invaluable tool. I use it to keep all my reports, shop information, and directions organized while on the road. When I arrive at the shopping location it slides easily under a seat so that it can’t be seen. If I’m doing a phone survey it’s in my lap helping me to record the information as I go.

- Watch - The watch is a must for all serious shoppers. Again, you don’t have to splurge on the high-tech; I use a simple little Timex. Digital watches with stopwatch features are also quite useful at time, but I’ve never used one personally.

- Cell phone - Again while handy to have, if you don’t have one already there’s no need to rush to get one. Personally, I don’t. Shocking, right?

- Fax machine - Every once in awhile you will accept a shop where the shopping proof must be faxed, but it’s really not too common anymore. Scanning has taken the place of faxing. I use my local copy shop on these occasions, and save the receipts.

- Calendar - Sometimes, the simple is the best. You will need a good calendar/organizer to keep track of your assignments to insure you get them done by their deadlines.

- Filing system - Receipts, shop reports, instructions, and confirmation pages - these are some of the items you’ll now be keeping track of. I do anywhere from 10-20 shops in a week and use a little accordion style file case. Simple, portable, and sturdy enough that I can drop kick the little bugger when necessary.

-Adobe/Excel/Word - Some of the shop instructions will come in these software formats. If you don’t have them, not to worry you can download free ‘viewer’ versions of them at their respective websites.

I think that covers all of the basics. I’ll have to write more in the future on the advanced ones. If there’s something I’ve left out let me know and I’ll try to cover it in the future.

You’d be surprised how often I get this question. In a nutshell mystery shopping is a tool that companies use to get a ‘customer’s eye’ view of what is happening in their stores or franchises. Mystery shoppers are usually women, but there are quite a few men out there as well. The shoppers pose as regular customers and when they are finished with their shopping experiences they report back on what happened during their shop. Usually reports will be submitted online, but they can be taken over the phone or in extreme cases, mailed in. If a business deals with customers chances are they are mystery shopped. Assignments can range from a simple five minute phone call to a more complex hours long site visit.

I know on the surface it sounds like a lot of fun, and don’t get me wrong it is, but it is also a lot of work. For starters as a mystery shopper you are seldom, if ever, an employee. Mystery shoppers are more often independent contractors. Taxwise, independent contracting opens up a whole new bucket of worms for the uninitiated. When I was mystery shopping full time, back in the dark ages, one year when I went to have my taxes done I had W-9 forms from over 50 companies. That’s a lot of data entry. I thought my poor accountant was going to faint! On the plus side you also get to deduct your mileage, office equipment, and possibly even get a tax break on your home office. Please do not take anything here as gospel for the IRS, but instead if you are going this route PLEASE contact your LOCAL tax professional/accountant. They will have details and specifics as to what you will need to save for your tax deductions and how to prove it.

If you plan on making mystery shopping your full time job get ready for a lot of work and you had better love your car. Comparatively speaking, more time is spent in your car getting to and from assignments, than searching for jobs or writing your reports. Then again perhaps I just live in too rural an area.

The shops themselves can be a lot of fun, but always remember then you have to do the reports on your experiences. This can be a simple 5 questions yes/no form, or it can be a 30-page narrative depending on the assignment. The more narrative questions a form has the longer it will take you to complete.

The compensation for the shops you complete will also vary widely by assignment. Different companies pay different fees even for the same type of shop. What am I talking about? Take apartment shopping - you go to a complex as a prospective tenant and take a tour. Company A offers $35 for the report, but it’s shop form is very long and full of narrative answers while Company B only offers $15, but it’s shop form has more yes/no with fewer narratives required. Shop A will make you more money, but Shop B will take you less time. Perhaps even a lot less if you are not used to writing narratives. There is no one true way here. Do whatever suits YOU best. Yes, if you are required to make a purchase, and not return the item, you are allowed to keep it. However, fees for these shops will be lower. An information gather shop may pay $14, while a shop type shop might pay just $4 with a $10 maximum purchase. Some shops will even be reimbursement only - most car service, dining, and hotel shops fall into this one. Again - do what works for you.

Life as a mystery shopper surely does not lack for humor. So there I was - parked in my car outside of a local drive-thru with my trusty stopwatch marking the service times off on my little clipboard. No, I wasn’t parked anywhere the store employees could see me and if one happened to wander outside I had my little pretend cell phone all ready for me to pretend to talk to so I could appear to have a plausible explanation for my presence. I did however, have a prime view of the customers placing their orders, and thank to my open window, I could hear a good bit of the conversations as well. I was completely amazed at how many people nodded at the speaker and then seemed to get upset when the cashier repeated the question. Is anyone else having a ‘duh’ moment? I mean you’re placing your order to a little metal box and you expect it to have video? While this might just be a possibility for the future it surely isn’t common practice now. I swear I just have to roll my eyes thinking about it.

I also have to have the ‘duh’ moment about the ordering techniques. Honestly people, do you really expect to tell whoever is taking your order that you want a soda/drink and just expect them to know what you mean? When the cashier asks the question to get clarification on the drink/soda to be ordered the people just get all offended and answer in that snotty tone. You know the one I mean, you’re probably used it a time or two yourself. Lord knows I’m even guilty of this one myself on occasion. I get that we’re all a little absent-minded at times, but from the high level of occurrences during just my little sample gives me a whole new batch of sympathy for those poor souls taking the orders.

Whenever I am asked what I do and explain that I’m a mystery shopper I am deluged with questions - not to mention that I thought it might be fun to write about it on a semi-regular basis. So first to the questions…..

1. Yes. I am a mystery shopper. As with many other shoppers I also do merchandising, audits, and the occasional demonstration.

2. No. Being a mystery shopper should not cost you any money. If you are visiting a website that requires a fee they are not the right one to help you in your goals of becoming a mystery shopper. All of the information you need is available online for FREE.

3. NO. I cannot tell you who to sign up with if you want to shop ‘Starbucks’ or any other specific company. I work with many mystery shopping companies, not as an employee, but as an independent contractor. As such I am required to sign confidentiality agreements and am not able to discuss details of my associations with them, or the locations/chains that I shop for.

That being said, yes, I have been a mystery shopper for almost a decade. No, I do not do it full time and do have a day job. Why? I do not love my car that much. Mystery shopping is a job that I find endlessly fascinating, but doing it full time means I spend more time in my car driving in circles then I care too.

That’s enough of an introduction, yes? I welcome all questions and comments and hope you enjoy your visit.