How much money can you make as mystery shopper

For those of you who may not have heard of mystery shopping, it is an information gathering and quality assurance tool used by market research companies on behalf of their commercial clients. Mystery shopping may also be used by watchdog organizations or even companies themselves to measure certain parameters such as customer service, product selection, agent fairness, etc. When the mystery shopper has finished surveying the assigned shop, he or she fills out a detailed questionnaire at home and submits receipts.

Once that paperwork has been successfully filed, the mystery shopper is reimbursed. There are many market research companies that offer mystery shopping to everyday folks like you and me as a way of making extra money. There is no special training required to become a mystery shopper; in most cases, you simply submit your personal and contact information to the company and then check for shops that fit your profile.

However, some mystery shopping companies do ask that potential shoppers go through their certification program before those shoppers can receive assignments. In such cases, the certification program is specific to the hiring company and is free.

For mystery shoppers who would like to get immediate preference on assignments from mystery shopping companies, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association , or MSPA, provides two levels of certification, termed Silver and Gold. These certifications are not free. Keep in mind that no mystery shopping company should require you to have MSPA Silver or Gold certification before you can start accepting shop assignments; however, having one or both of these certificates helps you get more and better assignments.

We highly recommend clicking here to create a free account at SwagBucks. You can get a percentage back on everything you spend online. As with almost any work-at-home opportunity, there are mystery shopping scams out there too. Not every legitimate company belongs to the MSPA, but if it does, you can be assured that it is legitimate. So, how much money can you make through mystery shopping? Here is an example shop assignment that I completed not long ago:.

We have lunch and dinner shops available in April and May. Shopper and guest must order two different entrees, a side dish and appetizer or dessert plus beverages.

As you can see, this assignment did not make me money per se but I did get two free meals out of the deal. The shop report that had to be filled out within 24 hours of completing this assignment was rather lengthy and involved. Still- two free meals! This batch of shops can be performed by a female or male shopper shopping alone or by a couple pretending to be getting married.

Whether shopping alone or as a couple you need play the role as someone who is part of a committed couple looking for bridal sets. For this shop, you will be scheduled to go to a specific jewelry store. In order to complete this shop correctly, you will:. As you can see, this assignment involves a call and visit to a jewelry store followed by a written evaluation of the shop. Depending on where you live and how long it takes for you to visit and evaluate the shop, you could easily spend two hours on this assignment.

Mystery Shopper Jobs - Official Site Mystery Shoppers America

To begin with, mystery shopping is not a scam but neither is it a full-time or even steady job. In some cases, your compensation will not be monetary and may include free meals, clothing, oil changes, product discounts, etc. Back when I was employed with an outside company, there was no way I could mystery shop around my work schedule.

In many cases, the assigned shops had a completion hour assigned to them and that time typically occurred during business hours. As for me, I spend way too much effort on the assignments to really make them worth my time which could be spent writing. Here is a list of some legitimate mystery shopping companies that I have been associated with and some company reviews:. SurfMerchants LLC Synovate Summit Scheduling. Payout is twice a month by direct deposit or check.

Alternately, you can peruse the mystery shopping member list published by MSPA and find out if any of the listed companies operate in your area. There's only ONE program I really recommend. Click here for the exact formula I followed. Work full time in a job and part time as a mystery shopper. When you mystery shop, combine this with other errands and write off the gasoline. Go overnight to a casino or beach, fit in a mystery shop, and write off the gas and part of the lodging.

Use it to your advantage. Stay away from Mystery Shopping. I can tell you from experience, you will NOT make money. I did this for a year before giving up. Anyone who tells you they make hundreds per month is fabricating truths. They may make hundreds per month, gross, but profit is low.

And then there is the maintenance, gas, oil changes and thousands of miles you are putting on your car. Do not fall for this. The only ones making money in Mystery Shopping are the mystery shopping companies who will lure you into their scheme. Mystery shopping is a amazing an fun way to earn in your free time. It has been a very rewarding experience, I have been associated with a company called bare international and so far I have had a very good experience.

I tend to agree with you. I have worked with Bare a few times lately. I find it rewarding. I recently been doing apartment shops.

The report is grueling. They take at least 1 and a half hours to input. I just enjoy it. I think it depends on the type of product being offerred.

I worked in an electronics shop and it was pretty easy to tell who was a mystery shopper because they asked lots of questions about special offers, details, colours, and seemed to know what they wanted to buy before asking. I mean there is gonna be some effort people are going to have to do. It is not free.

Mystery Shopper Jobs

People can realistically make a part-time income mystery shopping, and not all assignments require an out of pocket purchase. Some assignments are simple telephone calls that are made from home, and others require a visit to a retailer or business. Assignments range from evaluating cashiers and employees to verifying the location of a business or the signage and menu items displayed. There are many different types of assignments and literally hundreds of legitimate companies to work with.

To find legitimate companies, try visiting the Mystery Shopping Providers Association MSPA , International Association of Service Evaluators IASE , or National Association for Retail Marketing Services NARMS , and remember to vet companies with the Better Business Bureau BBB. Below are some resource links to help you get started. You may never recieve the money and you did the work.

Some will say your grammar is lacking and deside not to pay you, others will just never pay without any reason. Most of the time it takes them 3 months to pay. Maybe if they paid me interest I would not mind it.

Why risk working for free or being out the money? Some assignments are only a free meal or two and a huge form to fill out. But you decide if you think its worth it. You have to find the shop online, reading it, driving there, doing it, put up your money , driving home, filling out the form, scan and fax receipts and waiting for a payment. With options such as Living Social and Groupon why waste your time?

Mystery shopping is really a worth the effort. Because Mystery shopping provides a form of customer feedback. Businesses pay for the feedback of mystery shoppers and use it to improve customer service, product quality, or adherence to certain rules. Because the identity of a mystery shopper is a secret, mystery shopping allows stores and restaurants to know what a customer experience is like when treatment is unbiased. Not to mention, businesses hope that customer service will improve overall if employees know any given customer is a mystery shopper.

How much does mystery shopping pay? | BestMark

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