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MYSTERY SHOPPING
Ever fancied going out to dinner or shopping and getting paid for it? Then you might consider becoming a mystery shopper.
- What is Mystery Shopping?
- What qualifications or skills do I need to become a Mystery Shopper?
- How much money can I earn?
- What is involved in a Mystery Shopping job?
- What to do after an assignment is completed
- Recommended agencies to join
What is mystery shopping?
A vast amount of companies are interested in knowing what their customers/clients think of their service and/or products so they hire a mystery shopping company to gather information for them. This is where you come in. Mystery Shopping companies are always on the lookout for trustworthy and reliable people to carry out assignments for them. Assignments vary from restaurants to shops, banks to fitness centres, the list is endless.
Sounds like fun? It is but it’s no joke, your reports are vital material, so you’ve got to be commited and be able to complete each job as specified on your worksheet by your agency.
What qualifications or skills do I need?
You don’t need any particular qualifications to become a mystery shopper, basically anyone can do it, any age, any background. But you must be reliable, observant, have a good memory and be able to give an accurate, unbiased view of your findings.
Mystery shopping companies pay between £4.00 – £20.00 per job, averaging at around £7.00. Some jobs pay more, some a little less. Costs incurred during a visit, i.e. buying food, drink or shopping will be reimbursed and some companies pay traveling expenses too. You won’t get rich from mystery shopping but you will earn some extra cash and a host of freebies in the process including food, cold drinks, hot drinks, sandwiches, groceries, magazines, petrol, hotel accommodation, fitness lessons, small electrical items, software,cd’s, dvd’s and much, much more! Payment is made either monthly or fortnightly via bank transfer.
What is involved in a mystery shopping job?
The first step is to join an agency. Once accepted you will be given an assessor number that you must quote in order to enter the shopper page on an agents website, or quote via e-mail or telephone if need be. All agencies have their own system of distributing assignments but most of them offer jobs via their website. Assigments are on an ad/hoc basis and although some agencies notify you by e-mail when jobs become available, it is strongly advisiable to check your page on a regular basis to make sure you don’t miss out. Once released jobs disappear quickly! You will be notified if you have been accepted to carry out an assignment and will receive a brief detailing what is required of you together with a questionnaire – everything is explained in detail including times, dates, job description and what you need to look out for. Jobs usually take about an hour to an hour and a half to complete including travelling.
What to do after an assignment is completed?
After completing an assignment you are usually required to fill out an online questionnaire within a set timeframe, this is usually between 8 – 24 hours of job completion. The best thing to do is to enter your results onto the system as soon as you can while the details are still fresh in your mind. Some questionnaires are longer than others but should take no longer than fifteen minutes to complete.
Agencies to join:
GAPbuster Worldwide: One of the most renowned and successful mystery shopping agencies. They offer a wide range of assignments with excellent support. Jobs are straightforward and require you to fill in an uncomplicated online questionnaire within eight hours of completion. With a state of the art website giving shoppers online training, you really can’t go wrong. Payment is made monthly by direct debit.
GAPbuster Worldwide is particularly looking for shoppers in the following areas:
Barnstaple NORTH DEVON England
With these locations being the least competitive, you’d be offered assignments immediately and can start earning cash right away! Use the drop down list above to locate current hotspots – for all other areas click here.
A WORD OF WARNING
NEVER sign-up with a mystery shopping agency that asks you for money – becoming a shopper is FREE.