The top 6 qualities needed to be a mystery shopper

Mystery shopping is a great way to earn some extra money, pick up some great items and fill in your spare time. For anyone that is looking for a little extra then mystery shopping can really help. It is ideal for-

• University students
• Stay-at-home mums
• Parents with a family
• Those wanting to put something extra in their Christmas stockings

And mystery shopping companies are looking to recruit new shoppers near you right now. A mystery shopper has to be able to fulfill certain criteria and this guide will help you to see whether you have the necessary skills to be come a mystery shopper. Here is my guide to the top 6 qualities needed to be a mystery shopper.

6 - Be a good timekeeper

Mystery shopping companies are sticklers for time. You will have a certain date and time range outlined on any mystery shopping assignment and you need to tun up on that date within those times for your visit and report to be accepted. In some mystery shops you will also need to time how long it took you to be served or how long it took your food to arrive. Being able to keep and record accurate times is a key skill.

5 - Have good written skills

The report you have to file after any mystery shopping assignment will be typed into a website for the mystery shopping company and the client to read. This means that you need to be able to type in good written English for your reports to be accepted and used. Use a spellcheck program and then copy and paste this into the website if it will help you.

4 - Be a good planner

Most of the hard work for a mystery shop comes before you even leave your home. You will need to be prepared for what the mystery shop might entail. On most assignments you will receive a set of notes outlining what you need to do and the questionnaire that you must complete. Read both several times as well as checking the location of the assignment so you are able to get this just right.

3 - Be impartial

The people you are mystery shopping want to know exactly what went on during a visit, and you can;'t let your past experiences with them cloud what you report back. If you have had a previous encounter with the same brand (good or bad) then block this out of your mind and report only what happened on the visit. Mystery shopping companies want to know that you can be objective and give them a report that truly reflects the experience you had.

2 - Have a good eye for detail

A lot of the interesting part of mystery shopping involves looking for the small details that make a difference. As a mystery shopper you need to have a good eye for detail do you can pick these up and report back. The mystery shopping company will ask things like-

"Did all team member wear a name badge?"

"Were there 6 different sandwiches available?"

"How long did you have to wait to be served in minutes and seconds?"

Being able to see the little details that matter will set you up to be a great mystery shopper.

1 - Be accurate

The number one quality needed to become a mystery shopper is to be accurate. The mystery shopping company hire you to be their eyes in the outlets of their customers. They want you to be able to walk around like a normal customer and then accurately feed back what happened. Accuracy in terms of timings, descriptions of the people who served you, what was aid and other elements is a vital part of any mystery shopping report so make sure this is a skill that you have if you want to become a mystery shopper.

If you are thinking about becoming a mystery shopper then my book will really help you to get to grips with the process of applying and starting to be a mystery shopper. It also contains a list and contact details of all the current UK mystery shopping companies. Check it out!