Why wouldn't you mystery shop?

The vast majority of us shop at one time or another. If we don't shop then we go out for a meal or a coffee or a pint. The fact is that we spend money in various places during the course of a normal week. All mystery shopping does is put some money in your pocket for these occasions.

Stay with me for a few minutes as I let you know the places I have mystery shopped recently to get an idea of how it could help you. At the end of this short article I want you to ask yourself the question -

Why wouldn't I mystery shop?

The family meal

At a popular location restaurant I got to treat my family of four (including me) to a meal which was covered by the reimbursement and the fee. Although I didn't walk away with any money in my pocket (or my bank account to be more precise) I did get to feed the four of us. In return I had to -

• Spend around 5 minutes reading the notes so I was ready
• Time certain points in the restaurant such as how long top be served, how long for the label to be cleared
• Remember the name and description of all who served me (notes on the iPhone works perfectly here)
• Take a photo of my meal and of the venue
• Spend around 10 minutes filling out the report online afterwards

I think that's a price worth paying.

A coffee and cake

A multinational coffee chain also needs to be mystery shopped too. I got two free coffees, two treats and still made a little extra money on the side. I found this even easier than the family meal as there were no distractions from the kids. It is an easy way to get a free coffee, especially if you were going for one anyway.

Some free groceries

This was in my town, right next to the supermarket I usually visit. I popped into his other, smaller supermarket on the way there. I had to make an enquiry on the shop floor and then buy some items at the till. I was looking for cleanliness, clear aisles and great customer service, including queue management. It took a couple of minutes each for the preparation, the shop and the online feedback. Easy money!

And these are not the only places you can mystery shop...

If you don't spend your time like this then there are other opportunities that you might like to gain from. The use of social media by companies is under the spotlight and they are always looking for mystery shoppers to send a tweet or fill in a contact form to see the response times and quality.

Bookmakers are a popular UK mystery shopping destination and I've even seen mystery shops to hotels or for holidays in my time after you have worked up to the required level. I'm sure that there are opportunities out there for you.

If you are thinking about becoming a mystery shopper but don't know which way ti turn then my book is the ideal place to start. It is available on the Amazon Kindle store now -

There are loads of mystery shopping opportunities out there again

It's that time of year for mystery shoppers. Christmas is over and done with and the sales are a thing of distant memory for most of us. And it is this time of year that mystery shopping comes back with a vengeance. Things really start to pick up now for mystery shoppers. Over the Christmas period the retailers and hospitality businesses want to concentrate on their busiest period so mystery shopping pretty much stops. They are too busy to think about their mystery shopping programmes.

Then as the new year arrives it all starts again. Business as usual means that companies want to know what service their teams are giving their customers. So it's over to the growing army of mystery shoppers to go out there and complete assignments. The mystery shoppers will work to assess the value, service and other aspects of the way they find retail outlets and hospitality places such as coffee shops, restaurants and pubs.

And they are looking for new mystery shoppers all the time. You can join this growing army. If you sign up today then you can find mystery shopping assignments like the following-

* A meal in a local pub for two. Here you have to assess the service and food available and report back on things like how quickly you were served in exchange for having your meal paid for.

* A clothing purchase at a national retailer known for service and quality. You get to keep whatever you buy and are paid a small fee too!

* Grab a quick lunch on the go and get someone else to pick up the tab. There are always mystery shops that need you to assess how quickly you are served at lunchtime.

* Betting shops want to know that their teams are engaging their customers in more than taking their money. You can get a free bet and keep any winnings if you pick up one of these.

* National coffee shop chains also want to know if their team ms are following procedures. If you choose one of these mystery shops then you can get a free coffee for you and a friend - and often a cake to go with it too!

Mystery shopping can bring you in some extra money, help with the groceries or provide the occasional treat. If you are interested in becoming a mystery shopper then my book is the best place to learn all the skills you need. Check it out today-