The top 5 questions to ask a mystery shopping company

If you are thinking about becoming a mystery shopper, then you may find that there are a few veils of secrecy over the industry. This is right in many ways, because it wouldn't be a mystery if all the cards were laid on the table. But you want to know what you are letting yourself in for. So, there are certain answers that you will need. Here are my top 5 questions to ask a mystery shopping company to make sure you know what is required of you and whether you can work together -

1 - Do you charge a fee for me to mystery shop with you?

This is a question that seems obvious to those of us that have been doing this for a while, but I have read more and more scams out there, so beware. The fact that there is a lot of secrecy in mystery shopping has opened it up to some unscrupulous operators. They think they can earn money from others without any work. This is a scam.

No genuine mystery shopping company will take cash from you up front to join their panel or assign you jobs. I have a list of the legitimate UK mystery shopping companies on this blog, so this is the perfect place to begin. Don't part with your money for a mystery shopping opportunity.

2 - How do I apply?

Each mystery shopping company has a different way for you to send your details and make an application to become one of their mystery shoppers. You will need to know what they are looking for. It is no use telling them you are an avid online shopper if they are looking for new recruits for physical shops. Read up on what they want and make sure you fit the bill.

Some will have multiple choice tests that you have to pass while others might ask you why you think you are suited to mystery shopping. It seems that many of these sites I frequent are regularly looking for shoppers, so take a look at what they need and let them know that you fir the bill.

3- How are shops assigned?

For me, this is the third most important on the list of the top 5 questions to ask a mystery shopping company before you begin. Some will have online systems where you search and then assign yourself the work. This means that it is a first-come-first-served system and you stand as good a chance as all the other registered workers.

Others have certain criteria, which means that not all the available jobs are visible to you. So you might need to work your way up with these companies and build a profile. At least one of the mystery shopping companies I use has a ratings system. You are marked out of 10 for each mystery shop you carry out and only people with a 7 or above (sometimes 8) can apply for specific assignments.

Others still call shoppers when they have an available assignment. this may not work for you if you have others commitments. Find out how the jobs are assigned and choose the most appropriate company for you.

4 - When do you pay me?

This is a crucial entry in the top 5 questions to ask a mystery shopping company because that's what we are all in it for, right? With mystery shopping you generally buy goods and then wait for the company to pay you back what you have spent plus a fee for your time and trouble.

But what if this wait is up to 8 weeks? Are you still happy to mystery shop for them now?

Some companies pay at the end of one month for work you have done in the month before. Carry out an assignment on the 1st of August and you won't be paid until 30th September. This doesn't feel great.

But most don't work this way. They pay twice a month and pretty quickly at that. Look for the payment schedules and wait times so you know where you stand. If this is something you are doing for extra money then you might want to go slowly to begin with so you build up your cash reserves. Going out and doing 10 mystery shops in one day might feel great, but your bank account needs to suck up this money until you get paid.

5 - Which clients do you work with?

The fifth entry on my list of the top 5 questions to ask a mystery shopping company is still a crucial one. It doesn't feel as important as the others, but will still help you decide if the mystery shopping company is right for you. If you sign up with a mystery shopping company for free meals and they exclusively deal with fashion retailers, then you won't feel like mystery shopping is worth it for you.

Do your homework before you sign up so you don't waste your time. Mystery shopping can be great if you get the right assignments so you need to know hat those might be. The companies are usually quite coy about giving out this information in case you are a competitor trying to steal clients, but you can get a good idea if you ask the question.

Mystery shopping is something that you can grow to love if you start out on the right foot. My guide to mystery shopping is available now, so check it out -