Top 5 tips on how to be a better mystery shopper

When it comes to mystery shopping we all want to get better at it. The more time you can save by becoming efficient then the more money you can earn. As far as mystery shopping companies are concerned they want you to get better too. More accurate reporting means that they don't have to get back in touch with you to clarify anything and they can get your report back to their clients as quickly as possible. Here are the top 5 ways that you can become a better mystery shopper.

5 - Use a stopwatch or smartphone to make sure your timings are accurate

The timings that you record are used to measure service times so they need to be totally accurate. In some mystery shops such as fast food outlets the timings are absolutely crucial. Make sure that you report these accurately by using s stopwatch of the stopwatch facility on your smartphone. If you don't include accurate timings then your report may be rejected and you may not get paid. Not a great thing for a mystery shopper!

4 - Think like a mystery shopper everywhere you go

I find that practice makes perfect. I think l like a mystery shopper whenever I'm out shopping or having something to eat. I look for name badges, record service times and think about the service I am being given. This all helps when it comes to the real mystery shops. Get into that frame of mind and it will help you to get better at mystery shopping!

3 - Ask the mystery shop company of there is anything you are not sure about

This is a simple rule that makes a big difference. If you read through all the mystery shop job notes and there is something you are still not sure about then ask. All mystery shopping companies have contact numbers or email addresses so you can contact them to clarify what you have to do. Never go in to a mystery shop unless you are certain you know what is required of you.

2 - Read your assignments notes thoroughly before you go

This may sound obvious but it can trip you up, especially if you are shopping a location or company that you have been to before. The notes and the questionnaire give you all the details you need when it comes to the mystery shop you have been assigned. Read the notes thoroughly at home and once again just before you go in to the location - making sure you are not seen.

It is by knowing what is expected of you when it comes to a mystery shop that you can deliver what is required.

1 - Write your reports in Word and spellcheck them before uploading and submitting

Your spelling and grammar need to be perfect when you send through your reports. The mystery shop company and the end client need to be able to read and understand what you have written.

We're not all great at these things all the time so writing in Word and using the spelling and grammar check is the top tip when it comes to getting better at being a mystery shopper.

If you are thinking of becoming a mystery shopper then my Amazon Kindle book is a great place to start. If gives a step by step guide on how to become a mystery shopper and how to get the most out of it.

The six things you need to know when applying to be a mystery shopper

Mystery shopping is a great way to earn some extra money. It feels really satisfying to go out and spend someone else's money knowing that you are being paid a fee as well got the privilege. But mystery shopping is a serious business. It helps companies to train and monitor their teams and gives vital feedback to help the customer experience. Because of this mystery shopping companies want to know that you can fit their criteria before trey sign you up and let you ship for them. Here are the six things you need to know when applying to be a mystery shopper-

6- You need good written English

The reports that go back to the clients are used for staff training so they need to be ably to understand what it is you are saying. Most mystery shop companies have a spellcheck facility so don't worry too much about it. Just let them know that you can write a great report.

5- You must be consistent

The mystery shop company want your reports to be as fair on one visit as the next. It isn't the fault of the company you are assessing if you are having a bad day, so don't take it out in them! Consistency is really important so let the mystery shopping company know that you can do this for them.

4- You must be reliable

Mystery shops are designed to measure certain things at certain times in certain days. If you commit to doing a mystery shop then make sure you turn up and that you turn up on time. Every mystery shop company wants to know on your application that you will be a reliable shopper for them.

3- You must be accurate

Mystery shopping is all about reporting back exactly what happened. A mystery shop company wants to know when you apply that you are accurate in what you do. Inaccurate reporting means questions may need to be asked and your payment may be delayed. Nobody wants that!

2- You need to be objective

You need to put any other thoughts about the brand you are assessing to one side. The mystery shop company wants to know that you can assess the situation in front of you in an objective way. You are there to measure specific things so don't lose focus and think about times when you may have shopped there in the past.

1- You need a good attention to detail

Mystery shopping is all about seeing what is going on in a given sotuation and reporting this back. You may need to remember details such as the name and description of the person who served you or the cleanliness levels where you have shopped. This is why this is the most important thing that the mystery shop company wants to know you have in your skill set.

If you want to know more about mystery shopping then you can find my book on the Amazon Kindle store-

It is time to start mystery shopping again, and a change in strategy to boot!

It is mystery shop time again tomorrow. I have carried out so few mystery shops in 2016 through a lack of available jobs and other work commitments taking over that it feels like tomorrow will be my return to the arena of mystery shopping. This is the start of getting back into it and making sure that I hit my goals of how much money I want to make by mystery shopping this year. I won't divulge too much information about that at this moment but it is safe to say that I haven't made it there yet!

There are two shops tomorrow and it does mark the start of a slightly different strategy that I am taking with my this year.

In the past I took the spend up to the available limit (and sometimes beyond) to maximise the products I was getting for the mystery shop time I was putting in. Most assignments have the payment in two elements - the reimbursement and the fee. The reimbursement is the money paid back to you for what you have spent. The fee is the incentive for going there. I have usually used the money from both to make the purchase, leaving me with no profit but a full spend on the products I would take home, for personal use or to give as gifts.

This year will see me spend the reimbursement but ensure that I keep the fee as a profit, leaving me to spend the fee on whatever I choose from wherever I want to buy. It is about what is important to you as a mystery shopper and this year I want spending money for my holiday!

I will post an update tomorrow on the two mystery shops I carry out and you will see more shops and more blog entries in the upcoming weeks.

If you are looking to become a mystery shopper then my book is available now and is a great guide to becoming a mystery shopper and making a success of it.

The last few mystery shops before Christmas - free meals!

Its very quiet now in the mystery shop front, and the only jobs I'm picking up to carry out now are those in restaurants and pubs.

I've carried out a few over the last week or so, and I've for two more set before the end of the year.

I went to a chain pub last week for a standard assignment. It was about ordering a meal and a couple of drinks and them assessing the customer service and quality of the food and drinks. Its a repeat assignment, so it's something I can do in my sleep but sometimes this brings it's own problems. It really pays to read through the notes thoroughly, as these assignments can change over time. On this occasion I read through but it was very similar to the way it always has been - in fact this same assignment was my very first ever mystery shop!

Fee = £3.50

Reimbursement = £5.00

Spend = £11.00

Profit/Loss = -£2.50

I also visited the catering outlet of a local government establishment last week. It was to test the quality of food and service age in, but with a slightly different agenda. The measures that the client wanted was to establish whether the outlet was closer in standards to a catering facility or a restaurant chain. The offering was decidedly catering outlet fayre and this will no doubt disappoint the client. They are hoping to be viewed as a food destination in their own right but on the basis of this visit, that is unlikely to be happening any time soon.

Fee = £3.25

Reimbursement = £9.75

Spend = £19.00

Profit/Loss = +£6.00

If you are looking to mystery shop, and this really take soff in January then take a look at my book. It's a guide on how to become a successful mystery shopper.

Read why you should be preparing for January mystery shops right now

It may seem like madness at this time of year but it's really time for mystery shoppers to start preparations for January. With Christmas and the New Year festivities in the offing, you may have your mind elsewhere at the moment but there is very good money to be made in January and the effect of your purchases can be multiplied by the sale prices.

Last January my partner and I carried out 150 mystery shops - almost an average of 5 per day! There are mystery shops available for-

• Clothing stores
• Bars
• Restaurants
• Fast food outlets
• Bookmakers
• Supermarkets
• Takeaways
• Pubs
• Gift retailers
• Sports stores
• And more

There are so many options as mystery shopping customers are looking to start off the quarter by getting their assessments done.

If you're currently a mystery shopper then it's time to get prepared and start looking on the mystery shop we sites for the early releases.

If you're not currently a mystery shopper then now is a great time to find out all about it. Get my book to find out how to become a mystery shopper - it's available now.

See why you should consider becoming a mystery shopper

Mystery shopping is becoming more and more prevalent as retailers, financial services organisations and hospitality providers want to know what their teams are doing when they're not around to supervise or assess. The use of mystery shopping in many economies grows as multi-site operations take over High Streets, shopping malls and out of town shopping centres. Multi-site operators will want each site to offer a similarly high standard of service, so every customer knows what to expect on every visit. The operations want to be able to provide the same level of customer experience in their outlets whether they be in London or Birmingham, Portsmouth or Glasgow, and for multinational companies from Madrid to New York. And there are several different steps that one of these companies can take to facilitate this similarity of customer experience. Staff training is the same throughout the company to ensure that everyone gets the same resources to be inducted, initially trained and improve themselves. And this is where a level of communication comes in. The companies need to communicate their requirements to the team. And some of these requirements come through really well in the way they are mystery shopped.

The management teams are also trained to deliver training. By this, I mean that they can communicate the ideals of the company and ensure that all their teams understand what is expected of them. From this base level of understanding, the idea is that the distinct standards of service I mentioned above are carried out to the best of people's ability.

But people are human, ideals can sometimes get lost in the everyday buzz of work and not everybody has the same training, personal standards, motivation or understanding, and this is where mystery shopping can help out. It gives a framework for managers and their teams to set out their work day. A good mystery shopping programme should work hand-in-hand with the training and supervision that a company offers to reinforce the standards that they have - it leaves those on the customer-facing front line in no doubt about what is expected of them. In turn, it should leave the customers in no doubt about what the company stands for and what they can expect - no matter where in the country (or indeed where in the world) they visit and spend their money.

So, as large organisations develop a mystery shopping programme, they need mystery shoppers to help to fulfill this. And this is where you can come in, help and earn money. Mystery shopping is fun, exciting, rewarding and is valuable. This blog will help to make it all of these things and more for you. I will add background to the process, as above, and give you knowledge, practical advice, hints and tips to make your time as a mystery shopper as interesting and rewarding as possible. With the benefit of the background knowledge, you can alter your responses to the situation and be comfortable that you understand the impact and importance of the mystery shop work that you carry out.

I will help you to make a success of it and any successful mystery shopper will add value for the company, the mystery shop provider and for themselves. It is probable that you will make reasonable money for yourself by mystery shopping. It is possible that you can make yourself a living from mystery shopping, if you are dedicated and when you get yourself up to speed and established. You will need to register with a number of mystery shopping companies. It is a self-employed position, where you carry out assignments on behalf of mystery shopping company and then deal with your own tax assessments, and we will look at that in one of the chapters. All in all, I want you to share the passion I have for doing this. It's a passion for improvement and a passion for making money. Just about all of us shop for things that you could just as easily mystery shop for, even if it's for groceries, days out or for a meal. Mystery shoppers are needed for supermarkets, for attractions or days out and for restaurants or cafés.

Check out my book for more information-

Could you, would you have your Christmas Day dinner paid for on the house?

This is the time of year that mystery shop companies and retailers cut back on assignments to concentrate on customer service. The number of mystery shops available has started to drop quite a lot. But for the willing there are certain kind of jobs that start to appear about now.

If you want to have a few days away at Christmas or want your meal out on Christmas Day then there's possibly a mystery shop coming up for you!

There are often mystery shops at national restaurant chains to assess the service for Christmas Day dinner.

I've seen currently some mystery shopping assignments for a few days away for Christmas at national family resorts.

Both will give the willing participants a hassle-free Christmas experience. If you're interested then get applying for mystery shopping jobs.

My guide to becoming a mystery shopper is available now. Read it to get the lowdown on mystery shopping.

See how a quick mystery shopping trip ended up with a winning bet!

It's a blog today after a short trip to a local town to carry out three mystery shop assignments. It's the usual shop, lunch, shop scenario that has come to typify my mystery shopping activities at this time of the year.

This will quieten down soon so I'm just making the most of the last of the opportunities.

The first assignment is a home improvement store and this one is very similar to one I did last week I browsed the shop floor for literally 9 minutes and 50 seconds of the allowed 10 minutes before a team member came over and asked if I needed help. For the sale of 10 seconds I could hdve left without going through an enquiry and still earned the same fee!

Fee = £5.00

Reimbursement = £1.00

Spend = £0.71

Profit/Loss = +£5.29

The second assignment was to a national pub chain to assess service times and levels. The timing was about measuring how long to be served at the bar, brought food and plates cleared. The service was about staff knowledge and friendliness. There's very, very rarely a reason to mark these pubs down and this assignment isn't any different.

Fee = £3.25

Reimbursement = £9.75

Spend = £11.18

Profit/Loss = +£1.82

The third assignment is to a bookmakers and this gives me the opportunity to share a little insight of the type of overviews we have to produce for mystery shop reports-

"I entered the shop and I was greeted straight away by a team member from behind the counter. I then browsed the floor for approximately five minutes before a team member approached and asked if I was okay.The team member offered me a cup of coffee. I then looked at the betting football coupons before going to the counter to seek help. The team member was helpful and friendly and made conversation about the upcoming England match."

This is what is called an overview, and it's where the report wants a commentary on your visit. It's best to keep details fairly vague here, as you'll go into more detail in the full report.

Fee = £2.75

Reimbursement = £5.00

Spend = £5.00

Profit/Loss = +£2.75

TOTAL = +£9.86 + a tile, lunch for 2 and a free bet (which actually won and made a further £15.50!!!!)

If you are interested in mystery shopping and want to make a little money, get a free lunch or gamble with someone else's money then you can find out how with my book.

It's time to start mystery shopping now if you want to bring in free stuff for Christmas

It's heading towards the time of year that the mystery shops slow down. Many retailers want to concentrate solely on selling at this time and ease off the mystery shopping programmes, to resume in the new year.

I've been stating in my blog for some time that mystery shopping is a great way to secure presents for Christmas. As I write this piece, that is starting to fall away just a little. We're not quite there yet though. It's a strange thing that in my mystery shopping diary I only have three shops booked, and they are all for tomorrow ( and you can see how I get in in tomorrow's blog.) I'd ideally like to have 20-30 booked and I usually have somewhere between 10 and 25 set out in front of me. It's not just the fact that mystery shop companies don't have much available, it's the fact that I'm really only looking for shops that bring me in something that I can use for Christmas. Regular followers of the blog will have seen recent trips to supermarkets and for gifts. I'm looking for similar.

As it stands though, mystery shopping does tail away now and disappear from about mid-December until the first week of January, soniw is the time to read up about mystery shopping, apply to some companies and get out there shopping for free!

My book is the perfect companion to the mystery shopper, so check it out-

Is there such a thing as a free lunch? I think so....

Mystery shopping has been a fun companion to my days out and shopping trips over the last few years. It's an interesting pastime and adds to the enjoyment of a day out in a local town or city. Being organised before the day out and knowing where you are going should mean that you don't change the day too much by adding a mystery shop or two to your shopping trip. And of course it can bring in some money and some free things to make the day go a little smoother.

A free lunch is my most often accompaniment to a day out shopping. Whether it's a coffee shop, a restaurant, a sandwich bar, a takeaway, a fast food joint or a pub there's usually somewhere that I can find lunch with one of my mystery shopping companies. Even the catering facilities of hospitals, workplaces and supermarkets are mystery shopped to see if they come up to standard.

Even if all you mystery shop for is free food then it can really help you along the way.

If you're interested in mystery shopping then my book can help you to become a mystery shopper.

Read about how I went out shopping and came home with more money than I started with!

It's strange sometimes the way mystery shops fall. It's been ages since I did any home improvement store visits then there's two in the same day. Add in a clothing concession in a department store and a coffee shop for lunch and it's a day for generating income rather than gathering free stuff. Let me explain-

Mystery shop 1 is about checking product availability and staff knowledge. I had to check stock levels of certain products before asking someone a question relating to a home improvement problem. The response should have directed me to certain products as a solution.

Fee = £6.00

Reimbursement = £1.00

Spend = £1.55

Profit/Loss = +£4.45

The second shop was a similar home improvement visit. However this one ran a little differently. I was to browse for ten minutes to see if I was approached by a store colleague. On this occasion I want approached, so the mystery shop company required me to make a small purchase and leave. It felt unsatisfactory but those were the instructions.

Fee = £5.00

Reimbursement = £1.00

Spend = £1.30

Profit/Loss = +£4.70

And the third one was the clothing concession, and a rare thing with UK mystery shopping companies - the ability to take the item back for a refund! This is usually frowned upon by mystery shopping companies. They go to all sorts of lengths to warn you against refunding the items you've bought. But with this shop I can take the item back for a full refund any time between 30 minutes and 28 days after my purchase. It means that the whole fee comes in as cash.

Fee = £0

Reimbursement = £12.00

Spend = £20.00

Profit/Loss = +£12.00 (as I will return the item for a full refund)

The final mystery shop was a franchise operation of a massive coffee shop. It was to make a basic purchase and to see if the team member upsold me to any further purchases. It's a basic enquiry and the fee almost covered lunch for two. Not a bad end to a morning of shopping!

Fee = £6.00

Reimbursement = £6.00

Spend = £13.65

Profit/Loss = -£1.65

TOTAL = +£19.50 + a tester pot of paint, 2 tiles and lunch for 2

It's by having these days where you gain money but little free goods that can balance out your mystery shop account. All-in-all, from the preparation, the travel, the conducting of the shops and completing the reports, I probably spent 4 hours on this.

If our are interested in mystery shopping then my Amazon Kindle book is a good point to get started at. It shows you step by step how to apply to become a mystery shopper and then how to complete shops like those above-

Read about how someone else paid for my shopping trip today!

I've been out and conducted four mystery shops today as the search for Christmas presents and to earn some extra money takes hold. It was a visit to a local city, via a garden centre - and that's where I'll start-

Mystery shop 1 was that garden centre and I really like the way this assessment is constructed. It was designed to test the observation skills if the team member and their ability to ask questions, understand the customers needs and make a recommendation. It's really what mystery shopping was designed to do. The team members I encountered were good on a basic level and I bought a plant.

Fee = £3.75

Reimbursement = £5.00

Spend = £7.99

Profit/Loss = +£.076

The second assignment was to an outdoor products retailer and another really enjoyable assessment. It's the standard start - browse until you are approached - but then the enquiry becomes about a specific range of products. The idea is to test the colleagues knowledge and that they are following the procedures. It takes around 20 minutes, which is quite long for a single enquiry. It also tests your skill as a mystery shopper because there are quite a lot of pieces of information that you need to remember for your report. I really enjoyed carrying it out and will do it again when the opportunity arises.

Fee = £10.00

Reimbursement = £5.00

Spend = £12.00

Profit/Loss = +£3.00

The third mystery shop was to a higher-end restaurant chain and it's a really straightforward assessment. Customer service (always very good) and timings (always good) are the order of the day today. Everything went off without real incident and an easy report to boot.

Fee = £3.25

Reimbursement = £15.00

Spend = £25.65

Profit/Loss = -£7.40

The fourth and final shop today was to a discounter. It's more about the store than the team, which I always find a shame. The measures are about availability, cleanliness and the features of the store. I know that the team affect most of these things by their activities but it's nice to be able to assess team members directly by interacting with them. Generally it was a good experience and the fee is good for a quick shop and an easy report to complete.

Fee = £2.50

Reimbursement = £5.00

Spend = £6.83

Profit/Loss = +£0.67

TOTAL = -£2.97 + a plant, two tops for Christmas, groceries and lunch for 2

If you are interested in earning money now for Christmas, or to collect the free stuff that mystery shopping brings you, then my Amazon Kindle ebook is a great place to start. It's available now-

See how you can be paid to shop for Christmas presents

It's the real countdown to Christmas and it's at this time of the year that I look to getting all my free stuff together for presents. I look at the mystery shops available as there is a lot more travelling anyway. I would normally travel to several local towns and cities several times in the run up to Christmas, so I continue this with my mystery shopping exploits. I don't mind spending a little more than my fee and reimbursement when Christmas shopping as it's these extra little presents that make a difference with the family Christmas.

I would think that between now and Christmas I will get several hundred pounds worth of Christmas food and drink, stocking fillers and other smaller presents. A lot of the free stuff I will get now will be really useful in and around Christmas, and I expect to be able to pick up-

• boxes of chocolates
• boxes of biscuits
• bottles of wine
• clothing
• books
• plants
• flowers
• toys
• perfume

And these extra bits will help to take the strain from Christmas, whilst bringing in some income for petrol, parking, lunch and a small profit at times.

How can this work for me?

When mystery shopping at a retailer, the average reimbursement is somewhere between £8 and £15, so you're not going to be able to buy games consoles or a bike. But by working out what you need, your budget for each person you are buying for and any food and drink requirements you will have a great idea of how far mystery shopping can take you. I expect to reach somewhere between £200 and £500 worth of free stuff in November and December in time for Christmas. This will make a big difference to your plans if you can bring in this much extra to help at Christmas.

If you want mystery shopping to help you in time for Christmas then you need to start now. My Amazon Kindle book is available now.

Read about how some mystery shop companies give feedback to make your next shop better

For me, the feedback you get from your mystery shopping companies is really helpful and can help to improve the way you shop. And every mystery shopping company operates differently here. Some prefer the sound of silence here. If you hear nothing then it's all okay and they only contact you of there's an issue. It's not the greatest way to have confidence in what you are doing, as you can only wait and see if an issue is brought up.

Other mystery shop companies give you a mark out of ten and some commentary on how you did-

"Good report overall but there could have been more detail on the area you marked as unsatisfactory. 9/10."

This, of course gives you more to work on. Having some guidance comments on this mystery shop will give you something to focus on when you carry out the next mystery shop for them. You will know the expectations and act on them - and everyone wins!

You get to improve your reporting.

The client gets a more relevant report.

The mystery shop company spends less time clarifying details with you next time.

If you're in the situation where you're asking to clarify something then remember it for your next mystery shop. It can help to save you time and protect your income.

Are you interested in mystery shopping? Do you want to start getting money or free stuff in time for Christmas? My Amazon Kindle book on mystery shopping is available now-

See how I continued my Christmas shopping, and someone else paid me to do it!

I've carried out three mystery shops in a city local to me today. It was free parking for two hours, only a little petrol and only three hours out of my time, including preparation, the shops and data input afterwards.

The first mystery shop today was at a national gift store (to say any more would be to give it away) as a concession in a department store. The store is known for it's quality products and service, and the team member today was outstanding. The scenario was to ask about advice for a gift but be as vague as possible. This means that the team member has to do all the leg work in finding out about who you are gifting to before making a recommendation. The team member asked loads of great questions and made a fantastic recommendation. The product was priced up at £13.00 but scanned through the till at £6.25 so I was even happier at that!

Fee = £5.00

Reimbursement = £3.00

Spend = £6.25

Profit/Loss = +£1.75

I always like to find somewhere for lunch when I'm shopping and the second mystery shop today helped me with that. It was a cafe inside another store and the task was to measure the service levels above the quality of the food. The brief was to be fastidious - the slightest slip in standards was to be marked down. But this was a team on top of their game, so there were no issues at all. Another free lunch (I thought there was no such thing!) and I'm on my way to the last shop.

Fee = £5.00

Reimbursement = £3.00

Spend = £5.30

Profit/Loss = +£2.70

The third and final shop today was at a gambling outlet. The idea was to browse and see if a team member approached me, offered help, talked to me about promotions or any other interaction. These can often be difficult for the team members as they are often left to work on their own and have little or no opportunity to speak with customers at length. The team member I encountered today was good when I approached him but had no opportunity to approach me - so marks down for proactivity but marks up for interaction when it actually happened.

Fee = £2.75

Reimbursement = £5.00

Spend = £5.00

Profit/Loss = +£2.75

TOTAL = +£7.20 + a Christmas gift, lunch for 1 and a free bet (if it comes off another £52!)

Are you interested in mystery shopping in your free time? Looking to earn a little money while out shopping. It can be easy if you get the right information. Check out my Amazon Kindle book, which will talk you through the process of becoming a mystery shopper.

See how I've been looking for more readers in new places

I've taken the mystery shop blog in the road a little! After three mystery shops today in a local city, I took some poster in to some student living accommodations to try to spread the word! I want as many readers as possible for my blog, as I believe passionately that good mystery shopping improves things for all customers. So I've started to try to expand the readership through looking at the type of people that may be interested in mystery shopping. I thought of students, especially when they've settled down into student life and found that money can be a little tough at times. I asked a some student accommodation blocks to pout up the following posters-

They are basic posters prompting people to take a look at the blog rather than anything aimed at selling. I want people to love mystery shopping as much as I do and take a look at what can be achieved by going out and mystery shopping.

If you are new to the blog from these posters then welcome, and I hope you find this interesting and useful. To my existing readers, I will continue to add ideas, hints, tips and the inside knowledge on mystery shopping.

If you are interested in mystery shopping, then please take a look at my Amazon Kindle book, which guides you through the process and gives lots of ideas on how to be a successful mystery shopper, all for less then the price of a Costa coffee.

See what is important after conducting a mystery shop to confirm your visit

I've been looking in a little bit of detail at one of the mystery shops I've conducted today, at a restaurant in a local town. The idea behind the mystery shop was to assess the service (foremost) and the food quality. It's a national chain higher-end restaurant and the image is that of a good quality, high price point chain.

I've looked at the preparation before the mystery shop here.

I managed to type a few lines during the mystery shop, discreetly, here.

This third part of the blog is about what happens after the mystery shop.

After
The first thing I did was towards the end of the during part of the mystery shop. I checked my notes when I visited the toilet and made sure that I had all the information that I would need to be able to complete the report. I left the building and then started to complete my report as soon as I got back to the car. This gave me a minute or two to think, but not too long that the answers disappeared from my head. Having the printed report card in my hand allowed me to be able to complete all the questions immediately and be ready for when I git home and completed the report online, on the mystery shopping company website. Each mystery shop company has their own data input programmes and this is one of the easier ones. Most questions are a simple tick box yes or no followed by a comment if necessary. There is a summary of the visit to be typed at the end and then I upload a photo of the receipt and a photo of the front of the restaurant. I got the photo discreetly as I left to avoid being potentially spotted as a mystery customer.

The next step is to wait for the report to be processed by the mystery shopping company and then if all is correct (and it is on 99% of occasions) payment will come through on the 15th of next month.

Are you looking for extra money or free products? Do you want to be paid for going out shopping? My Amazon Kindle book will help you to become a mystery shopper.

See some of the notes I've written during a mystery shop today

I'm going to concentrate on one mystery shop from today for the blog. I'm going to look at before, during and after to show a little bit of the preparation and the work that's involved in a mystery shop.

During

I'm just about to go into my mystery shop at a restaurant. I've checked and checked again the location and the notes so I know exactly what I'm doing. It's a town I know well, so I've parked somewhere that has no cost.

I'll put updates on here as I go but discretion is the key. Right, I'm going in now.

The server is enthusiastic to the extreme. He's said the word "guys" 20 times already and the word "fantastic" about 10 times as well! It's good service and the restaurant is clean, modern and bright - the only thing missing is customers. One table were leaving when we got here, one was about half way through and us. A lot of rent on a building and salary on staff when there's no customers in spending money.

But back to the mystery shop.

The food is great, the service is very friendly but a little slower than I'd expect for somewhere so quiet. It's been good, and I'm on my way.

A short blog entry for the "during" part as I've been trying to type without being seen.

Read about why the preparation for a mystery shop is so important

I've got three mystery shops to conduct today over lunch time (or is it lunch time see - http://northeastouterspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/dinners-at-twelve-oclock-teas-at-five.html) but it's one of them I'm going to concentrate on for the blog. I'm going to look at before, during and after to show a little bit of the preparation and the work that's involved in a mystery shop.

Before
The shop must be conducted between the hours of 12:30 and 14:00 today in a town approximately 10 miles away from where I live. It;'s in a higher-end national restaurant chain and it's somewhere I enjoy eating. The visit is for a minimum of two people, so I'm taking the other half along with me and there are specific things that I need to order off the menu. This is quite typical of a mystery shop to get the shoppers to order certain items and it can be for one of a few reasons-

• To test staff knowledge
• To see if other complementary products are being sold with it
• To fit into a meal deal scenario
• The try out new products on the menu
• To see if the presentation is correct

And more.

On this occasion there are several questions about the opening experience in the restaurant and the mystery shop company wants to know things like-

• As you approach the restaurant, take note of the cleanliness
• Take note whether there was a greeter
• You will be asked how long it took for the greeter to greet you
• Take note whether the table was clean and tidy and ready for service
• Please take note whether the menu is clean and undamaged
• Note how long it takes for the employee to offer you a drink

As you can see, the company sees the first interaction as important and that by setting the scene and making the customer comfortable straight away, that they can give a better experience.

This is the first part, the before and as part of this, I've printed out the questionnaire ready to fill in as soon as I can after leaving the restaurant. I have double-checked the location of the restaurant and I know where I can park nearby.

It's now a case of conducting the mystery shop, and then of completing the data entry on the computer when I get back this afternoon or this evening. My next blog will be in situ at the restaurant and I'll have to be as discreet as possible to not raise suspicions that I am a mystery shopper.

Are you interested in mystery shopping? Do you want to find out what it takes to be a mystery shopper? Well there is help available, in the form of my Amazon Kindle book about becoming a mystery shopper and it's available now-

Contact details of active UK mystery shopping companies R-Z

Contact details of active UK mystery shopping companies

Below is a list of the active UK mystery shopping companies that I could find in a Google search in October 2015. This isn’t to say that this covers all active companies, or that the below companies will remain as active when you read this book.

There is no bias or recommendation intended here, as I’m just stating an alphabetic list of the companies I have found.  I haven’t used all of the below companies, nor would I suggest that you use them all. I think that it would be best to do some research and select one of two companies to start with. From there you will be able to grow into the role and find mystery shopping companies that suit your needs. If you want guidance then another Google search for mystery shopping forums will give you places that mystery shoppers exchange ideas and information.

I have added url’s to the shopper sign-up pages for the companies and a contact number where it was shown on their website. I’ve tried to keep additional notes to a minimum, but there are a couple of entries where I have added a note to clarify.

React Surveys
https://www.sassieshop.com/sassie/SassieShopperSignup/Signup.php?EmsID=X6eUOnEOVg8%3D

Retail Active
http://www.retailactive.com/mystery_shopping_lp.aspx
01235 856575


Market Force
http://uk.marketforce.com/become-a-mystery-shopper/
01908 328000

Retail Maxim
http://www.retail-maxim.co.uk/Mystery-Shoppers-page-4-menu-5.html
0844 875 5505

Serve Legal
http://www.servelegal.co.uk/apply
For 18 & 19 year olds only.

Service Measure
http://www.servicemeasure.com/index.php/info/join_our_team


TNS
http://www.tnsglobal.com/uk/mystery-shopper

Tern
http://www.tern.co.uk/become-a-mystery-shopper
01939 235555 (Ext 205)

These contact details are up to date at the time that this blog is published and I'll endeavour to keep them up to date as I go. If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact me or the mystery shopping companies directly.