The top 4 ways to help you remember your mystery shop feedback

Mystery shopping can be a great way to earn a little extra money and get your hands on free meals, clothes, drinks and more. The companies that carry out mystery shopping are paying you to do the mystery shop in return for feedback on how their teams are performing. There can be a lot to remember and you can't stand in the middle of the shop and take notes - that would be a real giveaway! But thankfully there are different ways to remember the information needed and deliver a quality report for the mystery shopping company without being rumbled. Here is our guide to the top 4 ways to help you remember your mystery shop feedback.

4 - Remember the tricky bits
You will be required to gather a lot of information when it comes to a mystery shopping assignment. The fact is that some bits will stick and others just won't. When you come to filling out the report you will remember the answers to question such as -

"Was the shop clean and tidy?"

But might not remember things like-

"How long did you have to wait in the queue?"

So it can help to jot down the details that will require a bit more of your memory so you are sure you son't miss them. The more mystery shops you so in a day then the more of these tricky little details you will have to remember. You can use this tip in conjunction with the ones below to make sure you get the most from your mystery shopping experience.

3 - Changing rooms are perfect
When you need a little time out to make some notes then retiring to a changing room really works. It gives you the chance to take a look at your notes, consider of you have missed anything and write down the important parts. It allows you to step out for a minute or two and get everything down. Using the toilet is another way of giving yourself a chance to check if you have got all the details you need to be able to file a complete report for your client. Mystery shopping is an important part of how they measure and reward their staff so you need to be accurate and objective.

2 - Send a text!
Texting has become a natural part of modern life so you can send information by text to someone else while mystery shopping and not arouse suspicion. If you need to remember a full description of the person who served you then you can easily send these details in a small text so you can pick them up later and fill them out in the report.It is an easy way to collect a few bits of information but can give you away if you spend your whole time on the phone. Also check out the rules as some mystery shopping companies won' allow you to use your phone while shopping for them.

1 - Write your report as soon as you leave
As you walk out of the door from a mystery shop the information will be really fresh in your mind and this is the ideal time to get it all down. Find a comfortable place out of sight of the location and fill out the report on your paper copy there and then so you son't miss any information. This also gives you the chance to pop back in discreetly and check any information you are missing such as whether the waitress wore glasses or whether they were displaying a certain sign at the till. You need to deliver accurate information to the mystery shopping company so they can get an accurate picture of what is going on. These tips will help you to do that.

If you are thinking about becoming a mystery shopper or want to get better at mystery shopping then my book on the secrets of mystery shopping is available now. Check it out on the Amazon Kindle Store today-

The 5 reasons mystery shopping is great for students

Mystery shopping can be carried out by just about anyone over the age of 18 with access to the internet. There are certain groups that are perfectly suited to mystery shopping. Students are ideal candidates to mystery shop because they have some free time, are often located in big cities and have a need for many of the goods and services being shopped for. Here are the 5 reasons mystery shopping is great for students-

5 - It adds to your CV

It can be difficult enough when you leave university to get your name in front of the right employers. Every company wants to know that you will know how to deal with their customers, so experience in mystery shopping lets them know you what it's all about. It also lets prospective employers know that you didn't spend ALL your spare time drinking.

4 - It helps with your skills

Although towards the end of your university course you will want to focus completely on your degree, at the start you will have time to hone your skills. The reports you file for some mystery shopping companies will stand you in good stead when it comes to putting together your uni reports too.

3 - It is flexible

University work can have peaks and troughs so you might be available to work a lot of hours this week but none the next. The flexibility of mystery shopping is perfect for student life. You can pick up assignments all over the country so you can work when at home or at university. You can pick and choose the assignments you want to do so it fits in around your schedule. Just remember to plan in advance or all the best jobs might have disappeared!

2 - A little extra money always helps

It always helps to bring in some cash when you are at university. Although you can't make enough from mystery shopping to earn a living it does add a little extra cash. It is always welcome to being in a few pounds here and there to help you with the essentials such as food and drink. Mystery shopping is great for students because you can do a few shops and earn some extra income.

1 - Free meals!

Money can be quite tight when you are a student. Thinking back to my university days I would have loved the chance to get some free meals to lighten the burden a little. I currently get between one and four free meals per week. This is the ideal reason for a student to get into mystery shopping.

If you are interested in becoming a mystery shopper then my book is a great place to start. Pick it up now at the Amazon Kindle Store.

6 things that you don't know about mystery shopping (yet!)

Mystery shopping is exactly what it says in the tin - large parts of it remain a mystery. There are six key things that you don't know about mystery shopping. You need to know these before you set out to be a mystery shopper-

6- It can be tough to get started

Mystery shopping companies have to look out for their clients. They only want their best shoppers working for Thor top customers. Because of this you have to start from the bottom and prove yourself. Many mystery shop companies will only allow you to do one or two jobs a month to begin with as you build up your profile. This means or can be hard to get established as a mystery shopper.

5- There can be more costs than just the purchase

Although the mystery shopping company will reimburse your purchase (up to a point) and often pay you a few there are other costs to take into account. You will need to factor in in the cost of travelling to the location and any parking costs as well. You will find that many mystery shoppers try to carry out many mystery shops in one location to minimise this cost. You will also find that your average mystery shopper is an expert on all the free places to park in their local area.

4- You are self-employed

You won't be employed by a mystery shopping company. You will be a contractor that carries out work for them on an ad hoc basis. This has the benefit that you can work for many different mystery shopping companies at once. But it also means that you are self-employed and responsible for your relationship with the tax man.

3- Mystery shopping companies do more than mystery shopping

You will find other opportunities on the job pages of your mystery shopping companies. Audits snd exit interviews are common ones that I have seen. It does give you a bit of variety if that is what you are looking for. But beware when you are selecting an assignment that you have read the notes thoroughly and you know what is expected of you.

2- Get it wrong and you may not get paid

Mystery shopping companies will only get paid if the report you produce can be sent through to their client. Make sure you read all the notes carefully so you totally understand the expectations. For example, you may be required to purchase a particular product. If you fail to carry out the assignment correctly then you may very well not get paid, and be out of pocket.

1- You have to speculate to accumulate

With mystery shopping you pay out for the required purchases but it can be some time Becker you get the reimbursement back in your bank account. Many UK mystery shopping companies pay twice a month but with others it can be up to 90 days. Factor this in when you look at becoming s mystery shopper and you won't get s y nasty surprises.

If you are thinking about becoming a mystery shopper then my Amazon Kindle book is a great pace to start. It gives great advice like that found above and also talks you through step by step the way to become a mystery shopper-

A slightly different (and more lucrative) take on the mystery shop is available this week

I wanted to quickly share with you a slightly different opportunity that comes up now and again for mystery shoppers. There is this opportunity through one of the mystery shop companies at the moment and this prompted me to give you the lowdown on it. It is more lucrative than a standard mystery shop, it takes a little more time but doesn't involve an actual purchase.

It is the shop and report.

You go into a specified company (in this case it is a travel agent) where you go though a scenario about looking for a service or product. You then write a longer report which is sometimes converted into an article or customer review for a magazine or website.

What do you have to remember?
This is all about reporting the experience, the way you were made to feel. It is not like a traditional mystery shop that it concerned with the facts, such as how long you waited or the description of the person who served you. The content you write is used to form a picture of the service that you were given, rather than an exact measure of service times.

It can pay between £25 and £50 for a standard shop of this nature but your English grammar and punctuation skills will have to be very good.

If you are looking to mystery shop as a way of supplementing your income then mys book is a great way to start our. It gives hints and tips to starting out as a mystery shopper and gives a step-by-step guide to applying to become a mystery shopper-