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-

What is mystery shopping?

If I ever let people know that I am a mystery shopper (and it does come up from time to time) then the most common response I get in return is-

"What is mystery shopping?"

 It is a really interesting subject and people always have a load of questions to back up that first one, such as-

• How did you get into it?
• Can you make a lot of money from it?
• How can I get started?

So let's begin at the beginning and give you an idea of what mystery shopping is. Companies have got bigger and bigger. The days of one store owner being able to watch, advise and support all of the team while serving customers are gone. Businesses are now run by a board that rarely see the inside of their own store or hospitality venues.The ability to see what is going on, reinforce best practice and advise where to put things right has disappeared from the hands of the decision makers.

So they have put it in the hands of the likes of you and I - the people that would normally frequent the stores anyway. So we report back on the experience we have had to see how closely it matches the experience that the big bosses expect.

Mystery shopping is the best way that big companies have at the moment to monitor the service that their customers are being given. If they have set rules on how customers should be engaged and served to ensure that they offer the best care and maximise sales.

So how do we fit into all of this?

Well I fell into mystery shopping when I was looking for a job. I saw it advertised online and thought I'd give it a go. I have now carried out hundreds of mystery shops and written a book on the subject.

Mystery shopping is a great way to earn extra money and get hold of free things but I haven't seen a way to turn it into a full-time job. The assignments are too far and between even if you live in a big city. It does change your life, though. I have been able to get free meals every week, a hand with my grocery shop and pick up stocking fillers for the kids birthdays and Christmas. It is a nice little lifestyle job which is why it fits perfectly for stay at home Mums or university students where you can work from home.

Mystery shopping is easy to get started. Just Google the words 'mystery shopping' and you will see lots of adverts for companies that need shoppers. Never pay to join one and make sure that you understand what is required of you. If you spend on a mystery shop and get it wrong then you won't get paid and you'll be out of pocket.

My book on mystery shopping is the best place to start your journey-

What mystery shopping has done for my Christmas

With only a week to go it is good to look back on the last few months of mystery shopping to see what they have done for my Christmas. It is a great way to get your hands on some free stuff that takes some of the pressure off over the Christmas period. I use my mystery shopping assignments to get hold of some extra things and to take the pressure off rather than to generate an income. If I can pick up extra things throughout the year for birthdays and Christmas and break even then I am always happy. This is easy to do if you know how. So here is what mystery shopping has done for my Christmas.

Stocking fillers

The reimbursement from a mystery shopping company for an assignment is rarely massive. So you can't often get an assignment that will give you £50+ to spend on gifts. Even the shops in jewellery stores are usually only to make an enquiry rather than a purchase. For this reason I use the mystery shops for those little extra presents that fill stocking rather than try to use mystery shopping for main presents. The kids are still fairly young so it helps to have something extra for them to open on Christmas day.

I think that mystery shopping can really help in this way as you can get your hands on those smaller extra gifts that help make a good Christmas for the young ones.

Gifts for other family members

We have many people that we buy 'a little something' for that only costs a few pounds. It is a gesture of our appreciation, especially if they buy something for the kids and don't have children themselves. So mystery shopping can really help here. many mystery shops give you the chance to pick up something that would be prefect for a gift, such as-

• perfume
• a candle
• a box of chocolates
• a bottle of wine

And these are ideal to give to people as a small token of our love.

The Christmas table

Again, you will be unlikely to be able to find a mystery shop with enough of a payment to buy a turkey but you can pick up extras like chocolates, wine, Christmas crackers, etc that will help to make the day go with a little more style without spending any more money. Mystery shopping opens doors for people to make their Christmas day a little more special. If you have a set budget then mystery shopping will allow you to push out the boat a little.

Much of this takes planning. I generally start thinking about mystery shopping for Christmas when the kids go back to school in September. This gives me plenty of time to pick up those extra items that will make a big difference to the day.

If you are interested in mystery shopping then my book is a great place to start learning all about it. Check it out on the Amazon Kindle store now.

The 5 reasons why stay at home mums are perfect for mystery shopping

Mystery shopping is a great way to bring in some extra money or to pick up some freebies. Because many of the mystery shop assignments have to be carried out in the daytime it needs someone who is available during that time. Step forward the stay at home mum. Here is my guide to the five reasons stay at home mums are perfect for mystery shopping.

5 - You probably have the free time
If the kids are at school then you may well have enough free time to go out and carry out the odd mystery shop or two. If you are going to a local town or shopping centre then you will often find a mystery shop available there. Whether it's to get a bite to eat or to pick up something free, it can help.

Mystery shopping can take up very little time at all. You can select as few or as many assignments as you like, even making yourself unavailable during the school holidays if needed. This makes it the ultimate job for a stay at home mum.

4 - It can help with the bills
Getting something for free can really help. I use a lot of my mystery shops to get a few groceries, lighten the financial burden at Christmas or for little treats. This means that you can make your weekly budget stretch that little bit further.

You won't get rich from mystery shopping but it can help out here and there. Those little extras mean that you can keep your weekly spending to the essentials. All the extras you get from mystery shopping can make life a little more luxurious.

3 - A free cup of coffee or lunch - with a friend
It can be good to hook up with other people every now and again. If you can get this paid for by the mystery shopping company then all the better. There are loads of opportunities to mystery shop cafes or restaurants so you can invite a friend and get a free meal.

It is good to spend time with others on a regular basis. The fact that a short mystery shopping report is all it needs to make it free should have you making a regular thing of it. This works whether you are grabbing a coffee on a shopping trip or meeting someone for lunch.

2 - Clothes (for you or your kids)
There's no two ways about it. Clothes are expensive. This is the same whether you are buying for yourself or your kids. Sometimes you have to put all thoughts of a new top to one side as you have other expenses with a family.

But mystery shopping can provide the answer. Many fashion retailers need their stores mystery shipped so you can pick up a bargain or two along the way. The fact that you can supplement your wardrobe with a new item every now and again is helpful.

1 - Get out of the house and meet people
Although you are not making lifelong friends through mystery shopping, there is ample opportunity to get away from looking at the same 4 walls. Mystery shopping can get you out and about as well as earning a bit of extra money.

I use it to go back to places I haven't been for a while or to explore new ones. Mystery shopping can open a lot of doors and getting you out and talking to other grown ups after days of dealing with nothing but kids can be quite therapeutic.

If you are interested in mystery shopping then my book is a great place to learn what it is all about. Check it out on the Kindle store now


 

Mystery shopping is easy when you know how

I have carried out what must be two of the easiest mystery shops of my life today. They were both simple purchases made and all I really had to remember was the name and description of the person who served me. This is the beauty of mystery shopping sometimes as you get to carry out fun assignments that don't take up a lot of time.

There were other parts to the mystery shop such as was the place clean and we're team members wearing a uniform but these are general points that are really easy to remember at the point of completing the report. The reports is what you fill out when you get back home and often there are large parts of it that you will remember as a matter of course. The general impressions of a place are still there in your mind when you get home and are asked to reflect on them.

Mystery shopping can be an easy way to make some extra money and pick up some free stuff. Today I made enough money to pay for the petrol I used to get there and back, a few pounds for my time and I got -

• A pack of toilet rolls
• A tube of toothpaste
• A pack of toothbrushes
• Curry, side dishes and drinks for two

Maybe not the most glamorous of shopping trips but all of this was paid for by someone else (in fact by two different mystery companies) and it was somewhere I was going anyway. This is the beauty of mystery shopping. Many of the possibilities will be in one of your local towns, cities or shopping centres so you will be visiting these places anyway.

Mystery shopping reports can look daunting when you first start out but they are not difficult. In many reports there may be up to 70 questions but the vast majority will be simple yes/no clicks of a button and move on. The reports today took me around 6 minutes combined. Add this to the visits and this was an easy way to make money and get free stuff. It is best practice to take a copy of the report with you so you can complete it as soon as you leave, that way yo can record all the important details and even possibly go back and check again if you need to.

If you are thinking about becoming a mystery shopper then my book is a great place to start. It contains a step by step guide on how to be a successful mystery shopper. Check it out now!

There is such a thing as a free lunch with mystery shopping

I have reached the end of my challenge. I set our last Sunday to feed myself a main meal every day for a week all paid for by the mystery shopping companies. I feel strongly that mystery shopping can aid your lifestyle. It can give you a little bit of freedom and free up the family budget. This week I have -

• Got a main meal for four people on three days
• Got a main meal for two people on four days

And at the end of the week I've managed a main meal every day without having to put my hand in my pocket.

But let me explain what that means. With mystery shopping you do pay for the food that you eat. You act just like any other normal customer. You must not reveal yourself as a mystery shopper, or mystery diner. And in many cases you are not allowed to use discount vouchers either. What happens is that every mystery shop is assigned two payments-

The reimbursement, which is how much they will give you to cover your meal.

The fee, which is what they will pay you to travel and carry out the paperwork.

So you know from the outset what you will be paid for the successful completion of the mystery shop. I use this as the figure to set my budget. Over this week I have broken even, so I made no income but didn't have to pay out for all these meals.

Mystery shopping is a way to get extra meals, get your hands on free things and earn a little extra money. If you are interested in becoming a mystery shopper then my book is a great place to start. It guides you through the process of applying and reveals the secrets of mystery shopping-