RELATED SEARCHES
Sponsored Mystery Shopper Results:
Mystery Shopper, Shopping Companies, Jobs, And Opportunities
By:
Published: August 9, 2007
Business owners in the retail and hospitality sector have immense demands on their time, so they aren't always available to witness every customer experience. Successful owners try to hire employees they can rely on to smile, greet customers promptly, and provide the best service possible to all customers; however, this is not always the case.
To ensure quality customer service and therefore customers who will happily return, business owners find a valuable tool in a mystery shopper's services. People who sign on as mystery shoppers are able to provide crucial information about a company's performance in several areas, and the company is then able to take those findings and apply improvement where necessary.
How do ordinary people land a mystery shopping job? Mystery shoppers find success when they register with a mystery shopping company, typically online (although they can try their luck as independent contractors). Work is not guaranteed, as location and corporate need are two heavy hitting factors, but when a business hires a firm to handle its specific needs, mystery shoppers are designated and their task is underway.
While on a mystery shopping job, the mystery shopper should be well prepared to pay close attention to detail, ask the right kind of questions, and take mental notes, all while being undetected by the customer service representative who is being tested. The test is closely tailored to the information the company is requesting, whether it is simply the quality (or lack thereof) of customer service or information about cleanliness, quality control, and organization. Mystery shoppers must be able to report their findings clearly and accurately on an evaluation sheet, and a fair sense of judgment is helpful.
Frequently agencies will send multiple mystery shoppers at different times to give the company a broader sense of performance. Mystery shoppers are also typically rotated so that employees don't begin to recognize them. Secret shoppers can expect to work hard, and stay away from tabletop shopping, that is, calling around to different companies and basing the entire report just on the information given by phone. Shoppers who can deliver the most detailed, fair, accurate results are given the most jobs, and can make up to $500 to $1,000 a month, with the added bonus of keeping whatever service or merchandise they receive while working.
Because of the lucrative nature of a mystery shopping job, scams and fraud deals abound. The FTC warns potential secret shoppers to be leery of services that advertise in the paper or by email, or who charge fees for signing up. Despite these false leads, it is possible for business owners and potential mystery shoppers to find a legitimate company that will deliver results. Savvy shoppers should know not to sign up with an agency that requires payment for registration (it's a scam if they collect your money) and shrewd business owners rely on mystery shopping companies that have proven themselves reputable, like About Face Corporation. They can also turn to the Mystery Shoppers Providers Association. According to their website, MSPA is the largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality using anonymous resources. By surfing MSPA's site business owners and potential mystery shoppers alike can find a legitimate provider, get up-to-date news and press releases about the business, or become certified as a mystery shopper (free again).
It's no mystery then why businesses hire firms that provide mystery shoppers-- they provide vital information that can be used to greatly improve the conditions and service of their restaurant, hotel, or store-- thereby increasing customer traffic in the company as well as the company's profits. It takes money to make money, doesn't it?
Just don't let that argument persuade you into paying any registration fees.
Sources:
Newhouse, Ilisha S. Mystery Shopping Made Simple. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004.
Kelly Spors. "How to Moonlight As a 'Mystery Shopper'".Wall Street Journal. 23 Aug. 2004. MSPA. 9 June 2007. http://www.mysteryshop.org/news/article_pr.php?art _ID=50
FTC Consumer Alert. Federal Trade Commission. July 2005. 9 June 2007. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/mystery alrt.shtm
How do ordinary people land a mystery shopping job? Mystery shoppers find success when they register with a mystery shopping company, typically online (although they can try their luck as independent contractors). Work is not guaranteed, as location and corporate need are two heavy hitting factors, but when a business hires a firm to handle its specific needs, mystery shoppers are designated and their task is underway.
While on a mystery shopping job, the mystery shopper should be well prepared to pay close attention to detail, ask the right kind of questions, and take mental notes, all while being undetected by the customer service representative who is being tested. The test is closely tailored to the information the company is requesting, whether it is simply the quality (or lack thereof) of customer service or information about cleanliness, quality control, and organization. Mystery shoppers must be able to report their findings clearly and accurately on an evaluation sheet, and a fair sense of judgment is helpful.
Frequently agencies will send multiple mystery shoppers at different times to give the company a broader sense of performance. Mystery shoppers are also typically rotated so that employees don't begin to recognize them. Secret shoppers can expect to work hard, and stay away from tabletop shopping, that is, calling around to different companies and basing the entire report just on the information given by phone. Shoppers who can deliver the most detailed, fair, accurate results are given the most jobs, and can make up to $500 to $1,000 a month, with the added bonus of keeping whatever service or merchandise they receive while working.
Because of the lucrative nature of a mystery shopping job, scams and fraud deals abound. The FTC warns potential secret shoppers to be leery of services that advertise in the paper or by email, or who charge fees for signing up. Despite these false leads, it is possible for business owners and potential mystery shoppers to find a legitimate company that will deliver results. Savvy shoppers should know not to sign up with an agency that requires payment for registration (it's a scam if they collect your money) and shrewd business owners rely on mystery shopping companies that have proven themselves reputable, like About Face Corporation. They can also turn to the Mystery Shoppers Providers Association. According to their website, MSPA is the largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality using anonymous resources. By surfing MSPA's site business owners and potential mystery shoppers alike can find a legitimate provider, get up-to-date news and press releases about the business, or become certified as a mystery shopper (free again).
It's no mystery then why businesses hire firms that provide mystery shoppers-- they provide vital information that can be used to greatly improve the conditions and service of their restaurant, hotel, or store-- thereby increasing customer traffic in the company as well as the company's profits. It takes money to make money, doesn't it?
Just don't let that argument persuade you into paying any registration fees.
Sources:
Newhouse, Ilisha S. Mystery Shopping Made Simple. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004.
Kelly Spors. "How to Moonlight As a 'Mystery Shopper'".Wall Street Journal. 23 Aug. 2004. MSPA. 9 June 2007. http://www.mysteryshop.org/news/article_pr.php?art _ID=50
FTC Consumer Alert. Federal Trade Commission. July 2005. 9 June 2007. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/mystery alrt.shtm
Featured Mystery Shopper Products:
