Submitting Mystery Shopper Reports (Ask The Coach)

Question:

Are the only ways to submit the shop evaluations and receipts is to fax or scan and email them to your company?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

Actually most mystery shops are now filed online using web-based forms. Often you do need to scan or fax a receipt, but perhaps you can use your friend's or sneak in one at your day job.

A local office supply store like Staples, or a UPS Store usually lets you do a local fax for $1 which is okay if you are getting paid enough for the shop assignment. And if you focus on doing the service category shops I recommend (non-retail) ther are no receipts, although sometimes a business card is requested.

Have a great day and happy shopping!

Taking the mystery out of professional mystery shopping--Melanie Jordan http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com

Copyright 2005 Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing

Mystery Shopper Report Scores (Ask The Coach)

Question:

On one of my recent assignments for a new company I was scored an 8 out of 10 and received feedback that there were typos in my report and "room for improvement". I checked my copy of the report and found no typos. What should I do?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

This is kind of odd. Here's what might have happened. I experienced the "typo" feedback" with one of my first on-line submissions when this type of reporting first started. Be sure that if you cut and paste a summary or paragraph answer onto the blank box on a form, that you are cutting and pasting from a plain text document and not Word. If you do it from Word, some site forms can add in extra symbols around punctuation that almost look like someone is cursing in a comic strip! To re-set up your document in plain text, simply re-save it choosing the "save as" function and select "plain text".

Otherwise, if you feel this was not the problem, you might want to contact the scheduler with your copy of the report and inquire as to why you received the feedback of typos when there weren't any according to your copy.

Keep in mind that unless it is a matter of personal pride, ratings of 8, 9 and 10 are all solid scores that will keep work coming your way. It's when you start to dip to 7 and below you might start to be ineligible for shops.

Have a great day and happy shopping!

Taking the mystery out of professional mystery shopping--Melanie Jordan http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com

Copyright 2005 Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing

Mystery Shopper Qualifications (Ask The Coach)

Question: What kind of experience do I need to be a mystery shopper? Does previous work experience or education help me in any way?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

You don't need any specific experience to be a mystery shopper. Since so much of it is on-line based, it is important to be good with e-mail and working with attachments, and have basic word processing and spreadsheet skills (data entry, not spreadsheet creation). You should also have good communication skills--both writing (although you don't have to be at the level of winning a Pulitzer), and the ability to carry on a conversation with employees of businesses you will be interacting with in doing your assignments. Personal qualities like being observant, reliable and having a good imagination are also very important to being a top mystery shopper.

That said, an initial plus (until you get actual mystery shopping experience) would be any prior work experience or education in retail, financial services or apartment leasing (since many shops fall into these industries), customer service or the field of market research. But if you don't have any prior "credits" in these areas, don't worry. It won't keep you from being a mystery shopper if you present yourself the right way.

Have a great day and happy shopping!

Taking the mystery out of professional mystery shopping--Melanie Jordan http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com

Copyright 2005 Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing

Mystery Shopper Hours (Ask The Coach)

Question:

Since I am employed full-time, are there shopping opportunities in the evenings and on weekends? My friend, who is a mystery shopper, works mainly in the morning and early afternoon because that schedule works better for her as a stay-at-home mom.

Answer From Coach Melanie:

The hours that shops are available is completely dependent on the type of business. An apartment complex, car dealer, new home tract, gym, a bank, retail stores all operate on weekends and/or evenings. Most mystery shopping assignments are assigend to be completed on certain dates, and sometimes, within a specific window of hours, but you will usually find that the shop can be done within the date range whenever you can fit it in your schedule. Your friend found the hours that suit her best, you can too!

I also want to add that mystery shopping is best done as a supplement to other income, so no one expects you to always be available.

Have a great day and happy shopping!

Taking the mystery out of professional mystery shopping--Melanie Jordan http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com

Copyright 2005 Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing

How Much To Charge Mystery Shopping Clients (Ask The Coach)

Hi All--

Here's a question I get all the time in connection with starting your own mystery shopping business:

Question:

How much do I charge clients for shops, especially if I don't do them myself and subcontract them out?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

What to charge clients involves some good research so you are not priced too high and keeping yourself from getting business, and not so low that you are giving it away and are unprofitable.

I highly recommend that if you are starting a mystery shopping business that you get yourself a copy of THE book on this topic written by my friend Shari Joseph called "The Business Of Mystery Shopping" to save yourself a lt of time and trouble and jump start your success!

For more information and to order the book 24/7, go to this URL:

http://www.mystery-shopper-business.com/affiliations/mj.html

If you are already a mystery shopper, getting rid of the middleman (or woman as the case may be), could be the right next step for you. So to help you consider it, and provide a trustworthy resource if you decide to go down this path, here's a link to my article: "Starting Your Own Mystery Shopping Business: What's In It For You?"

http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com/mysteryshoppingbusiness.html

Have a great day and happy shopping!

Taking the mystery out of professional mystery shopping--Melanie Jordan http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com

Copyright 2005 Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing

Please note: I am only recommending Shari's book as the best resource I have seen at a reasonable price for starting your own mystery shopping business. The ultimate decision about whether or not you go into this business rests with you. Please do your own due diligence and check with your legal and other professional advisors on the viabiity of this business for your own personal circumstances. While I believe the information she has presented to be high quality and reliable, neither I, nor my publishing company can be responsible for any losses incurred as a result of your using the information she has provided.

Can You Be A Teenage Mystery Shopper? (Ask The Coach)

Question:

Can I be a mystery shopper if I am 15 years old?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

Generally you need to be of legal age since you are usually signing up with a mystery shopping company as an independent contractor. You have to be old enough to sign a valid contract on your own. Plus, you also have to be old enough to drive in most places to get to your shop assignments unless you are in an area where mass transit will work for you.

You could team up with a friend or family member older than you to learn the ropes and help out, and then go for it yourself once you are a little older. I applaud your initiative!

Have a great day, a great 4th of July and happy shopping!

Taking the mystery out of professional mystery shopping--Melanie Jordan http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com

Copyright 2005 Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing