First Mystery Shop Jitters (An Amusing Anecdote)

Hi All--

One of my blog readers, we'll call her "A", was kind enough to share the following amusing story about her first mystery shopping assignment. It's a good read--enjoy!

My first shop was a very simple bank assignment. I practiced my "scenario" diligently for days before performing the shop. Of course I was under the assumption that, as long as I did my part, the bank employees would do theirs. And we all know what happens when we "assume".

The day of the shop came. Because the instructions said to dress well, I went the whole nine yards and even borrowed some major "bling" from my mother in law. Instead of parking in front of the bank I parked down the block and staggered and stumbled in unfamiliar high heels into the bank.

I was greeted just like it said in the shop instructions. But then everything went haywire. Instead of referring me to a teller, the person that greeted me offered her assistance. I stated scenario number one and the employee answered it. Then I went to scenario number two, which was also answered by this person. Within a few minutes I went through all the scenarios listed and finally had to make something up, just so I could interact with a teller. The beautiful clothes I had worn were now soaked with sweat.

The teller, after taking care of my business, was supposed to refer me to a sales associate. I dropped frequent hints that I did not yet have an account there, had just moved into town, needed an account that offered direct deposit options, etc., etc. Nothing worked. I had to ask for the sales associate. I was certain little puddles of sweat would now start to form under my feet.

The sales associate turned out to be...the same person who had greeted me. I somehow stumbled through the rest of the shop, certain that I had been discovered. When it was over I ran to my car, drove down the block and collapsed at a table in a nearby fast food restaurant.

I laugh at this now, because since then I've done a ton of shops just like this one and things like that don't make me nervous anymore, but it sure wasn’t funny then.

By the way, I never did get discovered during this assignment. And now the scheduler called me and asked if I want to do the same location again.

Note From Coach Melanie: Whether it's our first shop, or one that feels like it is going awry, we all can feel like we must certainly have a big red "M" on our heads, and that everyone must know we are a mystery shopper. This is almost always not the case. So stay calm and go for it!

Note: If you have an amusing mystery shopping anecdote that you would like to share and have considered for future postings of this blog, or for my e-zine "Perfect Work-At-Home Job Update" (subscribe by e-mail to: mscoach@aweber.com), e-mail me at mysteryshoppercoach@cox.net with your permission to use the story, and let me know if you would like to use your initials and city and state on the piece.

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

Getting Through To A Mystery Shopping Scheduler (Ask The Coach)

Question:

How do you "get through" to a company scheduler that you would like to obtain assignments from? I have called, e-mailed and practically groveled for jobs from one particular mystery shopping company that has a lot of jobs in my area. The scheduler is always very polite on the telephone, but will not give me any work. Any suggestions?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

I go over marketing yourself in lots more detail in both of my mystery shopping books than I can possibly go through here, but essentially I have always found that the best way to break through is to stay in contact with a polite, professional e-mail from time-to-time.

I'd say no more frequently than every 4-6 weeks unless you are applying for an assignment from a specific lead of theirs, and emphasize (if it's true) that you are experienced, reliable and are often able to jump in at the last minute to assist with the cancellation from a less dependable shopper. Then when you get that call or e-mail, if you can possibly do the job, do it. Then you'll be in.

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

Timing Mystery Shops (Ask The Coach)

Question:

What are the best ways to time a mystery shop without giving yourself away and still keeping track accurately?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

I've always advised mystery shoppers to just glance at your watch right before walking into the store when you would be visible and maybe add 10 seconds. You'll be fine--it's not like they are going to check the store's video to double-check your arrival time! Their main point with that requirement is really just to get you focused on paying attention to detail.

Well another shopper contacted me to tell me that she had the experience of having a mystery shopping company she worked with literally go back to the store's video tape, so I should tell everyone that it is possible to have a "video replay" of your shop (I don't mean a video shop by the way). However, before you start to worry too much, as I know many shoppers really get nervous over timings, the reason for this review of the store's tape was because there was a big discrepancy of five minutes and also confusion over which shopper did the report.

So know that a company could check a store's tape to verify your arrival time, but as long as you are as close as possible to the actual time, you've met their main concern about paying attention to detail and being credible. And for you gadget types--you can also use a stopwatch or a watch that has this function built-in and push the button inside your pocket right as you walk through the door.

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 Reimbursement (Ask The Coach)

Question:

Do the companies that hire a mystery shopper pay that person before they "shop" or does that person only get reimbursed?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

The term "shopper" is not exactly an accurate term. Mystery shoppers--especially the ones that make the top money--don't always actually shop a store, nor due they always make a purchase. Top-earning mystery shoppers usually do a lot of service category shops for apartment complexes, new home builders, car dealers, financial services companies, gyms, testing centers, etc. Or they may do shops that involve the use of audio or video technology.

It is often a lower-paying retail shop that has a purchase requirement. In the case of a purchase and return shop, the pay is usually higher because you may have to wait anywhere from a half-an-hour to a day to return the item. There you are returning the item so you don't really lay out the money. In other cases, where you are supposed to make a purchase that you keep, you are given a certain item and/or a spending limit upto which you will be reimbursed. A restaurant shop is often a reimbursement-only situation where you will receive a meal for two and that is the compensation for your time. Overall, you are always paid after the shop and your subsequent report has been filed and accepted as valid. If there was a reimbursement due, that is also post-shop.

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

Internet Services For The Mystery Shopper (Ask The Coach)

Question:

I currently have DSL, but I'm seriously thinking about switching to Netzero or another internet provider that is more cost-efficient. If I discontinue my DSL service, will this be a problem in becoming a secret shopper or limit my work assigments?

Answer From Coach Melanie:

I don't think a non-broadband-based Net Zero or dial up type ISP is the answer to cost efficiency. I used to be on dial up and switched to high speed and will never go back.

Mystery shoppers do most of their networking for assignments online as well as filing reports. You want to have reliable service that saves you time because you are not wasting valuable minutes waiting for pages to load or having issues receiving e-mail on a timely basis.

Note that since you are an independent contractor in most cases as a mystery shopper for the various companies you will work for, you will likely be able to deduct your DSL from your taxes as a business expense (but check this out with your tax advisor as I am not a tax professional).

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