Get Paid to Eat with Secret Shops!
by: SilverFox
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Companies, large and small, pay average consumers to mystery shop their restaurants, retail outlets, apartment complexes or timeshare presentations to gather information. In today's very competitive consumer market, customer service is what makes the difference between a business success or failure. Hundreds of senior citizens, folks in wheel chairs, young mothers, teens, home owners, or apartment dwellers go mystery shopping daily and get free items and cash. All consumers are eligible.
As a secret shopper, the evaluator agrees to shop and write a narrative about the experience. Special items or requests will be specified in the assignment. Sometimes the shopper goes to the store to check on only one department or individual. He or she might make an appointment for a tour with a specific employee. The evaluator might or might not make a purchase, which they might need to return. The hiring company would either suggest a return or reimburse the secret shopper for the selection or service.
Your assignment might be to evaluate an eating establishment. If so, the shopper reports on how long it took to be seated, how clean the establishment was, how much time passed before the order was taken (the company may have certain menu items to be ordered), and how quickly did the food arrive? Was the entree attractive or the wrong temperature? Was the restroom clean and well stocked? Evaluator compensation might be the price of the meal for two. If the mystery shopper is to be seated in the bar, drink costs are included.
As a mystery shopper, you begin to accept jobs without investment. Paying only for purchases, the mystery patron receives a check the following month for expenses and the report. If the consumer has posed as a possible renter, he or she will not make a purchase, but just evaluate the targeted staff person and complete the questionnaire. While individuals only make a small amount, if shoppers limit their visits to local establishments or select the services that they can use, mystery shopping cash can be helpful. The requirements of shops do differ, so make sure that you can fulfill the guidelines.
It is not necessary to buy a list of companies to find secret shopper jobs. A Google search for "mystery shopper" or "secret shopper" will tell you about available companies. Just go to their websites, complete the applications, and check for assignments. Sometimes a new shopper needs to wait for the employer to e-mail or call, but frequently a log-in is provided for immediate access to the available evaluations. The assigning company trains you at no charge. Mystery shopping companies have strict guidelines and rules which must be followed. Reports must be done on time and correctly to be paid. Late reports, missed shopping dates, or forgotten details are not allowed, so only take the job if you are available. Perform due diligence on the secret shopper industry. Libraries, bookstores and the Internet can help you in your assignment quest. Once you have proven yourself trustworthy, job schedulers will give you as many assignments as you can handle for years to come.
Don't go out of your way to mystery shop. Plan to do jobs in groups, and then let an assignment treat you to lunch. Remember to write your evaluations up and get them turned in on time. With efficient planning, a secret shop to a grocery nets you dinner, too! A florist evaluation gives you a nice centerpiece or bouquet!
Secret shopping can earn a bonus for the sales person who gives truly good service. Those staffers who provide somewhat less service will also be recognized. Management wants to know about the male clerk who advised one secret customer to send in her spouse to select the items, since his product was just too complex for her to understand. (Which way did that employee go?) Shop America for fun and profit!
About the Author
Author Silver Fox has been a mystery shopper for 25 years. Get a register of her best mystery shopper companies.
Article Source: http://www.article-idea.com/profile/silverfox-5133.html
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